The Power of Influence

Open: Texas custody case involving the future of a 7 year old boy named James Younger. The parents are divorced and the case is over which parent has custody for the purposes of medical decisions for James. The mother, Anne Georgulas is convinced her son is transgender and calls the 7 year Luna. Mom wants sole custody so she can have gender reassignment surgery performed on her son. The father, Jeffrey Younger, refuses to call James by the female name Luna and repeatedly affirms to his son that he is a boy.

Transition: The mother claims James has been identifying as a girl since he was three, when he liked a girl toy from McD’s more than the boy toy. What 3 year old understands “gender dysphoria?” This is simply the influence of a mother of twin boys who wanted a girl. She dresses James as a girl and calls him Luna. She registered him in Kindergarten as Luna.

The influence of a parent is a powerful force, and it can be used for good or bad. Tonight, I want us to look at two kings of Judah who lived in totally different ways as the result of powerful influencers in their lives. Turn with me to as we start with by looking at the 5th king of Judah, a man named Jehoram (Joram). The second king we will look at will be Jehoram’s grandson, a young man named Joash (Jehoash).

Read text:

The Power of a Wicked Influencer

Explanation: Jehoram had a godly father. His father was Jehoshaphat, a very godly king who reigned for 25 years. Jehoram’s downfall came through the influence of his wife, Athaliah (v. 6). Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab was a very wicked king in his own right, and Jezebel is at the top of the list of “bad girls” in the Bible. Jezebel was a priestess of many of the fertility cults and she brought idolatry to new levels in the Northern Kingdom. Athaliah evidently learned well from her parents and brought much wickedness to the Southern Kingdom.

Let’s look at the highlight reel for Jehoram:

He married a pagan priestess

He killed all his brothers (and a few other relatives for good measure)

He had two major towns revolt during his reign

He led the people of Judah into idolatrous worship

He was so bad Elijah the prophet censured him with a dire warning from God.

He only reigned 8 years, and his last 2 years were spent in agony from an illness that was sent by God as a punishment

“He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret” ()

The Power of a Godly Influencer - the life of Joash ()

Read 2 Chronicles 22:10-12

Explanation: A bit of background for Joash will be helpful. Following the death of Jehoram, his oldest son Ahaziah became king. He only reigned for one year before he was killed in a power play involving the king of Israel. Ahaziah did have sons, but they were all young. Athaliah, the queen mother (the widow of Jehoram) had all of her grandsons killed so she could take the throne herself!

The wife of Jehoida the priest rescued one son named Joash and hid him in a bedroom while Athaliah was killing all the others. Joash was about one year old when he was saved. He was later moved to the Temple where Jehoida the priest kept him safe for the next six years.

When Joash was 7 years old, Jehoida put together a coalition of supporters of the young king and publically revealed him to the people. Athaliah tried to stop this move, but she ended up being executed for usurping the throne from the rightful heir. Joash did become king, and he reigned for 40 years and was considered a good king.

2 Chronicles 24:1–2 ESV

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

2 Chronicles 24:1 ESV

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

What’s the point of the stories?

Explanation: So far I have done is share information. The biblical account is true, and the persons are described accurately. We can be fascinated by the intrigue and the plots and the turns, but if that is all we take away, we only have a transfer of information. In and of itself, that is a good thing. Knowing more about the contents of Scripture is never wrong

But the important thing is not a history lesson about the lives of two kings of the the Southern Kingdom. The important lesson deals with the two different types of influence and how they affect others. The lack of details for Athaliah’s actions that influenced Jehoram are telling. As is true in a lot of cases, wickedness simply affects others by its presence. Jehoram married a pagan who was opposed to all of those things that the king was called to uphold.

Illustrate: Reflect on young people you have known who took a negative turn when they started hanging out with friends with low values.

English Standard Version Chapter 15

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals

“Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals” ()

On the opposite side, while it is definitely possible to have a positive influence on another, it requires a firm intention, work, prayer, and trusting God.

The Intentionality of being a Positive Influence: Jehoida’s steps for Joash

Jehoida was strong and courageous ()

If we are going to make a difference in the life of our children and grandchildren we are going to have to have some spiritual courage. Christ-honoring, Bible-believing Christians are in the minority, but we are not defeated. We need to quit caving in to the liberals and take a public stand for Christian values.

Jehoida trusted God ()

Jehoida led the making of a covenant with the king in the House of God. As a priest, Jehoida was familiar with the promise that God had made with David and his descendants. Jehoida showed that he trusted the promise of God. What Jehoida was entering into could have got him executed. He put his life on the line when he trusted God.

Jehoida had a strategy ()

Jehoida didn’t offer up a prayer and then go charging into the night. He had a definite strategy in place before he acted. He had other priests and Levites in specific places at specific times. They each were assigned roles and duties and Jehoida saw to it that they had the tools needed to accomplish the mission

Jehoida declared for God ()

After the successful plan to place Joash on the throne as the rightful heir, Jehoida publically promoted God. Jehoida made sure the people understood that this was of God. God was the One who had come through for them, and as a result of God’s blessing, the people were to publically and unashamedly declare themselves to belong to God as His people