He was 7 years old when he began to reign. Joash . . . the kid king. When he just one year old he was rescued from his grandmother’s slaughter of his siblings . . . hidden away by the wife of Jehoiada the priest . . . reared as a small child in the house of true seekers of God . . . protected that he might one day return the house of David to the throne. And then, at the age of 7, taken and placed on the throne by his faithful rescuer, mentor, and now counselor, Jehoiada. And the kid king would do “what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2Chron. 22:10 – 24:3).

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord . . . all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Sounds kind of ominous . . . doesn’t it? What happened after God-fearing, wise, faithful Jehoiada died . . . you don’t want to know.

Talk about a fresh start . . . about beginning with a “clean sheet of paper.” Seven years old . . . brought up in the house of a god-fearing priest . . . home schooled . . . the Scriptures likely being his only textbook . . . sheltered life . . . literally, ’cause if he wasn’t, crazy ol’ grandma would take him out. Then, when he is placed on the throne he is literally surrounded by servants of God . . . they’re pulling double duty . . . ministering before God in the things of God . . . and being a troop of bodyguards to protect the young sovereign. And the kid comes out of the gate strong . . . doing it by the book . . . literally . . . in 2Kings 12:2 it says he “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.”

But then Jehoiada dies . . . and the kid king, who is now the man king, crashes and burns. How come? Because, I think, it was just done by the book . . . all the right actions . . . all the right motions to honor the God of Israel . . . the temple repaired and fortified . . . but a heart that was never made new. Doing it by the book . . . without the book doing it to you . . . is just unsustainable.

That’s the message of the law . . . that “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (Rom. 3:20). Although there was a “revival” in Judah under Joash with idol worshiping high places being torn down and the house of the LORD being revitalized, apart from a heart transplant, it wouldn’t . . . it couldn’t . . . last. Take away the one guy who had the ear of the king . . . and a heart set on God . . . and the reforms stop . . . the revival sizzles . . . a new set of counselors come in and the “righteous” king abandons the house of the LORD and becomes the “idol serving” king (2Chron. 24:17-18).

Sure faith without works is dead . . . but works without faith . . . unsustainable.

Enter the power of the gospel . . . bring on the good news of new creations in Christ . . . rejoice in hearts of stone being made hearts of flesh . . . praise God for the righteousness of God which “has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22). Now that kind of righteousness is sustainable.

A righteousness begotten of God by grace through faith . . . a work He has begun and will finish . . . dependent not on the counsel of a an aging high priest . . . but infused by the eternal Counselor sent from God to indwell, illuminate, and empower . . . led by the great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us . . . a revival wrought within our very souls that is intended to grow in intensity for all eternity.

The gospel is the power of God towards sustainability . . . the power for lives that far from fizzling out, end strong . . . amazing grace becoming more and more amazing as we experience it . . . the pursuit for the prize increasing as the finish line draws nearer. Woe to those who depart from grace and rely on works . . . ain’t gonna happen.

Oh that I might live in the sustaining reality of the gospel . . . His sufficiency alone . . . His power alone . . . for His glory alone . . . amen?