II Kings 12:8

"And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house."

The king of Judah, Jehoash, had began to reign at the early age of 7. He reigned for 40 years,and so long as Jehoiada was priest, he did that which was right. But as soon as he died Jehoash turned away from the Lord. Now during the reign of the wicked woman, Athaliah, they had desecreated and destroyed the temple. It was in need of repairs and upkeep. Sometime during the first 23 years of the kings reign, he made a proclamation for them to collect the offering money and put forth to the repairs. And on the 23rd year the repairs were still not done, so the king took away the money to be given for the repairs. Apparaently it was a long time given for the repiars to be done,, and nothing had happned. And so when the king took away themoney, this verse before us describes their response. They decided not to receive the money, and neither would they repair the house. It sounds like childish behavior to me: 'if you won't play with me, then I won't play with you'. This wasn't about the king nor was it about the priests and the money, it was about the Lord's house. Why was there delay over this? One writer refers that even though Jehoiada was good and pious in his life, zeal and acitivity was not his best quality. And I would dare say, that this is true of so many of our day. They may be good and know the Lord, but they are doin very little for Him. There zeal and activity is about other things and not the work of the Lord. They labor in sweat and diligent pursuing of worldly things, but not for the kingdom of God. And our inactivity has allowed for the repairs to remain and the work to cease. Could it be that they left the house in this condition for over 20 years? And they couldn't get things done, in 20 years? Do we not know that we shall give an account of the things done before us? We are not always given 20 years, so we must labor while we are able and have time. 'The night cometh when no man can work.' Inactiviy may not be the sin of sloth, but it is accoutnability just the same. WE are in a place of dire need for zeal and activity to show forth the works of God. But yet what the church is made up of is passive, content people not repairing the damage done by decades of inactivity. Rise up and be doing, and tend to the thins at hand. Now the repsonse of the priests needs to be dealt with as well. They were scolded for their inactivity and they repsonded with a childish attitude. 'If we don't get the money, then we won't do the work', was their attitude. Well, they had not done the work anyway in 10 or 20 years (we don't know how long they was given to do thework). It is only right, that if the labor is not done, then they don't get paid. But our society is corrupted in this attitude, we expect to get paid whetehr we do the work or not. 'A labor is worthy of his hire'. 'And if you don't work, you don't eat.' But I believe there is a relationship in all this. Twenty years without the temple being what it was intended to be; the priests with a sinful attitude; Jehoiada was up in years, he was well over 100 years old when he made Jehoash king, which could explain his inability of activity; and the people were not forth right about their attitude toward the temple nor in their service to God. All this coupled together, as soon as Jehoiada is dead, Jehoash turns away from the Lord and forsakes the house of the Lord for the remainder of his days. Let us guard against this attitude and lack of activity for it only produces a greater sin in the years to come. All these things took the children of Judah away from the Lord. And we must understand that if we are not wholly following the Lord and our zeal is light then we are ready to fall away from the Lord all together. And the latter end is worse than the beginning. Take heed and know that all things will be called into account.