2 Kings 12:17-21: a reflection

17Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18Jehoash king of Judah took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the LORD’s house, and of the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem. 19Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20His servants arose and made a conspiracy, and struck Joash at the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. 21For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in David’s city; and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

When Hazael of Syria threatens Jerusalem, King Joash, rather than trusting God, buys off the threat with the sacred things. He took all the holy things that his fathers had dedicated, and all the gold in the treasures of the LORD's house, and sent it to Hazael. To gain a temporary safety, Joash stripped the temple of what had been dedicated to God, sacrificing the sacred to appease an enemy. He chose to buy off the threat with the holy things rather than trust God to deliver him; and the safety he bought was only temporary, for he was soon struck down by his own servants.

Notice what Joash did to buy temporary safety: he sacrificed the sacred. Faced with a threat, he did not turn to God, who had delivered his people before; he stripped the temple of its dedicated things and sent them to the enemy, buying a temporary reprieve. He gave away what was holy, what had been set apart for God, to appease a threat, choosing a short-lived safety over trust in God. The sacred things were spent to buy off an enemy; the holy was sacrificed for a temporary security. And the security did not last; the compromise gained him only a little time before his own end. He traded what was sacred for a safety that proved fleeting.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can be tempted to sacrifice what is sacred to buy a temporary safety, rather than trusting God. When threatened or pressured, we can be tempted to give away what is holy, to compromise what should be kept sacred, in order to buy a little safety or relief, as Joash stripped the temple to appease Hazael. But the safety bought by sacrificing the sacred is temporary, and the trust we abandon was our truer security. Do not sacrifice what is sacred to buy a temporary safety, compromising the holy to appease a threat; trust God rather than trading away what should be kept. Refuse to sacrifice what is sacred to buy a fleeting safety, trusting God to deliver you rather than compromising the holy to appease a threat, as Joash stripped the temple to buy off Hazael and gained only a temporary reprieve; for the safety bought by sacrificing the sacred does not last, and it is better to trust God than to trade away what should be kept holy for a security that proves fleeting.

Lord, when Hazael of Syria threatens Jerusalem, King Joash, rather than trusting you, buys off the threat with the sacred things. He took all the holy things that his fathers had dedicated, and all the gold in the treasures of the LORD's house, and sent it to Hazael. To gain a temporary safety, Joash stripped the temple of what had been dedicated to you, sacrificing the sacred to appease an enemy. He chose to buy off the threat with the holy things rather than trust you to deliver him; and the safety he bought was only temporary. Show me what Joash did to buy temporary safety: he sacrificed the sacred. Faced with a threat, he did not turn to you, who had delivered his people before; he stripped the temple of its dedicated things and sent them to the enemy. He gave away what was holy, what had been set apart for you, to appease a threat, choosing a short-lived safety over trust in you. And the security did not last. He traded what was sacred for a safety that proved fleeting. Take that to my heart, for I too can be tempted to sacrifice what is sacred to buy a temporary safety, rather than trusting you. When threatened or pressured, I can be tempted to give away what is holy, to compromise what should be kept sacred, in order to buy a little safety or relief, as Joash stripped the temple to appease Hazael. But the safety bought by sacrificing the sacred is temporary. Keep me from sacrificing what is sacred to buy a temporary safety, compromising the holy to appease a threat; help me trust you, Lord, rather than trading away what should be kept.