January 6, 2026
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Kings, Acts, & Hebrews? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Kings 12 (NIV)
Joash Repairs the Temple
1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.……Continue Reading
Next: Acts 27
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Back: 2 Kings 11
I guess the moral of the story of King Jehoash is when you don’t trust God in the small things, you will certainly not trust Him in the large. From the beginning he never took down the high places showing a half-hearted commitment to making things right and then a terrible dragging of feet to repair the temple and properly lead the people to honest management of money to get it done right. So it is no surprise when things get really bad for him, instead of trusting God, he tries to buy his way out of a bad situation. The end result is his death at the hands of his own servants.
Joash (jehoash) same person, I assume, repairs the temple. The priests drag their feet in getting it done. It is interesting that once the money is given, there is no accounting of it because the workers used it faithfully.
It is sad how quickly a trustworthy culture can degrade. I can’t help but think of America as a trusting, generous people and culture, but it appears that we are being taken advantage of.
2 Kings 11 & 12
I have always had the conviction that the work of the ministry is more important than the pay to the minister. It appears that the priests here were not functioning that way and taking funds for themselves and leaving the temple in disrepair. And it is the role of leadership to step in and address and correct what is inappropriate and establish a plan to make things right. And don’t miss the wise accounting practice found here: two people counted the money, they determined what the amount was and then made sure the money got to where it was supposed to go. And there is less accountability needed when people are honest, but accountability should never be surrendered completely. And Joash shows here the shallowness of his faith, that when confronted by a problem, he does not consult the Lord, but just does what seems fitting to him. It was an act of cowardice and not trusting what God could do. One wonders if that is what lead to him being killed. But he did move the needle closer for the kings of Judah following the Lord, after a couple that didn’t. But the focus of the book of kings is on the kings of Israel, not Judah.
2 Kings 12
Here’s yet another story that starts off with a man doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord, but not destroying all the strongholds that keep his people from worshipping idols. Even the priests wouldn’t listen to his command to repair the temple, so Joash must find creative ways to collect the money to have it completed. And then he takes all the sacred objects, gifts and gold found in the temple treasury and he gives it to his enemy! So it doesn’t end well for him; Joash is assassinated. If we believe, as stated in Romans 10:9, follow God’s word, root out the evil that infiltrates our lives, and pray to the Lord for guidance and direction, we have the Lord’s blessing and we can be assured that it WILL end well for us.