The Yale expositor., 1911-04-20

Memory Verse il.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Then the people re-
toiced. for that they offered willingly
! Chron. 2s:s.
TIME-In the twenty-third year of
Joash's reign. S64 b. C. CBeecher), S2l b.
G. CHastings). Joash was slain in the
fortieth year of his reign. 81, Il. c. Bee
cher), sos d. c. (Hastlngs).
PLACE-Jerusalem. and the Temple.
KINGS-Haxael is king of Syria; Je-
hoahaz has succeeded Jehu I'm Israel: In
Assyria Shalmanezer II. has died and
ash-ramman has come To the throne.
Joash did that which was right in
the sight of the Lord while Jehoiada
the high priest was alive, but after
the death of that good man Joash al
lowed the people to become idolaters
again. Even during Jehoida's life.
moreover, the worship at the high
places was allowed to go on. These
local sanctuaries were held to be con-
ducive to true religion. The Temple
was his boyhood home, his safe ref
uge for seven years from the murder
Gus cruelty of Athaliah. In the Tenn
pie lived his best friends. There he
had been crowned. No wonder he
came to love those courts, and to sor-
row over their dilapidated condition.
Joash called together the priests
and the Levites, and babe them draw
from the regular funds for the Tenn
pie restoration. This money OF the
dedicated things, the money conse-
Grated to religious uses by the people,
was obtained from three sources:
Money OF every one that passeth the
account; that is, the poll-tax of half
shekel paid by every male Hebrew
above the age of 20 whenever a cen
sus was taken. Money that every
man Is set at; "All the assessments.
Money that cometh into any mans
heart to bring: The free-will offerings
of the people for this purpose. which
might be large.
The church workers, even when
they take thought for the church.
have little heart in their work. The
facetious Sydney Smith had two
yokes of oxen on his little farm In
Yorkshire to which he gave the
names of Tug and Lug, Haul and
Crawl These would be appropriate
names for a large class of church
members who put no heart into their
Christian work. II is mere tug and
toll and task to them.
There is lack OF cooperation. A
minister called upon a member who
had been neglecting the week-night
service, and went straight up to the
fireplace in the sitting room, and
with the tongs removed a live coal
from of the fire. and placed it on the
hearth. then watched 1t while It turn
ed from the red glow OF heat to
black mass. The member in question
carefully observed the proceeding.
and then said, You need not say a
single word. sir; III be there on
Wednesday night" No church fire
can burn brightly II the Goals are pull
ed apart.
Though many other reasons might
be given for the failure when church
work falls behind, it Is all summed up
In one cause, the absence OF Christ.
Getting Christ into the people will
into the church." and getting them 10
work Wnen they are lnere.
With the frankness and openness
with which all church matters should
be treated. Joash sent for Jehoida
and the subordinate priests and ask
ed them, with some indignation.
why repair We not the breaches OF
the house?"
A very simple plan was adopted,
appealing directly to the religious
zeal of the people. A wooden chest
was taken, and a slit was made in the
lid for the money to pass through.
This was set beside the altar. How
did Joash's plan succeed? Admirably;
II brought in much money. People
like to give directly to a cause, to
know just how their money Is spent
They are far more likely to respond
to special than 10 general appeals.
The kings secretary and the high
priest went together to the chest,
counted the money, and put It up In
bags. II was then given to the over
seers Of the work. and they paid II out
to the carpenters, builders. mssons and
the men that furnished the timber
hewn stone, and iron and brass. Moth
ing was spent on mere ornaments
everything was devoted to the solid
repair OF the fabric. In all church
work progress is made only by fix.
ing upon a goal and allowing nothing
to turn one aside till the goal Is
reached
The crown OF Joash's life was what
he did for the house of God. Such
work will be the crown OF any life
that undertakes 1t. There is room
In Gods house for all kinds of work.
ers and all degrees OF skill. Even
the youngest scholar In the Sunday
school can make helpful contribu-
ton to the Temple service.
Work for the church should be pro-
gressive; we should become more eff
ficient church workers every year
To this end 1t is necessary that we
begin younP inst az sinpers and