2 Chronicles 5:1-6:42 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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The Ark in the Temple
Comments for Study 2

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Memory Verse: 6:36-39
Questions
Introduction
Outline

MAPS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH
A MAP OF THE DIVISION OF CANAAN
A MAP OF DAVID'S ESCAPE FROM SAUL AND BATTLE AT GILBOA
A MAP OF DAVID'S CONQUESTS
A MAP OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
A MAP OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE
A LIST OF ISRAEL'S KINGS AND PROPHETS
A TIMELINE OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY
A TIMELINE FROM BABYLON TO ROMAN EMPIRES

I. The Ark Brought to the Temple (5:1-14)

The Dedication of the Temple -Solomon

* See a drawing by Joseph Sebastian (1700-1768) to the right depicts the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The leaders of Israel gather as Solomon sacrifices a burnt-offering, and fire comes down from heaven to consume the sacrifice. At the top Solomon begins to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. At the bottom are the utensils of the Temple including the cast sea, the bronze stand and the basin. In the bottom-right corner is the palace of Solomon. In the bottom-left corner is Solomom's fleet. In the top-left corner Solomon worships at the altar to a foreign god. In the top-right corner Ahijah meets Jeroboam on the road and tells him that he will be given the kingdom of Israel. As a prophetic sign, Ahijah tears his new garment into twelve pieces and tells Jeroboam to take ten, representing the ten tribes of Israel that he will be given. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>1. For what event were all the elders of Israel required to attend? (1-2) When was it? (3; 1 Kings 8:2; Lev. 23:23-27, 33-34)

* 2 Chronicles 5:1-6 "When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated--the silver and gold and all the furnishings--and he placed them in the treasuries of God's temple. 2 Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. 3 And all the men of Israel came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month. 4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests, who were Levites, carried them up; 6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted." (1-6)

* 1 Kings 8 also records the ark being brought into the temple.

* "the ark of the LORD's covenant" -The Ten Commandments are called the "words of the covenant" in Exodus 34:28. The stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed are called the "tablets of the covenant" in Deut. 9:9. The ark in which the tablets were kept (Exodus 25:16, 21; 40:20; Deut. 10:1-5) is thus sometimes called the "ark of the LORD" (Joshua 3:13, 4:11), the "ark of the Testimony" (Exodus 30:6, 31:7), and the "ark of God" (1 Samual 3:3, 4:11, 17, 21, 5:1-2).

* "bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion" -David had brought it to Jerusalem on Mount Zion 40 years earlier. He put it in a tent that he had specially made (1 Chron. 15:26, 16:1-3).

* 1 Kings 8:2 "All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month."

* "the festival in the seventh month" -The Feast of Tabernacles is in the Hebrew calendar seventh month. The month is designated by its Canaanite name Ethanim in 1 Kings 8:2. The Hebrew name is Tishri. According to 1 Kings 6:38 the temple was completed in the eighth month of Solomon's 11th year (Sept.-Oct. 959 B.C.) This celebration of dedication took place either a month before the completion of the work or 11 months after, probably the later.

* Leviticus 23:23-27 "The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.'" The LORD said to Moses, "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire."

* Leviticus 23:33-34 "The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days."

*

>2. Who carried the ark and the tabernacle and why them? (7-10; 1 Kings 8:3-5; Num. 4:15; and 1 Chron. 15:15; and 2 Sam. 6:6-7)

* 2 Chronicles 5:7-10 "The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. 9 These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt." (7-10)

* 1 Kings 8:3-5 "When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted."

* Numbers 4:15 "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.'

* 1 Chronicles 15:15 "And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord."

* 2 Samuel 6:6-7 "When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God."

>Where did they place the ark?

* 1 Kings 8:6-8 "The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today."

* "carrying poles" -The carrying poles were always to remain in the gold rings of the ark (Exodus 25:25).

* "still there today" -These words must be those of the original author of this description of the dedication of the temple rather than those of the final compiler of the books of Kings.

*

>What was the significance of the two stone tablets? (10; Deut. 5:22)

* Deuteronomy 5:22 "These are the commandments the LORD proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me."

* Exodus 31:18 "When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God."

* Exodus 34:4 "So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands."

* "nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it" -Exodus 16:32-34, 31:18, 32:15-16 and Numbers 17:10-11 record the ark had earlier also contained the gold jar of manna and Aaron's staff. These items were presumably lost, perhpas while the ark was in Philistine hands.

* "two stone tablets" -The stone tablets had etched in them the 10 commands of the covenant between the Lord and Israel.

*

>3. What happened when the priests left the Holy Place? (11-14)

* 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 "The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. 12 All the Levites who were musicians--Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives--stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God." (11-14)

* Exodus 19:16-19 "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him."

* Exodus 40:34-38 "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels."

* Leviticus 9:23-24 "Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."

* Numbers 9:15-16 "On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire."

* Numbers 11:1 "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp."

* Numbers 20:6 "Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them."

*

* 1 Samuel 4:22 "She said, 'The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.'"

* 1 Kings 8:10-13 also records what happened when the ark was placed into the temple.

* The pomp and grandeur of the procession that brought the Ark of the covenant from the tent that David constructed in Jerusalem to the finished temple are depicted in 2 Chronicles 5 and 1 Kings 8. David with all his passion, Solomon with all his wisdom, Harum with all his skill, and Israel with all their wealth did their best to make the celebration an event to honor God. However, when the glory (kabod in Hebrew) of the LORD filled the temple of God all men were truly humbled and elevated (14,15).

The LORD God is surrounded by light too luminous for humans to gaze upon without losing their eyesight. Thus, all those who have gazed upon the Lord's radiant and brilliant wonder shielded their eyes. The glory of the Lord came on Mt. Sinai just after the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex. 16:7-10, 24:16-17), in desert Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38; Lev. 9:6, 23; Num. 14:10), and in the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11; and 2 Chronicles 5:14, 7:1-3, Isa. 6:1-4).

Jesus prophesied to the Sanhedrin after he declared that he is the Messiah, "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:16) Jesus coming in the glory of the Lord is prophecies by Isaiah (Isaiah 4:2-6, 35:1-2, 40:4-5, 59:19-20, 60). Ezekiel also saw the glory of the Lord. (Ezekiel 1:25-28; 3:12, 22-23; 9:3-4; 10:3-4, 18-22; 11:22-23; 43:1-5; 44:4).

Luke 2:9 says the glory of the Lord shown over the shepherds when the angels said Jesus was born. Paul calls Jesus the "Lord of glory" in 1 Corinthians 2:8 and the "radiance of God's glory" in Hebrews 1:3.

Jesus is my friend and shepherd. More than these he is also my master, my God, and my Lord. Reverance and fear of the Lord is known by those who draw close to his glory.

*

>When had the Lord revealed himself like this before? (Exodus 19:16-19, 40:34-38, Lev. 9:23-24, Num. 9:15-16, 11:1, 20:6)

* Exodus 19:16-19 "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him."

* Exodus 40:34-38 "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels."

* Leviticus 9:23-24 "Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."

* Numbers 9:15-16 "On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire."

* Numbers 11:1 "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp."

* Numbers 20:6 "Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them."

*

>When was the last recorded time the Israelites had saw glory of the Lord before the temple's dedication? (1 Sam. 4:22)

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* 1 Samuel 4:22 "She said, 'The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.'"

*

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II. The Temple is Dedicated (6:1-11)

>4. What are the main points of Solomon's blessing? (1-11; 1 Kings 8:14-21) What event does this event foreshadow? (Matt. 26:64)

* 2 Chronicles 6:1-11 "Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 2 I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." 3 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 4 Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, 5 'Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel. 6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' 7 "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood--he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' 10 "The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel." (1-11)

* 1 Kings 8:14-22 is another record of Solomon's words at the dedication.

* "But the LORD said to my father David" - David's speech in 1 Chronicles 28:2-3.

* Matthew 26:64 ""Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

* The Lord appeared in a dark cloud when the temple that Solomon built was dedicated (5:14,16:1). A cloud also enveloped Mount Sinai when the Lord God descended to talk with Moses giving him the ten commandments. A pillar of cloud also lead the Israelites in the desert to the promised land. Solomon remembered that the Lord dwells in a dark cloud. He and all Israel knew that the Lord God entered the temple when they dedicated it.

The Lord never told anyone to build a temple (5). This was David's idea (1 Kings 8:17). The Lord never told David to build it in Jerusalem (5). This was David's idea. However, at the dedication the LORD God, the God of Israel chose the temple in Jerusalem for his Name to be there (6).

The Name signifies God's revealed character or self-revelation as a person. The Name is equivalent to the Lord himself. The temple in Jerusalem bore the Name as long as the Lord dwelt there as a place where people could meet with the Lord. However, because of sin Israel went into captivity. So the Lord left the temple and traveled with them.

Two thousand years ago the Lord left the temple again. The curtain tore in two as the Lord left. He now dwells in the temple inside his followers. The Name now dwells in his people (John 14:20; Eph. 2:21). 1 Cor. 3:16 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

Jesus tells his people, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the Name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new Name." (Rev. 3:1-12)

* Solomon finished the temple as his father David had instructed (10). Building the temple took seven years. Add to that the many years that David prepared. Building the temple was a continual drain on Solomon and all Israel. People were forced to work many hours, days, months, years, and decades. The financial cost was a stack of coins that fell hard on the people. A whole generation broke their backs and wallets; unrecognized solemn dedication.

The temple was finally finished. How great it feels to complete a hard, detailed, and complex project. How much more satisfying it is to know that the Lord God blessed the work!

When Jesus looked at the people of Israel and Judah he saw that they were sheep without a shepherd. He declared, "The harvest is plentiful. But the workers are few." (Matt. 9:37, Luke 10:2) Jesus with these words honors his workers who are few in number in crowds of people who do not recognize them.

I think of all the people before me who silently toiled in the fields of people for the Name of Jesus; those who cared for children, adolescents, tweens, couples, elderly. They helped the poor and wealthy; intelligent and educated as well as the mentally unstable; healthy, sick, and terminally ill; they petitioned the Lord on their knees in their tears; they worked endless hours writing and creating art to magnify his name. Few saw their beautiful love, most were unrecognized and not appreciated. I appreciate you. Jesus appreciates you.

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III. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication (6:12-42)

Soloman Prays to Dedicate the Temple

* See a drawing by Martin Luther (1483-1546) to the right titled Soloman Prays to Dedicate the Temple. Solomon delivers a prayer of dedication for the new temple. The image is flanked by Eve in the garden (left) and an allegorical figure representing the Church.. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>5. How did Solomon pray? (12-13)

* 2 Chronicles 6:12-13 "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven." (12-13)

* 1 Kings 8:22-54 also records Solomon's prayer during the Temple dedication ceremony.

* 1 Kings 8:22 "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven"

* 1 Kings 8:54 "When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven."

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>How did he address God and compare it to the prayer Jesus taught his disciples? (14; Matt. 6:9)

* 2 Chronicles 6:14 "He said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."

* Matthew 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name"

* "O LORD"

* "God of Israel"

* "there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below"

* "you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way"

*

>6. What was Solomon's first prayer topic and compare it to what the Lord told Solomon? (15-17, 7:17-18; 1 Kings 6:11-12)

* 2 Chronicles 6:14-17 "You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it--as it is today. 16 "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.' 17 And now, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true." (15-17)

* 1 Kings 6:11-12 "The word of the LORD came to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father."

* 2 Chronicles 7:17-18 "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.'"

*

>Who did he credit for being king?

* "keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said,"

* God always keeps his promises. The Lord, God of Israel, the one and only God kept his promises to David. God's promise was based on a covenant of love. The covenant was a two-sided covenant.

God's side of the covenant of love was that he would ensure that Israel would obtain the promised land and have peace on every side. God also promised to make one of David's son's king. God promised to dwell in the temple that David started and Solomon finished. God kept these promises.

David and his sons' side of the covenant of love was to be careful in all they do to walk before God according to the law, the covenant between God and Israel. David kept his side of the covenant for the most part. He did fail with Bathsheba and Uriah and the counting of the men eligible to fight.

God has made a covenant of love with the church (Luke22:20). Jesus' death, resurrection, and sending the Holy Spirit were his part of the covenant. My side of the covenant is to believe in him wholeheartedly. Just as with the covenant with Israel I am to continue wholeheartedly.

Jesus promised many things for me and my future. I can and should remember them all.

*

>What was the promise the Lord made to David? (2 Sam. 7:5-16)

* 2 Samuel 7:5-16 "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"

*

It's a Miralce

* See a drawing by Luiken, Jan (1649-1712) to the right titled It's a Miracle. A woman stares up at the moon and stars in the night sky with arms raised while praying. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>7. What was Solomon's second prayer topic and compare it to what the Lord told Solomon? (18; 1 Kings 6:13)

* 2 Chronicles 6:18 "But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (18)

* 1 Kings 6:13 "And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."

* "But will God really dwell on earth with men?" -With the construction of the temple that bore the Lord's name and the appearance of a visble manifestation of the presence of God within its courts, the erroneous notion that God was irreversibly and exclusively bound to the temple in a way that guaranteed his assistance to Israel no matter how the people lived could very easily arise (Jer. 7:4-14; Micah 3:11).

* Solomon is in the middle of prayer during the dedication of the temple. He asks a question, not apparently to God, but to himself and others. The question is almost a realization. "Will God really dwell on the earth... in this temple I have built?" (18) Solomon was perplexed for God is too complex for even the wisest person to comprehend. That does not mean that I can come to know God in a personal intimate way.

Solomon used these verses in 19-21; "give attention, hear, be open, hear, hear, hear, forgive." Deep in my being, I long for God to hear me, to see me, to pay attention to me, and to forgive me. Yet he does do all these things. The fact is that I sometimes do not believe it and therein lays the problem; faith.

Take heart for God hears. Though things do not go the way I want; he hears. Though today is a happy day; he sees. Though today is a fearful day; he is here. Though today brings depression; he comforts. Though today I sin; he forgives.

God does dwell on earth in the temple of my soul. He experiences what I experience. He knows and understands. Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). And, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

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>What does the Bible teach about God? (Gen. 1:1, 2:4; Exodus 34:5-7; Deut. 33:26-27; and 1 Sam. 2:2; and 2 Chron. 14:11)

* Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

* Genesis 2:4 "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens"

* Exodus 34:5-7 "Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

* Deuteronomy 33:26-27 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'"

* 1 Samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God."

* 2 Chronicles 14:11 "Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."

* Jeremiah 10:6-7 "No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you."

>How is God able to dwell on earth? (Gen. 18:1, 7-10; Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; John 8:58; Exodus 3:13-15; Matt. 22:41-45; Mark 10:27, 14:61-64; Gen. 3:8-9)

* Genesis 18:1, 7-10 "The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day... Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him."

* Hebrews 1:3 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

* Colossians 1:15-17 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

* John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

* Exodus 3:13-15 "Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation."

* Matthew 22:41-45 "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?'"

* Mark 14:61-64 "But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death."

* Mark 10:27 "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

* Genesis 3:8-9 "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?""

>8. Even though the glory of the Lord had shown in the temple what did Solomon ask? (19-21)

* 2 Chronicles 6:19-21 "Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive." (19-21)

* "give attention"

* "his plea for mercy"

* "Hear the cry and the prayer"

* "May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night"

* "May you will hear the prayer"

* "Hear the supplication"

* "they pray toward this place" -When an Israelite was unable to pray in the temple itself, he was to direct his prayers toward the place where God had pledged to be present among his people.

*

>When the Lord hears his servant what did Solomon want first and foremost? (21)

* "when you hear, forgive"

*

Soloman Prays to Dedicate the Temple

* See a drawing by Taylor, Jeremy(1613-1669) to the right titled Soloman Prays to Dedicate the Temple. Solomon delivers a prayer of dedication for the new temple. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>9. What is the first reason a man might go to the Lord in prayer? (22-23) What was a person to do when they wrong their neighbor? What does this mean since Jesus' death and resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit?

* 2 Chronicles 6:22-23 "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence.

* "required to take an oath" -In cases such as default in pledges (Exodus 22:10-12) or alleged adultery (Num. 5:11-31) when there was insufficient evidence to establish the legitimacy of the charge, the supposed offender was required to take an oath of innocence at the sanctuary. Such an oath, with its attendant blessings and curses, was considered a divinely given means of determining innocence or guilt since the consequences of the oath became apparent in the life of the individual either by his experiencing the blessing or the curse or by direct divine revelation throgh the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:29-30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21) Annaias and Sapphira death when they were brought before the apostles because they lied to the whole congregation about giving the full offering is a New Testament equivalent.

* Exodus 22:11 "the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person's property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required."

* Matthew 5:33-37 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

* "hear from heaven and act" -The oath was an appeal to God to act and not an automatic power that worked in a magical way.

* We wrong others and we show random acts of kindness. Yet we wrong neighbors more than we are kind to them. This is human fallen nature. Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan has three men who are wronged, one who is kind, and one who is paid to help someone wronged. No one admitted they were wrong.

The Lord knows our fallen heart. So he created laws to show us the way of righteousness and justice (Exodus 22:10-11; Lev. 6:1-5). The Israelites were to swear before the Lord their innocence. These protected the innocent.

The temple was the place where to Israelites were to take an oath (22). The priest would hear them. The Lord would hear, judge, and act (23). The guilty would suffer the consequences of his act, "bringing down on his own head what he has done." (23)

Now I am the temple of the Lord for the Spirit of God dwells in me. Every morning I seek quiet time with the Lord in his temple. I ask the Spirit to reveal his work in his temple during the last 24 hours and my actions towards others with his temple in the past 24 hours. This is the New Covenant's way of taking an oath before the Lord's altar in his temple.

*

>What is the second reason? (24-25)

* 2 Chronicles 6:24-25 "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and confess your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their fathers.

* "defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you" -Defeat by enemies was listed in Deut. 28:25 as one of the curses that wold come on Israel if they disobeyed the covenant. Solomon's prayer reflects an awareness of the covenant obligations the Lord had placed on his people and a knowledge of the consiquences that disobedience would entail.

* Israel was the Lord's chosen people because of the faith of Abraham. He helped them grow and mature. He made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. He was their God and they were his people.

The covenant they agreed to was two-sided, each had their part to uphold. When they sinned the Lord did not abandon them. He always dealt with them when they broke their end of the covenant.

The first thing the Lord would do when they sinned (the main one was always turning away from God and worshiping idols) was to remove his hand of protection and blessing. This would cause the Israelites to turn back to the Lord and confess his name (24). They would pray and make supplication (24). The temple Solomon had just dedicated was the place where they were to pray and make supplication.

When the Israelites repented in this manner the Lord would hear them and forgive the sins of his people (25). When they were brought into captivity he brought them back to the promised land (25).

Today I live in a new covenant of the blood of the lamb, Jesus. Yet the Lord is the same with me and all in the new covenant as he was with Israel and their covenant. He chose me and I stand by faith (Mark 2:5; Luke 7:50). Jesus promised that he would never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).

If and when I sin I have one who speaks to the Father in my defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1). I can confess my sin. He is faithful and just and will forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9,10) I do not need to go to the temple, church, pastor, or priest for since God's Spirit dwells in me I am a temple and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

>What is the third reason? (26-27)

* 2 Chronicles 6:26-27 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance."

* "there is no rain" -Drought was another of the covenant curses listed in Deut. 28:22-24.

* When Israel sinned by worshiping idols one of the things that caused them to come back to him was drought. God shut up the heavens when they sinned (26). They admitted their sin and stopped doing it when they were disciplined.

When Israel lived according to the covenant, the right way to live, blessed them by sending rain (27). The crops grew, livestock and humans drank water, and people bathed regularly. Life was pleasant.

Does God always interact this way with his people? Does he interact with his people this way today, in the age of grace?

God does not always interact this way with those who do not believe in him. However, God does orchestrate everyone's life so that they will have the chance to know him and enter a personal relationship with them.

However, when it comes to his people God does interact this way with them, to a point. God will do anything to keep his people from doing things that will harm them and those around him.

However, he does not force us to make the right decision. He always lets me make the decision. If I sin God will lead me to repentance, but I need to decide. If I stubbornly refuse to repent God will let me do what I have decided no matter how much it pains me and him.

*

>What is the fourth reason?

* 2 Chronicles 6:28-31 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 29 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel--each one aware of his afflictions and pains, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-- 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of men), 31 so that they will fear you and walk in your ways all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers."

* "each one aware of his afflictions and pains" -1 Kings 8:38 states, "aware of the afflictions of his own heart." Conscious of one's guilt before God, whith an attitude of repentance and the desire for God's forgiveness and grace. (Psalm 38:17-18; Jer. 17:9)

* "deal with each man according to all he does" -This is not to be viewed as a request for retribution for the wrong committed (forgiveness and retribution are mutually exclusive), but as a desire for whatever disciple God in his wisdom may use to correct his people and to instruct them in the way of the covenant (Proverbs 3:11; Hebrews 12:5-15).

* "so that they will fear you and walk in your ways all the time they live in the land" -1 Kings 8:40 does not have the phrase "and walk in your ways".

* "fear you" -Honor, respect, and obediently serve God.

* God deals with each person according to what they do (30). God searches each person's heart (30). He knows my soul every moment; every breath and between breaths.

Only God knows my thoughts and motives (30). The devil does not know, spouses do not know, parents and children do not know, peers, and co-workers do not know what makes me live as I do. God knows all I have done, all I am doing, and all I will do, and why I have and will act in this way. God knows me even better than I know myself.

What does God do with the knowledge of who I am? He does not use knowledge of me for his selfish gain. The Lord God does not use knowledge of me with disdain. He interacts with me in love, wisdom, and strength.

The Lord Jesus gives each person the proper and good reply to the decisions they make. God does all so that I may have a proper relationship with him and others. The best relations are in love with mind, heart, body, and strength.

A loving relationship with God includes fear of him and walking in his ways all the time (31). God created me in love. He has loving plans for me. If I stray from them he will not hold back anything that will cause me to return to the good life. If need be God will bring famine, plague, blight, locusts, or enemies besieging me.

*

>What is the fifth reason?

* 2 Chronicles 6:32-33 "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm--when he comes and prays toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name."

* One God alone exists. He is the God of all. He is the Father of all. Though the temple was in Jerusalem all could go to the temple and call on his name (32). God would hear them (33).

God dwells in heaven (33). His name is known throughout the earth (33).

Jesus told his disciples just before his arrest, trial, death, and resurrection. "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16) Now is the time Jesus is gathering people from all nations to his sheep pen. I am not of a descendant of Israel, yet I am a part of Jesus' flock.

Jesus told his disciples just before His ascension, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will not be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16)

A foreigner needed to take an act of faith and travel to Jerusalem to pray and worship at the temple. When he prayed with this faith he could be heard. Now, as Jesus declared, all anyone in the world needs to do is believe and be baptized to be heard.

*

>What is the sixth reason?

* 2 Chronicles 6:34-35 "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

* Though war is bad in many ways, war is unavoidable and common in this world. The Lord had told Israel when they were to go to war and how they were to engage in war (34). When Israel was sent to war they were to pray toward the temple built for His Name. The Lord God would hear from heaven and uphold their cause (35).

War is conflict on a national scale. There are personal wars too. Conflict is a part of life. Conflict is not always bad. I once thought all conflict was not good and avoided conflicts. Now I see that conflict is often the only process to obtain redemption, resolution, and restoration.

Jesus on the night he was betrayed was in conflict. His human body did not want to go through crucifixion. So he prayed, "Father, take this cup from me." His godly nature finally decided to submit himself to sacrifice. So he prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done."

When conflict comes I can take Jesus' example and Solomon's advice. I can go to my Father in heaven in prayer. I do not need to go to a temple of stone, wood, and iron for the Spirit lives in me.

* Ephesians 6:10-12 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

* Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

*

>WWhat is the seventh reason?

* 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 "When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; 37 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly'; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you."

* Solomon's prayer to the Lord God during the temple dedication ceremony continues with a section containing "The Way of Redemption and Restoration." "The Romans Road" is a witnessing tool that uses verses from Paul's letter to the Roman congregation as a traverse to salvation. Solomon's "Way of Redemption and Restoration" in these three verses is the same.

"There is no one who does not sin" (36). When we sin we do so first and foremost against God (36). The statements "when we sin", "I have sinned", and "if I sin" are joined with "because I sinned" to form the essence of the fallen nature all are possessed with. Sin is defined as "we have done wrong and acted wickedly" (37).

Sin has consequences. Sin angers God (36). Thus, God removes his protection and help. Naturally and immediately the enemy, Satan takes us captive far away from God (36). Satan inflicts misery and pain in the life of captivity. Also, the enemy within, our sinful nature possesses our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Our sinful nature fools us into believing the resistance to all that is right and good will bring us peace, love, and contentment.

Redemption and Restoration start with awareness, acceptance, and confession, "I have sinned, have done wrong and acted wickedly." (37) The confession is "a change of heart" in the land of captivity (37). It is a plead with God (37) and a turning back to God will all ones heart and soul in the land of captivity where one is taken (38). This is repenting (37).

God the Father in heaven, his dwelling place hears the prayer and plead of a changed heart (39). He forgives those who sinned against him (39). He upholds their cause (39). He rescues them from captivity. He brings them back to him.

Solomon does not state here that Redemption and Restoration are made possible because of the shedding of Jesus' blood when he was crucified. Yet, the whole point of temple worship was to foreshadow Jesus, the lamb of God.

*

>10. What was Solomon's final prayer topic? (40-42)

* 2 Chronicles 6:40-42 "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 41 "Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness. 42 O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant."

* Chronicles does not have the ending of Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 8:50-53. Chronicles is a repetition of Psalm 132:8-10, a psalm that deals with an appeal to the exodus deliverance under Moses, while in Chronicles the appeal is on the basis of the eternal promises to David.

* Solomon asked the Lord his God to keep his eyes open and ears attentive to the prayers offered in the temple (40). Everyone including me wants God to not only hear but act on prayers, supplications, and requests as I have asked.

The Lord God has answered some of my prayers according to how I have asked. Yet, others he did not. I have heard many messages and read comments on the subject of prayers. The Bible has a lot of prayers in it and people are thankful when they are answered. Jesus had much to say about prayer and answered people's requests as they asked. Yet still, I am not happy about the prayer requests awaiting a positive yes to return. I am reminded of how Abraham waited 25 years to receive his request for a son. So I wait.

Solomon also wanted the LORD God to rest in the temple (41). This too I want for now I am his temple. Come Lord and rest in my that I may have rest in you. Bless me with your presence. Do not delay your positive yes to my request. Be with me a man of little faith.

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