God Honors Those Who Honor Him

God Honors Those Who Honor Him

2 KING 12:4-8

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 passed 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, Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, whosesoever any breach shall be found. But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. 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. And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house

Joash was seven years old when he became king and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother name was Zibiah of Beersheba. God Honors Those Who Honor Him , Joash steadfastly heart did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoida the priest, his counselor. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Joash was zealous to repair the temple of the Lord, after the sons of Athaliah broke into the house of God and presented all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord to Baals. Relative to Jesus overturning the table in the house of the Lord when market transactions were conducted in the temple rather than prayer. Joash gathered the priests, Levites, and Jehoida the chief priest whose wife was Jehoshabath, they raised him in the temple of God for six years in secrecy, until Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, and the sister of Jehoshabath, murderous exploit of the royals in the land was ended by Jehoiada and the captains of hundreds.  

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field and you are God’s building… if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is Holy which temple you are

And you shall destroy their altar, break sacred pillars and burn wooden images with fire, you shall cut down the carve images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.

Jesus said: It is written, “My house will be called a hour of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers.

Pause & think

• What was the relationship between King Joash and Jehoida the priest?
• Who were responsible for the upkeep of the temple?
• What are some practical ways in which we can contribute to the upkeep of our temple?

God Honors Those Who Honor Him , from seven to twenty-three years, Joash who was under the tutelage of Johoiada in the temple, had to wait for the appropriate time, to apply wisdom and finesse to address the neglect of the temple, a place of refuge, by those whom it was entrusted namely, the priest, Levites and the chief priest, who had a earnest care for him. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Joash in his twenty-third year as king called Jehoiada, the chief priest, the priest and the Levites and courageously confronted them for not fulfilling their assignment “Why have they not repaired the damages of the temple and required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem that collection according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel for the tabernacle witness. "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required."

King Joash gave directive to the Levites to go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of the Lord from year to year and see that they do it quickly. However, the Levites did not do it quickly.King Joash, gave another directive to the priest “All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the Lord, each man’s census money, each man’s assessment money and all the money that a man purpose in his heart to bring into the house of the Lord. Let the priest take it themselves, each for his constituency; let them repair the damage of the temple, whenever any dilapidation, rather than covert the money to income for personal use. Each man should bring (i) the census or atonement money -a half a shekel that each man aged twenty or above was to bring to the temple annually as offering to the Lord for the service of the tent, a memorial to the Lord that makes atonement for lives.  Relative to when Christ, our atoning sacrifice, commanded Peter to go to the sea, cast in a hook and take the fish that comes first, opens it mouth and take the money in the fish mouth to pay the temple tax (ii) The money received from personal vows –promise made to the Lord (iii) The voluntary money- money a person purpose in his heart to bring to the Lord at free will.  Jesus said: No one takes it (His life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

And for the redemption of the life of two hundred and seventy-three of the first born of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites and you shall take five shekels for each one individually, you shall take them in currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like sliver and gold, from you aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without spot.

You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which is God.

Pause &think

• How did Joash intent to honor God achieve a peaceable result?
• What were Joash directives to the priest and Levites?
• How did the offerings made in the temple foreshadow of Christ?

2 King 12:9-12

Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord. Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord and put it into bags. When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord—the carpenters and builders, the masons and stone cutters. They purchased timber and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.

Joash, endeavoring to keep the unity of spirit in the bond of peace, collaborated with Jehoiada to implement a new plan to restore the temple and establish an acceptable offering and orderly worship to the Lord.  This plan stipulated, the priest cease taking money from the treasuries, they shall not collect money from the people, nor be responsible for repairing the temple. Therefore, Jehoiada created a chest with hole on it and place it outside the gate of the temple. The priest who guarded the entrance of the temple shall bring the money in the chest into the temple to the king’s officials who in turn shall gave large sum of money, to the royal secretary and high priest to be counted, put it in a bag, and the royal secretary and high priest shall empty the chest and carry it back to its place.

A proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they shall bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant has required of Israel in the wilderness.  The entire official and all the people brought their contribution gladly and put their money into the chest until it was full. The chest had to be empty daily, because the people were very generous, they saw the progress being made and wanted the upkeep of the temple to be maintained, to offer an acceptable offerings and orderly worship to the Lord our God, the living God , to whom be the glory, honor and praise.

The king and Jehoiada hired laborers: mason, carpenters, and workers of irons, bronze to repair the temple. They gave the money to men appointed to supervise the work of the temple. These diligent men with integrity built the temple according to its original design and reinforced it, and paid those who worked on repairing and restoring the temple of the Lord. A chain of command was established to enforce transparency and accountability every steps along the way from receiving the money, processing, disbursing it and then paying of laborers who worked on restoring the temple.  This ensure check and balances were enforce to make sure every participant was accountable and to ensure financial integrity was established to confirm the offering given by the people to rebuilt them temple serve its intended purpose.

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season how good it is.

He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord happy is He.

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice

Pause & Think

• Contrast Joash solution in maintaining the temple to the previous process
•  How did the new plan enforced unity in the temple and the people and reveal priorities?
•  Describe the labor and pay structure in the temple and how this enforce accountability

^{2 King 12:13-16}

The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord;it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.

Sliver brought to the temple was used for repair and restoration work.  None of the offering allocated to temple maintenance were used on the dedicated instruments for worship. Instead the entire offerings were exclusively allocated to repairing the temple, a transparent and integral part of the new process. A trust relationship was established to enforce self-management where an external factor such as accounting was not required. Neither the king nor the high priest were responsible for the labor payment but the men who supervise the day to day activities of building the temple, because they dealt faithfully, which means each worker was worthy of his wages. This steam line process ensures full transparency and honesty from the King, priests, secretaries, supervisor, workers and the people.

However, the money for the trespass offerings – An offering offered for sin committed unintentionally regarding the holy things to the Lord, offering a ram without blemish with an equivalent value in shekels of sliver according to shekel of the structure of the temple, and the sin offering , with redemptive price similar to trespass offering was not also brought into the house of the Lord, because it belongs to the priest. The priest, made atonement for the person ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, or sin committed to be forgiven at the price of redemption, shekels of sliver.

In Christ, believers have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sin, which implies believers do not have to ask for forgiveness at the price of one half shekel of sliver, from a priest. Rather, Christ blood makes atonement for believers’ sin committed intentionally or in ignorance in confession.  The blood of Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, makes atonement for our sin not only our sin but the sins of the whole world, and redeems believers. Christ offered himself as ransom in the thirty pieces of sliver betrayal deal to finished His work on Calvary in love to save His people from sin.

Therefore, whosoever believes Jesus is the Son of God, who died to save us from sin, and God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and confesses that He (Jesus) is Lord to the glory of the Father would be saved and accepted into the family of God. As a result, the blood of Jesus draws those who were near and afar closer to God to cleans, sanctify and purify our consciousness from dead works to serve the living God, those whom Jesus Christ has redeemed as king and priest unto God.

But this priest offered for all time on sacrifice for sin and sat down at the right hand of God. And since that time waits for His enemies to made his footstool.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood to be received by faith.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as ransom for all people

Pause and think
Contrast the price of redemption in the old to the new testament 
How can we bring honor and avoid dishonor  to God in the stewarding of our resources
What can we learn from Zoash zeal in repairing and restoring the temple