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THE KING’S BUSINESS
pie, and~ it betokens an indifference to. tbe Lord’s glory to let it fall into a wretched condition: devotion to ' God demands that the:house,that is set apart for His worship should be kept in a proper state! But the real temple of God today is our body (1 Ct>r. 3:16; 6:19),.and it should for that reason be kept in good repair. Contempt for and neglect of the body is not a mark of peculiar piety, but a mark of ignorance of the teach ing of God’s Word, or of an indifference to God Himself. Jehoash invited the whole nation to a part in the work. The priests and Levites were to “gather of all Israel money to repair the house” (2 Chron. 24 :5). This was as it should be. It is God’s own plan (Ex. 25:2-8). The fact that one has but little of this world’s goods is rió reason why he should be excluded from the privi lege of doing what lies in his power for God’s work. God never looks at the amount given, byt at the love that is back of the gift (2 Cor. 8:12). For the timé being, the Heart of Jehoash was greatly in the work he had. undertaken. He urged the! men who had the collection in hand to “see that ye hasten the matter” (2 Chron. 24:5). v. 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.” The heart of both the Levites and the priests was not in the work that Jehoash had given them to do. Though he had bid den them “hasten the matter” they “hastened it not” (2 Chron. 24:5). They seemingly cared more for their, own bread and butter than for the glory of God. That class of priests and Levites, professed ministers of God, is not extinct even today. v. 7. ."Then King Jehoash called for Je hoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them,. Why repair ye not the breaches of the houset Now therefore re ceive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it ‘for the breaches of the house.” As Jehoiada was the head of the work, Je hoash laid the responsibility for laxness in it primarily on him (cf. 2 Chron. 24:6). Those under Jehoiada were doubtless remiss in their duty, but it was his business to
keep- them up .to their duty. It will never do for the head of any-.department to try to th rew ‘the blame! for the failure of his department on the underlings.; It is his duty, not merely to give orders to those under him, but to see also that they execute those orders. He,.is the one who will, and' who'ought to, be held responsible for fail ure, „ There ,isf however, much excuse for Jehoiada. He was getting extremely old (2 Chron. 24:15). Jehoash emphasizes his protest against the laxness of Jehoiada in the work by calling hfs attention to what the work was for, the “tabernacle of witness" J2 Chron, 24:6). The meaning of this phrase is that the tabernacle in every part !was a testimony to the truth of God. Every smallest detail about it had a profound spir itual significance. The temple, taken as a whole, was a testimony to God’s dwelling in the midst of the people. It was because of what the sons of Athaliah had done that the house of God needed repairing (2 -Chron. 24 :7). , vs. 9, 10. "But Jehoiada the ■priest took a chest, and boned 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 there in all the .money that war brought into the house of the LORD. 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." Both princes and people brought abundant gifts with great joy (cf. 2 Chron. 24:10). Nothing makes people happier .than hearty, voluntary giving for God’s work. The fact is, we are robbing people of great joy by being" afraid to ask great things of them in the way of giving. Modern ways of gathering money for God’s work not only dishonor God, but rob be lievers of one of the sweetest joys to be found in the Christian life. We are not showing the people a kindness by robbing them of this great joy by our fear of asking great things of them in the way of giving. We try to get money for the Lord’s work
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