Queen Athaliah had “destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah” (2 Chr. 22:10). This was a wicked act by one who was a worshiper of Baal. But God intervened. He put a godly priest, Jehoiada, and his pious wife, Jehoshabeath, in the right place at the right time. They rescued Joash and hid him. Joash had been both preserved from harm as a child and brought up under the godly nurture of Jehoiada the priest.

Joash was only one year old when these things occurred and obviously he would have been oblivious of the events swirling around him. Jehoiada and his wife then hid Joash for six years; then at seven years of age he was placed on the throne of Judah. Under Jehoiada the priest’s tutelage and nurturing, Joash initiated repairs to the temple (24:4–14).

Eventually Jehioada grew old and died (24:15–16). He was buried among the kings of Judah “because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.” Following his death we read, “Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest”—meaning only during the days of Jehioada. After Jehioada died, Joash listened to the counsel of the elders of Judah who led him into idolatry (24:17–18). Once his old mentor was gone, he listened to new mentors.

There is an important lesson to be learned from this history. It is a blessing to have had spiritual mentors in our lives, and many of us can point to some. However, being mentored is different from living the life of faith vicariously through another. Joash lived in a godly way under Jehoiada and wickedly under the elders of Judah. But what did he really believe? Our faith has to be our own and not the faith of others. It will surely be tested and, if not our own, it will fail the test.