Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest. – 2 Chronicles 24:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 20, 2019): 2 Chronicles 24

We tend to reflect the ideals of those with whom we spend time. Mom’s worry about the friends that we hung around with as kids was justified. Because what they do will rub off on us. And as we age, that never really seems to change. This tendency might actually be a form of groupthink. Groupthink occurs when conformity is the overarching requirement for a social group, regardless of the size. As a result of this drive for conformity, critical evaluation of the situation is minimized or absent. The members of the group accept the moral code of the leader. Sometimes, groupthink occurs in reasonably large groups of people. Contemporary political parties are often driven by groupthink. The actions of the leader are accepted in an attempt to maintain conformity. No one questions the actions of the leader. And as long as the leader is present, the others fall in line.

Sometimes groupthink is possible with as few as two people. A mother and daughter might share a united front against the world, strictly following mom’s moral ideals and view of the world. And everything flows towards a common purpose until mom is removed from the equation. Suddenly, the daughter is adrift. She has not thought through any of her beliefs, and without mom, she realizes that she has no beliefs that are hers, and what follows is often a time of moral ambiguity as the daughter searches for someone else with whom she can conform. The only ideal that she has accepted for her life is the idea of conforming to the beliefs of someone else.

It seems that this is precisely what happens in the life of Joash. Joash is rescued as a toddler from the murderous rage of his grandmother, Athaliah. He lives in close association with the priest, Jehoiada, and Joash conformed to the belief structure of the priest. Jehoiada even chose two women for the King to marry and with whom Joash could produce an heir. And the author of Chronicles says that Joash pleased God “all the years of Jehoiada the priest.”

But the words signal something darker. Without Jehoiada, Joash would look for someone else with whom he could conform. And that someone else would not carry Joash in the same direction as Jehoida had for the first years of his life. The reality was that the only value that Joash had internalized was that of conformity, and without a man of God with whom he could conform, the King would be morally lost. So while Jehoida was alive, the King would do good. But when Jehoida was removed from the situation, he found that he could just as easily do evil in the sight of God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 12