The Chest of Joash

Introduction

Background to Text:

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2 Chronicles 24:1–3 KJV 1900

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. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.

Joash, at the young age of seven, became king of Judah. It wasn’t that Joash had this exorbitant amount of wisdom, as to why they crowned him king, rather his family was murdered by a plot from his grandmother and he was the son who survived to take the throne.

So here young Joash is, he’s 7 years old, that’s how old my son Gideon is. He is king. He’s just lost his father to a cruel murder, and his grandmother Athaliah was put to death for her plot against his family.

In these opening verses we find a man who had a great influence on King Joash at an early age and most likely counseled him during those early years, the priest Jehoiada. It says that during all the days of Jehoiada, Joash did that which was right in the sight of God.

Having this influence from this priest, Joash later on is burdened for the temple, the house of God. The temple needed to be repaired.

In these next several verses that we’ll examine this morning, we see an endeavour to repair God’s house.

So this morning I want to bring to you a message entitled: “The Chest of Joash.”

PRAY

-For the last few years, from my understanding, Harmony Baptist Church has had a desire to build a building that would make it more effective in it’s ministry to its members and this community.

-Money has been saved and set aside for this project. People have given sacrificially to this project. And what has been a dream for many, by God’s grace, will be a reality in months to come.

-My prayer is that in 2021 we can get the multi-purpose building project going. While it will most likely take a while before completion, we endeavour to at least get it started.

-I don’t think it takes a lot of explanation to convince you that this project is important for us to carry out the mission of our church.

-We want to love God, love others, and serve both. Harmony has had unique challenges in the past regarding utilizing space for ministries, and ministry hasn’t been stopped because of that. That’s commendable.

-But the lack of space that we do have is a challenge. We would love to see our Awana program brought to our property here. We would like classrooms for children and teenagers.

-We would like to see new nursery space, and a place to be able to fellowship. We would like a large area that our children could play around in. We would like a kitchen area to prepare meals and use during potlucks.

-All of this has been a dream so far, and now it’s time to put feet to our faith.

As Joash looked at the temple in his day, he saw a need. They needed to invest in the temple to bring it back where it should have been.

Joash addresses the issue at hand and challenges the people in giving to this project.

This offering that we take this morning is one small step toward furthering the vision of our church.

Transition

This morning I want us to look at Four Items that are found in this text as we consider the need of the temple’s repairs, and the response to that need by the people of God.

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There Was Opposition to Move Forward (v. 4-7)

2 Chronicles 24:4–7 KJV 1900

And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. 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. 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? 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.

The issue that these priests had in moving forward with the kings command was that they were in fear that they would lose their own income for the sake of building this building.

They depended on these funds to feed their own families, and so if Joash was going to do a big building program, they would suffer as a result. So Joash had to come up with a different strategy that wouldn’t harm the priests, but would also move the process along.

I think most of you are aware of the fact that when you look to make progress, especially in a church, you will come across opposition at some point.

I think about the building of this church. And how wood was set up and ready to go and then a wind blew it all over. Unexpected things happen.

Opposition will come. Before we enter into this building program, understand that there will be obstacles. In the unforeseen future, there will be times we’ll wonder, “what in the world did we get ourselves into?”

But I believe God will give us wisdom in knowing how to make progress and complete what He is wanting us to accomplish.

So even though up front, Joash dealt with opposition going into this building program, he came up with a plan that would benefit everyone.

So in verse 8 we see what that plan was:

2 Chronicles 24:8 KJV 1900

And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the Lord.

In some churches it is customary that once a year they take up a chest of Joash offering, where people give sacrificially to a project the church is raising funds for.

The plan is simple. Put a box out and encourage people to give. That’s what Joash does. That’s all we’re doing today as well. We’re putting out an offering plate, designating a fund online that you can give to, and encouraging you to give to this work.

So what happened as a result of this?

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There Was Generosity When They Were Given the Opportunity to Give (v. 9-11)

2 Chronicles 24:9–11 KJV 1900

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. And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. 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.

There were people who were eager to give so that the temple could be restored. There were those who were excited about a king who prioritized worship to the one true God again.

When they were given the opportunity to give so that they could worship, they gave freely. So much that every day they had an abundance of money.

The people gave because the project was important to them. They gave willingly and sacrificially.

I know some churches do this, and I’m not trying to demean them for doing it, but I’m not standing up here this morning urging us to reach a certain goal.

I’m not putting a certain amount that we want to reach. I’m not trying to guilt trip you into giving or twist your arm to participate.

I believe that whatever is given today, God will use it. If God could take five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude, God can take whatever is given today and use it in the same way.

Just as the people here were given an opportunity to give, we as well have an opportunity to give.

How exciting it is to be a part of the future of this church. To consider all that God has in store for Harmony. And you can have a part in that.

What you give today can reach future generations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So as the people were given the opportunity, they gave sacrificially.

But not only did people give resources, there were also those who used their talents and time to accomplish the work.

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There Were Those Who Labored to Accomplish the Work (v. 12-14)

2 Chronicles 24:12–14 KJV 1900

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. So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it. 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.

When the money was raised, they went to work. So men with different talents and gifting started the repair on the temple.

What I see here is a team effort. It took the skills of multiple people to get the work done.

-I think of yesterday, how we had people here working on our current project in getting the portico, or as others call it, “the drive under awning thingy.”

-While I definitely don’t have skills in carpentry, masonry, or iron, there’s guys that do. To complete the project we’re doing right now, it’s going to take a joint effort to get it done.

As we seek to accomplish a larger project here in the future, we’re going to need help. We’ll need involvement. Many of you in this room were here when this building was built.

And you know the work it took to get it ready and functional. There were many hours put in. Volunteer hours. There was a lot of sacrifice. Blood, sweat, and tears.

And this new building will be no exception. It’s a huge undertaking, but if we as a church come together and use the skills and talents that God has gifted us with, I believe we’ll be able to get it done by God’s grace.

There were people willing to work to get the temple repaired.

And I know already we have those willing to do what needs to be done to get the work going. Thank the Lord for that.

What an amazing story of what can happen when the people of God give. They were able to get the temple running and functional once again due to the sacrifice of those who gave.

Verse 14 said that they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly.

But sadly, the story doesn’t end there. At the end of verse 14 it says: that they offered these offerings continually ALL THE DAYS OF JEHOIADA.

In verse 2 it says that Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord ALL THE DAYS OF JEHOIADA.

In verse 15, the first word tells us that it doesn’t all end well like we might have anticipated. Verse 15 starts out with the word But...

The people gave, the temple was repaired, they were giving sacrifice to the Lord like they were supposed to once again, “but.”

2 Chronicles 24:15–16 KJV 1900

But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. 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.

Notice what happens when this priest dies.

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The People Lost Their Focus (v. 17-19)

2 Chronicles 24:17–19 KJV 1900

Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. 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. Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

All the work, all the labor, all the time and resources, it all just went to the wayside because they took their focus off of the Lord.

The death of Jehoiada revealed the heart of Joash and the fickleness of his faith. He went straight back into what he helped guide the people out of in the first place.

As we look at this story we can be hard on Joash. We can be hard on the people and their turning to worship idols once again.

But when you get your focus in the wrong place, you’ll go places you never would have imagined you would ever go.

-I remember years ago when we were living on the Treasure Coast in Florida, my wife and I were travelling from Fort Lauderdale after dropping off some friends of ours at the airport.

-And as we were driving, I got distracted and I took the wrong exit. Well, I could tell that the path we were on, definitely was not going to put us back on I-95.

-We were in a bad part of town and needed to get out ASAP! Had my focus been right, that would have never happened.

A wrong focus can do a lot more damage than just put you in a bad part of town. It can damage a church. It can destroy a ministry. It can mess up your family.

Any time you take your focus off the Lord, you’re potentially going to wreck!

Church, I want to challenge us to have our focus in the right place. We exist to love God, love others, and serve both.

It can be easy to lose sight of that in the process. It can be easy to forget that when all is said and done. But may this be something that we have ever before us, being focused in the right place.

Our focus can’t be primarily on money, it can’t be primarily on buildings, it needs to be on the Lord and on the mission He has for us to do.

May it not be wrote of Harmony Baptist Church, that there were those who gave, those who labored, and the work was complete.

But the focus of the church was wrong and all the work that was put in was put to a halt.

Conclusion

-Marquis de Lafayette was a French officer who provided invaluable assistance to George Washington and the struggling American army.

-After the war was over, he returned to France and resumed his life as a farmer of many estates. In 1783, the harvest was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a result.

-Lafayette’s farms were unaffected by the devastating crop failures. One of his workers offered what seemed to be good advice to Lafayette, “The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat.

-This is the time to sell.” After thinking about the hungry peasants in the surrounding villages, Lafayette disagreed and said, “No, this is the time to give.”

For the history of our church, this is the time to give. I know we’re in the very early stages of this process, and we’re still dreaming of what could be.

But I believe if each of us will do what God would allow us to, we’ll be able to do what needs to be done, as was the case with Joash. Now is the time to give.