We continue with our study of the history of the Temple.
So when we last left off, Rehoboam was ruling over southern Judah.
He was succeeded by a dude named Asa, who reigned over Judah for about 40 years until 868 B.C.
His dad, Aviyah, urged him to replace all of the gold and silver instruments that Shishak had stolen when he ransacked the Temple years earlier.
Yet within a short time, Asa traded away those precious temple treasures to hire Ben-hadad, the Syrian king, as a paid ally against Baasha, who had taken the throne of Ephraim-Israel.
Scripture also hints that Asa dipped into the Temple’s holdings to fund government business when it served his political interests.
After Asa passed away, the crown went straight to his son Y’hoshaphat, who ruled Judah for the next two decades.
Now, this homie was a popular and well-regarded monarch.
The people showered him with costly gifts.
Many of these were put toward replacing the Temple treasures that had been given away.
Y’hoshaphat also put forth an honest effort to restore godly living among his subjects.
To that end, he dispatched priests and Levites throughout the clans of Judah to teach them Torah.
The text says they carried “the Law” with them.
That’s probably referring to the book of Deuteronomy.
Why Deuteronomy?
Because it was the Book of Deuteronomy that was kept beside the Ark of the Covenant rather than within it.
Note I said, the scroll of Deuteronomy was kept beside, NOT inside the Ark of the Covenant.
Only the two stone tablets from Mt. Sinai were stored inside.
That’s an important point.
Why?
Because that meant lending the scroll out for a time wouldn’t have caused the High Priest much anxiety.
So there’s an important takeaway here I just couldn’t overlook.
What did Y’hoshaphat decide to do when he wanted to restore godly living in the Kingdom?
He made an effort to spread the knowledge of Torah.
That’s a telling point, don’t you think?
He didn’t just issue decrees banning idolatry.
He sent teachers out to the clans with the actual text of the Torah so people could understand why they should live a certain way.
This reminds me of the issue I often have with the Christian churches.
What changes after they’ve accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
The answer is usually nothing.
They still eat unclean foods.
Observe none of the Biblical holidays.
And any ideas of holy living are based on pure subjectivity, “guided by the Holy Spirit,” as they say.
That’s what happens when you have a theology that says the Law has been done away with.
I leave you with these words from the Torah.
“When all Israel comes to appear
before the Lord your God
at the place he will choose,
you shall read this law
before them in their hearing.
Assemble the people—
men, women and children,
and the foreigners residing in your towns—
so they can listen and learn
to fear the Lord your God
and follow carefully all the words of this law.
Their children, who do not know this law,
must hear it and learn to fear
the Lord your God as long as you
live in the land you are crossing
the Jordan to possess.”
-Deuteronomy 31:11-13
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