2Ki 12:4 | KingComments | STEP | Jehoash understood that the temple only was the place where God’s people must come to sacrifice. Therefore he wanted to restore the temple. Three types of money were used for this restoration: the ransom that every numbered person had to pay ( ), money from someone who had made a promise and converted that promise into a sum of money ( ) and money that was given voluntarily. Jehoash didn’t use the money to build a new temple. There was no thought of a new temple by Jehoash. He did not act from a scornful attitude, disdaining the old because ‘it is no longer of this time’. This is the reasoning that is often heard and acted upon in professing Christianity. The old, what God Himself has given, may be restored to its original state. For us, this means that in practicing to be a church, we return to the principles of the Word concerning the church. At one point, “in the twenty-third year” of his reign, Jehoash noted that no work had been done to restore the temple. He called Jehoiada and the priests to give an account about this and warned them about it. Jehoash was still so powerful here, that he could even warn Jehoiada. He did not wait for an answer – in any case, we are not informed of any answer – but immediately gave new orders to get the temple restored as soon as possible. From the run-up to his renewed command to restore the temple, it may be possible to understand why nothing had been done so far to restore it. Jehoash said they were not to accept any more money from their acquaintances. They may have been so busy collecting and managing the money, that the work for which they received the funds did not get off the ground (cf. ). Another way had to be found. The priests should no longer be involved in collecting money. They also did not have to contribute to the restoration of the temple. That work would be done by others.

‏ 2 Kings 12:4

Jehoash Commands to Restore the Temple

Jehoash understood that the temple only was the place where God’s people must come to sacrifice. Therefore he wanted to restore the temple. Three types of money were used for this restoration: the ransom that every numbered person had to pay (Exo 30:11-16), money from someone who had made a promise and converted that promise into a sum of money (Lev 27:1-8) and money that was given voluntarily.

Jehoash didn’t use the money to build a new temple. There was no thought of a new temple by Jehoash. He did not act from a scornful attitude, disdaining the old because ‘it is no longer of this time’. This is the reasoning that is often heard and acted upon in professing Christianity. The old, what God Himself has given, may be restored to its original state. For us, this means that in practicing to be a church, we return to the principles of the Word concerning the church.

At one point, “in the twenty-third year” of his reign, Jehoash noted that no work had been done to restore the temple. He called Jehoiada and the priests to give an account about this and warned them about it. Jehoash was still so powerful here, that he could even warn Jehoiada. He did not wait for an answer – in any case, we are not informed of any answer – but immediately gave new orders to get the temple restored as soon as possible.

From the run-up to his renewed command to restore the temple, it may be possible to understand why nothing had been done so far to restore it. Jehoash said they were not to accept any more money from their acquaintances. They may have been so busy collecting and managing the money, that the work for which they received the funds did not get off the ground (cf. Acts 6:1-6).

Another way had to be found. The priests should no longer be involved in collecting money. They also did not have to contribute to the restoration of the temple. That work would be done by others.