July 5 — Repairing the House, Guarding the Heart
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Kings 12-13; 2 Chronicles 24
SCRIPTURE:
Second Kings 12:¹ In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
Second Kings 12:² And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
Second Kings 12:³ But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
Second Kings 12:⁴ And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
Second Kings 12:⁵ Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.
Second Kings 12:⁶ But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
Second Kings 12:⁷ Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
Second Kings 12:⁸ And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.
Second Kings 12:⁹ But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.
Second Kings 12:¹⁰ And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.
Second Kings 12:¹¹ And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,
Second Kings 12:¹² And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
Second Kings 12:¹³ Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:
Second Kings 12:¹⁴ But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.
Second Kings 12:¹⁵ Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.
Second Kings 12:¹⁶ The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests’.
Second Kings 12:¹⁷ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
Second Kings 12:¹⁸ And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
Second Kings 12:¹⁹ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Second Kings 12:²⁰ And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
Second Kings 12:²¹ For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
Second Kings 13:¹ In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
Second Kings 13:² And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
Second Kings 13:³ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
Second Kings 13:⁴ And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
Second Kings 13:⁵ (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
Second Kings 13:⁶ Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
Second Kings 13:⁷ Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
Second Kings 13:⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Second Kings 13:⁹ And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
Second Kings 13:¹⁰ In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
Second Kings 13:¹¹ And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.
Second Kings 13:¹² And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Second Kings 13:¹³ And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Second Kings 13:¹⁴ Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
Second Kings 13:¹⁵ And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
Second Kings 13:¹⁶ And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.
Second Kings 13:¹⁷ And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
Second Kings 13:¹⁸ And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
Second Kings 13:¹⁹ And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
Second Kings 13:²⁰ And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
Second Kings 13:²¹ And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
Second Kings 13:²² But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
Second Kings 13:²³ And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
Second Kings 13:²⁴ So Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.
Second Kings 13:²⁵ And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
Second Chronicles 24:¹ Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
Second Chronicles 24:² And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
Second Chronicles 24:³ And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.
Second Chronicles 24:⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
Second Chronicles 24:⁵ And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
Second Chronicles 24:⁶ And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
Second Chronicles 24:⁷ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
Second Chronicles 24:⁸ And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
Second Chronicles 24:⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
Second Chronicles 24:¹¹ Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
Second Chronicles 24:¹² And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
Second Chronicles 24:¹³ So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁴ And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁵ But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁶ And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁸ And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
Second Chronicles 24:¹⁹ Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
Second Chronicles 24:²⁰ And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
Second Chronicles 24:²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
Second Chronicles 24:²² Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
Second Chronicles 24:²³ And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
Second Chronicles 24:²⁴ For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
Second Chronicles 24:²⁵ And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.
Second Chronicles 24:²⁶ And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
Second Chronicles 24:²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
DEVOTIONAL:
Joash begins with promise because Jehoiada the priest guides him in the ways of the Lord. The temple repair under Joash is not merely a building project. The house of the Lord had suffered neglect during years of covenant unfaithfulness, and restoring it signaled renewed attention to worship. The careful handling of funds in Second Kings also matters. Money given for holy purposes must be managed openly and faithfully. The text commends trustworthy stewardship because worship and honesty belong together before God.
Second Chronicles gives the fuller tragedy. After Jehoiada dies, Joash listens to princes who lead Judah back into idolatry. The king who repaired the temple consents to the murder of Zechariah, the son of the priest who had preserved him. This reversal is spiritually chilling. Joash knew the forms of faith, benefited from godly leadership, and could point to visible religious accomplishments, yet his heart was not steadfast. The story warns that borrowed conviction may last for a season, but only personal fear of the Lord endures when pressure changes.
The prophetic cry, 'Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper?' reflects Torah continuity. Judah's life with God was covenantal; blessing could not be separated from fidelity. This does not teach a simplistic prosperity formula, for the righteous often suffer in Scripture. It does teach that rebellion against God cannot produce true shalom. The murder of Zechariah in the temple court shows how far religious people can fall when they protect status instead of receiving correction.
Jesus later refers to Zechariah's blood when condemning a generation that honored prophets' tombs while resisting God's present word. Christ is the faithful Son who does not merely repair the temple; He embodies God's dwelling with His people and, through His death and resurrection, makes a new covenant people into a holy temple by the Spirit. He receives the violence that covenant breakers deserve and offers forgiveness to those who repent. External reform finds its true goal only when hearts are reconciled to God through Him.
In daily life, this reading calls us to integrity that survives the loss of helpful influences. Children must eventually own the faith they have been taught, adults must not confuse church projects with obedience, workers must handle entrusted resources transparently, and congregations must welcome correction before sin hardens. Repairing visible damage is good; asking God to search the heart is necessary. The gospel gives courage to confess decay early and seek renewal deeply.
In U.S. civic life, the civic virtue tied to this passage is accountable stewardship. A fitting current prayer focus is for public funds, charitable giving, school budgets, disaster relief, and church finances to be handled with honesty that protects trust. Christians should show up as people whose private integrity matches their public service, welcoming oversight because they know every gift is ultimately before the Lord.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What does the temple repair teach about the connection between worship and trustworthy stewardship?
Why is Joash's later rebellion especially grievous in light of Jehoiada's care for him?
How does Jesus fulfill the deeper need that temple repair could only point toward?
Where do you need conviction that is personally rooted in the Lord rather than borrowed from someone else?
PRAYER:
ADORATION: Faithful God, You dwell with Your people in holiness and call every act of worship to be joined with truth.
CONFESSION: We confess that we can repair what is visible while hiding what is corrupt, and we can receive godly counsel without surrendering our hearts.
THANKSGIVING: Thank You for Jesus, the true and living temple, who was rejected by sinners and yet brings us near through His blood.
SUPPLICATION – GENERAL: Give us enduring faith, clean stewardship, teachable spirits, and courage to receive correction before sin grows destructive.
SUPPLICATION – U.S. / CIVIC: Make public and charitable stewardship honest, transparent, and protective of those who depend on entrusted resources.
SCRIPTURE: "and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it"