Bad Examples Corrupt Good Morals

2 Kings 23:28-37
    28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo when he confronted him. 30 Then his servants moved his body in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.
    31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 Now Pharaoh Necho put him in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Pharaoh took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there.
    35 So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give money according to the command of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necho. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

Josiah was killed attacking the alliance of Assyria and Egypt, ending the reign of the only wholehearted king since David who was also a man after God’s own heart.  His son and heir Jehoahaz was crowned by the people, but was a bad choice due to his being an evil man.  Jehoahaz ruled for a very short while until the pharaoh jailed him and put Jerusalem under a heavy tribute tax and rule, yet the king’s son Eliakim (named Jehoiakim by Necho) was put in his place.  He also repeated the evil of his father while ruling Judah from Jerusalem as he ruthlessly squeezed tribute of Egyptian taxes from the people of God.  This one repeated the godless evil of many previous kings while Judah followed hard after the apostasy of Israel before them.  Only his grandfather Josiah interrupted the line of rulers who did such evil before the LORD; Josiah was a shining example to light the way, yet sadly none other took notice to imitate him in pleasing God with heart, soul and might as God desires for us still to do (Mark 12:30).  We can therefore learn to imitate godly leaders as Hebrews 13:7 and Philippians 3:17 instruct us, whether we lead of follow.  Each of us influences others to seek and please our Lord, or to dishonor Him in the disobedience of sin and compromise.  Let us lead by living example to be men and women after God’s own heart and store up treasures in heaven which can to be taken away (1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Matthew 6:19-20).  Bad company and their examples corrupt good morals as 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds and warns us.