The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 210

Church in the 1'.fiddle Ages _that the greatest corruptions crept in. Forgetting their spmtual profe_ss1on, they mixed themselves up with the political strife of their day, 'l'he popes aspired to be lords over God's heritacre-a claim which Christ forbade his apostles. to exercise._ . They thirsted for tempor~l power, and put the power of the Ghu~ch into co~pet1t1on with the governments of the nations,just as the present pope is Beekmr: t-0 do m_ o~r own time. They thirsted for wealth and splendour, and thus hegan the traffic m milulgences against which Luther raised his micrhtv voice. All this time they were unfaithful to the high commission they professed to !;old. They were fo~getful _of the plain statement of Christ, "My kingdom is not of this world." But this unfaithfulness of the teachers of religion is not confined to the Church of Rome, :A-11 Churches have suffered from it at one time or another. How much of the delay rn the great work of Christian missions has been due to the necrlect and unfaithfulness of religious te.achers ! For centuries scarcely anything was d~ne to carry the gospel intu heathen lands. Protestant missions ca.n scarcely be said to have existed before the nineteenth century. The blight of moderatism, which was over all Christian communi- ties in the last century, was fatal to all missionary effort for the time, But Gorfs work does not depend upon men, or on any cl,a,ss ef men. If those who are stewards of God are unfaithful to their trust, God will commit it to other hands. If men enter the sacred office of the ministry for the sake of earning a livelihood, God can deprive them even of t.hat. How important for ministers of Christ to remember that they are watchmen upon the walls of Zion, and that if the_y neglect to warn the sinner, the blood of lost ~ouls will be required at their hands! 'l'hey are to be teachers and examples of the flock, leaders in every good work. Well it is for the Christian minister when he can say with the Apostle Paul, "I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." III. Tms WORK w AS SUPPORTED llY GENEROUS PEOPLE. we may learn much from this chapter about the place of money in the Church of God. First of all, we see that the peop"le were regularly rated or assessed for the support_ of religious ordinances. It is to this that Joash refers (ver. 4) when he speaks of the money of every one that passeth the account-the money that every man is set at. Aud in the account which is given in 2 Chronicles it is said that they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of the Lord laid upon Israel in the wilnerness. When we look into the thirtieth chapter of Exodus, the last chapter of Leviticus, and other passages, we find the clear instructions of God himself on this matter. When the numbering or census of the people was made, each one waA assessed at so much for an atonement offering. This money was devoted to maintain the services of the sanctuary. Then again, if any one entered into a special vow to be the Lord's, he incurred special pecuniary obligations, and was rated accordingly. All these offerings Joash ordered to be set apart on this occasion for the repairs of the temple, with the exception of the sin and trespass offerings, which were secured to the priests, and which could not be touched for any other purpose. From these and. other details we learn that God expected the Israelites to contribute regularly a fixed sum, in proportion to their income, for the support of religious ordinances. He expected of those who took special vows upon them that they should consecrate more of their money to bis service. So God expects of bis people still, and particularly of those who make the full profession of Christianity involved in attendance at the LorJ's table. Some preacher stated lately that it is no "charity" when we' give to the support of the Church with which we are connected. It is merely the payment of a debt-the fnlfilment of obligations which every one incurs when he becomes a. member of a Christian Church, and obligations which can no more be rightly shirked than any other just and lawful debt. Over and above that, be said, there is, of course, a large margin for the exercise of Christian cb~rity and benevolence. This was the case when Joash appealed to the people to contribute, not only the fixed sum at which they were rated, but also "all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the Lord." He was not a.shamed to appeal to them for money, for it was for a good cause. It was for God's cause, for God's hous<', He put the chc~t in a prominent place, where it could be seen (ver. n). And his faithful, earnc_st appcul was not without effect. We read in 2 Chronicles (xxiv, 10) that" all the princes and en. xu. 1-21.] THE SECOND BOOK OF Tirn KINGS. 263