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Money to the Temple
2 Kings 12:4-5,16 And Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of YHWH — 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 YHWH, let the priests take it themselves, each from his constituency; and let them repair the damages of the temple, wherever any dilapidation is found.” .. The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of YHWH. It belonged to the priests.
The money used in the Temple, did not include tithes. Back in Leviticus 27 (click here to read more) tithes refer to seed of animals or harvest. They could be exchanged for money by adding another 20% value to them. Here in 2 Kings 12 it actually records how the money was used, and which money was used, and which money (or money exchanged for animal/harvest offerings) were not used. Money that was used came from census money, or free will gifts/money.
Samaria, War between North and South
1 Kings 12
:1 Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria
:9 So Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria.
:13 And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
1 Kings 13
:8-9 king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle.” And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah
:12 And Judah was defeated by Israel
:13-14 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, … and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate… And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of YHWH and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
:16 So Jehoash rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
The Hebrew name for Samaria is SOMRON H8111 – šōmrôn, meaning “watch mountain“. Samaria played a significant role, particularly through its connection to Jacob. Jacob’s son, Joseph, was given a plot of land in the region, and the city of Sychar, now known as Shechem, was a key location where Jacob lived after his reunion with Esau. Shechem also became a place where YHWH appeared to Abraham, and Joseph’s bones were eventually buried there.
Samaria today is the region in the central part of the biblical Land of Israel, roughly corresponding to the modern-day West Bank. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, also known as the Northern Kingdom. The Kingdom of Judah, containing Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple in the South, was later the last Jewish kingdom standing.
Back in 1 Kings 10-11 (click here to read more) it was talked about the split of Israel into two kingdoms, the North and the South. The northern kingdom of Israel, which included Samaria, had its own temples and places of worship, while the southern kingdom of Judah, which centered on Jerusalem, had the Temple in Jerusalem as its primary place of worship.
- NORTH – Samaria – ISRAEL
- SOUTH – Jerusalem – JUDAH
But even further back in Genesis 49:10 it was prophesied that the Messiah will come from Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” Also Isaiah 11 talks about Messiah, starting off with a prophesy also in verse 1, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse”, Jesse being King David’s father.
We see a hint of this ever ongoing war and split between Judah (Jerusalem) and Israel (Samaria) where Yeshua have a conversation with a Samaritan woman in John 4. Verse 9, Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” And from verse 19-24: The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Yeshua said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. YHWH is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Later in the Gospels we read how some of the Apostels like Philip, Peter and John baptized many in Samaria. There was a great acceptance of the gospel in Samaria. Yeshua also gave the unforgettable parable about the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, that helped his neighbor while a priest and Levite ignored the pains of the poor man.
In tomorrow’s chapter we will read about the great historic event and judgement against Samaria in 2 Kings 17, where Samaria was taken captive by Assyria, which included the 10 tribes of Israel.
