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.
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.
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, basins, 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'.
17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
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.
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.
Chapter 12 of the book of 2 Kings in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible is primarily about the reign of King Jehoash (also known as Joash) over Judah. It also includes the account of the repairing of the temple during his reign. This chapter highlights the themes of the consequences of disobedience, the importance of following God's law, and the restoration of the temple. Through the events and actions of King Jehoash and the priests, we can see the significance of obedience to God and the consequences of straying from His ways. This chapter also reveals the faithfulness of God and how He provides for His people even in times of trouble.
Chapter 12 begins by stating that Jehoash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. He was the son of Ahaziah, who was killed by Jehu, and his grandmother Athaliah, who was also killed by Jehu. Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who were notorious for leading Israel into idolatry. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jehoash's mother, Zibiah, was also from the house of Ahab. This background sets the stage for the kind of king Jehoash would become and the challenges he would face.
As a young king, Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, following the example of his ancestor David. This is significant because the previous kings of Judah, including his own father, had turned away from God and worshipped idols. Jehoash's commitment to God is seen in his actions as he sought to restore the temple and repair its damages.
The temple was the center of worship for the people of Judah, and it held great significance in their religious practices. However, during the reign of Jehoash, the temple had fallen into a state of disrepair due to the lack of attention and resources. Therefore, Jehoash commanded the priests to collect money from the people to repair the temple.
The priests were reluctant to collect the money as they had not been using the funds for the temple's upkeep as they were supposed to. They had instead been using the money for their own purposes. However, Jehoash insisted on the collection, and the priests finally agreed. The money was collected and used to repair the damages in the temple.
The priests were also responsible for keeping the temple's finances in check, and they were to hand over any surplus money to the temple treasury. However, they had not been doing so, and Jehoash discovered this when he asked for an account of the temple's finances. He then instructed the priests to use the money collected from the people to pay for the temple's repairs and to return the surplus to the treasury.
This account of the temple's repair highlights the importance of following God's laws and using resources for His purposes. The priests had failed in their duties, and their disobedience had led to the temple's neglect. However, through Jehoash's actions, the temple was restored, and the people were reminded of the significance of the temple in their worship of God.
As mentioned earlier, Jehoash's mother, Zibiah, was from the house of Ahab, and her influence on Jehoash can be seen in his later actions. After the completion of the temple's repairs, Hazael, the king of Syria, came and attacked Judah. Jehoash took all the sacred items from the temple and gave them to Hazael as a tribute to spare Judah from destruction. This is a stark contrast to his previous actions of restoring the temple.
The consequences of disobedience are evident in this account. Jehoash's actions show that his commitment to God was not as strong as it seemed. He had allowed the influence of his mother and the ways of the surrounding nations to sway him from God's laws. This ultimately led to the weakening of Judah's position and the loss of the sacred items from the temple.
After the attack from Hazael, Jehoash became very sick, and his servants conspired against him and killed him. His son, Amaziah, then became king in his place. The chapter ends with the account of the restoration of the temple during Amaziah's reign. Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but he did not remove the high places where the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense.
The restoration of the temple during Amaziah's reign highlights the faithfulness of God. Despite the disobedience of the kings and the people, God remained faithful to His promise to provide for His people. He provided a new king who followed His ways and continued the work of restoring the temple. However, the fact that the high places were not removed shows that the people's hearts were still not fully devoted to God.
Chapter 12 of 2 Kings teaches us several lessons through the accounts of King Jehoash and the restoration of the temple. The first lesson is the importance of following God's laws and being obedient to Him. Jehoash's commitment to God resulted in the restoration of the temple, while his disobedience led to the loss of sacred items and the weakening of Judah's position. This shows that our actions have consequences, and obedience to God brings blessings, while disobedience leads to destruction.
The second lesson is the significance of the temple in the worship of God. The temple was the center of worship for the people of Judah, and it held great importance in their relationship with God. The neglect of the temple by the priests and the people's failure to remove the high places show that they had lost sight of the temple's significance. This serves as a reminder to us to always prioritize our relationship with God and not let anything distract us from it.
The third lesson is the faithfulness of God. Despite the disobedience of the kings and the people, God remained faithful to His promise to provide for His people. He provided a new king who followed His ways and continued the work of restoring the temple. This shows that no matter how far we stray from God, He is always ready to welcome us back and provide for us.
In conclusion, Chapter 12 of 2 Kings teaches us the importance of obedience to God, the significance of the temple in our worship, and the faithfulness of God. Through the accounts of King Jehoash and the restoration of the temple, we are reminded of the consequences of disobedience, the importance of following God's laws, and the assurance of God's faithfulness. It serves as a call to prioritize our relationship with God and to always remain faithful to Him.
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