While Your Start Matters, Don'T Let Your End Be In Tatters! 2 Kings 12

WHILE YOUR START MATTERS, DON'T LET YOUR END BE IN TATTERS--2 KINGS 12---1- A MIXED EVALUATION -Verses 1-3---What's good in his reign-- What's not good in his reign--------2- A STIRRING EPISODE -Verses 4-16---- He was persistent------ He was realistic----1-----2------ He was sensible---Verse 16-----3- A DISAPPOINTING END -Verses 17-21---Cf. 2 CHRONICLES 24 --- His senseless apostasy -verses 17-18- ---- His shameful assassination -verses 19-21-----SO WHAT---MONEY, MONEY, MONEY--'And Jehoash said to the priests, -All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the Lord-each man's census money, each man's assessment money-and all the money that a man purposes in his heart to bring into the house of the Lord.' 2 KINGS 12-4--The Repair-Temple-Programme -RTP- is happening under Joash's reign- To do it, money is needed, but where would it come from-- 2 KINGS 12-4 mentioned three sources----1- EACH MAN'S CENSUS MONEY--It is called -money collected in the census- -NIV- and -census silver- -CSB-. This collection goes back to the day of Moses . Every Israelite -poor or rich- was required to offer half a shekel to the Lord as an ransom for his life. It is therefore called ransom money or atonement money. It was basically an offering that the Israelite gave to God in gratitude for the salvation he has received from God. --Imagine yourself as an Old Testament Israelite. You may be very poor and in financial difficulty. YET you should still give this -census silver- to God because you must never cease to be grateful to God for redeeming you from the house of bondage-