The temple is completed! The glory of the Lord has filled it!
Now Solomon speaks, first to the people, then to the Lord. In his magnificent prayer, he wonders, “Will God indeed dwell with human beings on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house that I have built!” (2 Chronicles 6:18) He is absolutely right; the only way God could dwell in the house that Solomon built was if God wanted to. Similarly, God also wanted to dwell on earth in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ!
God responds to Solomon’s prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices Solomon had offered, and by answering his prayer in a night-time vision. Solomon had asked the Lord to be responsive to the prayers His people, and God said, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) But, if they won’t, God promises to “pluck” them out of the land!
In 2 Chronicles 8-9, the rest of Solomon’s life and accomplishments are recounted: his building projects, his armies, his alliances, his visit from the Queen of Sheba, and his incredible wealth.
Of note is what the Chronicler does NOT tell us: how Solomon descended into sin and idolatry. Why does the Chronicler white-wash Solomon so? His purpose was not to rehearse what was already well-known, but to encourage the re-building of the temple and the reinstitution of the temple worship for the returning exiles.
Tomorrow, we read of the kingdom divided.
In His love,
Pastor Gary
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