This Week's Story
click here to play audioJoash is determined to repair the vandalized temple of God.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Joash’s Slippery Slope, part four!
“Since I was a little boy, Jehoiada, you have protected and taught me. Your wife, Aunt Jehosheba, rescued me from being murdered. I grew up following your advice. Now I have been King of Judah for sixteen years, and you have been my chief adviser, but are we truly in harmony with each other?
“The people of Judah believe that you are obedient to God’s laws. You have been good for our nation. So why is my order to repair God’s temple in Jerusalem being ignored? Our temple is partly in ruin. Since the time of Moses leading us through the desert, there has been a place for our worship of God. In King Solomon’s reign, it became The Temple in Jerusalem, which Solomon had built in magnificent and intricate detail.
“Yes, and now we see it as savagely vandalized by Queen Athaliah and her sons. Sacred objects made exquisitely of gold and silver were stolen from The Temple. The vessels had specific purposes in The Temple service for the people to know and worship God. Instead, they were taken and used for worshipping Baal…Baal, nothing but an idol made of hands.
“At the beginning of The Temple repair project I gathered the priests and Levites and told them, ‘Every year you are to go throughout Judah to collect money from the people to repair The Temple. You are in charge of the money.’
“Jehoiada, hear me, no money has been collected. Years are passing with no repairs.”
“I regret what has happened, Joash. Perhaps the people got used to The Temple being desecrated under Queen Athaliah. Maybe their hearts did not thirst for God.
“Also, we still have people who worship in the high places. No worship is to occur there! That place is an abomination for copy-cat idol worshippers. We must worship God following His directions for worship.”
“Uncle Jehoiada, you and I will take a chest, bore a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar in The Temple. We will send a tax announcement to all our people that we are to pay the tax that Moses set when Israel travelled through the wilderness, after being slaves in Egypt.”
Much money was brought. The people gave gladly. Several times the chest was filled with money. The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the managers of the repairs. Masons and carpenters were paid and worked until The Temple repairs were completed. Money was left over and used to make sacred containers for daily worship. The managers handled the money honestly.
During these years Jehoiada died at the age of 130. In recognition of his service to Judah and God he was buried in the royal cemetery among the kings of Judah.
Tragically, after Jehoiada died, some of the people came to King Joash with a request that led to disaster for Joash and the nation. Why would the people and their king shut the door on past victories and step into the muck of defeat?
Join us soon for part five. Our recording team today is Gwen Crawford, Todd Warren, Carlos Gamez, and Barbara Steiner.
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