THE KING’S BUSINESS
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tions for the work had been gathered not only from Judah, Benjamin and Jerusalem, but from Manasseh and Ephraim as well. It was a national undertaking. The godly king had associated with himself the godly high priest Hilkiah (vs. 14, 15, 18-20, 22). The money was handed over to the work men (v. 10, cf. 2 Kings 22:5-8). It was used, rightly used, to do the actual work. Altogether too often money which is given for the purpose of God’s Work is actually used for another purpose. Walls and raft ers in the temple had been removed (v. 11 , R. V.) presumably in the introduction of the false gods and images into the temple (cf. ch. 33:4-7, 22). The men did the work in a way that all who work for God ought to do their work “faithfully,” so faithfully that there was no need of any reckoning being made with them (2 Kings 22:7). They did the work as unto the Lord and not merely as eye servants (cf. Eph. 6:5, 6 ). The overseers of thé work were Levites, i. e., they were from the family chosen out of all the families of Israel because of their faithfulness to Jehovah when the other tribes of Jehovah proved faithless (Ex. 32:26-28). Music occupied a prominent part in the Old Testament worship (v. 12, cf. 1 Chron. 15:16-22; 16:4, 5, 41; 23:5; 25:1). They were also to fill the- office of scribes, i. e„ recorders and interpreters of the Word of God (cf. Ezra 7:6; Jer. 8 : 8 ), and officers (cf. 2 Chron. 19:11; 1 Chron. 23:4; 26:29, 30), and porters, i. e., door keepers (cf. ch. 8:14). OUTLINE What makes one right (just) in God’s sight ? Rom. 5 :9. How did David walk? Psa. 1:1; 119:1-5. If one turn neither to the right nor to the left, how must one walk? Prov. 4:23-27. If one so walks, where will he come out? Matt. 7:14.
repair) the house: (;) even to the arti ficers and builders (carpenters and to the builders) gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor (make beams for) the house which the kings o f Judah had destroyed. And the men did the work faithfully; and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, o f<.the sons of Merari; and Zech- ariah and Meshullam, of the sons of Kohathites, to set it forward; ( :) and other of the Levites, dll that could skill of instru ments of inusic. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of (set forward) all that wrought {did) the work in any (every) manner of service : and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.” It apparently took some years to carry out the work of refor mation in the land that Josiah undertook. When Josiah had reached the age of twenty-six he undertook the restoration of the temple. The names of the men whom Josiah appointed as leaders in this work are worth noticing: they and their sons and grandsons figured in the future history of Israel. Some of their sons seemed tb have followed in the footsteps of their fathers, but some to have departed from them, and in two cases very notably (2 Kings 22:3, 12, 14; Jer. 26:24 ; 29:3; 36:10; 39:14; 40:11,; Ezek. 8:11; Jef. 21:1; 29:21, 25). No one who really loves God can endure to see the house which is set apart for Him lying in ruins. It looks bad for any com munity when its churches are in an aban doned or run down condition. Contribu
LESSON
( 1 ) Josiah’s Walk, vs. 1, 2. Did Judah ever have a younger king than Josiah? 2 Kings 11:3, 4. What great and good contemporaries probably influenced Josiah’s boyhood? 2 Chron. 34:20; 35:25; Zeph. 1:1. What was right in the sight of the Lord? Micah 6 : 8 -
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