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2 Kings Chapter 12
- 2Kings 12:1 In the
seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years
reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of
Beersheba.
- 2 And Jehoash did
that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days
wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
- 3 But the high
places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and
burnt incense in the high places.
While Jehu was still king of Israel,
Jehoash was king of Judah. Jehoash reigned 40 years. He mostly did
that which was right as long as his uncle, the high priest was there
to advise him. Baal worship was removed both by Jehu and Joash but
other false worship still existed using the high places and the
worship of calves but not by all people.
Jehoash Repairs the Temple
- 2Kings 12:4 And
Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated
things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the
money of every one that passeth the account, the money that
every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any
man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
- 5 Let the priests
take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them
repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall
be found.
- 6 But it was so,
that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests
had not repaired the breaches of the house.
- 7 Then king Jehoash
called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said
unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now
therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but
deliver it for the breaches of the house.
- 8 And the priests
consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to
repair the breaches of the house.
The priests took the money and did not
repair the house. Jehoash asked them why they did not repair the
breaches and told them not to take any more money from the people.
- 2Kings 12:9 But
Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of
it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh
into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door
put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the
LORD.
- 10 And it was so,
when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the
king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in
bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the
LORD.
- 11 And they gave the
money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work,
that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid
it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the
house of the LORD,
- 12 And to masons,
and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair
the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid
out for the house to repair it.
- 13 Howbeit there
were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver,
snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of
silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the
LORD:
- 14 But they gave
that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the
LORD.
- 15 Moreover they
reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the
money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.
- 16 The trespass
money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD:
it was the priests'.
They finally got enough money to repair
the house of the Lord after Jehoiada took a chest and bore a hole so
money could go in but the priests could not take any out but it was
not finished because of what happens next.
Hazael is the same king who captured
the land of Israel on the other side of Jordan occupied by the
children of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. They had
sold themselves into idolatry so this part of Israel was defeated by
Syria. If God is not there by our choice, we are not guaranteed to
survive very long. The gods they served instead of the Lord wasn't
able to save them from Hazael.
-
2Kings 12:18 And Jehoash
king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and
Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had
dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that
was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the
king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went
away from Jerusalem.
To keep Hazael from doing the same thing to
Judah that he did to Israel, Joash decided to use the treasures of
the house of the Lord and bought off Hazael.
The Death of Joash
- 2Kings 12:19 And the
rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
- 20 And his servants
arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of
Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
- 21 For Jozachar the
son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants,
smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in
the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
What we can learn from read about the
kings is that compromise and having God but idols too does not work.
It opens many doors that need to stay closed. It limits the power of
God to save, and keep us from evil. It was good that Jehu and Joash
got rid of the worship of Baal but they didn't get rid of all
idolatry. Idolatry is evil because it is a subsitute for the real
God who created us, gave us life and also the hope of eternal life.
What an insult it is for us to abandon the real God and worship
devils which is what idol worship is.
- 1Corinthans 10:20
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye
should have fellowship with devils.
- 21 Ye cannot
drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be
partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
This compromise is exactly why they had no
power to overcome the threats and conquest of Hazael the king of
Syria. We today need to take heed to this. All evil authority and
power will come to judgment eventually. We need to be safe in the
Lord's care. However, we need to love the Lord, not just to keep us
safe but because of who He is. We need to love His word, His
holiness and everything He stands for. He gave us a free will to
choose Him or go our own way. Without Him there is nothing but
everylasting destruction. Devils do not care for our eternal souls.
-DC
2 Kings Chapter 13
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