2 Kings 12:11, commentary and pictures

This verse belongs to the history in 2 Kings 7-23 of the kings of Israel from Joram to Hoshea and the kings of Judah from Ahaziah to Jehoahaz, including Joash of Judah, covering nearly three hundred years in which faithful rule brought prosperity and turning to idolatry brought calamity. It continues the record of Joash, also called Jehoash, the true king of Judah who was hidden until he was old enough to be proclaimed king, after which Athaliah was slain. For many years he was under the guidance of Jehoiada the high priest, his aged and pious uncle, so his earlier inclinations were toward the religious interests of the kingdom, and he was about thirty years of age at the time of the repair. The repair took place in the twenty-third year of King Joash, after he had grown to manhood in the king's office, when the long-delayed repair of the house of the LORD was finally carried forward after Jehoiada in old age had depended on his assistants.

The repair of Solomon's temple by Jehoash was made at the instigation of Jehoiada. The king's determination to repair the house of the Lord went beyond any suggestion of even Jehoiada. Once the temple-repair money, collected by the Levites, had been counted, it was given into the hands of the supervisors who had oversight of the work on the house of the LORD, rather than being retained by the priests, and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders who wrought upon the repairs. The funds were thus directed to the work and handled by faithful workers.

The money was the annual half shekel commanded through Moses from every man twenty years old and upward for the service of the tabernacle and later for the temple, the tent of the testimony that held God's holy law as witness of Jehovah's presence and covenant with Israel. Collection of that money had been neglected because of the backslidden condition of the people and was difficult and disagreeable to gather, but when the priests set about their duty in earnest there was a revival of interest that soon put enough money on hand to repair the house of God and to carry on other necessary work. The overseers and workers were so honest that they were not required to give an account of the money put into their hands for expenses. King Joash repaired the temple two centuries before Josiah in the same way Josiah did.

The repair shows how the history of the temple follows the religious experience of Israel, neglected and suffering violence when they departed from the Lord and repaired when they returned. The account is an example of raising the needed funds before carrying out work on the Lord's house, rather than borrowing to finance it, since the repair work was funded from money provided beforehand. Faithfulness in material things, with the liberality of the people in giving means for the work, is evidence of thorough repentance and earnestness in returning to Jehovah and is true service to God. Where ministers are faithful in duty and keep the Lord's requirements before the flock there will be a working church with the house of worship in creditable condition.