Rebuilding the Temple

Joash or Jehoash was just seven years old when Jehoiada led the uprising and Athaliah was deposed and executed, according to II Chronicles 24:1.  “Joash was seven years old when he began to reign…”  Jehoiada acted as his guardian and chief advisor for several years.  As long as Jehoida was there to advise him, Joash served the Lord, as II Kings 12:1-3 tells us.  “ In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.  And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.  But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.”  Solomon had offered sacrifices in the high places, and later kings had never been able to get the people to stop the practice.  Jehoram Ahaziah, and Athaliah had encouraged the practice, and Joash was unable to stop it either.  As his guardian, Jehoida arranged two marriages for Jehoash, accordint to II Chronicles 24:3.  “And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.” 

Under Jehoiada’s guidance, Jehoash made a serious effort to restore the worship of God instead of the idols his grandfather, father and grandmother had favored.  A major part of that effort involved rebuilding the Temple which Athaliah and her children had attempted to destroy, according to II Chronicles 24:7.  “For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.”

Under the law it had been the Levites responsibility to care for the Tabernacle so Jehoash put them in charge of raising and collecting donations to the building fund, in II Chronicles 24:4-5.  “And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.  And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.”  He put the priests in charge of seeing that the necessary repairs were made, in II Kings 12:4-5.  “And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD, Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.”

The Levites collected the money, but years later, they had not begun construction, as II Kings 12:6 tells us.  “But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.”   Jehoash rebuked the priests for not holding the Levites accountanble in II Chronicles 24:6.  “And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?”  Thanks to his rebuke the priests agreed to leave the business of repairing the temple to Professional construction workers, in II Kings 12:8.  “And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. ‘

To avoid further misuse of the donations, Jehoash ordered that an offering chest be made so that people could drop in their offerrings voluntarily instead of giving it to the Levites or priests.  The people were thrilled with the new arrangements and gave gladly, as we see in II Chronicles 24:8-11.  “And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.  And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.  And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.  Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.”

Jehoash and Jehoiada personally oversaw the building fund, hiring people to do the different jobs.  Until the repairs were finished, none of the money was used for anything else, as II Kings 12:11-tells us.  “And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD, And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.  Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD: But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.  Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.  The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests'.”

They were careful to keep the building funds separate from the offerings for the day to day expenses of the temple, only using the surpluss in the building fund to pay for the necessary supplies when the building was finished, as we see in II Chronicles 24:14.  “And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.”

As long as Jehoiada lived, Judah worshipped God faithfully, and there was a concerted effort to do what was right.   The biggest problems were the Levites and religious leaders who didn’t bother to do their job.