2 Chronicles 24:8-14: a reflection

8So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the LORD’s house. 9They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had filled it. 11Whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the LORD’s house. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the LORD’s house, and also those who worked iron and bronze to repair the LORD’s house. 13So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands. They set up God’s house as it was designed, and strengthened it. 14When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for the LORD’s house, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, including spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the LORD’s house continually all the days of Jehoiada.

When King Joash sets out to repair the neglected temple, the people give gladly, and those entrusted with the money handle it faithfully, using it with integrity for the work of restoration. All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, the account says, until they had filled it. And the money was faithfully given to those who did the work, hiring masons and carpenters to restore the LORD's house. The people gave gladly, and those who administered the funds did so with integrity, using them faithfully for the purpose intended, so that the work went forward and the temple was restored. This shows the value of faithful, honest stewardship of what is given for God's work. Handle faithfully what is given for God's work. Those entrusted with the funds used them with integrity. Faithful stewardship uses what is given for its intended purpose. Integrity in handling God's resources honors him.

Notice both the glad giving and the faithful handling of what was given. The people rejoiced to give, filling the chest with their contributions for the temple's repair. And, importantly, those entrusted with the money handled it faithfully: it was given to those doing the work, used to hire the workers and buy the materials for the restoration, applied with integrity to its intended purpose. The account even notes that when the work was finished, the remaining money was faithfully used to make vessels for the temple. There was integrity in the handling of what had been given for God's work. This is worth noting, for the faithful handling of resources given for God's work matters. It is not enough that people give; those entrusted with what is given must handle it faithfully, with integrity, using it for the purpose intended, not misusing or diverting it. When resources are given for God's work, whether to a church, a ministry, or any good cause, faithfulness and integrity in their handling honor God and the givers, while unfaithfulness betrays both. We do well, when entrusted with what is given for God's work or for others, to handle it faithfully and with integrity, using it as intended. Handle faithfully and with integrity what is entrusted to you for God's work. Faithful stewardship uses resources for their intended purpose. Integrity in handling what is given honors God and the givers. Be trustworthy with what is entrusted to you for good purposes.

That is worth taking to heart, for faithful, honest stewardship of what is given for God's work matters, as those entrusted with the temple funds handled them with integrity. We can be careless or even dishonest with resources entrusted to us for God's work or for others, misusing or diverting them; but those who handled the temple money used it faithfully for its intended purpose, and the work went forward. Faithfulness in stewardship honors God. When entrusted with what is given for God's work or for others, handle it faithfully and with integrity, using it as intended. Handle faithfully and with integrity whatever is entrusted to you for God's work or for others, using it for its intended purpose, as when King Joash set out to repair the neglected temple, the people gave gladly, filling the chest, and those entrusted with the money handled it faithfully, giving it to those who did the work, hiring masons and carpenters to restore the LORD's house, and even using the remaining money faithfully to make vessels for the temple; for the people rejoiced to give, and those who administered the funds did so with integrity, applying them faithfully to their intended purpose so that the work went forward and the temple was restored, which shows that the faithful handling of resources given for God's work matters, since it is not enough that people give but those entrusted with what is given must handle it faithfully and with integrity, using it for the purpose intended rather than misusing or diverting it, so that when resources are given for God's work, whether to a church, a ministry, or any good cause, faithfulness and integrity in their handling honor God and the givers while unfaithfulness betrays both, and we do well, when entrusted with what is given for God's work or for others, to be trustworthy with it, handling it faithfully and using it as intended.

Lord, when King Joash sets out to repair the neglected temple, the people give gladly, and those entrusted with the money handle it faithfully, using it with integrity for the work of restoration. All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, the account says, until they had filled it. And the money was faithfully given to those who did the work, hiring masons and carpenters to restore your house. The people gave gladly, and those who administered the funds did so with integrity, using them faithfully for the purpose intended, so that the work went forward and the temple was restored. This shows the value of faithful, honest stewardship of what is given for your work. Show me both the glad giving and the faithful handling of what was given. The people rejoiced to give, filling the chest. And those entrusted with the money handled it faithfully: it was given to those doing the work, used to hire the workers and buy the materials, applied with integrity to its intended purpose. Even the remaining money was faithfully used to make vessels for the temple. There was integrity in the handling of what had been given for your work. This is worth noting, for the faithful handling of resources given for your work matters. It is not enough that people give; those entrusted with what is given must handle it faithfully, with integrity, using it for the purpose intended, not misusing or diverting it. Faithfulness and integrity in handling what is given honor you and the givers. Take that to my heart, for faithful, honest stewardship of what is given for your work matters. When I am entrusted with what is given for your work or for others, keep me from being careless or dishonest with it; help me handle it faithfully and with integrity, Lord, using it as intended, so that I am trustworthy with what is entrusted to me, honoring you and the givers.