Jehoiada: Exerting Godly Influence

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INTRODUCTION

As you prepare to dive into the life of Jehoiada, perhaps you are not even aware that such a man existed! His name is not a prolific name in the biblical record. He appears nowhere in the New Testament, and nowhere in the Old Testament except for the brief accounts of his impact in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. He is not a king and only has a loose connection to one. No, Jehoiada is just a priest. Nonetheless, when God puts him into a position to exert influence for the good of God's people, Jehoiada's faithful action earns him a spot in the annals of Judah's exemplary leaders.

Jehoiada faced the challenge that almost all of us face. That is, how do we exert influence when we have so little power? After all, unless you are a political leader, a pastor, a military leader, a corporate boss, or a handful of other titles, you likely spend more time following the directives of some leader over you than giving directions to those under you. Just like Jehoiada had to find a way to leverage what minimal influence he had so that the kingdom of God could advance, we also find ourselves sometimes stuck in the middle of a power structure, yet wanting to make a difference. Such a position calls for skill, humility, and patience. Perhaps Jesus' commandment in Matthew 10:16 that we be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (NIV) is applicable. This is what business writers often call "managing upward" - finding a way to leverage what influence we do have on the right people for the maximum good.

Often, those who do this well are the most unknown. Norman Borlaug is probably the most unknown hero in the world, one whose accomplishments in horticulture and farming have saved the lives of a billion people. He is only one of five individuals to have won the Nobel prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. The other four are Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel. Borlaug was born poor and rejected by the University of Minnesota. Yet his work has helped reduce the percentage of the world's population experiencing hunger at some point each year from 60 percent (1960) to 14 percent. Just a normal scientist, Norman Borlaug used the small influence he had, and a billion people's lives are the better for it.

I. STAND FOR GOD'S WAYS (2 Chron. 22:10—23:3, 8-17)

Some time has expired since righteous Jehoshaphat completed his remarkable reign and breathed his last in the peace of God. In fact, despite the tremendous character of Jehoshaphat and his reign, Judah has been in chaos ever since his death. His son Jehoram proves to be a villainous tyrant, forsaking God to serve pagan idols. Upon Jehoram's atrocious death by the hand of Yahweh (21:18-19), his son Ahaziah takes the throne, simply because he is the only son left (22:1). Since he is the youngest son of Jehoram, he has not been adequately prepared to rule on his own. Thus, his mother, Athaliah, rises to become the ruler in proxy over Judah. When an unfortunate turn of events results in the death of Ahaziah, she has free reign over the kingdom. The results could destroy Judah altogether, were it not for an uncommon priest named Jehoiada.