And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest [his uncle]. – 2 Chronicles 24:2, AMP

King Joash of Judah was a mere seven years old when he began his reign.  Rescued as an infant by his uncle, Jehoida the priest, from the murderous pursuits of his power-hungry grandmother, little Joash governed the kingdom according to God’s Word until his uncle Jehoida passed away.

After Jehoida died, things changed.  Joash became an idol worshipper, and he caused Judah to follow his lead. He also became a bitter, selfish man incapable of receiving criticism. Rebuked by Zechariah the priest for turning away from God, Joash had Zechariah killed.  Incidentally, Zechariah was Joash’s cousin, the son of Jehoida, the very man that had saved Joash’s life as an infant.

Why did Joash suffer such a change of direction?  Because Joash was following man rather than God.

Joash’s moral compass did not have God as its magnetic north.  As 2 Chronicles 23:16 and 24:17 demonstrate, Joash’s magnetic north pointed in the direction of whichever human being(s) presented the more compelling argument.  As a result, true worship gave way to idol worship.

Many Christians today make the same mistake Joash did; they base their Christian walk not on the power of God’s persuasion but on the power of man’s persuasion.  Not careful to check man’s teachings against the solid rock of Scripture, such people have a form of Godliness that is devoid of depth and truth.  When someone more persuasive comes along, they follow suit.

No matter who is instructing us in the way we should go in life, we should always measure man’s words against the bedrock truth of Scripture.  The Bereans would not hearken even to the Apostle Paul but searched the scriptures daily to make sure that what he taught them matched up with God’s Word (Acts 17:10-11). We should do the same. If we fail to do so, we run the risk of losing sight of God in the clouds of man’s varied opinions.

Don’t be swayed by the arguments of man unless the arguments of man match up with the arguments of God.  Following man’s way will lead to confusion, distress, chaos, and destruction. Following God’s way will bring understanding, peace, order, and ultimate victory.