This is a difficult, and not-too-pretty story to tell. Let us begin by identifying some of the principle characters: Athaliah, daughter of Jezebel, married Jehoram the king of Judah. Like her mother, she was a fanatical champion of Baal worship. She was directly responsible for the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, the conversion of its sacred vessels into articles used for Baal worship, inciting a general massacre, and seizing the royal throne which she occupied for six years. Ahaziah, son of Athaliah and father of Joash. Joash, who had been rescued as an infant from an attempt to exterminate the royal line by Jehoshabeath, who cared for him secretly for six years. Joash became king at age seven, served well until the death of Jehoiada, then came under the influence of the wicked princes of Judah. Jehoiada, a priest who had educated Joash and made a positive influence upon his character. Zechariah, a prophet and son of Jehoiada, whom Joash had killed for spreading the truth.

Some commentators suggest that Joash was the product of bad genes. There is a case for this claim insofar as his greatgrandfather was King Ahab (who sponsored Baal worship), his great-grandmother was Jezebel, his grandfather King Jehoram, an evil king who "departed with no one’s regret," (12:20) and his grandmother, Athaliah. Not a distinguished gallery of progenitors. Other commentators hold that Joash was the product of his environment, doing well under the influence of Jehoiada, but bottoming out while in the company of the princes of Judah. Both suggestions it appears to me, take the heat off Joash’s own choices, placing the responsibility either on his genes or his environment. I submit that there have been too many individuals who have risen above either genes or environment to become noteworthy for either suggestion to be the "be all, end all." Mary McLoud Bethune, Charles Tindley, Booker T. Washington, Helen Keller, a multitude of historical achievers, as well as persons we know personally, take away Joash’s alibi. The point is, at some significant time in our lives, we each decide at which level we choose to compete and express. Joash, despite whatever influence his genes and environment had upon him, chose the lowlife. At which level do we compete?