2 Kings 12

I feel like I owe a post to whoever reads these. I think it is sad that I no longer greatly feel the need to do these. But the Bible is important, faith is important. Remembering is important to faith in God.

Chapter 12 has a lot to do with money. This chapter is an account of the rule of Jehoash of Judah. He becomes king at age seven. It is not stated directly but he must have relied on Jehoaida the high priest for assistance. Perhaps he acted as a regent until he came to be an adult.

Jehoash asks that money given to the Temple be used to made badly needed repairs. Yet it seems nothing is done for many years. Then one day Jehoash notices that the work has not been done. Perhaps he first commanded when he was a boy and no one took him seriously. But it seems no one took him seriously as a man either until he gave specific instructions that the money not be given to the priests but directly to the artisans capable of doing the work needed. Sounds like corruption in government, which may be why the temple got into disrepair in the first place.

There are more details given about the temple, money and Jehoash. Somehow this must have been a serious bone of contention during his time.

Then at the end of the chapter temple money is used for a different thing. Hazael of Aram has captured some surrounding cities and now he threatens Jerusalem. To keep the peace Jehoash takes money and valuable things from the temple and gives them to Hazael and he goes away. So Jehoash uses money devoted to God to pay a bribe.

Was this a good use of money, to keep the peace? The king has probably been a man of peace. Or was he just a wimpy man unwilling to risk his life for his country? By doing this he undoubtedly kept many others from being killed in battle. But often such actions are considered cowardly. Perhaps they are. He never seems to have consulted God to see what God advised him to do. We are never told he did. It seems he used his own judgment. For a servant of God this is not always a good idea.

We are told at the beginning of the chapter that Jehoash followed God as long as Jehoiada was his advisor. We can imagine that eventually Jehoiada died. Then what? Jehoash, perhaps due the loneliness at the top, never found a replacement adviser. Jehoiada was probably a father figure. Perhaps Jehoiada himself was a man of expediency and compromise. But he may not have been around at the last to give the king mature advise.

We are not told why but Joash is assassinated after 40 years of rule. Then without comment we are told his son replaces him as king. Did his assassins get away scot free? We are not told of that either. Very curious.

Perhaps giving the money away and capitulating to their enemy like that caused him to lose support. The temple priests were probably very angry for what he did. It likely cost them wealth and prestige. The military leaders too likely lost all respect for him. People rarely appreciate the peacemaker. And without support from God's approval he had no defense for his actions.