King Joash did well under Jehoiada the priest    verse 1- 3 

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 

King Joash wanted to repair the Temple            verse 4- 5 

And it came to pass after this

that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD

And he gathered together the priest and the Levites  – and said to them

Go out to the cities of Judah – and gather of all Israel money

to repair the house of your God – from year to year

and see that you hasten the matter

Howbeit the Levites hastened it not 

King Joash was not pleased with the Levities      verse 6 

And the king called for Jehoiada the chief

and said to him

Why have you 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? 

Baal worshipers had taken all of value from Temple   verse 7 

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 

King Joash put a chest outside the Temple         verse 8- 10 

And at the king’s commandment they made a chest

            and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD

                        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 

Workers were hired to repair the Temple           verse 11- 12

Now it came to pass – that at what time the chest was brought to

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

            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 

Extra money was used for Temple vessels           verse 13- 14 

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 

Jehoiada died                                                      verse 15- 16 

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 

People of Judah wandered from the LORD        verse 17- 19 

Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah

and made obeisance to the king

Then the king hearkened to them

and they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers

and served groves and idols

and wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this

      their trespass

YET HE sent prophets to them

to bring them again to the LORD

and they testified against them

BUT they would NOT GIVE EAR 

Zechariah prophesied against Judah                  verse 20 

And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest

which stood above the people

and said to them

Thus says God

Why transgress you the commandments of the LORD

      that you cannot prosper?

BECAUSE you have forsaken the LORD

      HE has also forsaken you 

King Joash ordered Zechariah killed                  verse 21- 22 

And they conspired against him

and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king

in the court of the house of the LORD

            thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which

      Jehoiada his father had done to him 

BUT slew his son

And when he died

he said

The LORD look upon it – and require it 

LORD used Syrians to judge Judah                   verse 23- 24

 And it came to pass at the end of the year 

that the host of Syria came up against him

      and they came to Judah and Jerusalem

      and destroyed all the princes of the people

 from among the people

      and sent all the spoil of them to the

                  king of Damascus

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men

and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand

BECAUSE they had forsaken

the LORD God of their fathers

So they executed judgment against Joash

 

King Joash killed by fellow countrymen             verse 25- 26

 And when they were departed from him

(for they left him in great diseases)

His own servants conspired against him for the blood of

the sons of Jehoiada the priest

and slew him on his bead – and he died

                  and they buried him in the city of David

BUT they buried him NOT

in the sepulchers of the kings

And these are they that conspired against him

Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess

                        Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess

 

Record of the reign of Joash                               verse 27    

 Now concerning his sons

and the greatness of the burdens laid on him

                        and the repairing of the house of God

BEHOLD they are written

in the story of the book of the kings

And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead 

 

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers 

: 2        And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. (3477 “right” [yashar] means straight, the quality of conforming to a moral standard, righteous, upright, correct, fitting, just, or correct)

DEVOTION:  Here is a man who had an uncle who lived to be a hundred and thirty years. He gave the king great instructions and the king wanted to honor the LORD. He set up the repairing of the Temple with a collection of money for that purpose. At first, the priests didn’t act on the repairs as the money raised was only enough to support their ministries but then he set up another way to gather money and there was enough for repairs.

They hired individuals to do the repairs and everything seemed to be going in the right direction but that ended with the life of Jehoiada. After his death the king allowed the country to drift into worshiping false gods. When he was confronted by the son of Jehoiada which was his cousin he killed him.

A good start doesn’t mean a good finish. It is important to start well and finish well. This is not what happened in the life of King Joash. It can happen in the life of anyone.

We have to realize that it is easier to drift away from the LORD than to stay true to the LORD. As we get older we can settle in a way that is not pleasing to the LORD. We have to watch our relationship with the LORD throughout our life and make sure that we are not allowing the world to enter into our life more than the Word of God.

Staying focused on the LORD takes work. It is good to have a good Biblical friend to keep us true to the Word of God. If that friend dies or we don’t have a friend to help us stay true to the LORD we can drift and find ourselves not following the LORD as we should. At that time we will receive the chastening of the LORD but if we don’t act on the chastening then we can face pre-mature death as a believer.

In the Old Testament we find that there are individuals that follow the LORD for a time period but then chose to not follow HIM anymore. Some of these individuals didn’t have a saving relationship with the LORD. They looked like they were saved but in reality they were not. This happened even today that there are individual who follow the LORD it seems for a while and then turn away from HIM. Only the LORD can judge whether they were really believers.

CHALLENGE:  Remember the LORD always looks at our hearts to see whether we are genuine or not. We can fool everyone else but not the LORD.

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers           

: 4        And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD. (2318 “repair” [chadash] means renew, restore, make new, place in a state or condition identical or nearly the same as a prior state, or to restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken)

DEVOTION:  Under the time of Athaliah the Temple was used to acts of vandalism and sacrilege. It was not used as a place where the majority of people attended because they were busy worshiping false gods.

The LORD was not honored in the nation for many years. Now we find that there was a king that wanted to rebuild the Temple to its original condition. Also we find that the people were excited and wanted to do the same.

The funds were raised to do the work. One of the ways they raised money is that the priests went throughout the land collected the temple taxes that were required by the Law of Moses.

However, this was happening slowly because the Levites were slow to act. Joash confronted Jehoiada because it was not happening fast enough.

There is a time to rebuild the place of worship in our life as well. Too often each generation comes to the same church and either the people change their attitude or the pastor changes the attitude for the better or the worst.

We need to make sure that we are worshiping the LORD in spirit and in truth as the Bible tells us to do, so that, when someone comes into the church, they understand that this a place that people care about and want to honor the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Does the church you attend look like it is pleasing to the LORD? Is it too fancy or let go? We need to make sure that we do our best to make our place of worship is one that honors the LORD.

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: 19      Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. (5749 “testified” [‘uwd] means to protest, admonish, charge, protest, witness or give warning)

DEVOTION:  What happens when a good leader dies? Well, it could be good if he has trained people to take his place or it could be evil if he hasn’t trained those who will live beyond him. Sometimes even if he has trained those who follow – they don’t listen to his instructions. Here we find that Jehoiada lived to the age of 130 years old.  He died and they respected him enough to bury him with the kings of Judah.

King Joash was raised by his aunt and her husband, Jehoiada, the high priest, to reign in Judah. They protected him for six years. They put him in office. They helped him do what was right in the sight of the LORD. The king followed the LORD while Jehoiada was alive. Jehoiada died and was buried.

Then Joash listened to the princes in Judah and allowed false worship. Here is an individual who started right with the right counselors around him. However, when his key counselor died, he left the LORD and listened to individuals who were his friends. He did not finish well.

The LORD sent prophets to tell them they were sinning and the LORD would judge them. They didn’t want to hear it. They even killed Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah at the orders of King Joash. Here is the payback for Jehoiada’s leadership and counsel. Joash killed his son. He didn’t want to hear the warning of the LORD.

What do we do with people who come to warn us of our sinful habits? Do we listen or turn them off? God does warn us today by sending HIS servants to help us live a life pleasing in HIS sight. Remember that the LORD will first send weakness as a warning. Then HE will send sickness as a warning. Finally, HE will send death. That is how the LORD deals with HIS children who are disobedient.

Let us not just start right but finish right as well. Don’t ever think that we are not in a daily battle with our enemy, the devil and his demons!!! Not only him but also our flesh and our world tempt us to move away from the LORD.

CHALLENGE: If you are moving away from the LORD, listen to a fellow believer regarding what is happening in your life. If you have scene someone you love drifting from the LORD, please warn them in love. Our responsibility is to help and encourage one another.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers           

: 22      Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD looked upon it, and require it. (1875 “require” [darash] means to seek with care, to take vengeance, to take revenge for a perceived wrong, resort to or examine)

DEVOTION:  Our memories are short. Sometimes we forget things because of our age but then there are times we chose not to remember things on purpose. Here is a king that chose not to remember all that Jehoiada had done for him in the past.

Jehoiada was dead and with his death the king started listening to voices that he would not have heard during the lifetime of the priest. He started listening to individuals who didn’t love the LORD. He started to act on what they were saying by worshiping idols and setting up groves to worship false gods.

He neglected the Temple that he helped repair for the proper worship of the LORD who gave him the throne. He neglected the advice that he had received for so many years from Jehoiada. Now he didn’t want to hear any of that advice and when Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah came to him with a message from the LORD he had him killed.

Short memories of those who have helped us in the past can cause real problems in the present if we are drifting from the LORD. If we mistreat those who have helped us grow in the LORD the LORD can send judgment.

Joash received the judgment of the LORD by being defeated by a small army and then killed by his own servants. There are consequences to our actions whether they are good or bad. Here we have an example of bad consequences for actions that this king did toward someone’s family that helped him greatly.

CHALLENGE: We need to listen to those who really want to help us in our relationship with the LORD. If you don’t have someone helping you get closer to the LORD – FIND SOMEONE and LISTEN.

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: 24      For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So, they executed judgment against Joash. (5800 “forsaken” [‘azab] means leave, depart from, leave behind, abandon, neglect, apostatize, reject, or deserted)

DEVOTION:  Remember that one man with the LORD can chase a thousand. Here we have a small group of soldiers defeating the army of Judah which was much larger because they had abandoned the LORD and HE had abandoned them in battle.

They probably went out to battle thinking that because the LORD had helped them in the past the battle would be a easy victory but they were surprised to find out that they were going to lose everything because of their actions toward the LORD and HIS prophet.

They had killed Zechariah and didn’t think that there would be any repercussions from their action. They were wrong. It is hard to believe that a king that was instructed from a very young age could turn so fast from serving the LORD but he did.

Some parents have genuinely tried to raise their children to honor the LORD but then when they are older find that they drift from the LORD very easy with no seeming regret. It breaks the hearts of the parents but they did what they were supposed to and yet their children reject Jesus Christ.

This chapter shows the consequences of such an action. When children reject the LORD they will lose their final battle by spending eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.

Just because this ended wrong doesn’t mean that parents should ever give up trying to help their children or grandchildren or nieces and nephews understand the Word of God and their responsibility to make a decision regarding Jesus Christ in their life.

CHALLENGE: Never give up trying to reach your family for the LORD. They will have to face the LORD if they reject the message.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

 

Chest for offering to the LORD                              verse 8- 11

Money in abundance                                                verse 11

 

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

          Jehoiada the priest                                                    verse 2, 6- 17

                        Called before Joash to answer why

                                    they were not getting money

                                                for repair

                        Made vessels to minister

                        Waxed old

                        Died

                        Buried in city of David among kings

                        Done good in Israel

                   House of the LORD                                                  verse 4, 7, 8, 12, 14

                        Gathered priests and Levites                                   verse 5

                                    to gather money for repair of Temple

                                    they were in no hurry to do it

                        Tabernacle of witness                                               verse 6

Rejoice in giving to the LORD                                verse 10

Money in abundance                                                verse 11, 12

            Hired masons and carpenters to repair

House of God                                                             verse 13, 14, 18, 27

            Strengthened it

            finished

Burnt offerings continually                                      verse 14

Zechariah the son of Jehoiada                                 verse 20- 22

            Spirit of God came upon

            Spoke to the people

            Forsaken the LORD and

                        LORD has forsaken them

            Stoned him in court of house of the LORD

            Said at his death: The LORD look on it,

                        and require it

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible) 

Moses the servant of the LORD                              verse 6, 9

Commandments of the LORD                                verse 6, 20

Book of the kings                                                       verse 27 

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 2, 4, 6- 9, 12,

                                                                                                18- 22, 24

Sight of the LORD                                                    verse 2

House of the LORD                                                  verse 4, 7, 8, 12, 14,

                                                                                                21

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)                        verse 5, 7, 9, 13, 16,

                                                                                                18, 20, 24, 27

House of your God                                                    verse 5

House of God                                                             verse 7, 13, 27

Moses the servant of God                                         verse 9

House of the LORD God of their fathers               verse 18

Wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem                verse 18

LORD delivered a great host into hands

            of Syrian army                                              verse 24

LORD God of their fathers                                      verse 24 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter) 

Spirit of God came upon Zechariah                       verse 20 

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation) 

Syrian army                                                               verse 23- 24

            Send spoils to King of Damascus

Zabad the son of Shimeath – Ammonitess              verse 26

            Conspired against Joash

Jehozabad – son of Shimrith a Moabitess              verse 26

            Conspired against Joash 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Priest didn’t hasten repairs                                     verse 5

Broken up the house of the LORD                          verse 7

Wicked                                                                       verse 7

Worship of Baal                                                        verse 7

King hearkened to princes                                       verse 17

Left the house of the LORD                                    verse 18

Served groves and idols                                            verse 18

Trespass                                                                     verse 18

Not listen to LORD’S prophets                               verse 19

Transgress                                                                 verse 20

Forsook the LORD                                                   verse 20, 24

Stoning the prophet of LORD                                 verse 21, 22

Remember not                                                           verse 22

Conspire                                                                     verse 25, 26

Killed king                                                                 verse 25 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Doing right in the eyes of the LORD                      verse 2

Collection                                                                   verse 9- 11

Servant                                                                       verse 9

Rejoice in giving to the LORD                                verse 10

Minister                                                                      verse 14

Worship all the days of Jehoiada                            verse 14

Prophets                                                                     verse 19

Testified                                                                     verse 19

Zechariah – the prophet                                           verse 20

Filling of the Holy Spirit                                           verse 20

Prosper if listening to the LORD                            verse 20

Kindness to others                                                    verse 22

Judgment                                                                   verse 24 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

Joash – king of Judah                                               verse 1- 26

            7 years old when he began to reign

                        and reigned 40 years

            Did what was right in eyes of the LORD

                        all the days of Jehoiada

            Minded to repair the house of the LORD

Gathered priests and Levites

Go into cities of Judah to gather money

Proclamation to bring collection to house

            of the LORD

Hearkened to princes of Judah

Ordered Zechariah stoned

Didn’t remember kindness of Jehoiada

Syrians executed judgment on him

Severely wounded

Servants killed him in his bed for his

            killing of sons of Jehoiada

Buried NOT in the sepulchers of the kings

           

Jerusalem                                                                   verse 1, 9

Repair the house of the LORD                                verse 4- 14

Moses                                                                          verse 6, 9

            servant of the LORD

            collection of Moses

Sons of Athaliah – wicked woman                          verse 7

            broke up the house of God

            bestowed to Baalim

Princes and all the people rejoiced                          verse 10, 17, 18, 23

            Left the house of the LORD God of their

                        Fathers

            Served groves and idols

            Killed by Syrians

Wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem                    verse 18

Prophets sent by the LORD to Judah                     verse 19

            To bring them back to the LORD

            Testified against them but they

                        would not listen

Amaziah – son of Joash                                            verse 27

            Reigned in Judah

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

     Jehoiada died                                                             verse 15

      Joash killed                                                                verse 25

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QUOTES regarding passage

24 “Only a few” Arameans overcame “a much larger” Judean army, just as Moses had threatened (Lev 26:17, as the reverse of his promise in 26:8). (Payne, J. B. (1988). 1, 2 Chronicles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 516). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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Ver. 24. For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, &c.] It consisted but of few: and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand; which the king of Judah and his princes had got together to oppose them: because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers; therefore, the Lord forsook them, and gave them up into the hand of their enemies: so they executed judgment against Joash; were the instruments God made use of to execute his vengeance on him for his idolatry and murder. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 76). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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23–25. Here we have the visitation; and an awful visitation it was. It should seem that Joash not only slew Zechariah, but some other of his faithful servants children; for it is said the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest. And with what contempt was he buried! Thus died, unlamented, and disregarded, Joash. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 521). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

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24:24 When Israel was faithful to the Lord, they could win great victories with only a few men (Deut 7:17–21; 28:7; Judg 7; 1 Sam 14:6, 15; 2 Chr 13:3–18; 14:8–15; 1 Kgs 20:26–28). But when they were unfaithful, they were powerless regardless of the odds (Deut 28:20, 25; Josh 7:1–5) because the Lord was their strength, and success came only through him (cf. Exod 15:2, 6, 16; Num 23:22; 24:8; 1 Chr 16:11; 29:11; 2 Chr 20:6, 12; 25:8; Pss 28:7–8; 46:1; 68:34–35; Isa 45:24; Jer 9:23–24; 17:5–8). This incident is reported in 2 Kgs 12:17–18, but there it lacks the theological evaluation offered here in Chronicles. (Thompson, J. A. (1994). 1, 2 Chronicles (Vol. 9, pp. 318–319). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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24:24 small number. As the Lord had previously given victory to Judah’s smaller army because of their faithfulness (2Ch 13:2–20; 14:9–15), He gave Judah defeat at the hands of a lesser force because of their wickedness. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ch 24:24). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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24:23–27. Soon the prophet was vindicated. The very next year (in the spring) the Arameans invaded Judah … killed her leaders, and took away great plunder. (Other battles between Judah and the Arameans occurred in the reigns of Ahaziah, 22:5, and Ahaz, 28:5.) The Arameans did this even though they were greatly outnumbered. It was clear that this was God’s judgment … on Joash. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Chronicles. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 638). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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ON BEING A PASTOR by Derek J Prime & Alistair Begg

A temptation when we first undertake pastoral care is to be so concerned to get things right that we continually tell people what they ought to do and to be like, to the neglect of showing that we love them. (p. 150)
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Not all members of the flock will be naturally lovable, but then the same is true of undershepherds. It is the difficult who need loved most. Sometimes they are difficult simply because no one has really made the effort to love them. (p. 151)

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A practical expression of love for the flock is generosity with our time. (p. 152)

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Our complementary concern must be to relate the Scriptures to the individual situations of the members of the flock. We need biblical knowledge, discernment to make a proper diagnosis, and then skill to prescribe the remedy Scripture provides. (p. 154)

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Although we must major on being good listeners, we must not hesitate to be directive, providing it is the Scriptures’ direction, we give. (p. 154)

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There are at least four key words in the New Testament used of pastoral care, and they are of equal importance: encouragement, exhortation, admonition, and counsel. (p. 155)

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“AN UNCERTAIN SOUND”

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1 Corinthians 14:8
The apostle Paul says to the Corinthians, “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” If the sound is uncertain, then we shall add to the confusion. And that is why nothing is more important than that we should be perfectly clear in our minds as to what this Christian message really is. What does Christianity offer to people; what is it? How can we become Christians? These are the questions that we must answer.
Furthermore, what makes this terrible confusion so utterly inexcusable, of course, is that we have an open Bible before us, and we have it in a language that we can understand. If we had no Bible but merely some oral tradition, then there would be some excuse for the confusion. Or if we only had the Bible in a language that we could not understand, again there would be considerable excuse. But that is not our position at all. So why is there any confusion? And there is only one answer to that question. It is because men and women, instead of taking the message as it is in the Bible, are imposing their own message upon it. They are approaching it with their philosophies, their theories, their ideas, and their attempts to understand; and they are bypassing what is stated in this Book that is open before them in a language that all can understand.
So my plea is that in all honesty, apart from anything else, we must come back to the Bible. Here are the documents of the early Church; here are the records of how Christianity came into being, of what the Church taught at the beginning and something of what happened as the result of that. In particular we must come back to the words and to the teaching and the message of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
A Thought to Ponder: We must come back to the Bible.
               (From The Kingdom of God, p. 50, by Dr, Martyn  Lloyd-Jones)

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Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT

The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king’s taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation. (Quiet Walk)

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A Mind to Work
“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6)
The ambitious project of rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall, with all its gates and other structures, was completed in less than two months (Nehemiah 6:15), for all “the people had a mind to work.” This was in spite of the danger from the external enemies who wanted to delay the work if they could.
The third chapter of Nehemiah has a remarkable list of the workmen on the wall. Men of all walks of life participated, each with an assigned portion of the work as organized by Nehemiah. The first verse of the chapter tells of the work done by Eliashib, the high priest, and all the other priests; the last verse lists the contribution of the goldsmiths and the merchants. There were the Nethinims (v. 26), apothecaries (v. 8), rulers (i.e., “mayors,” vv. 9, 12, 14-16), and various others. At least one man even had his daughters working (v. 12). Only the nobles of the Tekoites “put not their necks to the work of their LORD” (v. 5).
This would be a good model for any doctrinally sound, Bible-believing church, school, or other Christian ministry. It’s a lesson we would do well to learn. The mission and its goal are surely more important than the special desires or interests of any individual or group. At the same time, enforced cooperation will only breed resentment and inefficiency. The people themselves must be led to understand it as not just a job to do, but as a divine calling they themselves must have “a mind to the work.” Otherwise they should probably be encouraged to work elsewhere.
The early Christians served “daily with one accord…and singleness of heart,…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:46-47). That’s the way it should be. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Growing in God’s Grace

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. 2 Peter 1:5

The English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) lived life “full throttle.” He became a pastor at age nineteen—and soon was preaching to large crowds. He personally edited all of his sermons, which eventually filled sixty-three volumes, and wrote many commentaries, books on prayer, and other works. And he typically read six books a week! In one of his sermons, Spurgeon said, “The sin of doing nothing is about the biggest of all sins, for it involves most of the others. . . . Horrible idleness! God save us from it!”

Charles Spurgeon lived with diligence, which meant he “[made] every effort” (2 Peter 1:5) to grow in God’s grace and to live for Him. If we’re Christ’s followers, God can instill in us that same desire and capacity to grow more like Jesus, to “make every effort to add to [our] faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge . . . self-control, perseverance . . . godliness” (vv. 5–7).

We each have different motivations, abilities, and energy levels—not all of us can, or should, live at Charles Spurgeon’s pace! But when we understand all Jesus has done for us, we have the greatest motivation for diligent, faithful living. And we find our strength through the resources God has given us to live for and serve Him. God through His Spirit can empower us in our efforts—big and small—to do so. By Alyson Kieda

                       (Our Daily Bread)

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Nathan Wagner (Pastor in Mi writes (MICHIGAN): I’m humbled and honored by the kind words and warm birthday greetings from so many. Thank you for reaching out and offering encouragement.

As I turn 45, I can’t help but reflect on where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m headed. I have been blessed to be part of a family that values faith, hard work, risk taking, and pursuing big things.

I am married to a remarkable woman who has served as a partner and springboard for me over the last twenty-five years of my life. I’ll never be able to adequately express what she means to me. I have been blessed with three awesome kids who have brought more joy to my life than I could have ever anticipated. I have the great privilege of pastoring a passionate and deeply devoted community of Christ followers that have been transformed by Christ and together we are seeking to be a part of what God is doing to transform our world.

I get to journey with incredibly gifted leaders in the marketplace and in ministry helping them overcome challenges, get out of their own head, and find freedom and wholeness in their pursuits. I am the beneficiary of so many who have poured into my life and of a gracious and benevolent God who has been more than kind and patient with me.

As I look toward the future, I pray I will steward well what I have been entrusted with and leverage all that I have for His glory and the flourishing of those within my purview. May gratitude, generosity, grace, growth, and His glory define this next season of my life. All for Him.

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