The INFLUENCE of COUNSELORS in our lives
May 9
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles Chapters 22-24
The INFLUENCE of COUNSELORS in our lives!
"Blessed
is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the
path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in
the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night." (Psalms 1:1-2)
In the
readings of 2 Chron 22-24, we come across two kings of Judah whose lives were
influenced by counselors – both ungodly and godly.
King Ahaziah: "Ahaziah
was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in
Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of
Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly. Therefore he did evil in the
sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after
the death of his father, to his destruction." (2 Chron 22:2-4)
We see that
Ahaziah had ungodly and wicked counselors like his own mother and the Ahab
family who influenced him to do evil in God’s sight. So, God brought about his
downfall and eventual death (vv. 7-9). The counsel of the ungodly ruins many
young people when they are setting out in the world. Ahaziah gave himself up to
be led by evil men and his own evil mother. Those who advise us to do wickedly,
counsel us to our destruction; while they pretend to be friends, they are our
worst enemies. We need to stay away from these people at all cost.
King Joash: "Joash
was seven years old when he became
king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of
Beersheba. Joash did what was right in
the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest." (2
Chron 24:1-2) "Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders
of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And
the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of
their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah
and Jerusalem because of their trespass. Yet
He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified
against them, but they would not listen." (2 Chron 24:17-19)
In the case
of Joash, he ascended the throne of Judah at a tender age of seven. He was
greatly influenced by the godly priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehoshabeath, so
he started his reign taking the right decision of making a covenant to serve
God alone (vv. 3, 16). He destroyed idol worship (v. 17), and repaired, restored and reinforced
the house of God to its original condition (vv. 4-14). However, after the death
of Jehoiada (vv. 15-16), Joash listened to wicked leaders of Judah and reinstated the idol worship that was
long forsaken (vv. 17-18). When Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada spoke
prophetical words of destruction, Joash had him stoned to death. He did not
remember the kindness that the Jehoiada family had done to him nor the fact
that it was because of them only that he became the king of Judah (vv. 20-22).
Eventually, Joash was killed by the Syrian army who executed God’s judgment
against Joash, and he was not even buried in the tombs of the kings (vv.
23-25). What a tragedy!
Let us be very careful taking counsel from others – this may decide our decisions, actions and eventual destiny. "The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful." (Prov 12:5). Let us trust in the Lord who alone can give us good counsel. "I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons." (Psalms 16:7)
