Prioritizing The Gospel
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 02/18/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
2 Kings 12:1-16
1. First Command.
a. 2 Kings 12:1-2 KJV –– 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 Beer-sheba. 2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
b. Jehoash reigned for 40 years.
c. Only as long as the priest, Jehoiada, was alive and instructing Jehoash, Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
d. 2 Kings 12:3-5 KJV –– But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. 4 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, 5 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.
e. Unfortunately, the population was still being allowed to sacrifice to idols in the high places, which was the fault of their spiritual leadership.
f. Jehoash commanded the priests to take all the money that had been dedicated to God—including fulfilled vows, and freewill offerings—and repair the breaches in the temple.
g. 2 Kings 12:6 KJV –– But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
h. Twenty-three years into Jehoash’s reign, the disobedient priests were still receiving the offering money for themselves instead of using it for the repairs and upkeep of the temple.
i. By this time, Solomon’s temple would have been 153 years old and very much in need of repairs, since the priests had neglected it.
j. Everything in the temple, and the offerings and sacrifices that were to be made, were not for the Lord’s benefit, but their own.
k. In neglecting the Lord and His temple, they neglected their own salvation, treating it as a light thing.
2. Second Command.
a. 2 Kings 12:7-10 KJV –– Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. 8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. 9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored 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 therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 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.
b. Since the priests had not made the repairs with the money given, Jehoash took charge of the situation.
c. He put a chest with a hole bored into it for the collection of the money the people brought to God in the temple.
d. Once the chest was sufficiently full the king’s scribe and the high priest bagged it up and gave an accounting of the amount.
3. Repairing the Temple.
a. 2 Kings 12:11-12 KJV –– 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, 12 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.
b. There were two chests for collecting money for the repairs.
c. This one which was placed in the temple, and another which Jehoash had commanded to be put outside at the gate (2 Chr. 24:8-14).
d. The money received in the chest in the temple covered the cost of the wood, stone and labor for repairing the breaches.
e. But it was not sufficient to cover the fashioning of the consecrated vessels of silver and gold.
f. 2 Kings 12:13-15 KJV –– Howbeit there were not made for the house of the Lord bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord: 14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the Lord. 15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.
g. Money from the second chest, placed at the gate, was used for making the vessels for the temple.
h. The workers were so faithful and trustworthy, they entrusted them with the money without requiring receipts of work completed.
i. Only the money from the guilt and sin offerings were reserved for the priests’ use (2 Kings 12:16).
4. Right Heart and Obedient Works.
a. We must remember that the tithes and offerings we bring to the Lord are brought to honor the Lord AND for our own benefit.
b. These gifts are appropriated to establish the Kingdom—winning souls, building up the Church, and supporting those who work full-time in ministry.
c. We must make sure our heart is right as we bring our gifts to the Lord.
d. As we covenant to obey God in our giving, we receive every blessing and benefit that He offers—both temporal and eternal.