Talk It Out

“And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD, Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.” (2Ki 12:4-6 AV)

At first glance, it appears as though the priests were doing something that was not on the up and up.  The offerings which were coming in and intended for repairing the house of God was not going to that project.  In a cursory reading, one might assume the priests were acting selfishly or even fraudulently.  However, knowing what the law required gives us some insight and we can learn a valuable lesson on communication.

There are three offerings mentioned in the passage above.  The first would be the half-shekel offering required by every male worshipper upon their twentieth birthday.  This primary offering was the initial atonement for their sin.  We might see it as a fee to atone for the sin nature whereas subsequent offering would atone for specific sins occurring during the year.  The second offering was the tithe.  This tithe was estimated by the priests. This ten percent belonged to the LORD.  The third offering mentioned above was a freewill offering.  That which a congregant would vow above and apart from their obligatory tithe and offering.  According to the law, two of the three offerings were to go to the service of the tabernacle and the Levite’s welfare.  Only the free will offerings were required to be used to repair the breaches of the house.

What appears to have happened was the money that was collected was being allocated as the law had required, yet the king believed it was mishandled.  The reaction of the priests tells us they believed they were being accused yet still would not allocate the money collected contrary to the law.  The problem arose because of a lack of communication.  Both parties assumed facts not in evidence.  The priests assumed the king understood the law and would only require the free-will offering to be used, and the king assumed there was more money available than there was and the priests may not have been forthright.  Had the two parties say down initially, and discussed the law, that would have been part of the solution.  The other was the manner in which they received gifts once giving renewed.  There as a public offering and a cooperative accounting. Then, the finances were allocated according to the law.  Communication is the key.  As long a people talk, there can be a solution.