Session 10 2 Kings 12:4-16

PROBLEM (2 KINGS 12:4-8)

how well Joash’s initial plan for repairing the temple worked.

4 Then Joash said to the priests,
“All the dedicated silver brought to the LORD’s temple,
census silver, silver from vows,
and all silver voluntarily given for the LORD’s temple—
5 each priest is to take it from his assessor
and repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”

6 But by the twenty-third year of the reign of King Joash,
the priests had not repaired the damage to the temple.
7 So King Joash called the priest Jehoiada and the other priests and asked,
“Why haven’t you repaired the temple’s damage?
Since you haven’t, don’t take any silver from your assessors;
instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple.”
8 So the priests agreed that they would receive no silver from the people and would not be the ones to repair the temple’s damage.

Discuss:

• What potential problems existed with the plan in place?
• What are the strengths of the plan for getting the repairs financed?

Discuss:

• What factors influence whether we confront someone who has not lived up to expectations? (p. 87)

Transition:

Joash made a new plan for getting the temple repair work done,
with Jehoiada and the other priests supporting his plan.