Taxes

How many of us like paying our taxes?
Do we "rejoice" in the ability to do so?
I think not for the most part. We'd prefer to keep our own money and do with it what we want. We want our money to go for things that we deem important...whether that for personal gain, or for "pet projects" or for tithing and so forth.

I was reading in 2 Chronicles 24 this morning and read these words.

4After this Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. 5And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly. 6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the congregation of Israel for the tent of testimony?" 7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.
8So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the LORD. 9And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.

The king issued a tax. This tax was one that Moses had instituted in the wilderness. And you do read what it says in verse 10? "the princes and all the people REJOICED!" Not only did they rejoice but they brought in their tax until they were finished.

Everyone took part.
Everyone was joyful about it.
If we read further in the chapter we read that the chest that they filled had to be emptied over and over and over again.

The tax collected was used for ONE purpose only.

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the LORD, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. 13So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.

God's house was restored. WooHoo!

Quite frankly. If the government came to me and said...your taxes are going to used to build up the word of God. I don't know about you, but frankly I'd be a little suspicious. BUT if they proved themselves true to their word, I would HAPPILY pay them my taxes.

I don't like paying my taxes to support abortion on demand, gay and lesbian lobbies, whiners who can't care for their own special interest groups and so forth. I have no problem having my tax dollars go to support the military or definitely needed medical services (abortion and sex changes are medically needed and are just a drain on society as well as sinful). I have no problem paying taxes to help the government run, as long as it is run in a decent manner (it currently needs some revamping I think). I have no interest in paying for special interest groups. Build your own museum, research your own critters, and so forth.

BUT...ah if the government wanted money to truly do the things of God.... like the Israelites, I would JOYFULLY give them my cheque! I would. Won't it be so cool to support a government doing things like that?

Hmmmm...gives me something to pray for. :)