Joash Repairs the Temple

INTRO

Our phrase for 1 Chronicles was Son of David, and our phrase for 2 Chronicles is Royal Throne. Together these phrases point to the lineage of Jesus. Today we’ll see that lineage continued through a seven-year-old king, a child God protected for this purpose.

TEACHING

2 Chronicles 23:1-11: Joash was crowned king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 23:12-15: Athaliah was executed.

2 Chronicles 23:16-21: Jehoiada made reforms throughout the land.

2 Chronicles 24:1-3: Joash was only seven years old when he was crowned king, and he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. He actually had someone who helped him grow and who led him in the discipleship process. This was an incredible model of discipleship. The end goal for Jehoiada, as he walked with Joash, was that Joash would grow to become a godly king. For as long as Jehoiada was priest, Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Unfortunately, after Jehoiada died, Joash listened to the rulers of Judah and abandoned the temple of Yahweh (the Lord) and served the Asherah poles and idols (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). Surely Jehoiada would have been greatly saddened to know that as soon as he died, Joash turned away from the Lord as though nothing he had learned from Jehoiada mattered.

2 Chronicles 24:4-5: Joash decided to renovate the Lord’s temple. Joash followed in the footsteps of some of the good kings of Judah. He sent the priests and Levites throughout Judah to collect money to repair the temple. Though Joash said, “Do it quickly,” the Levites did not hurry. In 2 Kings 12:6, we learn that 23 years of King Joash’s reign had passed, yet the priests had not repaired the temple. Since Joash was seven when he became king, this means he was 30 before the priests began to listen to him. This first collection failed. It would have been easy for Joash to quit at this point.

2 Chronicles 24:6-7: Failure doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means that your efforts didn’t work the first time. God might have a different plan. But if you stay in this position of failure, living as a victim, then you won’t experience the victory of faith.

In this case, the Levites were disobedient to King Joash’s instructions because they had no desire to be obedient. So, the king called Jehoiada the high priest, his mentor and teacher, and asked why he hadn’t required the Levites to collect the tax imposed by Moses. The king’s question pointed out that Jehoiada was also disobedient because he had failed to make the Levites do what the king instructed. In Exodus 30:11-16, Moses established the temple tax as directed by the Lord. Every man 20 years old or more was required to give half a shekel as atonement money to serve the tent of meeting. So Joash was only asking the Levites to do what God had directed through Moses. This was one way they received money for the temple. The second way was money received from individuals who made vows and the third way was voluntary offerings (2 Kings 12:4-5). This money was needed because the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Lord’s temple and even used the Lord’s sacred things for the Baals (v. 7).

2 Chronicles 24:8-12: King Joash had a chest made and put it outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. He then issued a proclamation that the people bring the tax imposed by Moses to the temple. The leaders and the people rejoiced and brought the tax to the temple. The Levites had controlled how the people worshipped the Lord by refusing to collect the tax, but now the people were able to worship again. The Levites had actually limited how God could work among His people. Now that Joash had gone around the Levites by building the chest for the collection, the people rejoiced and filled the chest because they knew the money would go toward God’s kingdom work. Every day the people gave so much money the Levites had to deliver the chest to the king’s secretary and the high priest’s deputy and then return the empty chest to its place before the temple. They gathered money in abundance.

The king and high priest gave the money to those in charge of the labor on the Lord’s temple, who hired the stonecutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, and coppersmiths to make repairs. Everybody got to do their part – the people gave, the workmen worked –so that, in the end, everybody was able to experience the presence of God.

2 Chronicles 24:13-14: The workmen restored the temple to its specifications and reinforced it. When they finished, they gave the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada the high priest, who made articles for the temple with it. Then the people regularly offered burnt offerings in the Lord’s temple throughout Jehoiada’s life.

Let’s talk about abundance and how God meets needs. Joash made the call, but the Levites didn’t do it. Therefore, the people missed out on the blessing of experiencing God for 23 years. But then Joash followed through and sent a proclamation throughout Judah because he knew God had asked him to do this. In the process, people gladly brought their contributions so that the chest was literally full. The offerings were so large the chest had to be emptied every single day. When God calls you to something, He will meet your needs in abundance. These everyday Israelites constantly gave in gladness and joy so everyone got to enjoy the presence of God.

Second Corinthians 9:6-8 says those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly while the person who sows generously will reap generously. Each person should give according to his heart, for God loves a cheerful giver. The people experienced a true revival because they gave from an abundant heart. What would have happened if Joash had given up after the first 23 years? But Joash persisted, and God showed up through generous givers.

Proverbs 3:9-10 tells us to honor the Lord with our possessions, and then our barns will be filled. Luke 6:38 tells us to give, and in return, it will be given to us. We cannot out give God. The more you pour out, the more the Lord will pour in. It’s important to remember it’s not ours anyway; it already belongs to Him. It’s important to give generously to the church and its ministry so the Lord can use that to advance the kingdom of God. Never shortchange the Lord when He asks you to do it. You could actually be holding back the next move of God, as the Levites did for 23 years.

CLOSING

Bible.org did a quick picture about God’s abundant provision.¹

• God always provides abundantly for our needs— materially, emotionally, and spiritually; God will meet our needs.
• God provides for our needs in His timing.
• God provides in ways we would never expect.
• God provides for us through grace, not merit.

His abundance comes because of His grace, not because of what we do. As far as merit goes, God pours out to you because He knows you’re going to do something with it, not because you’re doing something. This is how God works. Don’t be a stingy Levite but be a generous Israelite who is constantly pouring into the kingdom of God so that more people can experience His presence.