Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Kings 12:1-16.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2012&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem;  and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.  Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.  Only the high places were not taken away;  the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Then Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the sacred things which is brought into the house of the LORD, in current money, both the money of each man’s assessment and all the money which any man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, let the priests take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance;  and they shall repair the damages of the house wherever any damage may be found.”

…

They gave the money which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD;  and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the LORD;  and to the masons and the stonecutters, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.  But there were not made for the house of the LORD silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver from the money which was brought into the house of the LORD;  for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of the LORD.  Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully.”  2 Kings 12:1-5 and 11-15.

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The temple was repaired. This is surprising, because it seemed from prior Scripture that Judah had gone through a stretch of bad kings leading the people astray.

What is happening?!  Was there a general “spiritual revival”?! Or, did the LORD specifically intervene because He was so concerned about “the house of the LORD” which was mentioned eight times in today’s Scripture?

Whatever the specific purpose of the LORD was, the LORD was at work.  We can reasonably refer that the LORD was at work both giving the will to King Jehoash to repair “the house of the LORD” and working within King Jehoash to make all the specific decisions and the specific commands to get it done for the good pleasure of the LORD.  And, we can reasonably refer that the LORD was at work both giving the will to all those who did the work and the supervisors who had the oversight to do the work and working within all of them to accomplish all the repairs (even without an accounting) for the good pleasure of the LORD.

The general lesson for us Christians is to look more to the LORD and to trust the LORD more to give us the will to do His will and to trust the LORD more to work within us to accomplish His good pleasure.  (As a quick side note, the lesson is not that we should never require an accounting.  We should not be careless in whom we hire to do work for us.  We should not be careless in our own work.  “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”  Colossians 3:23-24.) 

Today is Monday, and many of us Christians are going to work after a weekend of recreation, worship, and rest.  Rather, than be overwhelmed with all the work that we face on this Monday and the next five business days, let us first turn our attention to the LORD, meditate on His word including the closing verses to this devotion, pray, and trust the LORD more. 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.