2 Kings 12:1-5: a reflection

1Jehoash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2Jehoash did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. 4Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the LORD’s house, in current money, the money of the people for whom each man is evaluated, and all the money that it comes into any man’s heart to bring into the LORD’s house, 5let the priests take it to them, each man from his donor; and they shall repair the damage to the house, wherever any damage is found.”

King Jehoash gives orders to repair the house of the LORD, to attend to whatever damage is found and restore what had fallen into disrepair. Let the priests take the money and repair the damage to the house, Jehoash says, wherever any damage is found. Over time, the house of the LORD had fallen into disrepair, damage accumulating and going unattended. Jehoash does not let it continue to decay; he gives orders to repair it, to find the damage and restore it. This shows the value of attending to repair and restoration, not letting what matters fall into decay. Attend to repairing what has fallen into disrepair, rather than letting it decay. What matters needs ongoing repair and restoration, not neglect. Do not let what is important fall into decay; repair it. Find the damage, and set about restoring it.

Notice what Jehoash attends to. The house of the LORD, over time, had fallen into disrepair; damage had accumulated and gone unattended, and the house was decaying. Jehoash does not ignore this or let it continue; he gives orders to find the damage, wherever it is, and to repair it, to restore the house to good order. He attends to the ongoing work of repair and restoration, not letting what mattered fall into ruin through neglect. This suggests a wisdom that reaches beyond the temple. Things that matter, our relationships, our commitments, our spiritual life, our devotion to God, tend, over time, to accumulate damage and fall into disrepair if left unattended; small neglects add up, and what was in good order decays. And the wise response is not to ignore this, but to attend to repair: to look for where damage has crept in, and to restore what has fallen into disrepair, rather than letting it decay further. It is worth periodically attending to the state of what matters, finding the damage, and setting about repair, so that what is important does not fall into ruin through neglect. We do well to attend to the repair and restoration of what matters, not letting it decay, but finding the damage and restoring it. Attend to repairing what has fallen into disrepair in what matters to you. Do not let your relationships, commitments, or devotion decay through neglect. Look for the damage that has crept in, and set about restoring it. What matters needs ongoing repair, not one-time attention.

That is worth taking to heart, for what matters tends to fall into disrepair if left unattended, and we do well to attend to its repair and restoration, as Jehoash gave orders to repair the house of the LORD. We can let what matters, our commitments, our devotion, our relationships, decay through neglect; but Jehoash did not let the house of the LORD decay, but attended to repairing whatever damage was found. Attend to repair. Do not let what matters fall into disrepair through neglect; look for the damage that has crept in, and set about restoring it, as Jehoash restored the house. Attend to the repair and restoration of what matters, looking for the damage that has crept in and setting about restoring it rather than letting it decay through neglect, as King Jehoash gave orders to repair the house of the LORD, to attend to whatever damage was found and restore what had fallen into disrepair, telling the priests to take the money and repair the damage wherever any was found; for over time the house of the LORD had fallen into disrepair, damage accumulating and going unattended, and Jehoash did not let it continue to decay but gave orders to find the damage and restore it, which suggests a wisdom reaching beyond the temple, since things that matter, our relationships, commitments, spiritual life, and devotion to God, tend over time to accumulate damage and fall into disrepair if left unattended, small neglects adding up and what was in good order decaying, and the wise response is not to ignore this but to attend to repair, looking for where damage has crept in and restoring what has fallen into disrepair rather than letting it decay further, so that it is worth periodically attending to the state of what matters, finding the damage, and setting about repair, and we do well to attend to the repair and restoration of what matters.

Lord, King Jehoash gives orders to repair the house of the LORD, to attend to whatever damage is found and restore what had fallen into disrepair. Let the priests take the money and repair the damage to the house, Jehoash says, wherever any damage is found. Over time, the house of the LORD had fallen into disrepair, damage accumulating and going unattended. Jehoash does not let it continue to decay; he gives orders to repair it, to find the damage and restore it. Show me what Jehoash attends to. The house of the LORD, over time, had fallen into disrepair; damage had accumulated and gone unattended, and the house was decaying. Jehoash does not ignore this or let it continue; he gives orders to find the damage, wherever it is, and to repair it, to restore the house to good order. He attends to the ongoing work of repair and restoration, not letting what mattered fall into ruin through neglect. This suggests a wisdom that reaches beyond the temple. Things that matter, my relationships, my commitments, my spiritual life, my devotion to you, tend, over time, to accumulate damage and fall into disrepair if left unattended; small neglects add up, and what was in good order decays. And the wise response is not to ignore this, but to attend to repair: to look for where damage has crept in, and to restore what has fallen into disrepair. Take that to my heart. Keep me from letting what matters, my devotion, my commitments, my relationships, decay through neglect; help me attend to their repair, Lord, looking for the damage that has crept in and setting about restoring it, as Jehoash attended to repairing the house of the LORD, so that what is important does not fall into ruin through my neglect.