“Bad company corrupts good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33). That’s what Paul wrote, and was that ever true for King Joash. As long as his uncle Jehoiada was alive, Joash stayed on the straight and narrow. And that only made sense: after all, while he was still an infant, it was his aunt Jehosheba who had saved his life from his murderous grandmother Athaliah (II Kings 11:2-3). And it was Jehosheba’s husband Jehoiada who had led the revolt against Athaliah, installing Joash on the throne of Judah. Joash owed everything to his uncle and aunt, so it was only natural that he followed Jehoiada’s advice, participating in the repair and restoration of the Temple and making sure the money collected for that purpose was properly spent (II Chronicles 24:8-13).

But no one lives forever, not even Jehoiada who made it to the age of 130 (II Chronicles 24:15). And when he finally died, Joash turned to other counsellors who encouraged him to walk in the ways of his grandmother Athaliah, worshipping false fertility gods (II Chronicles 24:18). Worse yet, when Joash’s cousin Zechariah, Jehoida and Jehosheba’s son, called him on the carpet and denounced his apostasy, Joash had Zechariah killed (II Chronicles 24:21).

Yes, it’s easy to see how important it is to choose the right friends, and to weigh their advice according to the Scriptures. But Jesus went expanded this warning to include everything we see and hear and pay attention to: “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matt. 6:22-23)

So, what ideas are we allowing to fill our minds these days? Are we soaking up more of God’s Word and giving ourselves to prayer so that our priorities might come more into line with His? Or are we allowing the darkness of the godless world to invade our hearts and minds, pulling us away from God just as surely as Joash’s friends pulled him into apostasy and murder?

II Chronicles 24:15-22 (NASB)

15 Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death.
16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house.
17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.
18 And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.
19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.
20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.'”
21 So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!”