Tuesday, 2 June 2020 2 Kings 12:1-16
"Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple." -2 King 12:5
In today's reading we have King Joash, attempting to repair the damages to the Temple of God. Two reasons were cited for the damages to the house of God—one was due to age (1 Kings 6:38- the Temple was finished during King Solomon’s time; after the reign of several kings, now 124 years had passed) and the other was due to the damages caused during the rule of Athaliah (2 Chron. 24:7). Let us look into these two factors of deterioration to learn our lessons today.
Negligence of the House of God: The House of God has to be kept orderly on a daily basis to have fellowship with God. The elaborate structures and decorations of the temple built during the reign of Solomon called for proper maintenance. Over the years, many had neglected its maintenance and hence caused considerable damage to it.
In the New Testament, we are the temple of Living God (1 Cor. 3:16). The Spirit of God resides in this Temple of which we are the custodians. Our life itself is the sanctuary where the Lord rules and reigns in glory; hence we have a greater responsibility to keep it holy.
This temple is to be kept clean. We need to watch all areas of life through the Word of God to see whether our life is aligned with the Word or not. If not it will weaken the whole structure of the temple. Many believers have failed in this area and have caused considerable damage to the temple of God. Most of us are well aware of the foundational principles of God’s Word. Ephesians 2:20,21[GNT] says: “You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself. He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord.” If one of these truths is distorted, it will affect the whole structure. Negligence in this area is disastrous. So it is advisable to see our life anew on the truth of the word of God. This will strengthen and edify us.
Destruction caused by the enemy: The enemy of God's people is Satan. He always tries to destroy the temple of the living God. We very well know the tactics used by our adversary is by deception. Deception comes in various ways and if unnoticed, will enter the very sanctuary and cause a great deal of damage. It can surface through a weakness of the flesh-either through our looks, talks, actions etc. If this is left without correction, it paves the way for the devil to cause destruction to this sanctuary. We need to be vigilant of our actions.
So today let us examine our Temple and see where we have damages and try to repair them to bring it back to the glory that God wants it to have. God loves to display His glory in our lives. When the temple of God is restored, it will bring in lots of joy and peace. May God enable each of us to take the repair of the Temple of God seriously and bring back the lost glory.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I want to examine my life under your lamp, the Word of God. Allow me to understand the repairs required in my life. Help me to restore my life to carry your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.
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