How to be deeply rooted in God?
2 Kings 12:1-21
I read once the reminiscences of a church member in an American mega-church. She describes how as a teenager, it was a wonderful and exciting place to be. Having the support of her friends and the structure of the church created boundaries around them so they lived ‘good Christian lives’. However, all that changed when the congregation disintegrated into chaos after the adulteries of the church’s pastor came to light. The writer of the article reflected on how her friendship group changed as they all went in different directions. She herself drifted away from the kind of obedience and faithfulness that was advocated by the church in its heyday but there was almost a nostalgia in her tone as she described those younger days of enthusiasm and commitment before her convictions evaporated.
Roots in God that lack depth
Her testimony reminds me a little of Jehoash’s story. Saved from certain death (2 Kings 11:2-3), he experienced the heady days of coronation at a young age, the rallying of people around him, and the covenant commitment they all made to serve God and get rid of idols (2 Kings 11:17-18, 21). His reign is assessed largely positively (2 Kings 12:2), but there are a few disconcerting notes in his story. First, the high places (shrines scattered in the land) are allowed to continue operating (2 Kings 12:3), leaving open the possibility of a syncretistic worship or downright idolatry away from the Jerusalem temple.[1] Second, it is ominous to read that he did right while Jehoiada the priest instructed him (v.2). It suggests that his own commitment was not as deeply rooted in God and, like the writer of the article in my opening example, his faithfulness was propped up by his surrogate father’s godly influence.
A life of mixed results
His reign is a mixture of positive and negative traits. His desire to have the temple repaired is praiseworthy but it is disconcerting that this is not done by the twenty-third year of his reign (2 Kings 12:4-6). If the initiative came early in his reign, then it is surprising that he did not follow up the lagging progress sooner, if later, we are left wondering why it took so long to consider such a project. It is also worrying that the priests collected the money, but it was not used for the repair (2 Kings 12:7). Did they perhaps need it for their livelihood?[2] However, once the money collection is done with due process (2 Kings 12:9-10), the work gathers pace. The craftsmen employed in the restoration are especially commended as trustworthy and faithful (2 Kings 12:15). The priests are also allotted a source of income (2 Kings 12:16), so they are not short-changed.[3] This positive use of the money from sacred things (2 Kings 12:4) contrasts with Jehoash’s panic in emptying the temple and palace treasury of ‘sacred things’ to pay off the attacking Aramean king, Hazael (2 Kings 12:17-18). Such action is always viewed negatively in Kings as lack of trust in the Lord who can save from enemies. Jehoash’s enigmatic death at the hands of his servants (2 Kings 12:20-21) completes this mixed portrayal of a good king who somehow never rose to greatness.[4]
How to be deeply rooted in God?
Our story challenges us to evaluate our commitment to the Lord. Is it rooted in the love of God and a personal relationship with Him or are we carried along on the enthusiasm of a godly person in our lives? Is our faithfulness resting only on Christian structures and accountability that keep us on the straight and narrow? Accountability structures are of course important and useful, especially if we have particular areas of temptation where we need support. Nevertheless, without a heartfelt allegiance to the Lord, external boundaries are not enough. I shall never forget an elderly gentleman in a previous church who used to say to young people that they need to be committed first and above all to the Lord, so that even if individuals or churches disappoint or hurt them, they would still cling to God and not lose their faith. Scripture holds up a mirror, but its aim is not to condemn but to encourage us to turn to Him. He is able to awaken in us a wholehearted desire to live for Him – if we ask.
[1] Shrines used for worship were acceptable in the early days of Israel’s settlement in the land, but Deuteronomy warns Israel to worship only at the place God designated (i.e at the Jerusalem temple) once it is built (Deut 12:10-14).
[2] The passage does not explain whether the king was too lenient with them or if there were legitimate reasons for them to use the money elsewhere. Priests had their livelihood from the sacrifices offered by worshippers and from the people’s tithes given to God. We know of an instance from the postexilic period, when the Levites went away to work their own fields because the people didn’t bring their tithes and the temple personnel had nothing to live on (Neh 13:10-12). Alternatively, the priests may not have spent the money at all but were slow to get the project going.
[3] Guilt offerings were given in cases where there was need for reparation (e.g. holy objects were unintentionally desecrated or something was stolen, lost or damaged, Lev 5:14-19; 6:1-7). In some cases, a ram had to be offered, in other cases the monetary equivalent of the animal sufficed and the reparation required was the value of the original item plus 20%. These moneys are designated in our reading as the priests’ due. The law does not mention giving the monetary equivalent of a sacrificial animal in the case of sin offerings (Lev 4:1-35), but it seems that there was some such practice in Jehoash’s reign (2 Kings 12:16).
[4] The parallel account in 2 Chronicles 24:1-27 fills in some of the gaps. There, Jehoiada’s death is followed by a return to worshipping other gods under the influence of Judah’s officials who sway the king (2 Chron 24:17-18). Although God sends His prophets to challenge the king, he does not listen and even executes the priest who is Jehoiada’s son when the latter speaks up against him (2 Chron 24:20-22). The king’s assassination is a response to this judicial murder of the priest (2 Chron 24:25).
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