Boy King

Boy King
November 25, 2013
Proverbs 22:6  "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."

The apple does not fall far from the tree.  This saying can be true in more ways than one, suggesting a child is JUST like his or her parent.  If a mom or dad displays specific behavior, it is understood that a child will probably display that same behavior.  This can be a great thing when the behavior is positive.  But what about when the behavior is a detriment to society?  Hopefully the child will not always follow in his father's footsteps.

There were several kings in the Bible who got it wrong during their reigns.  Sadly, Scripture describes too many kings who did "evil in the eyes of the Lord."  One such king was Amon.  The Lord could not tolerate Amon's behavior, so He allowed Amon to be killed.  Following the death of Amon, his son, Josiah, was appointed the next king, as was the tradition.  But Josiah was at a disadvantage; he was only eight years old.  An eight year old is not able to lead, despite how smart or gifted he may have been.  But somehow, Josiah got it right.  He was not the bad apple that described his dad; Josiah did what was right in the Lord's eyes.

But Josiah could not have done right in the Lord's eyes unless someone taught him correctly.  The Bible names Josiah's mother, though it never describes her.  I would suggest she was a godly woman.  And Josiah could not have led the nation as a child without male advisers; it would not have happened.  I would suggest those advisers were godly men as well.  Josiah was a godly man, but thankfully he was surrounded by godly leadership when he was still becoming that man.  His mother and advisers guided him in his leadership role and when Josiah was man enough, he continued that godly tradition.

We can learn many valuable lessons of wisdom from the few simple lines that detail Josiah's life.  Your job is to surround yourself with solid Christian leadership and advisers; this is not limited to boy kings.  It is valuable to have sage advice pouring into your life.  Your job is to be a godly person helping to raise up others around  you.  Just as others pour into your life, so you should pour into others.  Your job is to be godly in the position of your assigned leadership.  Maybe you didn't have righteous parents to guide you.  This makes it imperative to gather mature Christians around you, to bolster your effectiveness.  You may have been taught well, but it is still up to you to perpetuate that godliness in your life.  This carries throughout your adulthood and into your elder years, regardless of when you are appointed king.

If you do evil in the eyes of the Lord, chances are it was a long time in the making.  This goes true with doing right in the eyes of the Lord; it doesn't happen overnight or by accident.  If a child is to become a king and rule well, it takes many people to help him get to that point.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  1 Kings 13:2, 2 Kings 21 & 22