2 King 12:9-16 – Be trustworthy if we want to be trusted

In 2 Kings 12:4-8, we saw how Joash told the priests to repair the temple using the funds collected from the people. But the priests were irresponsible and did not carry out their duty as instructed. They left the house of the LORD in dilapidated condition. There was a hint that they even mishandled the funds collected. So on the 23^rd year of his reign, Joash intervened and relieved the priests from handling the money. Second Kings 12:9-16 then described how the funds collected were being handled.

Second Kings 12:9 said that Jehoiada took a chest and bore a hole on the lid. Though not mentioned here, 2 Chronicles 24:5 said that this was done at the instruction of the king. This chest with the borehole was then placed conspicuously beside the altar of burned offering, on the right side just at the entrance of the house of the LORD. The priest who was guarding the entrance would take the money people would give to the temple and drop it into the chest in the full view of the giver. This evidently was to prevent any mishandling of the contributions.

Verse 10 tells us that when the chest was full, the king’s secretary and the high priest would collect the fund and put them into bags. They would then be brought into the temple and the money would be counted. Evidently, they would also weigh the money.  Why? it was because coins did not exist yet. What they dropped into the chest were lumps of silver approximately about a shekel or half a shekel. These lumps of silver were not all equal in weight. Hence, they would weigh them before handing them to supervisors of the repairing project. The collection, which was placed in bags and weighed, would then be paid out by the supervisors to the respective workers - the carpenters, builders, masons, stonecutters and, etc. None of the money collected for the repair was used for making the gold or silver utensils, snuffer, basins, and trumpets that were needed in the temple. In other words, the funds were used solely for the temple repair. Verse 15 suggests that the supervisors were more honest in their dealing than the priests. Here we are told that these supervisors honestly dealt with the funds handed to them.   

What are the guilt and sin offerings talked about in verse 16? They were money given in compensation by one who was found guilty of injuring another person. This amount to be compensated to the injured, or his family if he was dead, would be valued by the priest. The compensated amount would only be given to the priest if the injured person had died and had no family member.  Details of these funds could be found in chapter 5 of the book of Numbers. Verse 16 tells us that guilt and sin offerings brought to the house of the LORD belonged to the priests, meaning they were not used for the temple repair.  

Without a doubt, the lesson for us is on fidelity and integrity. The Lord values integrity and fidelity, especially when dealing with money. It is needful for workmen of God to be found trustworthy. If we want to be trusted, we must be found trustworthy. People who have no integrity are never honest. Fidelity and integrity are important ingredients to building trust. Be sure to nurture them in life, especially in dealing with money. If we want to be trusted, we need to be trustworthy. If we are faithful in little, we will be faithful in much!