(1) "In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. (2) And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (3) Howbeit 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 hallowed things that is brought into the house of Jehovah, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of Jehovah, (5) let the priests take it to them, every man from his acquaintance; and they shall 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 for the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore take no more money from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. (8) And the priests consented that they should take no more money from the people, neither 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 Jehovah: and the priests that kept the threshold put therein all the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah. (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 counted the money that was found in the house of Jehovah. (11) And they gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah: and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders, that wrought upon the house of Jehovah, (12) and to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of Jehovah, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. (13) But there were not made for the house of Jehovah cups of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah; (14) for they gave that to them that did the work, and repaired therewith the house of Jehovah. (15) Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to give to them that did the work; for they dealt faithfully."
Golden Text.—"We will not forsake the house of our God." Neh. 10:39.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) In what year of Jehu, king of Israel, did Jehoash begin to reign in Jerusalem? How long did he reign? Who was his mother? Verse 1. (2) What is said of his conduct? Verse 2. (3) What is said of the conduct of the people? Verse 3. (4) What permission was given by the king to the priests regarding their support? Verses 4, 5. Note 1. (5) But what did they long neglect? Verse 6. (6) For whom did the king at last call? What reproof did he administer? And what command did he give? Verse 7. Note 2. (7) How did the priests receive the king's reproof and his orders for the future? Verse 8. Note 3. (8) What plan did Jehoiada then adopt for raising money? Verse 9. (9) As money accumulated in the chest, who took charge of it? Verse 10. (10) What was then done with the money? Verses 11, 12. (11) What things were not made at first? Verse 13. Note 4. (12) What received first and earnest attention? Verse 14. (13) What marked confidence was manifested toward the men who had charge of the work? Verse 15. Note 5.
NOTES.
1. Altho Jehoash (also called Joash) was faithful under the instruction of Jehoiada the high priest, he was too young, at the age of seven years, to do much aggressive work throughout the country, and for a time the inclination of the people to indulge in the exciting worship of Baal was not materially curbed. Therefore the priests of Jehovah were not properly provided for. So they were permitted to procure for themselves sustenance as indicated in verses 4 and 5.
2. The king's reproof of the priests indicates that, through the permission before granted to collect money for their support, they had been so liberally supplied that they ought to have devoted some of the means thus acquired to keeping the temple in repair. For twenty-three years at least, and evidently for a number of years before Jehoash's reign, there had been no repairs made in the house of the Lord. The king was now thirty years old—recognized as a mature man—and in a position to wield more commanding influence than before.
3. The priests consented to the plan, and decided not to personally collect any more money from the people, but to rely for their support on that which should come to them in the regularly prescribed way. The expression, "neither repair the breaches of the house," is a little obscure; it evidently implies that they would receive no more money that ought to be devoted to that purpose. The Common Version strengthens that idea. And what follows shows that the money donated for that purpose, together with the work, was put into other hands.
4. "But there were not made . . . vessels," etc.—There is an apparent contradiction between this verse and 2 Chron. 24:14, which says, "And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of Jehovah," etc. The thought, then, in the lesson text is, that these vessels were not made until the work for which the money was specially designed had been finished. The money was not diverted from its original purpose until that purpose was fully accomplished.
5. The fidelity of the king's reign up to this time had inspired the people with a spirit of confidence and of faithfulness to the extent that the men entrusted with this work could be depended upon. If such a work were given to men in these days without their being required to account for the details, or even the aggregate of expense, there would not be much, if anything, left to apply to other purposes. The men of the very best reputation to-day, if employed on any public work, must be bound by specific contract, and bonds of other responsible parties, and be required to give itemized accounts of expenses, etc., in order to insure a faithful work and honest expenditure of the people's money. And even all these precautions often fail to protect the public. Yet we are told that "the world is growing better." But the Word of the Lord and the experiences of the public are all against the popular claim.