Honesty
Joash, the King of Judah, reigned forty years in Jerusalem. When he acceded to the throne, he noticed some parts of the temple were damaged and needed repair. Together with Jehoiada, the priest, they laid a plan to repair the temple, and for sure, they need money to execute the project. So the king organized a fundraising team. He called up Jehoiada, the priest, and the other priests, then he told them what they should do to raise money for the temple repairment. Jehoiada placed a chest at the temple entrance door so people could drop in their offerings through the opened top of the chest. When the chest was full, the royal secretary and the high priest counted the money, put it into bags, and then gave it to the project superintendent. He purchased timber, blocks of dressed stone, and other needed materials to pay the workers, carpenters, and builders and to cover other expenses of restoring the temple. This interesting story could be found in 2 Kings 12.
In the business world, it is common for the building superintendents to be disHONEST. They pocket some of the money for personal use or presented a project expenses report with marked-up costs or amounts. Of course, not all building superintendents do so, but like any other profession, the disHONEST superintendents gave the HONEST superintendents a bad name. The church business should be different from the world business. For all professions, HONESTY should be lifted high up as what people say, “HONESTY is the best policy.” What had happened with King Joash’s building superintendent in handling God’s money? “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete HONESTY.” 2 Kings 12:15 (NIV). These people worked with integrity. That is the kind of people who deserves to serve God in His vineyards. These are workers with whom God loves to deal.
In the workplace, in human relations, in church business, in every social activity, and in all walks of life, HONESTY is of the utmost importance to be applied in our lives. The prophet Jeremiah sought HONESTY when he said, “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals HONESTLY and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.” Jeremiah 5:1 (NIV). Does it mean that no HONEST person could be found in the streets of Jerusalem?
Ellen White wrote in her book ‘Child Guidance’ page 152, “God wants men in His service, under His banner, to be strictly HONEST, unimpeachable in character, that their tongues shall not utter a semblance of untruth. The tongue must be true, the eyes must be true, the actions wholly and entirely such as God can commend. We are living in the sight of a holy God, who solemnly declares, “I know thy works.” The divine eye is ever upon us. We cannot cover one act of unjust deal from God. The witness of God to our every action is a truth which but few realize.” It is absolutely a true statement.
In the last twenty-four hours, have we been completely HONEST? We may say, “Yes, absolutely we have been HONEST, but God said in Malachi 3:8, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” (NIV) If we neglect our obligation to return the tithe and give the offerings and not do so, we are considered “robbing God.” And ‘robbing’ means stealing or taking something from (someone) by unlawful force. The act of robbing God’s property is the manifestation of disHONESTY.
God is looking for those HONEST people in whom he can trust; people who will be HONEST in all their dealings. People whose walk matches with their talk. People who keep the promises they make. Will we be that person?
Hiskia Missah
Editor
