Jehoiada: Exerting Godly Influence...Continued from page 7

Zechariah's dying wish comes to fruition toward the end of that same year. With a small force, the king of Damascus in Aram (Syria) marches out to invade Judah, decimating Judah's larger force and plundering Judah's towns. A wounded Joash might have recovered were it not for his own officials who kill him in his bed. In fact, the death of Zechariah is the catalyst for this assassination. Joash dies in shame, a sad testimony to the consequences of forsaking God.

CONCLUSION

Scripture is full of examples of persons given the opportunity to lead from the middle of the pack through exerting godly influence. Joseph, Esther, and even Paul all dealt with power structures that were less than godly, yet they left them better than they found them. The leadership of Jehoiada in the early kingdom of Judah is an extended example of what it means to be an influential person for God. Through Jehoiada's godly living and savvy leadership, we find practical methods for influencing the world around us.

GOLDEN TEXT CHALLENGE

"JEHOIADA MADE A COVENANT BETWEEN HIM, AND BETWEEN ALL THE PEOPLE, AND BETWEEN THE KING, THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE LORD'S PEOPLE" (2 Chron. 23:16).

The new political reality in Judah - ruthless and truthless Queen Athaliah had been deposed in favor of King Joash - was not sufficient to turn the nation in the right direction. Judah also needed a spiritual revolution.

Representing the Lord God in his role as high priest, Jehoiada "made a covenant that he and the people and the king would be the Lord's people" (NIV). This happened right after Athaliah was killed, becoming the foundation on which Joash's reign would be built.

The only hope for our nation as we enter a new year is that we as the people of God will renew our covenant with Him and pray that many others will join us.

Daily Devotions:
M. Take a Stand (Exodus 32:19-29)
T. Follow God's Commands (Deuteronomy 5:28-33)
W. Walk in God's Ways (2 Chronicles 17:3-9)
T. Obey God Despite Opposition (Acts 4:13-22)
F. Do Not Harden Your Heart (Hebrews 3:7-15)

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