day no. 15,647: best if used by

2 Chronicles 24:2
And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

This would be encouraging if it read that Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of his life.  But it doesn't and it isn't. Joash's righteousness was only best if used by a particular date. It was contingent on something other than eternal God. 

Joash's faithfulness lived as long as Jehoiada. His obedience was right as long as Jehoiada was alive. But this is bad news for Joash's faithfulness since Jehoiada was just a man and could not live forever.

2 Chronicles 24:15-22
But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it.

When Jehoiada died, Joash's allegiance to the Lord died with him. Joash left the house of the Lord God. His walk with the Lord turned out to be as temporary as Jehoiada. He left the constrictive house of God for the open groves of idolatry. He punctuated his apostasy by slaying the son of his former friend, Jehoiada. Zechariah confronted Joash in the spirit of his father and in the name of his God and Joash's response demonstrated his blasphemy by abandoning both.

Be careful lest your faith rest too heavily on the faith of someone else. Be careful lest the faith of your friends depend too much upon you and not the Object of your faith.

Father, may our faith rest in You and be built upon You alone. May we never attempt to build on another man's foundation. Give us humility to learn from others and to be dependable for others, but may we seek the more of You our teachers already have and seek to give the more of You to those You've given to be our students. Amen.