2 Chronicles 24:17-19 (ESV)
Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
When we have a great leader that not only leads but also keeps us in check from evil, there is a great hole to fill when they die. Jehoiada was one of those type of leaders. He not only gave them great direction, but he was also a force for good that kept back the evil. When he dies there is no one to takes his place. As a result we read the above passage. We read that those under him had power on their mind and not holiness on their mind. They wanted their own prestige rather than a desire to promote God’s Word. Jehoiada was a priest who followed after God. The king (Joash) was a mere boy and Jehoiada kept him safe to become king and serve God. But, apparently Jehoiada never internalized these commitments and truths himself. Once Jehoiada was gone, Joash was led astray by weaker men and evil men. If we want staying power we have to train others to take our place (something Jehoiada did not do). If we want the rest of the time to be like the current time we have to develop other leaders who can take our place. Jehoiada did not have a replacement. He probably assumed that Joash would step up and be that type of leader. That assumption would be a mistake. Legacy only happens if you invest in others to take your place and fill your shoes.
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