The CEB Blog - January 2025

“Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him” (2 Kings 11:21; 12:2). 

“Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them” (2 Chronicles 24:17). 

This year’s Vacation Bible School—Timeless—will teach students lessons from a few lesser-known people in the Bible, among whom is Joash. The aim of our lesson on Joash, the upright king, will be to inspire students to do the right thing, no matter how young or old they are. Our prayer is that students will personally adopt the lesson’s application: “I can set the right example.” 

King Joash was only seven years old when he took the throne, yet with God’s help and the wise guidance of Jehoida, he was able to lead great reforms among God’s people. He obeyed God, instructed, trained and influenced by Jehoida, bringing revival and repairing the Temple.  

Yet, the history of Joash took a cautionary turn when Jehoida died. The caveat for Joash’s God-pleasing leadership was that he did what was right as long as Jehoida was alive. Once Jehoida passed, Joash began listening to the wrong influences, even when God sent prophets to warn him (2 Chronicles 24:19). Joash permitted God’s people to leave the house of the Lord and serve idols, hastening God’s judgment upon them. 

When it comes to Christian education, the historical account of Joash provides us with an obvious but often neglected lesson: children require older saints to lovingly guide them with the wisdom of God’s Word. Too often these days, young people are rarely in the presence of wise, godly adults. May we take the lesson of Joash to heart and create spaces in our churches for godly wisdom to be passed down from one generation to the next. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Mark Clements 

Editor in Chief