Repairing the House of God

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The video version of this teaching is available at:

https://youtu.be/7oiWusM1tHc

The scripture reading is: 2^nd Kings 11:21-12:16

This haftarah portion is about the offerings taken for repairing the temple of God during the reign of King Jehoash. Jehoash became king when he was seven years old and set his heart on repairing the temple.

2 Kings 12:4-5 NKJV 4 And Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the LORD-each man's census money, each man's assessment money-and all the money that a man purposes in his heart to bring into the house of the LORD, 5 "let the priests take it themselves, each from his constituency; and let them repair the damages of the temple, wherever any dilapidation is found."

This passage corresponds to the Torah portion Vayak’hel which includes the description of the offering taken to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. In both situations, the offerings were those given voluntarily to the LORD. The book of Exodus relates that in the wilderness, the offerings were immediately used to build the Tabernacle which was completed within six months. However, in King Jehoash’s time, the offerings were not immediately used for the needed repairs.

Why did it take so long to repair the temple? Why was the temple in need of such major repairs? How does the state of the temple reflect the state of the throne of Judah? What does this tell us about the time that Yeshua takes the throne?

The state of the house of God and the state of the house of David have been linked from the time of their founding. Because David had a heart to build a house for God; God would build a house for David.

2 Samuel 7:25-27 NKJV 25 "Now, O LORD God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. 26 "So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel.' And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 "For You, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

Now, at the time of Jehoash, God’s house and David’s house were both in disrepair. Jehoash had to take the throne at the young age of seven indicating problems in the house of David. The temple was in sad disrepair through years of idolatry and misuse. What happened that both houses were in such a state?

The new king, Jehoash, was the great grandson of both the famous King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the notorious King Ahab of Israel. At the time of Jehoash’s grandfather, King Jehoram of Judah, the ties between Judah and Israel were close. This sounds good; we would think that a close relationship would foster the reunification of the twelve tribes of Israel. Unfortunately, Israel was not drawn to return to the true worship of God, instead Judah was drawn into the sins of Israel! King Jehoram married the daughter of King Ahab and walked according to the ways of the wicked kings of Israel.

2 Kings 8:18 NKJV 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

The house of David, under Jehoram, followed in the wickedness of Ahab and the previous kings of Israel. After Jehoshaphat died and Jehoram became king, Jehoram killed all of his brothers and other princes of Israel. Yet, in spite of Jehoram’s wickedness, God was not willing to remove the kingship from the house of David or destroy David’s house.

2 Chronicles 21:7 NKJV 7 Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.

God had promised that David and his sons would be a lamp to Israel. David is first referred to as the bearer of the lamp of Israel when David fought against the Philistines who killed King Saul and his son Jonathan.

2 Samuel 21:17 NKJV 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

When Solomon turned away from God in his later years and God determined to tear the kingdom away from the sons of Solomon, God reserved one tribe to Solomon so that the lamp of Israel would not be extinguished.

1 Kings 11:36 NKJV 36 'And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.

In the time of Jehoram, the house of David faced even greater threats than it did under Solomon. Jehoram had killed all his brothers and many other princes of Israel. These princes would have been people with influence and authority and probably included other descendants of David through his other sons. Jehoram’s evil came to the attention of the prophet Elijah. Elijah’s ministry was centered in the northern kingdom of Israel where he prophesied against King Ahab and his family. However, the word of God came to Elijah regarding Jehoram, and Elijah relayed that word to Jehoram in a letter.

2 Chronicles 21:12-15 NKJV 12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father's household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction-your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

Two years later, Jehoram died in severe pain due to this illness of his intestines. He had reigned in Judah for eight years. Most of Jehoram’s sons had died in an attack by Arabians leaving only the youngest son. At Jehoram’s death, his youngest son Ahaziah became king over Judah. The ranks of the house of David continued to be thinned!

Ahaziah and his cousin King Joram of Israel were close friends and allies, both continuing in the wickedness of King Ahab. However, God, determined on the end of the house of Ahab, sent Jehu to bring His judgment. King Azariah, along with his nephews, came to the support of King Joram. Jehu killed all of them in the resulting battles. The house of Ahab was destroyed and Jehu became king of Israel. However, the death of Ahaziah and his nephews left a power vacuum in Judah.

At the death of her son and her brothers, Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah, determined to wipe out the remaining members of the house of David and seize the throne of Judah for herself.

2 Chronicles 22:10 NKJV 10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.

Things were looking really bleak for the house of David! However, Yehoshab’ath, Ahaziah’s sister and the wife of the high priest, rescued Ahaziah’s infant son and hid him in the house of God.

2 Chronicles 22:11-12 NKJV 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

It is fitting that the only remaining heir of the house of David would find refuge in the house of God! Jehoash was raised by his aunt and uncle, staying in the house of God for six years. In the seventh year, his uncle the high priest Jehoiada, acted to restore the house of David to the throne of Judah. And this was all accomplished in the house of God!

Jehoiada gathered the military leaders, the Levites, and the chief leaders of Judah to make a covenant with Jehoash to make him king.

2 Chronicles 23:1a,2-3 NKJV 1 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds… 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David.

When the appointed day arrived to proclaim Jehoash as king, the temple guard escorted Jehoash into the temple where he stood by a pillar. They gave him the testimony and proclaimed him king!

2 Kings 11:10-12 NKJV 10 And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the LORD. 11 Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house. 12 And he brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, "Long live the king!"

The house of David had been repaired! The rightful king, who was hidden away for six years, was revealed in the seventh year and was now on the throne! The usurper, Athaliah, devout worshiper of Baal, was executed in the king’s house.

2 Kings 11:15-16 NKJV 15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, "Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not let her be killed in the house of the LORD." 16 So they seized her; and she went by way of the horses' entrance into the king's house, and there she was killed.

With the restoration of the house of David, it was now time to repair the relationship between the people and God!

2 Kings 11:17 NKJV 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people, and also between the king and the people.

The bonds of the covenant and the bonds of trust that had been broken needed to be repaired. The kingdom of Judah, which had been led into idolatry and Baal worship by King Jehoram, King Ahazaiah and Athaliah needed to return to God and renew their covenant with Him. They needed to bind themselves in covenant agreement that Jehoash was their king.

Their first act as new covenant partners was to destroy the temple of Baal.

2 Kings 11:18 NKJV 18 And all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

Jehoash was taken and installed on the throne of the kings of Judah and the people rejoiced!

2 Kings 11:20 NKJV 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword in the king's house.

Now was time to repair the house of God! The house had suffered greatly under Athaliah and her sons which she probably had from a previous marriage.

2 Chronicles 24:7 NKJV 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.

Jehoash began by designating all voluntary offerings that were brought into the house of God to be used for needed repairs.

2 Kings 12:4 NKJV 4 And Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the LORD-each man's census money, each man's assessment money-and all the money that a man purposes in his heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

Dedicated gifts, census money, and voluntary offerings were to be used for these repairs. These were all offerings given above and beyond tithes and other offerings. The dedicated gifts were those described by Moses in Leviticus 27 which included a monetary gift equal to their own value, gifts of animals, houses, and land. The census money was the half-shekel token that was counted instead of the people.

Exodus 30:13 NKJV 13 "This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.

The funds gathered in the census were used for the service of the tabernacle. Finally, any gifts that a man chose to give for the house of the LORD were to be used for that purpose. When the tabernacle was built in the wilderness, it was built from the free will offerings of the people.

Exodus 35:4-5 NKJV 4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying: 5 'Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze;

King Jehoash commanded that these offerings be placed in the hands of the priests to make repairs as they had the funds available to do so. However, twenty-three years later, the repairs had still not been done.

2 Kings 12:6-7 NKJV 6 Now it was so, by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, that the priests had not repaired the damages of the temple. 7 So King Jehoash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests, and said to them, "Why have you not repaired the damages of the temple? Now therefore, do not take more money from your constituency, but deliver it for repairing the damages of the temple."

Whether there was corruption or simply inefficiency, is unknown; however, Jehoash was not pleased and removed the priests from the equation. Jehoash put the high priest Jehoiada in charge of collecting and distributing the funds.

2 Kings 12:9 NKJV 9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the LORD; and the priests who kept the door put there all the money brought into the house of the LORD.

The funds were counted and given to the workmen who oversaw and accomplished the repairs to the temple. They focused on the physical structure first, then, turned to making new articles for use in the house of God.

2 Chronicles 24:14 NKJV 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the LORD, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

The house of David and the house of God had both been repaired! King and priest worked together to restore the true worship of God.

Damage to both the house of God and the house of David came through the introduction of idolatry into the kingdom. It didn’t seem to start as much, merely bringing a wife into the house. King Jehoshaphat, Jehoram’s father, authorized and perhaps even orchestrated Jehoram’s marriage to Ahab’s daughter. Jehoram’s weak character and desire to do evil did the rest. As a result of the sin of the house of David, the temple was allowed to deteriorate and be used for idolatry. It could not be repaired until the house of David was first repaired!

When Yeshua returns, He must first repair the authority of the throne of David removing any usurpers to His throne! Only when Yeshua has taken His rightful place on the throne, will He repair or rebuild the temple of God!

We, also, became a temple to the LORD when we accepted Yeshua, the scion of the house of David, as our Lord and King! He builds us into a temple of God!

Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

When we turn away from Yeshua, the embodiment of the house of David, our temple is in danger of being corrupted. Paul writes that there is no compromise between God and idols.

2 Corinthians 6:16 NKJV 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."

Paul goes on to tell us to cleanse ourselves from the sins of the flesh and the spirit so that we will be a holy dwelling place for God. Then, with willing hearts, we are to bring our offerings to our high priest and king to be used to build up the temple of God in our lives as we anticipate the return of Yeshua and the establishment of His throne.

Study Questions:

1. Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Vayak’hel, Exodus 35:1-38:20:11-34:35.

2. Where is the phrase “the lamp of Israel” used and what does it mean?

3. King Jehoram’s wife Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab. In 2 Kings 8:26, she is referred to as the granddaughter of Omir. What is the significance of referring to her in relation to King Omri? Athaliah reigned for six years and was killed in the seventh. How can she be compared to the woman on a scarlet beast in Revelation 17?

4. Amos 9:11 refers to a tabernacle of David. How can we apply this teaching to the message of Amos 9:11

5. What does Paul say about believers being the temple of God? How do his words relate to this teaching?

6. What new insight did you gain by watching this video or reading this blog? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Extra Credit: 2 Kings 12:2 says that King Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days in which Jehoiada instructed him. What happened to Jehoash after Jehoiada died? How many kings of Judah followed in his path?

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