Those who have been involved in local congregations know that there is always something needing done around the church building. Parking lots, furnaces, flooring, painting, leaks, etc. are just some of the building issues that regularly come into play. Bigger, older buildings have even greater legacy issues involving utilities and higher maintenance costs. Imagine taking care of an aging structure like Solomon's Temple!
By a certain point in King Joash's reign (approximately 815 BC), the Temple had already been standing for about 150 years. A century and a half can do a lot to damage even the best of structures! Although Joash had earlier commanded the priests to "repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered" (vs. 5), this work had not been done by the time of his 23rd year. Joash, who may have had an affinity to the Temple having been housed there during his childhood out of fear of his grandmother, is earnest about getting the Temple put in good order.
He decrees that, because the priests had failed to take care of the Temple like they were supposed to, they were now to hand over the money given for that purpose. The king's secretary and high priest would instead hire skilled workers (carpenters, builders, masons, stonecutters, etc.) to do the repairs. This system apparently worked out much better, and capital improvements to the Temple successfully took place.
The next time your church has a capital campaign or a building project, just remember - it could be worse. You could be tasked with taking care of a structure like Solomon's Temple!
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