Thematic Bible: Repaired by jehoash at the instigation of jehoiada


Thematic Bible



Jehoash said to the priests: All the money of the holy things, which comes into the house of Jehovah, the amount fixed for every man's payment, and all the money given by any man freely by motivation of his heart, Let the priests take, every man from his friends and neighbors, to make good what is damaged in the Temple, wherever it is to be seen. But in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had not made good the damaged parts of the Temple. read more.
He called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them: Why are you not repairing the Temple? From now on you are not to keep the money you receive. You must hand it over, so that the repairs can be made. The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple. Then Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in the lid, and placed the box by the altar, on the right side as one enters the Temple. The priests on duty at the entrance put in the box all the money given by the worshipers. Whenever there was a large amount of money in the box, the royal secretary and the High Priest would come, melt down the silver, and weigh it. After recording the exact amount, they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple. These would pay the carpenters, the builders, the masons, and the stonecutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. None of the money was used to pay for making silver cups, bowls, trumpets, or tools for tending the lamps, or any other article of silver or of gold. It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs.

Joash wanted to renovate Jehovah's Temple. He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them: Go to the cities of Judah, and collect money throughout Israel to repair the Temple of your God every year. Do it immediately! But the Levites did not do it immediately. The king called for the chief priest Jehoiada and asked him: Why have you not required the Levites to bring the contributions from Judah and Jerusalem? Jehovah's servant Moses and the assembly required Israel to give contributions for the use of the Tent of Testimony of God's promise. read more.
The sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into God's Temple and used all the holy things of Jehovah's Temple to worship other gods, the Baals. The king issued an order. They made a box and placed it outside the gate of Jehovah's Temple. They issued a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem that the contributions should be brought to Jehovah. Moses required Israel to make contributions while they were in the desert. All the officials and all the people were filled with joy. They brought money and dropped it into the box until it was full. When the Levites brought the box to the king's officers and they saw a lot of money. The king's scribe and the chief priest's officer would empty the box and put it back in its place. They would do this every day. They collected a lot of money. The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the foremen who were working on Jehovah's Temple. They hired masons and carpenters to renovate Jehovah's Temple. They also hired men who worked with iron and bronze to repair Jehovah's Temple. The men worked and the project progressed under the foremen's guidance. They restored God's Temple to its proper condition and reinforced it.