God's Provision

Read 2 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 24
 
2 Kings 12:6 But by the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple.
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2 Chronicles 24:8-10 So now the king ordered a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the Lord. 9 Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness. 10 This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.
 
JOASH became king when he was a child. His aunt had saved him from his murderous grandmother Athaliah when he as an infant. When Joash was eight years old, the priest Jehoiada and others anointed Joash king. Athaliah received her just reward for her sins. And Joash followed his father King Ahaziah. Joash’s survival and then anointing indicates he was not a king only because of his lineage. This demonstrates God’s special hand on him to be king.
   Joash began well. Early in his reign he called for the temple to be repaired. As with most buildings, it needed some updates. But years went by, and the Levites still had not repaired the Temple. Perhaps there was only enough money for the Levites’ care. So Joash then commanded Jehoiada to put an offering chest at the Temple’s gate entrance. And he commanded the Levites to use all those offerings for the Temple. It is good to see the people gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.
   This may be a classic case of a church struggling with its use of offerings – pay the pastor or remodel the church? Fund missionaries or get a new sound system? All things are needed, but what is most needed at the time? Generally the care of the pastor should be foremost. God commands this throughout the Bible. And he also says to bring your tithe to the Tabernacle – Temple - Church.  
   In the law, God had given Israel two commands regarding the Tabernacle and the priests. There was to be a tax called the sanctuary shekel (Exodus 30:11-16) to fund the care for the Tabernacle. This law, as all others, remained in force and was ignored. Remember, too, that the Levites were not given land as the other 11 tribes. The 11 tribes were to provide places for them to live, raise crops and care for their needs. God wanted his priests to be available to fulfill the specific commands for worship.
   Joash saw a problem. The offerings were insufficient for both the Temple and the Levites. So he went to the law to solve the problem. When people obeyed God’s laws, the Temple was fixed. And the Levites had what they needed.
   Here’s a very real way each church must trust God’s commands. When your church has insufficient funds for its needs, perhaps it would be good to trust God’s Word.