The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 216

hnH pr~vailed. The fact may be attributed: 1. To the inertia, o/ the priesthood, E'l'erythmg seems at first to have been left to the priests and Levites. They were to go through the l11nd, n:iake proolamation of the king's purpose, and collect the money for th_e work. ~n this du~y they appear to have been slack. "The Levites," the Chronicler says, 'hastened 1t not'' (2 Chron. xxiv, 6). Large bodies of men are slow t.o mov_e. Some of the priests and Levites were probably mnn of no great reli:zious enthusiasm. One can sympathize with them in their shrinking from the task or collecting money. 'l'here are few tasks more thankless. 2. To the distrust of the pt,ople. The people appear not to have had the requisite confidence in the priests to entrust them with large sums of money. At least the money seems to have come in more freely after J ehoiada made his chest with the hole in the lid of it, than it did before. The distrust of the people was natural, for the priests were in no hurry to lay out the revenues they collected. 8. To the self-interest of a, privileged class. The priestly dues would suffer serious diminution during the reign of such a queen as Athaliah. Irregularities would creep in, and the priests and Levites, deprived of their proper income, would feel justified in appropriating primarily to their own support what.ever moneys came to hand. Joash's decree had the effect of cutting off these perquisites, and of restoring them to their original use in keeping up the sanctuary. It conld not be expected that the classes who were to suffer would be very eager in carrying out this decree. It is never safe to trust a privileged class to carry out measures which tell against its own interests. Average human nature is not so disintereHted as to act enthusia..~cally for the promotion of reforms which injure itself.-J. O. Vers. 7-16.-Tlie temple '1'epa,i'f's-a, good purpose accomplished, When so many years had elapsed without anything being done, Joash called the priests to account, and ordered them to take no more of the money of the people for themselves, but to repair the breaches of the house. A new start was made, and this time success was attained. We may ascribe the success to- I. PRUDD'T ARRANGEMENTS. Wise, business-like arrangements have much to do with the success of any undertaking. Those now entered into were nnder the superin- tendence of Jehoiada, and afforded: 1. Se.curity a,gainst misappropriation. Jehoiada obtained a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it. It was placed beside the altar, on the right side, and all the money that was brought was put therein. There could thus be no suspicion of any mal-appropriation of the funds. Every worshipper had the certainty that what he gave wonld go for the purpose for which it was given. 2. A -removal of temptation. The arrangement of the chest wae an advantage to the priests as well as to the people. It no longer afforded any temptation to needy individuals among them to retain funds that were passing through their hands. It put the order, as a whole, above suspicion and reproach. It is well not to put needless temptations in any one's way. 3. A convenience for giving. The chest, as it stood there beside the altar was a permanent depository to which the contributions of the faithful could be brought. Tbe people had not to seek out persons to receive th~ir gif~. ~~ey knew, without asking, where to take them. Sound arrangements or this sort, rnspmng confidence, minimizing temptations to negligence or dishonesty, and consulting the convenience of the offerers, were admirably adapted to promote the ends aimed at. The example may be attended to with profit in the financial management of churches, charities, miesionary societies, etc. - ' IL WILLING GIVEBB. The fact that the work was taken partially out of the hands of the priests, and that the people had now security for their gifts being properly applied, had an immediate effect on the flow of contributions. We find: 1. Liberal gifts br(i'IJ,yht. It was not long, as we are told, before there was "much money" in the chest. People are seldom as willing to give for religion as they should be, but if a good cause is put before them, if they have the case properly presented, and if they feel secure as to the disposal of their gifts, it is wonderful often how freely liberality flo~s forth. Wo must not blame people for illiberality when their backwardness in giving arises from removnble, and perhaps justifiable, causes. 2. A strict a,ccount lcept. Thi~ is another feature in the business-like nrnnagernent of the funds which was now introduced, sl,owing what great pains were taken to impress the minds of tl10 people with confidence in the disposal of their money. When the chest was full, the king's scribe and the on. xn. 1-21.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KING~