In this chapter, Joash establishes a plan to repair the Temple of the Lord. The chapter begins, “Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. (Nice!) His mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba. All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (Nice!!!) Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.
One day King Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the Lord’s Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. Let the priest take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple.” (2 Kings 12:1-5)
Unfortunately, after 23 years, the Temple still had not been repaired. As a result, Joash called all the priests together and informed them to stop collecting money from the people. He then had Jehoiada the priest place a hole in a large chest and set it at the entrance of the Temple. All contributions were then placed in the chest, counted once the chest was full by the court secretary and the high priest, and then given to the construction supervisors to pay for repairs completed by carpenters, builders, masons, and stonecutters. “However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the Lord’s Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use.”
The End of Joash’s Reign
About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. So Hazeal called off his attack on Jerusalem.
The rest of the events in Joash’s reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. But his officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. The assassins were Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of shomer - both trusted advisers. (Apparently, not too trusting.) Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king. (2 Kings 12:16-21)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! And thank you, Lord, for allowing us to see another Thanksgiving Day. I pray we are all recognizing that each day is a day of thanks, and that we are sharing our thankfulness with you daily. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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