Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 7:1
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
Ch. 2Ch 7:1-3 (not in 1 Kings). The Sacrifices consumed by Fire from Heaven
1. the fire came down from heaven ] Cp. 1Ch 21:26, note.
consumed the burnt offering ] Cp. Lev 9:24; 1Ki 18:38.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The fire came down from heaven – As in the time of Moses on the dedication of the tabernacle Lev 9:24 The fact is omitted from the narrative of Kings; but omission is not contradiction.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ch 7:1-10
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven.
God among His people
I. Prayer for God to come. This prayer was marked–
1. By its publicity.
(1) Public prayer, formally or virtually, has been the custom among all nations at all times.
(2) It is a reasonable service.
(3) It is an impressive service. It evokes sympathy.
2. By its specialty.
3. By its success.
II. God among His people.
1. By symbol.
2. Permanently.
3. A source of blessedness. If God be among His people–
(1) He will help His ministers.
(2) The preaching of Christ will be a glory, a blessing, a satisfaction, a source of refreshment to the soul.
3. His providence will wear a very different aspect; in the darkest day we shall feel that all is well
4. The realisation of His presence will give the best idea of heaven–fits them for it and makes them desire it.
III. Praise to God.
1. The theme of their praise: Gods mercy.
2. Its timeliness.
3. Its acceptableness.
Conclusion:
1. Learn the value of public worship.
2. Make it a test of your character.
3. Learn the privilege of true worshippers. It is a delightful employment. Come thou with us, and we will do thee good, etc.
4. You may ask, What can we do to benefit by public worship? Come to meet with God. Come in a prayerful spirit. Come with a thankful heart. Take heed what you hear. Be not forgetful hearers. Follow all with prayer that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified.
5. What can we do to promote it?
(1) Attend it regularly, punctually, and solemnly.
(2) Give your money abundantly and cheerfully to support it. (T. Thoresby.)
A dedication service
The light and fire, the glory of the Lord, that came down were symbols.
I. Something supernatural. Solomon with all his wisdom, and Hurams artisans with all their skill, could not have invented that. The king was as impotent before it as the lowest slave from his provinces was before him. So there is an unprogrammed part of the service which is being conducted by the powers of another world. Strange forces have made the edifice their dwelling.
II. That glory was not merely a supernatural phenomenon, something sent from God; it symboled God Himself. Shekinah means dwelling. When our version reads, I will dwell among Israel, the Hebrew says, I will shekinah among them. God is here.
III. The Divine presence came in response to a mans consecration prayer; its great Amen.
IV. The shekinah remained in the temple. Though the outer glow of it was withdrawn, a gleam of it lingered within the Holy of Holies, illumining that windowless apartment, dropping its softened light upon the ark of the covenant, with its tables of the law, its golden mercy-seat, and the cherubim of life. So God will remain with us; and the sign of His presence will be that a light falls upon the Bible, our ark of covenant, making its laws of righteousness gleam into our consciences, its assurance of grace fill us with peace, and its promise of life glow in our hopes until we enter that temple where the Lamb is the light thereof. (Homiletic Review.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER VII
Solomon having ended his prayer, the fire of the Lord comes
down from heaven and consumes the offerings, 1.
The people and the priests see this, and glorify God, and
offer sacrifices, 2-4.
Solomon offers twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred and
twenty thousand sheep; and the priests and Levites attend in
their offices, 5, 6.
He keeps the feast seven days, and the dedication of the altar
seven days, and dismisses the people, 7-11.
The Lord appears unto him by night, and assures him that he has
heard his prayer, 12-16;
promises him and his posterity a perpetual government, if they
be obedient, 17, 18;
but utter destruction should they disobey, and become idolaters,
19-22.
NOTES ON CHAP. VII
Verse 1. The fire came down] The cloud had come down before, now the fire consumes the sacrifice, showing that both the house and the sacrifices were accepted by the Lord.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The fire came down from heaven, in token of Gods acceptance of his prayer. See Poole “Lev 9:24“; See Poole “1Ki 18:38“, &c. The glory of the Lord, i.e. the cloud, which was the sign of Gods glorious and gracious presence.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. the fire came down from heaven,and consumed the burnt offeringEvery act of worship wasaccompanied by a sacrifice. The preternatural stream of fire kindledthe mass of flesh, and was a token of the divine acceptance ofSolomon’s prayer (see on Le 9:24;1Ki 18:38).
the glory of the Lord filledthe houseThe cloud, which was the symbol of God’s presence andmajesty, filled the interior of the temple (Ex40:35).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying,…. The prayer recorded in the preceding chapter:
the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; which was the token God gave of his acceptance of them, of which there had been several instances before, Le 9:24, 1Ki 18:38,
and the glory of the Lord filled the house; the glory of the Shechinah of the Lord, as the Targum, see 1Ki 8:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The divine confirmation of the dedication of the temple. – 2Ch 7:1-10. The consecration of the sacrificial service by fire from heaven (2Ch 7:1-3), and the sacrifices and festival of the people (2Ch 7:4-10).
2Ch 7:1-3 At the conclusion of Solomon’s prayer there fell fire from heaven, which devoured the burnt-offering and the thank-offering, and the glory of the Lord filled the house, so that the priests could not enter the house of Jahve. The assembled congregation, when they saw the fire and the glory of the Lord descend, bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped God to praise. Now since this narrative is not found in 1Ki 8:54., and there a speech of Solomon to the whole congregation, in which he thanks God for the fulfilment of His promise, and expresses the desire that the Lord would hear his prayers at all times, and bestow the promised salvation on the people, is communicated, modern criticism has rejected this narrative of the Chronicle as a later unhistorical embellishment of the temple dedication. “If we turn our attention,” says Berth. in agreement with Then., “to 2Ch 5:11-14, and compare 2Ch 5:14 with our second verse, we must maintain that our historian found that there existed two different narratives of the proceedings at the dedication of the temple, and received both into his work. According to the one narrative, the clouds filled the house (1Ki 8:10, cf. 2Ch 5:11-14); and after this was done Solomon uttered the prayer, with the conclusion which we find in 1 Kings 8; according to the other narrative, Solomon uttered the prayer, with the conclusion which we find in Chron., and God thereafter gave the confirmatory signs. Now we can hardly imagine that the course of events was, that the glory of Jahve filled the house (2Ch 5:14); that then Solomon spoke the words and the prayer in 2 Chron 6; that while he uttered the prayer the glory of Jahve again left the house, and then came down in a way manifest to all the people (2Ch 7:3), in order to fill the house for a second time.” Certainly it was not so; but the narrative itself gives no ground for any such representation. Not a word is said in the text of the glory of Jahve having left the temple during Solomon’s prayer. The supposed contradiction between 2Ch 5:14 and the account in 2Ch 7:1-3 is founded entirely on a misinterpretation of our verse. The course of events described here was, as the words run, this: Fire came down from heaven upon the sacrifices and devoured them, and the glory of the Lord filled the house; and this is in 2Ch 7:3 more exactly and precisely repeated by the statement that the people saw the fire and the glory of Jahve descend upon the house. According to these plain words, the glory of Jahve descended upon the temple in the fire which came down from heaven. In the heavenly fire which devoured the sacrifices, the assembled congregation saw the glory of the Lord descend upon the temple and fill it. But the filling of the temple by the cloud when the ark was brought in and set in its place (2Ch 5:13) can be without difficulty reconciled with this manifestation of the divine glory in the fire. Just as the manifestation of the gracious divine presence in the temple by a cloud, as its visible vehicle, does not exclude the omnipresence of God or His sitting enthroned in heaven, God’s essence not being so confined to the visible vehicle of His gracious presence among His people that He ceases thereby to be enthroned in heaven, and to manifest Himself therefrom; so the revelation of the same God from heaven by a descending fire is not excluded or set aside by the presence of the cloud in the holy place of the temple, and in the most holy. We may consequently quite well represent to ourselves the course of events, by supposing, that while the gracious presence of God enthroned above the cherubim on the ark made itself known in the cloud which filled the temple, or while the cloud filled the interior of the temple, God revealed His glory from heaven, before the eyes of the assembled congregation, in the fire which descended upon the sacrifices, so that the temple was covered or overshadowed by His glory. The parts of this double manifestation of the divine glory are clearly distinguished even in our narrative; for in 2Ch 5:13-14 the cloud which filled the house, as vehicle of the manifestation of the divine glory, and which hindered the priests from standing and serving (in the house, i.e., in the holy place and the most holy), is spoken of; while in our verses, again, it is the glory of God which descended upon the temple in the fire coming down from heaven on the sacrifices, and so filled it that the priests could not enter it, which is noticed.
Since, therefore, the two passages involve no contradiction, the hypothesis of a compounding together of discrepant narratives loses all standing ground; and it only remains to determine the mutual relations of the two narratives, and to answer the question, why the author of the book of Kings has omitted the account of the fire which came down from heaven upon the sacrifices, and the author of the Chronicle the blessing of the congregation (1Ki 8:54-61). From the whole plan and character of the two histories, there can be no doubt that in these accounts we have not a perfect enumeration of all the different occurrences, but only a record of the chief things which were done. The authority made use of by both, however, doubtless contained both the blessing of the congregation (1Ki 8:55-61) and the account of the fire which devoured the sacrifices (2Ch 7:2-3); and probably the latter preceded the blessing spoken by Solomon to the congregation (Kings). In all probability, the fire dame down from heaven immediately after the conclusion of the dedicatory prayer, and devoured the sacrifices lying upon the altar of burnt-offering; and after this had happened, Solomon turned towards the assembled congregation and praised the Lord, because He had given rest to His people, of which the completion of the temple, and the filling of it with the cloud of the divine glory, was a pledge. To record this speech of Solomon to the congregation, falls wholly in with the plan of the book of Kings, in which the prophetic interest, the realization of the divine purpose of grace by the acts and omissions of the kings, is the prominent one; while it did not lie within the scope of his purpose to enter upon a detailed history of the public worship. We should be justified in expecting the fire which devoured the sacrifices to be mentioned in the book of Kings, only if the temple had been first consecrated by this divine act to be the dwelling-place of the gracious presence of God, or a sanctuary of the Lord; but such significance the devouring of the sacrifices by fire coming forth from God did not possess. Jahve consecrated the temple to be the dwelling-place of His name, and the abode of His gracious presence, in proclaiming His presence by the cloud which filled the sanctuary, when the ark was brought into the most holy place. The devouring of the sacrifices upon the altar by fire from heaven was merely the confirmatory sign that the Lord, enthroned above the ark in the temple, accepted, well pleased, the sacrificial service carried on on the altar of this temple; and since the people could draw near to the Lord only with sacrifices before the altar, it was a confirmatory sign that He from His throne would bestow His covenant grace upon those who appeared before him with sacrifices; cf. Lev 9:23. Implicitly, this grace was already secured to the people by God’s consecrating the sanctuary to be the throne of His grace by the cloud which filled the temple; and the author of the book of Kings thought it sufficient to mention this sign, and passed over the second, which only served as a confirmation of the first. With the chronicler the case was different; for his plan to portray in detail the glory of the worship of the former time, the divine confirmation of the sacrificial worship, which was to be carried on continually in the temple as the only legitimate place of worship, by fire from heaven, was so important that he could not leave it unmentioned; while the words of blessing spoken by Solomon to the congregation, as being already implicitly contained in the dedicatory prayer, did not appear important enough to be received into his book. For the rest, the sacrifices which the fire from heaven devoured are the sacrifices mentioned in 2Ch 5:6, which the king and the congregation had offered when the ark was borne into the temple. As there was an immense number of these sacrifices, they cannot all have been offered on the altar of burnt-offering, but, like the thank-offerings afterwards brought by Solomon and the congregation, must have been offered on the whole space which had been consecrated in the court for this purpose (2Ch 7:7). This is expressly attested by 2Ch 7:7, for the can only be the sacrifices in 2Ch 5:6, since the sacrifices in 2Ch 7:5 of our chapter were only ; cf. 1Ki 8:62.
2Ch 7:4-6 The sacrifices and the festival. After fire from heaven had devoured the sacrifices, and Solomon had praised the Lord for the fulfilment of His word, and sought for the congregation the further bestowal of the divine blessing (1Ki 8:54-61), the dedication of the temple was concluded by a great thank-offering, of which we have in 2Ch 7:5, 2Ch 7:6 an account which completely agrees with 1Ki 8:62-63. – In 2Ch 7:6 the author of the Chr. again makes express mention of the singing and playing of the Levites when these offerings were presented. In the performance of this sacrificial act the priests stood , in their stations; but that does not signify separated according to their divisions (Berth.), but in officiis suis (Vulg.), i.e., ordines suos et functiones suas a Davide 1 Chron. 2Ch 24:7. institutas servarunt (Ramb.); see on Num 8:26. The Levites with the instruments of song of Jahve, which David had made, i.e., with the instruments invented and appointed by David for song to the praise of the Lord. , not hymnos David canentes per manus suas (Vulg.), taking for the praising appointed by David, which by the hands of the Levites, i.e., was performed by the hands of the Levites (Berth.), but literally: when David sang praise by their hand (i.e., their service). This clause seems to be added to the relative clause, “which king David had made,” for nearer definition, and to signify that the Levites used the same instruments which David had introduced when he praised God by the playing of the Levites. The form as in 1Ch 15:24.
2Ch 7:7-10 2Ch 7:7 contains a supplementary remark, and the relat. expresses only the connection of the thought, and the verb is to be translated in English by the pluperfect. For the rest, compare on 2Ch 7:4-10 the commentary on 1Ki 8:62-66.
2Ch 7:11-22 The Lord’s answer to Solomon’s dedicatory prayer. Cf. 1Ki 9:1-9. The general contents, and the order of the thoughts in the divine answer in the two texts, agree, but in the Chronicle individual thoughts are further expounded than in the book of Kings, and expressions are here and there made clear. The second clause of 2Ch 7:11 is an instance of this, where “and all the desire of Solomon, which he was pleased to do,” is represented by “and all that came into Solomon’s heart, to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house, he prosperously effected.” Everything else is explained in the Com. on 1 Kings 9.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| God’s Gracious Answer to Solomon. | B. C. 1004. |
1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD‘s house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. 5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. 7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat. 8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt. 9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people. 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
Here is, I. The gracious answer which God immediately made to Solomon’s prayer: The fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, v. 1. In this way God testified his acceptance of Moses (Lev. ix. 24), of Gideon (Judg. vi. 21), of David (1 Chron. xxi. 26), of Elijah (1 Kings xviii. 38); and, in general, to accept the burnt-sacrifice is, in the Hebrew phrase, to turn it to ashes, Ps. xx. 3. The fire came down here, not upon the killing of the sacrifices, but the praying of the prayer.
1. This fire intimated that God was, (1.) Glorious in himself; for our God is a consuming fire, terrible even in his holy places. This fire, breaking forth (as it is probable) out of the thick darkness, made it the more terrible, as on Mount Sinai, Exo 24:16; Exo 24:17. The sinners in Sion had reason to be afraid at that sight, and to say, Who among us shall dwell near this devouring fire? Isa. xxxiii. 14. And yet, (2.) Gracious to Israel; for this fire, which might justly have consumed them, fastened upon the sacrifice which was offered in their stead, and consumed that, by which God signified to them that he accepted their offerings and that his anger was turned away from them.
2. Let us apply this, (1.) To the suffering of Christ. When it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief, in that he showed his good-will to men, having laid on him the iniquity of us all. His death was our life, and he was made sin and a curse that we might inherit righteousness and a blessing. That sacrifice was consumed that we might escape. Here am I, let these go their way. (2.) To the sanctification of the Spirit, who descends like fire, burning up our lusts and corruptions, those beasts that must be sacrificed or we are undone, and kindling in our souls a holy fire of pious and devout affections, always to be kept burning on the altar of the heart. The surest evidence of God’s acceptance of our prayers is the descent of the holy fire upon us. Did not our hearts burn within us? Luke xxiv. 32. As a further evidence that God accepted Solomon’s prayer, still the glory of the Lord filled the house. The heart that is thus filled with a holy awe and reverence of the divine glory, the heart to which God manifests himself in his greatness, and (which is no less his glory) in his goodness, is thereby owned as a living temple.
II. The grateful return made to God for this gracious token of his favour.
1. The people worshipped and praised God, v. 3. When they saw the fire of God come down from heaven thus they did not run away affrighted, but kept their ground in the courts of the Lord, and took occasion from it, (1.) With reverence to adore the glory of God: They bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped, thus expressing their awful dread of the divine majesty, their cheerful submission to the divine authority, and the sense they had of their unworthiness to come into God’s presence and their inability to stand before the power of his wrath. (2.) With thankfulness to acknowledge the goodness of God; even when the fire of the Lord came down they praised him, saying, He is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. This is a song never out of season, and for which our hearts and tongues should be never out of tune. However it be, yet God is good. When he manifests himself as a consuming fire to sinners, his people can rejoice in him as their light. Nay, they had reason to say that in this God was good. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, but the sacrifice in our stead, for which we are bound to be very thankful.”
2. The king and all the people offered sacrifices in abundance, 2Ch 7:4; 2Ch 7:5. With these they feasted this holy fire, and bade it welcome to the altar. They had offered sacrifices before, but now they increased them. Note, The tokens of God’s favour to us should enlarge our hearts in his service, and make us to abound therein more and more. The king’s example stirred up the people. Good work is then likely to go on when the leaders of a people lead in it. The sacrifices were so numerous that the altar could not contain them all; but, rather than any of them should be turned back (though we may suppose the blood of them all was sprinkled upon the altar), the flesh of the burnt-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings were burnt in the midst of the court (v. 7), which Solomon either hallowed for that service or hallowed by it. In case of necessity the pavement might be an altar.
3. The priests did their part; they waited on their offices, and the singers and musicians on theirs (v. 6), with the instruments that David made, and the hymn that David had put into their hand, as some think it may be read (meaning that 1 Chron. xvi. 7), or, as we read it, when David praised by their ministry. He employed, directed, and encouraged them in this work of praising God; and therefore their performances were accepted as his act, and he is said to praise by their ministry.
4. The whole congregation expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction imaginable. They kept the feast of the dedication of the altar seven days, from the second to the ninth; the tenth day was the day of atonement, when they were to afflict their souls for sin, and that was not unseasonable in the midst of their rejoicings; on the fifteenth day began the feast of tabernacles, which continued to the twenty-second, and they did not separate till the twenty-third. We must never grudge the time that we spend in the worship of God and communion with him, nor think it long, or grow weary of it.
5. Solomon went on in his work, and prosperously effected all he designed for the adorning both of God’s house and his own, v. 11. Those that begin with the service of God are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. It was Solomon’s praise that what he undertook he went through with, and it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
See note on 1Ki 8:54
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
THE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES
IN discussing the First Book of Chronicles we called attention to the fact that according to Usshers chronology, the two Books, not reckoning the table of genealogy, covered a space of 468 years of history; the First Book only 41 of these, and this second, 427. As to the authorship of these Books, Ezra is commonly accepted.
The analysis of any book is largely the presentation of a personal view. One man divides this Second Book of Chronicles into two portions: The Reign of Solomon, chapters 1 to 9, and The Kings of Judah, chapters 10 to 36.
Scofield in his reference Bible, says of this Book: It falls into eighteen divisions, by reigns, from Solomon to the captivities; records the division of the kingdom of David under Jeroboam and Rehoboam, and is marked by an ever growing apostasy, broken temporarily by reformations under Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
It is our purpose to follow neither of these divisions, however natural they may be, but to discuss the volume under three heads: Solomon and the Temple; Rehoboam and the Division, and the History of Judah.
SOLOMON AND THE TEMPLE
The Book opens with a declaration concerning the new king, And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly (2Ch 1:1).
The history that follows gives occasion to say several things concerning this marvelous man of immortal reputation:
First, Solomons kingship enjoyed an auspicious beginning. The man who ascends the throne under the favor of the Lord necessarily begins a reign of promise. If, as in Solomons case, he sensibly recognizes his responsibility and seeks wisdom from the only sufficient source, he adds greater certainty to his success. When, in addition to this, his objectives are high and God-honoring, the glory of his kingdom advances accordingly. Certainly, Solomons preparation to build the temple was not only a noble objective, but one in line with his kingly fathers purpose and prayers, and the great Heavenly Fathers will for him.
The interesting history here of gathering materials and appointing men for this marvelous construction is made more interesting still by the kings personal supervision and spiritual interest. It takes some courage to conduct war, and we believe it takes almost more courage and even a clearer sense of God, to build sanctuaries, make their appointments according to the Divine pleasure, and call the people to worship within the spacious rooms of the same. Yet, when you have read but five chapters of this Book, you find such a work complete, and are not in the least amazed or even surprised to read, The glory of the Lord had filled the house of God (2Ch 5:14).
It is doubtful whether any company of men have done more for the establishment of spirituality in the earth and for the strengthening of the souls of their fellows, than have those who brought sanctuaries into existence and led congregations of people to a genuine worship of the most high God.
The on-going of this Book reveals Solomons conscious dependence. When the altar was erected he stood by it with outstretched hands (2Ch 6:12). That is the attitude of prayer and possibly of adoration. When his lips parted to speak, he says,
O Lord God of Israel, there is no God tike Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto Thy servants that walk before Thee with all their hearts:
Thou which hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him; and spakest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.
Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in My Law, as Thou hast walked before Me (2Ch 6:14-16).
Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy Word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David (2Ch 6:17).
Then follows an appeal that Gods eyes should be open upon their house day and night; that His ears should hearken to the prayers made in that place, and if sin were committed, that forgiveness should be granted, and if the people fail before the face of the enemy because of sin that they also should be pardoned; that if heaven be shut up on the same ground, upon repentance the dearth should end.
Then he concludes in a more personal petition to Him:
Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
Then hear Thou from Heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive (2Ch 6:29-30).
These are only samples of the long petition that followed the dedicatory sermon. They wind up with a sentence like this: O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of David Thy servant (2Ch 6:42). It is a model prayer; it is the petition of a sincere soul; it is the cry of one who knows that the mercy and love of God are the only grounds of hope.
The further text records Solomons fame and death. That fame was based upon Solomons wisdom, accentuated doubtless by the magnificence of the temple, but made more honorable still in the extent of his organization, the luxury of his court and the wealth of his treasury.
Evidently, among the rulers of the earth, the queen of Sheba held conspicuous place, and when the fame of Solomon reached her, she came to prove him with her questions, and impress him with her own riches and glory. The difficult questions were satisfactorily answered, the temple was adequately shown, the table of the king groaned with its good meats, the apparel of the servants was profoundly impressive, and the queen said to the king,
It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, winch stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God (2Ch 9:5-8).
The compliment to the king is followed with a statement of Solomons annual income, the magnificence of his throne, the rich appointments of the palace, the extensive commercial importance of his kingdom, and the willing tributes of the earths lesser lords.
Then, as if the task of telling all was too great, we have this record,
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead (2Ch 9:29-31).
It is a surprising end, and yet strangely true to human history. How many men spend all their days in preparing to live, and when the preparation seems almost complete, proceed to die? The last enemy is no respecter of persons. His bow is drawn against the great as well as the humble, the rich as well as the poor, the wise as well as the ignorant. Death respects neither thrones nor kings; he holds the key to the palace room, and even to the throne room. Kings may command their humbler fellows, and even counsel their equals; but where death calls, they also obey.
REHOBOAM AND THE DIVISION
The emptying of a throne is forever fraught with perils. The eternal and pertinent question is this, Who shall come after the king? The tenth chapter answered that concerning the throne of Israel. The answer was an ill omen! Rehoboams tyrannical spirit split the kingdom. When Jeroboam and all Israel came to him, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee (2Ch 10:4), they delicately referred to the increased taxation to which the luxurious court and the personal orgies of Solomon had given rise. They thought, as people commonly do, that the new rule would prove the peoples friend. Their hope was in vain.
The old men, former counselors of Solomon, advised kindness and compassion; but the young bloods, spoiled by their fellowship with royalty, counseled increased oppression; and under their influence he said,
My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions (2Ch 10:14).
It was enough. The war was on; and that war has never ended until this day, for Israel and Judah are not yet one. A man who divides brethren and sets them to battle, little understands the infinite reach of his mischief. The father of Modernism in America, when he fell asleep at a comparatively early age, little dreamed that he had set influences to work that would divide every denomination on the continent, destroy the fellowship of men who loved one another as twins are commonly supposed to love, wreck schools and churches by the thousand, and start a war that may easily exceed the famous Hundred Year War of history.
Israel and Judahblood brothersbecame the bitterest of enemies. For some reason Second Chronicles pays little attention to Israel, but proceeds to trace Judahs history to the year of Cyrus, king of Persia, or through a period of almost a half millennium. The family feud occasionally projects itself into the record, but for the most part, Israel is forgotten, and the doings of Judah are recorded in detail.
The explanation of this is found in the circumstance that Jeroboam rejected the worship of Jehovah (2Ch 11:14-15). When God is once put away, when Gods priest is disposed of, and His minister is heard no more, then degeneracy compels a declining record.
Unitarianism three quarters of a century ago denied the Lord. Its history has amounted to little; and if it were recorded, it would simply prove, as the Jeroboam movement, a breeding place of apostasy; and yet this record regards not one apostasy only, but two.
The man of many favors may forget God.
When Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him (2Ch 12:1).
What a sad commentary on the uncertainty and unstability of human nature! The explanation of Rehoboams failure has fitted thousands, yea millions of cases. He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord (2Ch 12:14). Of all disappointments, none exceed thisto begin well and end badly; to give promise and create disappointment; to be the subject of Divine favor, and become the slave of Gods adversary.
THE HISTORY OF JUDAH
Chapters 11 to 36 contain the roster of kings. The fortunes of the country answer accurately and inevitably to the characters of their rulers. On the whole, the history is a down-grade. In that respect, it runs true to form. The doctrine of evolution may find an illustration in national life if it goes from the simple to the complex, but in so far as it contends for improvement, history fails to illustrate it. Degeneracy of nations has more often taken place than has social and moral progress.
The foundations of Judah were laid under David; the kingdoms glory appeared under Solomon. From that moment until this, one word expresses Judahs coursedecline.
Africa was once an advanced nation, now a heathen one; Italy once ruled the world, now she holds an inconspicuous place; Greece once represented the climax of physical and mental accomplishment, now she boasts neither. The reasons for decline are varied, but in Judah they were one the God who had made her great was too often forgotten, too willingly offended. When the nations neglect the source of their strength, weakness naturally ensues. Judahs strength was in the Lord, and when her kings forgot Him, despised His Word, entered into unholy alliances that were followed by the people, her fame declined, and her land fainted.
The mixed social condition manifested her sinfulness. We have a phrase, Like people, like priest. We can paraphrase that, Like princes, like people. The study of these kings results in no compliment to human nature. Some of them were utterly evil; most of them were a mixture of the good and bad; two or three of them were sound. Among the utterly evil ones, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Manasseh, Amon and Jehoiakin held first place. The ones that represent a mixture of good and bad were Jeroboam, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jehoiakim; while the truly good consisted of Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah. In all probability the reign of each of these good kings was profoundly affected and made spiritually fruitful by the ministry of Isaiah, the greatest preacher among Old Testament Prophets. It is perhaps a fact of history that no rulers have ever proven faithful to God without the stimulating and salutary influence of the Gospel ministry.
The judgments and mercies of Second Chronicles alike vindicate Jehovah. In this record wickedness does not go unpunished; and yet it is a marvelous revelation of Divine mercy.
There is never the least sign of penitence on the part of the ruler and the people without an immediate and generous response from Jehovah.
When Jehoshaphat declined in his loyalty and effected a sinful coalition with Ahab, judgment fell; but instantly upon his repentance, mercy was shown. Judgment is always and everywhere Gods strange work, the work in which He takes no pleasure. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11).
Mercy is His nature, His essential character, for to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy (Pro 28:13).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL NOTES.] This chapter, parallel with 1Ki. 8:62; 1Ki. 9:9, records acceptance of consecrated temple by fire (2Ch. 7:1-10); and answer given by the Lord to Solomon (2Ch. 7:11-22).
2Ch. 7:1-10.Acceptance of temple by fire. This not mentioned in Kings, which creates difficulty. What it is important to bear in mind is
1. That omissions are not contradictions; and
2. That they occur constantly in all historical writers, and are frequently quite unaccountable [Speak. Com.]. Fire as in tabernacle (Lev. 9:24); glory, chapter 2Ch. 5:13-14. 2Ch. 7:3. Bowed in adoration and reverence. 2Ch. 7:4. All people did not offer, but gave them to be offered on altar. Sacrifices enormous and difficult to realise. 2Ch. 7:6. Waited in their stations to receive, kill sacrifices, &c. Instruments, cymbals, harps, and psalteries (1Ch. 15:16; compare chap. 2Ch. 5:12). 2Ch. 7:7. Middle court on account of blood of sacrifices and burning of fat. 2Ch. 7:8. Feast, not feast of dedication only, but feast of tabernacles also (Lev. 23:34). Hamath to river Sihor, which separated Egypt from Palestine. The territory of Israel, according to its whole extent from north to south (2Ch. 7:8) [Keil]. 2Ch. 7:9. Solemn assembly closed the festival. Kept dedication seven days and feast of tabernacle next seven days (1Ki. 8:65). Festival closed on 22nd of the month, on 23rd people sent home rejoicing.
2Ch. 7:11-22.Gods answer to Solomons prayer. The narrative now runs parallel with 1Ki. 9:1-9, but is fuller and presents less of verbal agreement. 2Ch. 7:13-15 are additional to the earlier record [Speak. Com.]. Kings house, i.e., his own palace (cf. 1Ki. 7:1-12). 2Ch. 7:12-22. Explicit answer to Solomon. Appeared as at Gibeon (1Ki. 3:5; 1Ki. 9:2). 2Ch. 7:13. If, &c., answer to third petition (2Ch. 6:26). 2Ch. 7:14 recalls chief points in Solomons prayer. 2Ch. 7:15. Attent, promise accords with very words of petition (cf. 2Ch. 6:40). Prayer of this place (marg.) chosen to include the two cases of prayers offered in (2Ch. 6:24) and towards (2Ch. 6:34-38) the sanctuary [Speak. Com.]. 2Ch. 7:16. Sanctified. Here additions to 1 Kings 9, end and remainder of chapter adds nothing to the earlier record. 2Ch. 7:17. Walk refers to first petition; conditions which Solomon failed to meet. 2Ch. 7:19. The other alternative put before Solomon. 2Ch. 7:21. This house high, conspicuous in glory. Astonishment in ruin. 2Ch. 7:22. All this the fearful consequences of apostasy (cf. Ezekiels wailing over the city and temple, Eze. 14:23; 2Ch. 36:17-20).
HOMILETICS
THE FIRE AND THE GLORY.2Ch. 7:1-3
Two elements prominent in O.T. symbolism which made the dedication solemn, impressive, and real.
I. As confirmation of acceptance. Sacrifice accompanied every act of worship. Miraculous fire a sign of acceptance, as Moses (Lev. 9:24), Gideon (Jdg. 6:21), David (1Ch. 21:26), Elijah (1Ki. 18:38). Generally to accept burnt sacrifice in Hebrew was to turn to ashes. Remember all thy offerings, and accept (turn to ashes or make fat) thy burnt sacrifice (Psa. 20:3). The surest evidence of acceptance in prayer is the descent of the holy fire upon us. This fills the heart with reverence and awe, as the glory filled the temple. This leads to humble submission to divine authority, and a true sense of unworthiness. They bowed themselves, with profound reverence and humility.
II. As symbols of spiritual truths. The fire indicative of Gods nature. Our God is a consuming fire, terrible in Zion, before whom sinners have reason to fear. But God consumed the sacrifices, not the offerers; turned away his anger, and showed mercy in their acceptance. Christ a great sacrifice for sin, through whom Holy Spirit given to apply the word, consume sin, and convert the soul. The glory fills earthly temples, when his presence dwells in the sanctuary, and the heart is made a living templewhen Israelites rise from their prostrate attitude, regain their confidence, and offer themselves as sacrifices upon the altar of Godwhen hearts are tuned, and songs abound to God. For he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever.
THE DEDICATED TEMPLE.2Ch. 7:1-10
Dean Milmans description most truthful and graphic (History of the Jews, vol. i., pp. 315318). Here two glances at the scene, showing its outward grandeur and inward importance.
I. The eternal grandeur of the event. The vast assembly, all Israel present. The enormous sacrifices, on a scale suitable to the extraordinary occasion, requiring the open court, in which the assembly only could take part. The preparation and offering of burnt offerings and peace offerings in festive joy. Allking, priests, and peopleperforming their part. The fall of the sacred fire, and the dazzling glory of the cloud resting on and then entering into the courts. The music and the oft-recurring chorus (Psalms 136). The awe-struck priests and the nation on their knees would be an impressive sight. But notice
II. The moral significance of the event. This ceremonial was not commanded by the law, but the expression of devout sentiment and reverence in the people. The symbolic presence led the innumerable multitudes to prostrate themselves on the ground, the instinctive and natural expression of loving reverence. The prostrate person and the bended knee tokens of humility, unreserved surrender, and dutiful obedience. O come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. The consuming fire fills with dread. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Judgments alarm, glory without mercy leads to despair, but God accepts the sacrifice, and spares the offerer. Which was the greater, the external magnificence or the moral sublimity of the scene? asks Milman. Was it the temple situated on its commanding eminence, with all its courts, the dazzling splendour of its materials, the innumerable multitudes, the priests in their gorgeous attire, the king with all the insignia of royalty on his throne of burnished brass, the music, the radiant cloud filling the temple, the sudden fire flashing upon the altar, the whole nation upon their knees? Was it not rather the religious grandeur of the hymns and of the prayer; the exalted and rational views of the Divine Nature; the union of a whole people in the adoration of the one Great. Incomprehensible, Almighty, Everlasting Creator?
SOLOMONS SACRIFICES.2Ch. 7:4-7
I. Sacrifice in its symbolic meaning. Refined nations of modern times esteem animal sacrifices a cruel and uncultured mode of expressing religious sentiments. But remembering the genius, habits, and moral instincts of ancient nations, and the special circumstances of the Jewish people, we see their fitness and propriety. Use of letters unknown, signs and symbols needful and beneficial. God instructs, helps, and encourages in this rite. Its value, therefore, partly actual, and partly typical, but in all respects derived from the one true sacrifice typified.
II. Sacrifice a form of true religion. Opposed to heathen will-worship in place, method, and in the invention of costly and monstrous offerings. An evidence of obedience to God; a symbol of self-dedication, and an expression of thanksgiving. Some form of sacrifice always required in religion. He who offers nothing accounted irreligious (Ecc. 9:2, cf. Isa. 43:23). We must not forget the higher affections of the heart in over-valuing the symbol, and turn our offerings into an opus operatum. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
III. Sacrifice a method of national festivity. Festivals held in all ancient nations. Sacrificial meals common and under special direction in Israel. Sometimes in private houses, other times in the temple. Held weekly, monthly, and yearly. These methods not only commemorations of great national events, but occasions for reunion of friends, enjoyment of hospitality, and interchange of sentiment. Families would be filled with joy. Strangers, fatherless and widows received with religious warmth. The nation bound in unity, commerce, and brotherhood.
NATIONAL REJOICING.2Ch. 7:8-11
The time of dedication immediately before the feast of tabernacles. The festival prolonged, and afforded opportunity for large number of peace offerings, which were the means of national enjoyment.
I. Joy in its purest sources.
1. In Divine works. Solomon finished the house. Joy from contemplation of the order, beauty, splendour, and completion of temple. Its vast extent, manifold adaptations, practical use, and symbolic teaching. I will triumph in the works of Thy hands.
2. In the Divine presence. Infinite and supreme, yet will dwell with man! In the vision and service of God we find the bliss of heaven. We joy in God.
3. In acceptance in the Divine presence. God with man, not to judge, condemn, and destroy. We shall surely die, because we have seen God, was the impression of Manoah. A popular belief that the revelation of Gods terrible majesty would cause death, not joy. But the acceptance of the offerings a pledge of gracious disposition (Jdg. 13:23). The cloud and the fire at dedication of temple tokens of condescension and mercy.
II. Joy in its vast extent.
1. In all classes. Universal joy. King, priests, and people partook of it. All Israel with him, a very great congregation (2Ch. 7:8).
2. In all places. In the palace of the king, and the tents of the people. In the temple of Jehovah, and the homes of the land, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, the usual and known bounds, the utmost length of the land. He sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart, thanking God for his goodness to David, to Solomon, a wise and religious son, and to Israel his people. In this spirit we should go home from Gods house; rejoice in the grace, advancement, and enthronement of the Redeemer, and in the sanctification and spiritual welfare of all believers.
GODS ANSWERS TO SOLOMONS PRAYER.2Ch. 7:12-22
Acceptance of prayer seen in fire from heaven, and second appearance by night.
I. Answers to special prayers. Solomon not aimless and indefinite, but specific. To prayer suggested by Holy Spirit, and offered according to Gods will, answers are definite and explicit. 2Ch. 7:12-15 contain answer to third petition, 2Ch. 7:16 to second, and 2Ch. 7:17-22 to first.
II. Answers exceeding the prayer itself. Solomon desired that Gods eyes might be directed to the temple continually (ch. 2Ch. 9:29). The answer is, Not mine eyes only, but mine eyes and mine heart. Not only to Solomons, but to prayer made toward that place in future from any person; not to the thoughts merely, but in the very words of the petitioner. We are straitened in ourselves, not in God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
III. Answers conditionally promised. Suspended on conduct. This a test of faith, a motive to obedience, and a rule of discipline. If ye walk in my statutes then I will give you, &c. But if ye will not hearken unto me I will set my face against you (Lev. 26:1-20).
SOLEMN WARNINGS.2Ch. 7:19-22
The record of this second vision, in which were rehearsed the conditions of Gods covenant with Solomon, and the consequences of breaking them, is inserted as a proper introduction to the narrative about to be given of the kings commercial enterprises, and ambitious desire for worldly glory. For this king, by encouraging an influx of foreign people, and a taste for foreign luxuries, rapidly corrupted his own mind and those of his subjects, that they turned from following God, they and their children [Jamieson].
I. Gods goodness in warning before punishment. God not revengeful and unjust. Judgment strange to Him. He gives space for repentance, opportunity to avoid danger; thus declares reluctance to punish, and goodness to warn. Longsuffering of God signally displayed. Because sentence is not executed speedily, men should not resolve on sinful courses, and run to ruin.
II. Disobedience to warning exposes to punishment. Sentence is gone forth, judgment only suspended, and seems to loiter, hence the sinner thinks there is chance of escape. I shall have peace, though I walk in the way of my own heart. But warnings unheeded, calls neglected, hasten the stroke, and render the judgments heavier. Abuse of mercy only ripens for judgment. He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
III. Punishment which follows abused warning is merited and most severe. A limit to discipline and patience. The time ends and the day of retribution comes. Ruin often sudden and without remedy.
1. The temple cursed. The house conspicuous for its sanctity, glory and usefulness, would become a desolation, a byword, and disgrace.
2. The nation cursed. Plucked up, carried away, and exposed to mockery, insult, and despair in a foreign land. The temple of God no protection to those who forsake him. Their sins will be read in the judgments they suffer. Seek to be a monument of grace, not of judgment.
Heaven gives the needful but neglected call.
What day, what hour, but knocks at human hearts,
To wake the soul to a sense of future scenes [Young].
HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
2Ch. 7:1; 2Ch. 7:15-16. The Consecrated House. Solomon builder, God consecrated, sanctified it.
1. By the symbolic cloud and sacred fire.
2. By his special care. My eyes shall be open, &c. (2Ch. 7:15).
3. By his constant affection. Mine heart shall be there perpetually.
2Ch. 7:11. The sum, the greatness, and the completion of Solomons workssacred, voluntary, and successful works. The house of the Lord was seven years in building. But the court, the pillars, and all the external and internal fittings began to be constructed probably after the building was finished. The builders who were released from the work of the Lords house were free to betake themselves to the erection of the royal palace and other public buildings. At the end of thirteen years (1Ki. 7:1) the temple finishings and requisites were all completed, and everything was ready for the consecration [Murphy].
In the early days of art,
Builders wrought with greatest care,
Each minute and unseen part;
For the gods see everywhere.
Let us do our work as well,
Both the unseen and the seen;
Make the house, where God may dwell,
Beautiful, entire, and clean
[Longfellow].
2Ch. 7:12. An house of sacrifice.
1. In contrast with the synagogue, in which no sacrifice.
2. Descriptive of worship of O.T. with its symbolic rites, social feasts, and moral teaching. This expression does not elsewhere occur. Its meaning, however, is clear. God declares that Solomons temple is the place which he had promised to choose from among the tribes of Israel, whereto all Israelites were commanded to bring their burnt offerings and sacrifices (see Deu. 12:5-6) [Speak. Com.]. The Lord appeared. This vision presents a remarkable contrast with that recorded (1Ki. 6:11-13) while the temple was in building. Then all was promise and encouragement; now, not only is warning mingled with promise, but as in Solomons own prayer, the sadder alternative seems in prophetic anticipation to overpower the brighter. In this there is (as often remarked) a striking exemplification of the austere and lofty candour of the inspired narrative, sternly contradicting that natural hopefulness in the hour of unexampled prosperity, which would have shrunk from even entertaining the idea that the blessing of God on the temple should be frustrated, and the glory of Israel pass away [Ellicott, O.T. Com.].
2Ch. 7:15-16. Biblical Anthropomorphism. Human organs. The eyes and ears of God. This language is used for two purposes. I. To express His cognisance of man. He knows us.
1. Directly.
2. Thoroughly. II. To express His interest in man.
1. In the various capacities of enjoyment with which He has endowed us, and the provision He made for them.
2. In the preservation of our existence, notwithstanding our sinfulness.
3. In our redemption by Christ Jesus. Conclusion: Thou God seest me, we unite with the blessed fact, Thou God lovest me [Bib. Mus.]. My name there for ever. Gods gifts are without repentance. When he puts his name in the temple he does it, in intention, for ever. He will not arbitrarily withdraw it after so many years, or so many centuries. Once placed there, it will remain there for ever, so far as God is concerned. But the people may by unfaithfulness drive it away [Speak. Com.].
2Ch. 7:19-20. Turn away.
1. Possibility of wrong course. If ye turn away.
2. Rapid progress when this course is adopted. Forsake my statutes, easily understood and profitable to them, set before you. Wholly forsake God for idols, then
3. Fearful consequences. Entire deflection would cut Israel off from the land. This whole passage stands out in bold relief, when illuminated by the light of history [Murphy].
2Ch. 7:20. Plucked up.
1. The soil in which they were planted, chosen and prepared by the Great Husbandman.
2. The source of their growth and fruit. From me is thy fruit found.
3. The danger to which they were exposed. Plucked up. No growth independent of God. Plants require rain, light, and warmth. We can only live as we live and are rooted in God. There would be men who are twice dead, plucked up by the roots, and the roots are only fit for burning. We do not know what Gods burning means. Let us take care how we exclude the penal element from our theology and from our contemplation of the future [Dr. Parker]. Learn
1. The evil of apostasy.
2. The reality of Gods government.
3. The terrible effects of Divine displeasure.
2Ch. 7:22. Why thus? A Problem.
1. The actual fact in history, that the Jews, the anciently favoured people of God, found to this day a byword and a proverb.
2. The question is, why hath the Lord done this? Has God changed his purpose, or been unfaithful to his word? The problem solved by the conduct of the people who forsook God and rejected the Saviour. It is notable, that in its reference to the two parts of the promise of David there is a subtle and instructive distinction. As for the temple now just built in fulfilment of that promise, it is declared without reserve that in the case of unfaithfulness in Israel, it shall be utterly destroyed, and become an astonishment and a proverb of reproach before the world. But, in respect of the promise of the perpetuity of Davids kingdom, the true Messianic prediction, which struck the key-note of all future prophecies, it is only said that Israel shall be cut off from the land, and so become a proverb and a byword in captivity. Nothing is said to contradict the original declaration that even in case of sin the mercy of God would chastise and not forsake the house of David (2Sa. 7:13-14; Psa. 78:30-37). So again and again in prophecy captivity is denounced as a penalty of Israels sin, but the hope of restoration is always held out, and thus the belief in Gods unchanging promise remains unshaken. The true idea is strikingly illustrated by the prophet Amos (2Ch. 9:9-11): I will sift the house of Israel among all nations. Yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, &c. [Ellicott, O.T. Com.].
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 7
2Ch. 7:4-5. Sacrifices. Profusion the usual feature of ancient sacrifices: 300 oxen formed a common sacrifice at Athens. But all sacrifices offered by men to God are inadequate. Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. Jehovah being so much greater than man, how can any sacrificial rites be worthy of Him? [Cheyne.] What real propitiation could be effected, though the whole region of Lebanon were made an altar, its pines and cedars piled up on it for firing, and its thousands of beasts offered as victims? Very different was the offering which was to procure mans redemption [Kay]. That offering which alone avails before God is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a sacrifice of infinite value because He is God. All our offerings, our acts of worship, our self-denial, our good deeds cannot in themselves avail with God. But they are accepted when offered upon the altar which sanctifieth the gift, the altar of Christs merits.
2Ch. 7:8-10. Feasts. All bodily appetites should be attended to for purposes of relief, not gratification. The very moment we seek gratification in any organ or appetite of the body, we degrade our nature, and dishonour our Creator. Our happiness is not in the body, but in the soul; not without, but within; and ought never to be sought for as an end, it comes only in self-consecration to duty and to God [Dr. Thomas]. If I see a dish to please my appetite I see a serpent in that apple, and will please myself in a wilful denial [Bishop Hall].
2Ch. 7:12. Heard thy prayer. If I cared for nothing I would pray for nothing [Melancthon].
That work which is begun well is half-done;
And without prayer no work is well begun [Fanshawe].
2Ch. 7:17-21. Turn away. Those who forsake God to return to the world, do it because they find more gratification in earthly pleasures than in those arising from communion with God; and because this overpowering charm, carrying them away, causes them to relinquish their first choice, and renders them, as Tertullian says, the penitents of the devil [Blaise Pascal]. God never leaves any till they first leave Him.
2Ch. 7:21-22. Why? Nothing but grace can teach us to make a right use of others judgments [Bishop Hall].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
4. DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE (2Ch. 5:2 to 2Ch. 7:22)
TEXT
2Ch. 5:2. Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of Jehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.
2. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers houses of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4. And all the elders of Israel came: and the Levites took up the ark; 5. and they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the priests the Levites bring up. 6. And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 7. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 8. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9. And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there it is unto this day. 1O. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
11. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place (for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; 12. also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets); 13. it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Jehovah, 14. so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of God.
2Ch. 6:1. Then spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 2. But I have built thee a house of habitation, and a place for thee to dwell in for ever. 3. And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.
4. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hands fulfilled it, saying, 5. Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over my people Israel: 6. but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there, and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. 7. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. 8. But Jehovah said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart: 9. nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name. 10. And Jehovah hath performed his word that he spake; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built the house for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. 11. And have I set the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with the children of Israel.
12. And he stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands. 13. (for Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven); 14. and he said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven, or on earth; who keepest covenant and lovingkindness with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart; 15. who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him: yea, thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. 16. Now therefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as thou hast walked before me. 17. Now therefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David.
18. But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have builded! 19. Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee; 20. that thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. 21. And hearken thou to the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yea, hear thou from thy dwelling-place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
22. If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before thine altar in this house; 23. then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
24. And if thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; 25. then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26. When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them: 27. then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
28. If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities: whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness there be; 29. what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house: 30. then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men); 31. that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
32. Moreover concerning the foreigner, that is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come from a far country for thy great names sake, and thy mighty hand, and thine outstretched arm; when they shall come and pray toward this house: 33. then hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calleth to thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.
34. If thy people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; 35. then hear thou from heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause.
36. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive unto a land far off or near; 37. yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly; 38. if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: 39. then hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling-place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee.
40. Now, O my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 41. Now therefore arise, O Jehovah God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Jehovah God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. 42. O Jehovah God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember thy loving-kindnesses to David thy servant.
2Ch. 7:1. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. 2. And the priests could not enter into the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah filled Jehovahs house. 3. And all the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah was upon the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and gave thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
4. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6. And the priests stood, according to their offices; the Levites also with instruments of music of Jehovah, which David the king had made to give thanks unto Jehovah (for his lovingkindness endureth for ever), when David praised by their ministry: and the priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood. 7. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat.
8. So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hammath unto the brook of Egypt. 9. And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and feast seven days. 10. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away unto their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Jehovah had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11. Thus Solomon finished the house of Jehovah, and the kings house: and all that came into Solomons heart to make in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. 12. And Jehovah appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. 13. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14. if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16. For now have I chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there for ever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. 17. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances; 18. then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
19. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 20. then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21. And this house, which is so high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall say, Why hath Jehovah done thus unto this land, and to this house? 22. And they shall answer, Because they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.
PARAPHRASE
2Ch. 5:2. Solomon now summoned to Jerusalem all of the leaders of Israelthe heads of the tribes and clansfor the ceremony of transferring the Ark from the (Tabernacle in the) City of David, also known as Zion, (to its new home in the Temple). 3. This celebration took place in October at the annual Festival of Tabernacles.
4. 5. As the leaders of Israel watched, the Levites lifted the Ark and carried it out of the Tabernacle, along with all the other sacred vessels. 6. King Solomon and the others sacrificed sheep and oxen before the Ark in such numbers that no one tried to keep count! 7, 8. Then the priest carried the Ark into the inner room of the Templethe Holy of Holiesand placed it beneath the angels wings; their wings spread over the Ark and its carrying poles. 9. These carrying poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the outer room, but not from the outside doorway. The Ark is still there at the time of this writing. 10. Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Mount Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were leaving Egypt.
11. 12. When the priests had undergone the purification rites for themselves, they all took part in the ceremonies without regard to their normal duties. And how the Levites were praising the Lord as the priests came out of the Holy of Holies! The singers were Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and all their sons and brothers, dressed in finespun linen robes and standing at the east side of the altar. The choir was accompanied by 120 priests who were trumpeters, while others played the cymbals, lyres, and harps. 13, 14. The band and chorus united as one to praise and thank the Lord; their selections were interspersed with trumpet obbligatos, the clashing of cymbals, and the loud playing of other musical instrumentsall praising and thanking the Lord. Their theme was He is so good! His lovingkindness lasts forever! And at that moment the glory of the Lord, coming as a bright cloud, filled the Temple so that the priests could not continue their work.
2Ch. 6:1. This the prayer prayed by Solomon on that occasion: The Lord has said that he would live in the thick darkness, But I have made a Temple for you, O Lord, to live in forever! 3. Then the king turned around to the people and they stood to receive his blessing:
4. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, he said to them, the God who talked personally to my father David and has now fulfilled the promise he made to him. For he told him, 5, 6. I have never before, since bringing my people from the land of Egypt, chosen a city anywhere in Israel as the location of my Temple where my name will be glorified; and never before have I chosen a king for my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem as that city, and David as that king. 7. My father David wanted to build this Temple, 8. but the Lord said not to. It was good to have the desire, the Lord told him, 9. but he was not the one to build it: his son was chosen for that task. 10. And now the Lord has done what he promised, for I have become king in my fathers place, and I have built the Temple for the Name of the Lord God of Israel, 11. and placed the Ark there. And in the Ark is the Covenant between the Lord and his people Israel.
12, 13. As he spoke, Solomon was standing before the people on a platform in the center of the outer court, in front of the altar of the Lord. The platform was made of bronze, 7 feet square and 4 feet high. Now, as all the people watched, he knelt down, reached out his arms toward heaven, and prayed this prayer: 14. O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You are the God who keeps his kind promises to all those who obey you, and who are anxious to do your will. 15. And you have kept your promise to my father David, as is evident today. 16. And now, O God of Israel, carry out your further promise to him that your descendants shall always reign over Israel if they will obey my laws as you have. 17. Yes, Lord God of Israel, please fulfill this promise too.
18. But will God really live upon the earth with men? Why, even the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain youhow much less this Temple which I have built! 19. How I pray that you will heed my prayers, O Lord my God! Listen to my prayer that I am praying to you now! 20, 21. Look down with favor day and night upon this Templeupon this place where you have said that you would put your name. May you always hear and answer the prayers I will pray to you as I face toward this place. Listen to my prayers and to those of your people Israel when they pray toward this Temple; yes, hear us from heaven, and when you hear, forgive.
22. Whenever someone commits a crime, and is required to swear to his innocence before this altar, 23. then hear from heaven and punish him if he is lying, or else declare him innocent.
24. If your people Israel are destroyed before their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and call themselves your people, and pray to you here in this Temple. 25. then listen to them from heaven and forgive their sins and give them back this land you gave to their fathers.
26. When the skies are shut and there is no rain because of our sins, and then we pray toward this Temple and claim you as our God and turn from our sins because you have punished us, 27. then listen from heaven and forgive the sins of your people, and teach them what is right; and send rain upon this land which you have given to your people as their own property.
28. If there is a famine in the land, or plagues, or crop disease, or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your peoples enemies are in the land besieging our citieswhatever the trouble is29. listen to every individuals prayer concerning his private sorrow, as well as all the public prayers. 30. Hear from heaven where you live, and forgive, and give each one whatever he deserves, for you know the hearts of all mankind. 31. Then they will reverence you forever, and will continually walk where you tell them to go.
32. And when foreigners hear of your power, and come from distant lands to worship your great name, and to pray toward this Temple, 33. hear them from heaven where you live, and do what they request of you. Then all the people of the earth will hear of your fame and will reverence you, just as your people Israel do; and they too will know that this Temple I have built is truly yours.
34. If your people go out at your command to fight their enemies, and they pray toward this city of Jerusalem which you have chosen, and this Temple which I have built for your name, 35. then hear their prayers from heaven and give them success.
36. If they sin against you (and who has never sinned?) and you become angry with them, and you let their enemies defeat them and take them away as captives to some foreign nation near or far, 37, 38. and if in that land of exile they turn to you again, and face toward this land you gave their fathers, and this city and your Temple I have built, and plead with you with all their hearts to forgive them, 39. then hear from heaven where you live and help them and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40. Yes, O my God, be wide awake and attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place. 41. And now, O Lord God, arise and enter this resting place of yours where the Ark of your strength has been placed. Let your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your kind deeds. 42. O Lord God, do not ignore medo not turn your face away from me, your anointed one. Oh, remember your love for David and your kindness to him.
2Ch. 7:1. As Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices! And the glory of the Lord filled the Temple, so that the priests couldnt enter! 3. All the people had been watching and now they fell flat on the pavement, and worshipped and thanked the Lord. How good he is! they exclaimed. He is always so loving and kind.
4, 5. Then the king and all the people dedicated the Temple by sacrificing burnt offerings to the Lord. King Solomons contribution for this purpose was 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. 6. The priests were standing at their posts of duty, and the Levites were playing their thanksgiving song, His Loving-kindness Is Forever, using the musical instruments that King David himself had made and had used to praise the Lord. Then, when the priests blew the trumpets, all the people stood again. 7. Solomon consecrated the inner court of the Temple for use that day as a place of sacrifices for the bronze altar to accommodate.
8. For the next seven days, they celebrated the Tabernacle Festival, with large crowds coming in from all over Israel; they arrived from as far away as Hamath at one end of the country to the brook of Egypt at the other. 9. A final religious service was held on the eighth day. 10. Then, on October 7, he sent the people home, joyful and happy because the Lord had been so good to David and Solomon and to his people Israel.
11. So Solomon finished building the Temple as well as his own palace. He completed what he had planned to do. 12. One night the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him, I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place where I want you to sacrifice to me. 13. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust swarms to eat up all of your crops, or if I send an epidemic among you, 14. then if my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. 15. I will listen, wide awake, to every prayer made in this place. 16. For I have chosen this Temple and sanctified it to be my home forever; my eyes and my heart shall always be here. 17. As for yourself, if you follow me as your father David did, 18. then I will see to it that you and your descendants will always be the kings of Israel;
19. but if you dont follow me, if you refuse the laws I have given you, and worship idols, 20. then I will destroy my people from this land of mine which I have given them, and this Temple shall be destroyed even though I have sanctified it for myself. Instead, I will make it a public horror and disgrace. 21. Instead of its being famous, all who pass by will be incredulous. Why had the Lord done such a terrible thing to this land and to this Temple? they will ask. 22. And the answer will be, Because his people abandoned the Lord God of their fathers, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they worshipped other gods instead. That is why he has done all this to me.
COMMENTARY
This was one of those high moments in the history of Gods people. Priests, Levites, musicians, singers all joined their voices in the praise of Jehovah. There were twenty-four courses of priests. All of these were represented on this occasion. All of the instrumentalists and the singers along with one hundred and twenty trumpeters shared in this glad service. They praised Jehovah for His goodness and lovingkindness (Psa. 136:1). He had done His religious duty toward Israel. The prospects for His continued blessings were wonderful. In some respects what happened here causes us to think about what was to take place in Jerusalem on another day when the people were all of one mind and the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 2). Jehovah came down to His people when the Temple was finished and He filled the House with His glory. It was a day to be long remembered in Israels history.
Solomon was equal to the circumstances of this grand occasion. In chapter 2Ch. 6:1-11 he spoke to the people. He made reference to the thick darkness because the cloud filled the Temple. No man could look on the full glory of Jehovah and live. The darkness itself added to the mystery of the one true God. The king knew that no man could build a house which would contain Jehovah, yet he and Israel had built a House for their God. The time had arrived when an official presentation of this Temple to Jehovah should be made. So he blessed Jehovah, the God of Israel. He reviewed the fact that Jehovah had been content to have the Tabernacle represent His habitation among His people. In the later revelation of His will Jehovah chose David to be king and chose Jerusalem to be the capital city. Solomon reminded the people of Davids desire to build the Temple and of Jehovahs restraint in this matter. As Davids son, by divine appointment, Solomon had built the house and set the ark in its proper place.
Solomon had built a platform and a pulpit near the great altar of brass in the court of the priests. In his address to the people and in his prayer to Jehovah he was fully motivated. He spread forth his hands or kneeled down upon his knees as the mood dictated. His prayer of dedication is a model prayer. His attitude toward the people, his humility in Jehovahs presence, his seriousness as he considered the implications of these relationships all deserve careful study. Solomons God was incomparable. He was the covenant God. Jehovahs promise to David (2 Samuel 7) was often on Solomons mind. One of Davids line was always to be on the throne of Israel. Jehovah could not be contained in any house. The whole universe is His House. Nevertheless, Solomon and Israel had built a beautiful Temple for their God. In putting Jehovahs name in that place, Solomon considered the total character of God. The Temple would represent to the Hebrews all that Jehovah had ever revealed concerning Himself as far as this could be made known through a building. The Temple would be the only Holy Place in all the world for Gods people. Wherever His people might be when they prayed toward this place, when they considered the power and mercy of their God and called on Him for help, they could expect Him to hear and answer.
Various circumstances out of which Jehovahs people might need to call upon Him are now previewed. A man might have some goods left with him by a neighbor. When the neighbor returned to claim it, his friend might tell him the goods had been stolen. The neighbor could demand that his friend take an oath in Jehovahs name swearing that he was truthful. Solomons prayer was that the wicked would be condemned and the righteous justified. If Israel should sin and for this reason suffer at the hands of enemies, Solomon prayed that Jehovah would intervene if the Israelites in question would repent. There would be times when Jehovah might send drought and famine because of sin. Solomons prayer was that if there was recognition of sin, genuine sorrow for sin, and prayer toward the House, Jehovah would hear and forgive. He realized that Jehovah could send pestilence, blasting, mildew, locusts, many kinds of plagues. Solomon never asked Jehovah to cease being God. He only asked that in keeping with His mercy He would answer genuine repentance. One of the most remarkable aspects of Solomons prayer has to do with the foreigners (2Ch. 6:32). Solomon previewed the times when proselytes would join themselves to the Hebrew people. If the foreigner would be willing to come on Jehovahs terms, Solomon asks that Jehovah will receive him. This is the basic principle that provided the Apostle Paul his defense for his ministry. When Israel would go to war in Jehovahs name or when any Hebrew might be taken captive by an enemy because he had sinned, if he prays toward this House, Solomon plead for Gods help. So Solomon committed his trust and the confidence of his people to Jehovah, their God. The Temple, the ark, the king, the priests, the people all waited in Jehovahs presence.
Jehovah was ready with the answer to Solomons prayer. While the king was praying, the sacrifices were burning on the altar. With regard to fire coming down from heaven, we are reminded of the miraculous fire descending on the altar in the Tabernacle when the services were inaugurated (Lev. 9:24).[50] We are also reminded of Jehovahs answer to Elijahs prayer on Mount Carmel (1Ki. 18:38).[51] The glory (or brightness) of Jehovah filled the Temple to such an extent that the priests had to withdraw. The priests stood in awe of the whole experience much as Israel had done at Mount Sinai. It was a day of worship never to be forgotten by those who saw Jehovahs glory. What could the people say in such circumstances? Jehovah is good; for His lovingkindness endureth forever.
[50] Spence, H. D. M., The Pulpit Commentary, II Chronicles, p. 83
[51] Schaff, Philip, Langes Commentary, Chronicles, p. 178
The dedication of the Temple coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. Under ordinary conditions more offerings were presented at this time than at any other time during the year. Since this was such a special occasion, all of the facilities for worship were taxed to the limit. Offerings of dedication included twenty two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. The sacrificing and feasting continued throughout the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles. Since all of the offerings could not be accommodated at the altar of burnt offering, a special dispensation permitted the hallowing of the middle of the court so that many offerings could be made at one time. The priest directed the worship. Some worked with the animal sacrifices, while others directed the music and singing. There had never been a day like this in Jerusalem. The total time involved in the celebration covered fourteen days. Seven days had been required for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Feast of Tabernacles. The great assembly of Israelites had come to Jerusalem from the length and breadth of the land. Hammath was on the Orontes River about two hundred and fifty miles north of Jerusalem. The brook of Egypt flowed into the Mediterranean Sea about forty miles south of Gaza. On the day following the two weeks of celebration there was one final holy convocation from which the people were sent on their way rejoicing. The Temple was finished when it became a house of sacrifice. Solomon was able to do every good thing he desired for the Temple and for the kingdom.
The account of Jehovahs appearing to Solomon by night (2Ch. 5:12) reminds us of His appearance to Solomon at Gibeon when the young king made his choice of wisdom. We are not told how long after the dedication of the Temple this appearance took place. Jehovah plainly declared that He was pleased with the Temple. The Temple was not a monument or a memorial. It was a house of sacrifice where Jehovahs people could give vital expression to their living faith in God. In direct answer to Solomons prayer, Jehovah recognized that His people might sin and thus He would be forced to judge them by famine, locusts, or pestilence. Jehovahs character remained constant. Sin must be judged. However, He would temper judgment with mercy provided His people would confess their sin, repent, and commit themselves to do His will. The Temple was a house of prayer. The eyes of Jehovah would ever be upon the Temple and upon those who would seek Jehovahs face through worship at the Temple and the daily practice of the revealed religion. Jehovah renewed His promise to Solomon. If Solomon would be like David and if he obeyed Jehovah, his kingdom would be established and through him Jehovah would begin to keep His promise to David. However, if Solomon should forget God and turn to idols, both king and people would be plucked up by the roots (completely destroyed). Solomon was advised by direct revelation that the presence of the Temple in Jerusalem did not guarantee the safety of king and people. The Temple could be described as a high house, but if Israel sinned, Jehovah would destroy Temple, city, king, and people. Instead of being a messenger of Jehovah to the nations, Israel would then become a by-word or a song of derision. The alternatives were laid very plainly before the king. If he should turn away from Jehovah, he had no excuse.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) When Solomon had made an end of praying.(1Ki. 8:54, And it came to pass, when S. had made an end of praying unto Jehovah all this prayer and supplication.) From this point the divergence between the two accounts begins. There is no objective ground for supposing that the chronicler invented the facts here recorded. He must have found them in one of his sources, although we have no means of determining whether or not they were related in the original narrative followed by the author of Kings. It is gratuitous to fancy that the chronicler was more partial to miracle than the older writer. (Comp. 1Ki. 8:10; 1Ki. 18:38.) His greater interest in all that concerned the worship of the Temple is enough to account for the present and similar additions to the older narrative.
The fire came down from heaven.Comp. Lev. 9:22-24, from which passage it appears likely that the fire descended after Solomon had blessed the people. (Comp. also 1Ch. 21:26; 2Ki. 1:10; 2Ki. 1:12; 2Ki. 1:14.)
And the sacrifices.The offerings presented when the ark entered the Temple (2Ch. 5:6).
And the glory of the Lord filled the house.This statement is not a mere duplicate of 2Ch. 5:13-14. See next verse. The glory of the Lord is apparently a manifestation quite distinct from the fire.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 7:1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2Ch 7:1
Lev 9:24, “And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.”
The angel accepted the sacrifice of Manoah, the father of Samson by consuming it with fire.
Jdg 13:19, “So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.”
A fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice of King David at the threshing floor of Ornan.
1Ch 21:26, “And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.”
Fire also consumed the sacrifice of Elijah on Mount Carmel.
1Ki 18:38, “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”
In addition, during the time of Moses, God consumed the children of Israel with fire as a form of judgment (Num 11:1-2; Num 16:35).
2Ch 7:2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.
2Ch 7:2
2Ch 7:12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
2Ch 7:12
Deu 12:5, “But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:”
The Jews believed that Jerusalem was the center of the universe. [37] They believed that Adam was created on the rock where the Temple was built. [38] They also believed that this was upon the Dome of the Rock at the Temple mound where Abraham offered up Isaac. [39]
[37] The Babylonian Talmud reads, “The sages, however, said: The world was created beginning with Zion. As it is written [Ps. l. 1, 2]: ‘The God of Gods, the Lord Speaketh,’ etc. ‘Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty’; That signifies, from Zion began to be the beauty of the whole world. In another Boraitha we have learned: R. Eliezer the Great said, It is written [Gen. ii. 4]: ‘These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, on the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.’ The luminous stars, etc., were created from the heavens, and all earthly things from the earth. But the sages say: Everything was created from Zion. As it is written [Ps. l. i]: ‘A Psalm of Assaph. The God of gods,’ etc. ‘The perfection of beauty,’ i.e., the beauty of the whole world.” See Michael L. Rodkinson, “Tract Yomah (Day of Atonment),” in New Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, vol. 6 (Boston: New Talmud Publishing Company, 1903), 78; Louis Ginzberg writes, “The construction of the earth was begun at the centre, with the foundation stone of the Temple, the Eben Shetiyah, for the Holy Land is at the central point of the surface of the earth, Jerusalem is at the central point of Palestine, and the Temple is situated at the centre of the Holy City. In the sanctuary itself the Hekal is the centre, and the holy Ark occupies the centre of the Hekal, built on the foundation stone, which thus is at the centre of the earth.” See Louis Ginzberg, Legend of the Jews, vol. 1, trans. Henrietta Szold (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication of America, 1909), 12.
[38] Louis Ginsberg writes, “It is a beautiful and certainly an original idea of the rabbis that ‘Adan was created from the dust of the place where the sanctuary was to rise for the atonement of all human sin,’ so that sin should never be a permanent or inherent part of mans nature. (Gen. R. xiv., Yer. Naz. vii. 56b).” see Louis Ginsberg, “Adam,” in The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 1, ed. Isidore Singer (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1901), 176.
[39] Max Seligsohn, “Moriah,” in The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 9, ed. Isidore Singer (New York: KTAV Publishing House, no date), 17.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:14
Hear their prayer:
2Ch 30:27, “Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.”
Forgive their sin:
2Ch 30:18-20, “For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.”
Heal their land:
2Ch 30:20, “And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.”
Why?
They humbled themselves:
2Ch 30:11-12, “Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.”
They prayed:
2Ch 30:18, “For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one”
They sought God’s face:
2Ch 29:20, “Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.”
They turned from their wicked ways:
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Sacrifices and the Double Festival
v. 1. Now, when Solomon had made an end of praying, v. 2. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, v. 3. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, v. 4. Then the king and all the people, v. 5. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep, v. 6. And the priests waited on their offices, v. 7. Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, v. 8. Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, v. 9. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly, v. 10. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, v. 11. Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
This chapter is occupied with three subjects. First, the description of Heaven’s acceptance of the dedicated temple by fire (2Ch 7:1-3). Secondly, the sacrifices and glad feasting of Solomon and all Israel for several days (2Ch 7:4-11). Thirdly, the articulate answer of God to the offering and the prayer of Solomon (2Ch 7:12-22).
2Ch 7:1
When Solomon had made an end of praying. See the parallel, 1Ki 8:54, which verse, however, in a sense, disappoints us; for, beginning with these same words, it does not go on at all to tell of this second occurrence of the fire and the cloud and the glory. The fire came and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices. So Le 1Ki 9:24, when the tabernacle was consecrated. The closing verses of our 1Ki 5:1-18; compared with the first verse of 1Ki 6:1-38; and in particular the first word of that verse, “then,“ leave it quite open to conjecture that the demonstration of the fire and the glory of the Lord had not ceased, but was continued during the prayer of Solomon, though at its close they may have been marked with added brightness, and then wrought their sacrifice-consuming work. Such supposition may bring us nearest to some tenable explanation of what otherwise seems the very unaccountable omission in the parallel. The language of our 1Ki 6:2 adds something to countenance this theory, coinciding as it does with the language of the last verses of 1Ki 5:1-18.
2Ch 7:3
For he is good (so 2Ch 5:13; 1Ch 16:34).
2Ch 7:4, 2Ch 7:5
These two verses bring us again into company with the parallel in its verses 62, 63. Let it be noticed that in both these verses the compiler of Chronicles avoids the words, “all Israel,” and “all the children of Israel;” in favour of all the people. The parallel tells us that the sacrifices in part were peace offerings, eatable, therefore, by priests and people. Large as the numbers of the oxen and sheep sacrificed, yet indications in the narrative round about do something to sustain them, as e.g. the number of people who had come together; the fact that all the people are said to offer sacrifices; the fact that Solomon, Because of the press for room (2Ch 7:7), hallowed the middle of the court, i.e. probably the court itself, in order to find place for the “burnt offerings, meat offerings, and fat” (2Ch 7:7); further, the number of mouths of people that certainly would need filling, not only on one day, but on days more than one, while on the third day (Le 2Ch 19:6) any part of a peace offering still left was to be destroyed by fire. Nevertheless, the thought of the scene of butchery is, to our modern imagination, amazing to the last degree. An assemblage of people in Jerusalem, all making also for its temple, of a hundred and twenty thousand people, and a minimum of another twenty-two thousand people, is startling; but add to these a sheep apiece for the former number, and an ox apiece for the latter, and allow several days to be covered by the- killing and sacrificing, and one feels that the key and explanation of the present words of the Bible text in this very passage are scarcely in hand. The interesting note in the ‘Speaker’s Commentary’ on 1Ki 8:63 scarcely assists us. Its instances of the “profusion” of the “sacrifices of antiquity” are altogether and immensely distanced by the narrative before us, not only in the number of victims, but in respect of the time in which the victims had to be despatched and disposed of, and the place and space within which, if not the slaughtering, yet certainly the offering, had to be done.
2Ch 7:6
This verse is not found in the parallel (2Ch2Ch 5:12, 2Ch 5:13; 1Ch 15:16; 1Ch 23:5).
2Ch 7:8
Also at the same time the feast; i.e. the Feast of Tabernacles, which occupied the seven days from the fifteenth to the twenty-second of the month Tisri (Lev 23:33). Thus fourteen days (1Ki 8:65)were occupied by the two feasts, that of the temple consecration and that of Tabernacles, while on the fifteenth day of feasting, viz. the twenty-third of the month Tisri, or Ethanim (the seventh month), the people went home. The entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt; i.e. from the extreme north to the extreme south of the land. The town Hamath was on the Orontes, through the valley of the Lebanon (Jos 13:3, Jos 13:5; also Num 13:21; Num 34:8; Jdg 3:3; 2Ki 14:25; 1Ch 13:5; Amo 6:2, Amo 6:14). The river of Egypt; or, the river before Egypt (Jos 13:3), was the Shihor, or Sihor, separating Egypt and Judaea.
2Ch 7:9
Solemn assembly. The word thus translated in the Authorized Version occurs (including both its but very slightly differing forms) eleven times. Five of these times the margin offers, probably unnecessarily, the optional rendering of “restraint.” It may be that the root involves this idea, and certainly the word is especially used for the seventh or closing day of Passover, and eighth or closing day of Tabernacles; but other occasions of its use seem to negative this as an essential element in the signification or essential condition of the use of the word; e.g. “Proclaim a solemn assembly” (2Ki 10:20); “Call a solemn assembly” (Joe 1:14; Joe 2:15).
2Ch 7:11
(See now for the parallel 1Ki 9:1-9.) The king’s house the house of the Lord his own house. The expressions that we have in this verse guide us amid some ambiguities to the correct date of the consecration of the temple. The verse purports to speak of the final completion the temple and the king’s house or palace, with all whatsoever that was necessary to them in the matter of their furnishing. And, to say the least, the impression naturally produced on the reader is that they are spoken of as being thus completed simultaneously, although, beyond doubt, there was a sense in which the temple was (not utterly finished but) built long before the palace. Accordingly, when the next verse tells us of God’s answer vouchsafed to the dedication prayer of Solomon, we are not driven to the supposition that several years had elapsed since the final completion of the temple and the dedication of it on the one hand, nor, on the other hand, a similar interval lost between the dedication prayer and the Divine acknowledgment of it. It may be again stated that the main structure of the temple (not including courts, pillars, furnishing, vessels, etc.) was built after seven years’ process, in the eleventh year of Solomon’s reign, but the palace only after another complete twelve years (1Ki 7:1), in Solomon’s twenty-fourth year. A liberal study of the parallel narrative of Kings in its entirety strengthens considerably this view, inasmuch as there the whole account of the palace-building finds its place previous to the account of the dedicating of the temple. However, though there can be little practical doubt as to how the facts of the case stood and stand, yet this occasion must count one to be added to the chronological memorabilia of Scripture, in that, while both the accounts to which we have access leave very vague the very things we should naturally expect to have been stated concisely, they also both seem entirely unconscious of ita directest outcome of the fact that both writers were but picking their own way in the midst of borrowed material, neither of them the original historian.
2Ch 7:12
See 1Ki 3:5; 1Ki 9:2; Deu 12:2, Deu 12:3, Deu 12:5-7, Deu 12:11, Deu 12:14; and, by turning to the last of these sets of references, the emphasis laid here upon the house as the house of sacrifice will be amply accounted for without supposing a rather premature aside as regards synagogues. Meantime, what a feature, manifestly, the sacrifices were!
2Ch 7:13-15
These three verses (the counterparts of 2Ch 6:26, 2Ch 6:28, 2Ch 6:40) are not in the parallel. Although we can scarcely trace the principle of their selection from the seven parts of the prayer, they would seem to have been selected from the original work, as samples of a reply which presumably embraced reference to all the seven. When, in 2Ch 7:14, it is said, I will heal their land, the telling expression, according to the Authorized Version, must be understood to refer to the removing of drought by rain. On the other hand, the Authorized Version is, in 2Ch 7:15, unfortunate in the unnecessary and misleading insertion of the italics found there, and in the use of the preposition “in” for of, the simple case construct, which is manifestly what is wanted and intended. It was not absolutely essential that prayer should be made in the place. How many references there are to prayer being made from a distance toward the place!
2Ch 7:16
This verse glances, as an answer to the contents, or spirit of the contents, of the second petition at 2Ch 6:18-21. The beautiful touching condescension in the wording of the last clause, Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually, will not escape notice.
2Ch 7:17, 2Ch 7:18
These two verses glance at the first petition of Solomon’s prayer (2Ch 6:15-17). (See also 2Ch 3:12; 2Sa 7:12; 1Ch 22:10.)
2Ch 7:19, 2Ch 7:20
And forsake. The parallel (1Ki 9:6) puts it, according to the Authorized Version, “If ye shall at all turn from following me,” etc; which rendering on the part of the Authorized Version probably errs by excess. Much mercy, much forbearing, long-suffering, and slowness to anger, were sure to mark the Divine rule; nor would condemnation take effect, nor did it take effect, till the revolt of the people was a thorough revolt, as finally testifying itself in the crucifixion of Christ (see also, as comments on the expressions of these two verses, Le 2Ch 26:14; Deu 4:26, Deu 4:27; Deu 28:37, and generally 15-64). The same Hebrew words for a proverb and a byword among all nations are found in verse 37, as just quoted.
2Ch 7:21
The Hebrew text of the first sentence of this verse differs here from that in the parallel; but, in fact, neither text reads satisfactorily and smoothly. The parallel (1Ki 9:8) inserts the little word “at,“ though without italics, and “which“ in italic type. The “at“ is no doubt intended to be condoned as supposed to belong to the word astonished; the following verb hiss also permitting, though not requiring, the appendage. Not leaning to the text of the parallel (which shows no , and which shows the substantive verb in the future tense ), we need not find any particular difficulty in rendering our present text, And this house, which is most high (the word well favours this idea), shall be an astonishment to every passer by. The Septuagint reads simply, “This lofty house.” Why hath the Lord done this? (see Deu 29:24; Jer 22:8, Jer 22:9). To the “astonishment” prophesied here the parallel adds, “shall hiss”in a forcible expression found first in 2Ch 29:8, and afterwards in Micah (Mic 6:16)and in Jeremiah (Jer 18:16; Jer 19:8; Jer 25:9, etc.; Lam 2:15, Lam 2:16).
HOMILETICS
2Ch 7:1-22
The testimony by fire, and the vouchsafed glory of the Lord.
This chapter invites attention to four subjects, no one of which is entirely fresh, but each one of which owns to fresh impressiveness by virtue of position, particularity of description, and the more touching associations which now surround it. Attention, then, may be called first of all and chiefly to
I. THE MARVEL OF THE DESCENDING FIRE FROM HEAVEN. It is remarkable that the parallel (1Ki 8:1-66.) does not mention this great event, and that a similar event is again carefully recorded by the writer of Chronicles (1Ch 21:26). Such a descending, kindling, lambent, and consuming firewhat a sign and token it was! What a startling testimonyto give a moment’s directness of help to our own thoughtsuch a manifestation of the elder Church would be to some finished effort of our later ecclesiastical life! It is not given, it is not to be given, to us. But never must we allow ourselves to forget that its spiritual antitype is to be believed in, sought by prayer, beheld in purest vision of the elevated spiritual imagination, and to be regarded as indispensable. It meant and its real and more spiritual fulfilment means:
1. The notice of heaven. What a genuine help to us, to have reason to believe this, and therefore gratefully to cultivate the sense of it! The notice of heaven means nothing, or it means the notice of God. As surely as a deep present conviction of that notice is calculated to deter from sin, so surely is it adapted to encourage us in worship, prayer, praise, meditation, and reading of the Word of God, and to dignify to us the nature of every engagement.
2. The approval of heaven. There is much indeed that the eye of God unfailingly notices, but as unfailingly disapproves. Descending fire more than once was the proof in the history of the people of Israel of this also, but it was very different descent and of altogether differing manifestation.
3. The actual participation and co-operation of heaven. The dedication of the temple was one thing, but the consecration of it was another, and though, indeed, it was not even such fire as this that by itself did the consecration or was of the essence of it, yet it was the evidence of it, and the visible sign and act of it. The fire of holy feeling, of devoutness, of devotion, of love, of pure adoring worship, is not of nature, nor of the ministry of man, nor of the ability of the high priest or any priest, to kindle. The kindling must come from the throne itself, whither whatsoever it is that we may have to offer is ascending. The sacrifices of prayer, of praise, of a poor, broken, contrite heart, need all and each the inspiring illumination and fire of and from the altar itself. What a thought, what a truth, for us! Our worship and our works of devotion need to be pervaded with this conviction, and if they were so, at how much higher a level would they be found, and with how much steadier life would they show themselves forth! Moments, and sometimes even hours, of our inner consciousness would in no way fall short, for impression, conviction, and surpassing joy and peace, of what were present actually now, in the rapt, and again the impassioned, experience of all Israel. That moment was indeed a moment worth a nation’s living for. Read the verses (1, 2, 3) themselves. But the instance is but one of a thousand, that tell how soon impression fades away, of what may be most grand, most significant of all, when its source comes from without. The deeper things of our hearts may last longer. Let us therefore seek, honour, prize, them rather!
II. The fact that, with the finishing, dedication, and consecration of the temple, THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF THE SERVICES OF RELIGION WAS ESTABLISHED. In four particulars this is noted, viz. the unanimous effort of king and people to accomplish the full number of sacrifices; the falling of the priests into their places, and the filling of their regular offices; the same of the Levites with their instruments of music; and lastly, the hallowing of the middle of the court before the house, as an auxiliary place for the offering of burnt offerings and of the fat of the peace offerings. This was by no means the one solitary time, or the last time, that has illustrated the general principle of the utility of having the outer form and the outer institutions of the Church order in their place and in distinct prominence. While the Church is on earth, at least, the things of the eye, the things of the ear, memories, associations, company, and the stronger kinds and forces of anticipationall help religious fidelity; they are naturally fitted to do so, and, as thus naturally adapted to high use, are not justifiably to be neglected, slighted, underrated, or presumptuously regarded, as either optional in all cases, or quite dispensable in the case of those who credit themselves with a larger measure of spiritual power and principle than belongs to others. This very assumption is, He, too generally decisive of an opposite state of things. We have at present comparatively little to do with what may prove to be the mode, the infinitely grander mode, of worship and service up above. But here the form has its importance; and if so, the righter form, or more perfect form, or more beautiful form remains to be studied and sought. Have we not even here an instance of the educative genius of sincere religion, however simple it may be? It certainly insists on “cleanliness.” It certainly insists on order. And as matter of fact, and lying in the whole course of the history of the Church for eighteen centuries, how unmistakably and undeniably it has nourished all “things lovely,” sights of beauty and sounds of beauty,postulating and necessitating in turn what underlie these, viz. thoughts and feelings of beauty and of truth!
III. THE DISTINCT NOTICE RECORDED OF THE SATISFACTION THE WHOLE PEOPLE EXPERIENCED WHILE THEIR RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL LASTEDsome fourteen to fifteen daysAND THEIR GRATEFUL, HAPPY MEMORIES OF IT, ON THE HIGHEST GROUNDS, as they returned and journeyed home. It was no doubt, in countless instances, on countless occasions, true that there was a humble rehearsal of the saying of the two disciples (who had journeyed to Emmaus in the holiest of company, and in the most sacred of religious instruction, and finally service of breaking of bread), “Did not our heart burn within us?” The people now returned to tent and home, “glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had showed to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.” There is no higher joy than religious, no better company, and no better cheer of good company.
IV. A FRESH DIVINE VISION GRANTED TO SOLOMON. This vision was granted for the threefold purpose of assuring Solomon:
1. That his temple-prayer had been heard, and that it should be implicitly and explicitly answered from time to time. The accepted and hallowed “house of prayer,” dedicate now and consecrate, should be a perpetual living oratory. There was everything now about the house and in the house to constitute it fitly such, and it is now written with authority and with promise, “My house shall be called the house of prayer.” What a centre of life, of hope, of refuge, for that people unto all generations if they know and remember the day of their merciful visitation!
2. That the Divine covenant with him should not fail, should never fail, and the Divine promise to him should be established for ever, if he remembered, and remembered to do his part involved in, the covenant. Here ancestral memories were drawn upon, and brilliant promises of the future were called in, to exercise their powerful influence, and both for the service of offering direction and warning and encouragement.
3. That exemplary and certain and most notable retribution would be the portion of the nation if they turned away to idolatry. With simplest grandeur and force is this dread reverse (in a possible, alas! too probable future) announced, if haply the announcement may be an effectual deterrent. The people shall be plucked up by the roots, like plants from the land; the sanctified house shall be repudiated, made a by-word and a proverb, and the very mark of astonishment to all by-passers. It shall excite and awake the wondering questions of many a nationthose questions to receive one simple, faithful, but dreadful answer: “Because they forsook the Lord God and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped and served them.”
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
2Ch 7:1-3
The Divine approval.
The incident here recorded was one that must have lived for ever in the memory of those who witnessed it. The occasion itself was of surpassing interest; all the accessories were fitted to deepen the impression; and when the miraculous fire came down from heaven upon the altar, there was an event which every present Israelite must have delighted to describe in after-days to those who did not witness it. Its significance was twofold. It was
I. A MANIFESTATION OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE AND GLORY. For that fire, and the “glory of the Lord” filling the house of the Lord, spake of the present God and of his glory; and before it the priests retired and the people bowed down in reverential worship, “with their faces to the ground? The scene carries with it a summons to constant reverence.
1. Reverence in all worship; for God is as truly, though not as miraculously and manifestly, present in his sanctuary to-day as he was on this “high day” at Jerusalem.
2. Reverence of spirit at all times and everywhere. For may we not say that the whole earth is “the house of the Lord,” and that it is filled with his presence and his glory? All the objects of nature that we are looking upon, all the processes of nature that we are watching, all creature life and gladness, attest his presence and his power. “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord,” and therefore of the glory of the Lord (Psa 33:5 with Exo 33:19). Reverently, therefore, should we walk through the world, as those who feel that God is very near us, that we “stand before God,” that his hand is working for us in the air and on the earth, that he is the One “with whom we have to do” always, in whom everywhere we live and move and have our being.
II. AN ASSURANCE OF THE DIVINE APPROVAL. The descending flame was the surest and strongest possible indication that all the work of the past years had been approved, and that Jehovah accepted the house which had been built as his own. It was right enough, therefore, for the assembled multitude to be not only affected with awe, but to be filled with thankfulness and sacred joy, as they sang, “The Lord is good; his mercy endureth for ever.” The approval of God was everything to Israel. It was much, very much indeed, for what it was in itself; it was much also as an absolute assurance of national prosperity. Respecting the Divine approval, it:
1. Should be the first object of our heart’s desire. For if we do not possess the favour of God, our heavenly Father, all other advantages are of little worth, and should wholly fail to satisfy us; while, if we do possess his favour, all difficulties, and even all distresses, may be patiently borne and even cheerfully accepted. To be the children and the heirs of God (Rom 8:17) is to be and to inherit that which is of transcendent worth.
2. Must be sought in the divinely appointed way; and that is, by the cordial acceptance of his Son as our Saviour, Lord, and Friend.
3. Will awaken our deepest joy and call forth our most fervent praise. We too shall celebrate the “goodness” and the “mercy” of the Lord; his praise will be continually upon our lips.
4. Must be maintained by faithfulness unto the end. For it is only when we “abide in him,” and continue to “keep his commandments,” that his love and his joy “abide in us” (Joh 15:6-11).C.
2Ch 7:4, 2Ch 7:5
Sacred overflow.
What meant this great slaughter of sheep and oxen? Why such a large, such a lavish expenditure of creature life? With our modem ideas of the sacredness of life, animal as well as human, we naturally inquire what purpose was served by sacrifices on such a scale as this. Clearly it was
I. NOT IN OBEDIENCE TO A DIVINE COMMAND. There was no precept of the Law applicable to the case; the matter was entirely exceptional, and Solomon was cast on the resources of his own judgment and feeling. A very large part of our service must be spontaneous. We are continually placed in circumstances in which no biblical statute can be quoted. We need to be possessed of such broad and deep religions principles that these will serve us in any position in which we may be placed. It is not a vast array of precepts, but a few inclusive and suggestive principles, which prepare us for the eventualities of our life.
II. NOT TO ENRICH ONE WHO KNOWS NO NECESSITY. Whatever idea the heathen nations around may have had of their sacrifices as an enrichment of their deities, the Israelites had no such vain thought (see Psa 50:8-13). We cannot enrich by our material presentations One who claims and holds the entire earth as his possession. Yet is there that which we can give to God which will, in a true sense, add to his possessionsour hearts and our lives; our own true selves; our trust, our love, our joy in him. May we not say that by the filial response of his children he is enriched?
III. NOT TO APPEASE AN INEXORABLE ONE. It might be well enough that the priests of Baal should have recourse to all the arts and devices of a passionate importunity in order to secure his attention and enlist his aid (1Ki 18:26-29). But the Divine Father whom we worship has not to be approached thus in order to be attentive to the voice of our prayer, or in order to grant us his merciful regard. He may, indeed, for a time withhold from us a sense of his favour in order to draw forth our prayer and to deepen our faith, and thus to enlarge and bless us. But as he did not require a vast multitude of beasts to be slain on his altar that his anger might be appeased, so does he not require any multiplied devotions, or incessant entreaties that his forgiving love may be extended to us. On the other hand, he waits to be gracious, and is prepared to go forth to meet the spirit that returns to him. It was, then
IV. A DESIRE TO RENDER ADDED HONOUR TO THE HOLY AND THE GRACIOUS ONE.
1. Solomon and those who were about him may have been powerfully affected by the near presence of the Holy One of Israel; and they may consequently have been disposed to offer these sacrifices which purified them from all uncleanness and made them less unworthy to stand before him; thus regarded, these lavish offerings were the overflow of their humility. We are in no danger of going too far in this direction. We may, indeed, sometimes use language of shame and penitence which is in advance of our inward thought and actual spiritual condition. That is a great mistake. It is not acceptable to God, and it is misleading to ourselves. But we are never in danger of having too deep a sense of our own unworthiness; by all means let humility of spirit have free course, both in fact and in expression. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2. Solomon and his attendants may have been keenly touched by a sense of God’s great and special goodness to them, and they may, therefore, have presented these offerings in gratitude and devotion. They were thus the overflow of their zeal. It is right that our zeal in the worship and service of God should be unbound by limits, should be free to utter itself in large and even lavish contributions. We are not to be tied to the tenth of our produce and our income; we may be free and eager to contribute a fifth, a half, two-thirds of all that we possess “for the furtherance of the gospel.” We are not limited to one-seventh of our time for devotion, or to any prescribed times in the day for communion with God; we do well to let our hearts ascend in prayer and holy fellowship every day and at all hours of the day. If we have the consciousness of God’s abounding kindness, of our Saviour’s surpassing love, of the Holy Spirit’s grace and patience which we should have, to which we may all of us attain, we shall let there be a glad and generous overflow of offering unto God. We shall let our praise, our contribution, our endeavour, be multiplied. There will be no narrow regulation, but a broad and open spontaneity in our service of Jesus Christ.C.
2Ch 7:8-11
Sunshine.
A very happy time it was when the temple was opened at Jerusalem. It may be said that the city of God and the people of God dwelt in the sunshine of his presence and his favour. It was a protracted period of sacred joy and gladdening prosperity.
I. SOLEMNITIES AND FESTIVITIES ARE FITTINGLY ASSOCIATED. “At the same time” i.e. in close conjunction with the solemn rites that were observed within the temple, “Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him.” The slaying of the devoted animal on the altar and the spreading of the table for a common feast, sacrificial worship and festive delights, went hand in hand. This was quite in keeping with the provision of the Law. And it is in perfect accord with the spirit, the institutions, and the precepts of the gospel.
1. The spirit of the gospel enjoins humility before God, and then trust and joy in God.
2. The principal institution of the gospel is a common participation at a tablea table at which the living, loving Host meets his friends, welcomes them with joy, and invites them to rejoice in him.
3. The precept of the gospel is, “Humble yourselves before God,” and “Rejoice in the Lord alway.” At our most solemn engagements and in our most sacred hours the note of holy joy should never be absent long; indeed, it should be the prevailing note in Christian service.
II. SACRED JOY SHOULD BE UNSELFISH IN ITS CHARACTER. These men were glad at heart “for the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.” They were filled with joy because their departed sovereign’s deepest desire was fulfilled, and because (they thought) if he were present his heart would be enlarged; they were gladdened because their present king was elated with an honourable pride and a profound satisfaction, and they made his joy their own. Moreover, their patriotism was stirred within them, and they rejoiced because they felt that their nation was now in the sunshine of the Divine favour. It is well to be able to say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me;” it is better to be able to sing, “Surely God is good to Israel.“ Our piety rises to a higher altitude when concern for ourselves passes into solicitude for the welfare of our fellow-men, when gratitude for personal favours is lest in thankfulness to God for his mercy to our race.
III. PIETY IS SURE TO FIND ITS WAY HOME. The people went back to “their tents” with this abounding exultation. They carried it home; they shared it with those with whom they dwelt; they communicated it to those who could not derive it from the temple-scenes themselves. This is a simple Christian obligation. All that we have from God we should carry home with us; and particularly those inspirations and exaltations which we gain in his house and from his worship we should impart to our kindred and our friends. We are closely related to one another for the express purpose that we may communicate to one another the best and highest that is within usour purest thoughts, our worthiest feelings, our highest aspirations, our most sacred joys.
IV. PIETY AND PROSPERITY ARE VERY CLOSELY ALLIED. It was very right that the building of the king’s house (2Ch 7:11) should follow the erection of the house of the Lord; it was quite natural that the one should lead to the other. We are not surprised to read that in all Solomon’s undertakings he “prospered effectively.” He was living and labouring in the fear and the love of God; he was walking in the light Of God’s countenance. While the reward of piety is inward and spiritual rather than outward and materialis in peace, hope, rectitude, Christ-likeness of spirit and character rather than in “riches and honour,” yet is it true that “godliness has the promise of the life that now is;” it tends constantly to virtue, to prudence, to thrift, to comfort, to prosperity.C.
2Ch 7:16
The temple, the Temple, and the temples of the Lord.
We are reminded in these words of successive manifestations of the Divine to the children of men. We have first
I. THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM. This was for many generations and for many centuries the chosen place and method of Divine manifestation. It was:
1. The sacred place, “chosen and sanctified” of God, the recognized spot where Cod was to be approached, where his presence was markedly and peculiarly felt, where sacrifice and prayer were to be offered to him, and where pardon and grace were to be gained from him.
2. The place of revelation, where the nature and the character of the Supreme was to be known, and whence it was to be made known. God’s “Name [was to be] there forever.” There he was to be known as the one Divine Spirit, as the Holy One, the Just One, the Merciful One; there he revealed himself in such wise that his worshippers “knew the Lord;” knew him so that they could truly honour him, obediently and acceptably serve him, attain towards his own character and spirit.
3. The place where God manifested himself in peculiar kindness. “Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” Not, indeed, that this is not applicable, in a very true sense, everywhere. For “the eyes of the Lord are in every place,” and there are none of his children or of his creatures in whom he is not interested. But upon his people worshipping him in his house he would look down with peculiar kindness; and towards them, as they reverently and obediently poured forth their praises or brought their grateful offerings, his heart of love would lean.
II. THE ONE GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE, who yet was the Temple of the Lord in his day. For Jesus Christ was he in whom and through whom God manifested himself to mankind, in whom he dwelt and from whom his glory shone.
1. Whoso approached him drew nigh to God and stood in the Divine presence.
2. He made known “the Name” of God, for he revealed the Father unto the human race; has caused us all to know and to feel that God is, above everything else, the Divine Father, who cares for all his children, and who, whatever their wanderings may be, earnestly remembers them still and is seeking their return.
3. He was the One toward whom “the eyes and the heart” of God were peculiarly directed, the “beloved Son in whom he was well pleased,” and for whose sake his eye of pity and his heart of love are directed to mankind. Not the magnificent Herodian structure on Zion, but that Son of man who often walked about its courts, was the Object in which, in whom, God was to be sought and found.
III. OURSELVES THE TEMPLES OF THE LORD. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1Co 3:16). What Christ was when he was in the world, that we are to be now. He was the Light of the world, and he said to us,” Ire are the light of the world;” so he was the temple of God, the One in whom God dwelt, and through whom his Name (his character and his purpose) was made known; and now he charges us to be the “temples of the Holy Ghost;” as men regard us and our life they should be reminded of the Divine, of the truth and the spirit and the character that are of God. We should be living to make God known to all whom we can anywise reach and teach. Upon us his eyes are fixed, and toward us his heart is going in all Divine tenderness and love. We do not fulfil the end of our Christian life except it be true of us that we are the temples of the living God. Not to any sacred place or any consecrated building need men go to find the truth and the Spirit of God; it is (or it should be) enough that they approach the nearest Christian man; they will find what they seek in his words, his bearing, his character, his life.C.
2Ch 7:17-22
The Divine promise.
This is very large and generous, but it is always conditional. God never makes a promise which is absolutely unconditional. We can readily see that it is morally impossible for him to do so; it would be unrighteous, unwise, and, in the end, unkind so to do. tie must and does say, “If then I will; if not then I will not.” So was it (or so is it) with
I. THE ROYAL FAMILY. God’s promise to David and to Solomon that the royal house should be established and should continue to reign was conditional on their allegiance to himself (1Ch 22:13; 1Ch 28:7): “If thou wilt walk before me,” etc. (2Ch 7:17). The melancholy issue proved only too well that there was no possibility of the fulfilment of the hope apart from obedience to the will of God.
II. THE NATION. God’s promises to Israel were great, but they, were conditional on its fidelity. In this passage the possibility of forfeiture is very fully stated (2Ch 7:19-22). And in the long exile which the Jews suffered in Babylon, and in the terrible dispersion after the destruction of Jerusalem and the extinction of Israel as a nation, we find a fearful fulfilment of the solemn warning of the text. God deals with families and with nations now as he did with his own people. If they walk in truth, in wisdom, in righteousness, in godliness, they are established; but if they depart from faith and purity, they fall. History will furnish ample illustration of the doctrine; the observation of one long life will supply strong corroboration of its truth.
III. THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL. God makes very great promises to us all; they are “exceeding great and precious” (2Pe 1:4). They include the forgiveness of sins, restoration to perfect Sonship, guidance and provision through all our earthly course, the preservation of our spiritual integrity in trial and temptation, a full response to our prayer and our Christian effort, peace in death, everlasting glory. But not one of these is promised to us irrespective of our attitude or our action. We must repent of our sin, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we would be forgiven and restored; we must seek first the kingdom of God, and ask honestly and sincerely for Divine help, if we would receive all needful blessings for the life that now is; we must shun the spiritual peril which we are not called upon to face, and strive against the enemy we have to encounter, if we would prevail against our adversaries; we must abide in Christ, if we would bear the fruits of the Spirit of God; we must be prayerful and persevering and devoted, if we would work a good work for our Lord and our race; we must be faithful unto death, if we would wear and win “the crown of life.”C.
HOMILIES BY T. WHITELAW
2Ch 7:1-7
The acceptance of Solomon’s prayer.
I. THE ANSWERING GOD. (2Ch 7:1, 2Ch 7:2.) By himself set forth (Isa 65:24; Jer 33:3), by his people recognized (Psa 65:2; Psa 99:8; Isa 58:9), and by Christ revealed (Mat 7:7-11; Mat 18:19; Joh 16:23) as a Hearer of prayer, Jehovah responded to the intercession of Israel’s king by a twofold sign.
1. By fire from heaven. “The God that answereth by fire,” said Elijah upon Carmel, “let him be God” (1Ki 18:24); and in this case “the fire came down from heaven and consumed”not the people, as it did Nadab and Abihu (Le 2Ch 10:2), and Azariah’s captains with their fifties (2Ki 1:10, 2Ki 1:12, 2Ki 1:14), and as James and John wished it to do to the Samaritans (Luk 9:54); but the sacrifices, as it did with Moses (Le Joh 9:24), Gideon (Jdg 6:21), David (1Ch 21:26), and Elijah (1Ki 18:38). That this fire was that which symbolized Jehovah’s presence at the bush (Exo 3:2), on Mount Sinai (Exo 19:18), at Horeb (1Ki 19:12), on the Chebar (Eze 1:4), in Babylon (Dan 7:9), and now also in the temple, may be assumed. That as a symbol this fire pointed to the holiness and judicial wrath of God against sin seems plausible and indeed probable; if so it becomes apparent, without comment, why the sacrifices and not the people were devoured. The victims on the altars were the people’s substitutes, the bearers of the people’s sins; hence on them rather than on the people the fire from heaven fell. The consumption of the sacrifices was an intimation that the people were accepted. Or, if fire be taken as the symbol of God’s refining and sanctifying power, the notion is hardly different, since God refines and sanctifies by burning up and destroying (legally by his judicial wrath, and spiritually by his gracious influences within the soul) all that is sinful, and therefore obnoxious to his holiness and justice alike (cf. Heb 12:29). So God still accepts the inward spiritual sacrifices of his people by sending down upon them fire from heaven, by annihilating and destroying the sin that attaches to them, through the fire of Christ’s Passion, and by refining the hearts that offer them through the fire of his Spirit (Mat 3:11).
2. By the glory-cloud. This, which appears to have taken possession of the holy of holies, and indeed of the entire shrine immediately on the close of the ceremony of the introduction of the ark (verse 14), is again said to have filled the house, Not that it had withdrawn from the house and afterwards returned when Solomon had ended his prayer; but merely that the two things are now brought togetherthe fire upon the altar and the glory in the house as parts of one and the same complex phenomenon, which indicated the acceptance of Solomon’s temple and prayer. The heart which God accepts he stills fills with his glorythe glory of his presence as a prayer-hearing, sin-forgiving, love-manifesting, holiness-working, glory-preparing God (Joh 14:21, Joh 14:23; Rom 5:5; 2Co 6:16; Col 1:27; Rev 3:20).
II. THE WORSHIPPING PEOPLE. (Verse 3.) Overawed by the spectacle they beheld, the people adored the presence of their covenant God and condescending King, presenting before him their supplications.
1. With reverent humility. “Bowing themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement,” as they did in the wilderness when, on Aaron’s first offerings being presented, “a fire came out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat” (Le Joh 9:24), and as Moses and Aaron did when the former interceded for the people (Num 14:5), as the Israelites on Carmel (1Ki 18:39), Christ’s disciples on the holy mount (Mat 17:6), and the four and twenty elders of the Apocalyptic vision did (Rev 11:16). Humility a foremost characteristic of all who would approach God in prayer (Gen 18:30), or with whom God would dwell (Isa 57:15).
2. With fervent acclamation. “Praising the Lord and saying;” for though prayer and praise without audible speech are not impossible (1Sa 1:13; Eph 5:19), when the heart is hot the tongue cannot well be silent (Psa 39:3). Men that are in earnest, like David, cry and weep in their prayers (Psa 6:8; Psa 18:6), while in their praises they dance and sing (2Sa 6:14; Psa 71:22).
3. With true faith, recognizing his Divine goodness and believing in the unchangeableness of his mercy (see on verses 13, 14).
III. THE THANKSGIVING KING. (Verses 4, 5.) Besides the people, Solomon was specially affected by the great sight. His heart swelled with gratitude, which he expressed:
1. By sacrifices. Gratitude which overflows merely in lip-service may well be suspected. The true index of a heart’s feeling of indebtedness is its willingness to part with something belonging to itself for the sake of him towards whom the feeling is cherished. Hence the emphasis laid by Old Testament Scripture on the duty of offering the sacrifices of thanksgiving (Psa 50:14; Psa 107:22).
2. By repeated sacrifices. Solomon and his subjects had already offered victims on the altar (verse 6); but these were presented in addition because new mercies had evoked new occasions of thanksgiving. As the saint’s gratitude should not be a momentary feeling, cherished for a little season and then dismissed till some more convenient opportunity shall arrive, but a perennial emotion continually welling up within the breast; so should the saint’s sacrifices not be occasional acts, but deeds that are constantly being repeated and renewed.
3. By large sacrifices. Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheepindeed, so abundant were the victims that the brazen altar was not spacious enough, large as it was (2Ch 4:1), to receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat; yet, rather than that any of them should not be presented to the Lord, the pavement in the middle of the court was “hallowed,” i.e. extemporized into an altar (verse 7), and the victims slaughtered and burnt thereupon. Solomon had no notion of being stinted in his “givings” to Jehovah. Neither should Christians in their offerings to the God of the Christian Church. The Lord still loveth a cheerful giver (2Co 9:7), and never fails to reward a liberal giver (2Co 9:6).
4. By timely sacrifices. The king chose the right moment for his offerings”then” (verse 4), when his eye was arrested and his heart affected by the sight of the fire and the glory, and by the contemplation of Jehovah’s goodness and grace. Had he delayed, the offerings might not have been so numerous as they were, if indeed they had not been omitted altogether. “Strike while the iron is hot” is a proverb applicable to all good resolutions. Bis dat qui cito dat. Evil purposes should be delayed till the passions exciting them have cooled; good intentions should be carried through while the spirit glows with the holy enthusiasm that has given them birth.
IV. THE ASSISTING PRIESTS. (Verse 6.) In addition to the king and commons, the ministers of the sanctuary bore their part in the great act of worship.
1. The priests waited on their offices, or stood, in their stationsnot according to their divisions (Bertheau), but in their offices (Vulgate); i.e. they preserved the ranks and functions which had been assigned them by David (1Ch 24:7). They also sounded trumpets before them.
2. The Levites acted as instrumentalists and singers. They used the instruments of the song of Jehovah which David had invented and appointed, and with which David himself had praised God by their service, i.e. by making use of their playing, as he did when fetching up the ark out of Obed-edom’s house (1Ch 15:16-28).
Learn:
1. The certainty that God can answer prayer.
2. The duty of Divine worship.
3. The joyous character of true religion.
4. The necessity of practising Christian liberality.W.
2Ch 7:8-11
A great festival.
I. THE OCCASION.
1. The dedication of the altar. Probably a part is here put for the whole. The writer means by the dedication of the altar the dedication of the whole temple. That this should have been followed by a feast was appropriate, since
(1) all labour carried to a successful termination, as the temple had been, is fitted to occasion joy; and
(2) the fact that sinful man is permitted to consecrate anything to Jehovah ought ever to excite within the heart glad emotions.
2. The Feast of Tabernacles. It would seem that the solemnities connected with the dedication were commenced seven days at least before the fifteenth of Tisri, the date of the Feast of Tabernacles, and that on the fifteenth this latter feast began, and was celebrated with unusual magnificence.
II. THE GUESTS.
1. Solomon the king. So is Christ himself ever present at the banquets he provides for his people, whether on earth within the Church militant, or in heaven in the Church triumphant. With reference to the former Christ says, “I will sup with him” (Rev 3:16); as regards the latter it is written, “The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall be their Shepherd” (Rev 7:17); “I will drink it,” the fruit of the vine, “new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Mat 26:29).
2. All Israel with him, from the entering in of Hamath, the northen boundary of Palestine, to the river of Egypt, its southern limit. So will all the followers of God, the spiritual children and subjects of the heavenly King, be admitted to the banquet of salvation, both here and there”he with me” (Rev 3:16).
III. THE DURATION. Seven days.
1. Preceded by a seven days‘ dedication service, during which the multitudes of victims were slain by the king and the peoplenot by the priests, who were merely employed in sprinkling the blood upon the altar.
2. Followed by a solemn assembly on the eighth day, the last and the great day of the feast (Joh 7:37). On the twenty-third day of the seventh month the assembly broke up, and the people returned to their homes.
IV. THE GLADNESS.
1. Its character. The people’s joy was sincere, deep, and exhilarating. Not only at the termination of the festal season, but throughout its continuance, the celebrants were merry in their hearts.
2. Its cause. Different from the mirth which stirred the heart of Nabal (1Sa 25:36), theirs proceeded from a contemplation of Jehovah’s goodness to David, who had been the originator of the temple-building scheme, to Solomon, who had carried it out, and to them who were to profit by it.
Learn:
1. That national feastings are as proper to religion as national lastings.
2. That sovereigns and their subjects should at times unite in public expressions of religious feeling.
3. That good rulers are often long remembered by their people.
4. That God’s goodness can be displayed to his saints long after they are dead.
5. That the greatest good a king or his people can receive from Heaven is religion, and the means of sustaining and advancing it.W.
2Ch 7:12-22
A covenant concerning the Church of God.
I. THE PARTIES.
1. The Lord. Jehovah, the supreme and self-existent Deity (Exo 3:14), the God of nature, who can “shut up heaven,” “command the locusts,” “send pestilence” (2Ch 7:13), as well as the God of grace, who can hear prayer, forgive sin, and heal not only land, but souls (2Ch 7:14); the God of providence, who can pluck up nations by the roots, and scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth (2Ch 7:20); the God of law and order, who issues statutes and commandments (2Ch 7:19); the God of faithfulness and truth, who both maketh and keepeth covenant with his people (2Ch 7:18); the God of believing families, who, as “the Lord God of their fathers,” remembereth them the children for good (2Ch 7:22); the God of justice, who is able to fulfil his threatenings as well as promises (2Ch 7:20); the one living and true God, who will not tolerate the rivalry of such as are no gods (2Ch 7:22).
2. Solomon the King of Israel. The prince of peace, the head and representative of his people, their intercessor and mediator, who by sacrifices and supplications interposed between them and the all-glorious Jehovah who dwelt between the cherubim; in this respect a type of Jesus Christ, the heavenly Solomon, the true Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6), the King of Israel par excellence (Joh 1:49), the Head and Representative of the Church of God (Eph 1:22), the Advocate and Intercessor for his believing people (Heb 7:25; 1Jn 2:1).
II. THE BASIS. Two acts of grace on the part of Jehovah towards Solomon.
1. The acceptance of his prayer on behalf of Israel. “I have heard thy prayer” (2Ch 7:12). On a similar basis Jehovah grounds his covenant with Christ concerning the Church of the New Testament, via. his acceptance of Christ’s mediation and intercession”Thou art [or, ‘this is’] my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”; “Father, I know that thou hearest me always” (Joh 11:42).
2. The choice of his temple as a place of sacrifice. (2Ch 7:12.) There can be no covenant except on a sacrificial basis (Heb 9:16-20). For this reason emphasis was laid upon the choice of the temple as a house of sacrifice. The “house of sacrifice” in the new covenant was the temple of Christ’s body (Joh 2:21; Heb 10:19, Heb 10:20).
III. THE PROMISES.
1. For the people. That penitential prayer, accompanied with an earnest seeking of the Divine favour, and a genuine work of reformation among them, should be followed by forgiveness and its attendant signs (2Ch 7:14).
2. For the temple. That God’s heart should be there perpetually (2Ch 7:16), that his eyes should be open towards it, and his ears attest unto whatever prayer should in future years be made in it (2Ch 7:15). So God still engages to observe every suppliant and hear every prayer made to him in Christ’s Name, or with an eye to his atoning sacrifice; because his eyes and his heart are ever on the Son.
3. For the king. That God would establish his throne according to the covenant made with David, that the throne of Israel should never want a ruler (2Ch 7:18); always provided that he, the king, followed in the footsteps of David, doing all God commanded him, and observing God’s statutes and judgments.
IV. THE THREATENINGS. All covenants have penalties attached to them to be inflicted as alternatives in case the covenanting party or parties fail to implement the condition on which alone the promise or promises can be bestowed (see Gen 2:17). Here the penalties for disobedience were explicit, if severe.
1. For the king. Failure of the royal line, which would terminate with himself or with a near descendant. This a clear deduction from the terms of the Davidic covenant.
2. For the people. Plucking up by the roots from the land of their inheritance, and dispersion among the nations of the earth as a proverb and a byword (2Ch 7:20).
3. For the temple. Destruction and desolation, which should make of its lofty wails an astonishment to every one that passeth by.
Learn:
1. That God’s promises of grace and salvation are all conditioned by the faith and obedience of those who receive them.
2. That God’s threatenings are as certain of fulfilment as his promises.
3. That God’s judgments can always vindicate themselves to those who reverently inquire concerning them.W.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
4. The Divine Confirmation of the Dedication of the Temple: 2Ch 7:1-10
2Ch 7:1.And when Solomon had ended [his] prayer, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, 3because the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. And all the sons of Israel saw the fire come down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, and they bowed down their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped and 4praised the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. And the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep; and the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6And the priests stood at their posts, and the Levites with instruments of song of the Lord, which David the king had made, to thank the Lord, that His mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their hand; and the priests blew the 7trumpets1 before them, and all Israel stood. And Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the lord; for there he offered the burnt-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings: because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offerings, and the meat- 8offerings, and the fat. And Solomon kept the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from Hamath to the river of 9Egypt. And they made on the eighth day a solemn assembly; for they kept the 10dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And in the twenty and third day of the seventh month he sent away the people to their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
EXEGETICAL
Preliminary Remark.The first three sections or acts of this account agree with the parallel 1 Kings 8, mostly to the letter; only a notice referring to the part of the priests, Levites, and singers in the solemnity in 6:1113 is peculiar to our author. In the fourth section (7:110) is found the more considerable deviation, that instead of the blessing pronounced by Solomon on the community of Israel (1Ki 8:54-61), the consuming of the offerings by fire from heaven is narrated (7:13; comp. the similar account in the history of the census and the plague, 1Ch 21:26 f.).
1. Removal of the Ark from Zion to the Temple: 2Ch 5:2-14; comp. 1Ki 8:1-11 (and thereon, Bhr, Bibelw. vii. 72 ff.).
2Ch 6:3. In the feast, which was the seventh month. According to 1 Kings, the statement: in the month Ethanim, appears to have fallen out before these words, though also might be a mistake for , in the seventh month.
2Ch 6:5. The supplement of a between and (see Crit. Note) seems indispensable; for even if Levitical priests bore the ark and the holy vessels of the tabernacle into the temple, yet it is certain that the tabernacle itself (its boards, curtains, and coverings) was not conveyed by the priests, but only by the Levites, into the temple to be preserved as sacred relics. The copula is perhaps left out only by a copyist, who thought of , Jos 3:3; Deu 17:9; Deu 17:18 (Keil).
2Ch 6:10. The two tables which Moses put into it at Horeb, properly, gave, , as Exo 40:20. More clear and full is the parallel text 1Ki 8:9 : , which he had put there.
2Ch 6:11. For all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves. These words begin the longer parenthesis inserted by the Chronist in the statement, 1Ki 8:10, concerning the priests, Levites, and singers, which extends to 2Ch 6:13 b. That were present, literally, that were found; comp. 1Ch 29:17; Ezr 8:25.Without observing the courses; that is, on account of the greatness of the solemnity, and the multitude of persons required, the series of exchanging courses of the priests (1 Chronicles 24) could not be observed; all the courses must together sanctify themselves and co-operate. For the construction , comp. 1Ch 23:26; Ew. 321, b.
2Ch 6:12. All of them, Asaph, etc., properly, as to all, Asaph, etc.; the introductory , as 1Ch 5:25 (see on this passage).Sounding with trumpets. For , see on 1Ch 15:24; comp. also the remarks on the temple musicians and their instruments, 1Ch 15:17-28.
2Ch 6:13.And the trumpeters and singers were as one man, literally, and it came to pass as one concerning the trumpeters and singers (, as before), that they sounded loud with one voice. For the construction , comp. Ew. 237, and on the import of , 1Ch 15:16. The , with one voice, is properly redundant, but is added to the to strengthen the notion already lying in , one of the unisono of the trumpet sound, and the singing of the many voices.When they lifted up the voice, literally, and as the lifting of the voice; comp. Ezr 3:12; Ezr 9:1. The words connect again with 2Ch 7:11 a, and so prepare for the conclusion, which, however, is formed by the last words of the verse: Then the house was filled with the cloud of the house of the Lord, the well-known light-cloud (shechinah) dwelling in the tabernacle since the time of Moses, the manifestation of the gracious presence of God in His covenant sanctuary. For 2Ch 6:14, comp. 1Ki 8:11, and Bhr thereon.
2. Solomon praises the Lord on his Entrance into the new temple: 2Ch 6:1-11; agreeing almost literally with 1Ki 6:12-21.We notice some of the never very important deviations of our text.On 2Ch 7:1, comp. Lev 16:1
2Ch 6:2. And I, even I, have built, etc. Instead of , with its emphatic accentuation of the subject, 1Ki 8:13 gives , I have surely built, etc.
2Ch 6:4. Blessed be the Lord who hath spoken with His mouth, etc., a reference to 1Ch 11:2, which promise is here repeated with great fulness, resting indeed on the words of Nathan contained in 1Ch 17:4-14, to which allusion is made, especially from 2Ch 7:8.
2Ch 6:5. From the day that I brought my people, etc. From this to 2Ch 7:7, the speech of Solomon, compared with 1Ki 8:16 f., appears enlarged, especially by the sentences there wanting, 2Ch 7:5 b: and I chose no man to be ruler, etc., and 2Ch 7:6 a. and I chose Jerusalem.
2Ch 6:11. And there I have put the ark. Somewhat otherwise 1Ki 8:21 : And I have set there a place for the ark ( for the simple ).
3. Solomons Prayer of Consecration: 2Ch 6:12-22; except the introduction, 2Ch 6:13, and the close, 2Ch 6:40-42, very closely agreeing with 1Ki 8:22-53.
2Ch 6:13. For Solomon had made a scaffold of brass. This whole parenthesis, with the notice concerning the brazen scaffold (properly, basin, , pot-shaped elevation, platform; comp. Neh 9:4) in the court, is wanting in 1 Kings; whether omitted by an old error of the transcriber, as Then. and Berth. think, must remain doubtful.
2Ch 6:21. And hear Thou from Thy dwelling-place, from heaven, for which 1Ki 8:30 : hear to Thy dwelling-place, to heaven, perhaps by a mistake in copying.
2Ch 6:33. Then hear Thou, literally, and Thou hear; the before , introducing the conclusion, is wanting in 1Ki 8:43, for which reason Berth, would here also exclude it from the text, contrary to all the mss.
2Ch 6:40-42 form a close of the speech of Solomon, deviating greatly from 1Ki 8:50-53. Of the allusion there to the deliverance of Israel, as the heritage of the Lord, from the iron furnace of Egypt, and of the promises given by Moses (2 Chronicles 6:51, 53), there is here nothing. On the contrary, the petition there: Let Thine eyes be open, etc. (2 Chronicles 6:52), is here notably enlarged and strengthened by the important summons: Now, arise unto Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy strength. This summons to the solemn and formal taking possession of the temple, to which the following narrative of the fire coming down on the sacrifice corresponds, is justly declared by Thenius to be original, and defended against the assumption that it is an arbitrary addition made by the Chronist (Berth., etc.); for, in consequence of the abence of this summons to take possession of the sanctuary, the point of the whole prayer is wanting in 1 Kings 8 and the suspicion is raised that there some lines have fallen out at the end. Yet, in respect of form, our author, in his rendering of the close of the prayer, might have rested partly on other old documents, particularly on Psa 132:8-10, a passage which coincides almost verbally with 2Ch 6:41-42 (but possibly also the Psalmist might have borrowed from the original edition of Solomons prayer, correctly retained in our passage), and on Isa 55:3, where the mercies of David occur, coinciding verbaly with our passage (2Ch 6:42 b), and intended, indeed, in the same sense (denoting the Lords merciful dealings with David, not Davids pious deeds, as Keil thinks); comp. also Psa 89:50.And now arise, O Lord God, to Thy rest, enter now the rest to which the throne of Thy glory has attained, for , only elsewhere in Est 9:16-18, and there in the form ; comp. also Num 10:36 : , as there is here a significant accord with the words of Moses referring to the setting out and resting of the ark in the wilderness.And let Thy saints be glad for the good (, as Job 20:18; Psa 104:28). The parallel Psa 132:9 has here more briefly: and let Thy saints shout for joy ( for ).
2Ch 6:42. Turn not away the face of Thine anointed, refuse not his prayer; comp.1Ki 2:16. For the mercies of David, see above.
4. The Divine Confirmation of the Dedication of the Temple: 2Ch 7:1-10. The first part of this section, 2Ch 7:1-3, is wanting in 1 Kings 8 : the second, except 2Ch 7:6, which is there wanting, agrees almost verbally with 1Ki 8:62-66.And when Solomon the fire came down from heaven. Both this account of the descent of a miraculous fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice, and that of the filling of the house with the glory of the Lord, along with the adoring worship of the whole community before God wonderfully manifesting Himself, are peculiar to the Chronist. In 1Ki 8:54-61, instead of this is found an address of Solomon to the assembly, with the expression of thanks to God for His goodness to Israel, and the petition for the further manifestation of His mercy and grace. The difference, that our author relates something miraculous on which the books of Kings are silent, is similar to that in the history of the census and the pestilence, 1Ch 21:26. Yet the earlier account of the miraculous filling of the house with the glory of God (5:1114) is also found in the author of 1Ki 8:10. Thus both narratives agree in attesting a miraculous appearance at the temple dedication; but that of the older writer places this wonder before the prayer of Solomon, without placing a second miracle at the end of this prayer, whereas the Chronist reports a twofold coming of glory of the Lord, the first before the prayer, the second after it, and connected with the consuming of the offering by heavenly fire (or, as it may be supposed, with Keil, consisting in this operation of fire). Arbitrary reduplication of the miracle that had already taken place according to the oldest record and shaping of the supposed second wonder according to the model from the Mosaic time, Lev 9:23 f., are charged by modern criticism (Then., Berth., Kamph., etc.) against the Chronist or the younger narrative adopted by him. But it may at least be assumed that the tendency of the Chronist to the history of worship was the occasion of his mentioning the second wonder, whereas the author of the books of Kings, in accordance with his attention to the history of the kingdom, took less interest in this. It was scarcely abhorrence of the miraculous, or preference of the natural and conceivable, on the part of the latter, that led him to avoid the account of the miraculous consuming of the offering; comp. his account of the corresponding wonder in the history of Elijah (1 Kings 18), on which our author is silent on other grounds; and see, moreover, Evangelical and Ethical Reflections after 2 Chronicles 9, No. 3.And consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices, the offerings mentioned 2Ch 5:6, which the king and the people had slain at the entrance of the ark in the temple, and which were slain during the prayer of dedication, but not yet burnt, partly on the altar of burnt-offering, partly on other altars erected specially for them in the inner courts (2Ch 7:7).
2Ch 7:3. And all the sons of Israel saw the fire come down. So also in the original fact of the Mosaic history, Lev 9:24.And they bowed down on the pavement. For this pavement () or flooring in the court, that we may not certainly conceive to be mosaic work of ornamental variegated stone, as in the Persian citadel at Susa, Est 1:6, comp. Eze 40:17-18.
2Ch 7:4-10. The solemnities of sacrifice and festival, even to the addition concerning the musical part in 2Ch 7:6, are described in exact accordance with 1Ki 8:62 ff., even with regard to the number of the victims offered. For these great but not incredibly great numbers (22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep), comp. partly the remarks on the great feast at Hebron, 1Ch 12:39, partly the notice justly quoted by Berth. from Josephus, De bello Jud.vi. 9. 3, according to which, even in the Roman times, within a few hours, 256,500 passover lambs were slain at Jerusalem. These colossal offerings and festivals exceed our conception quite as much as the numbers attesting the magnitude of the present steam or railway trade, or of the modern warfare, transcend the imagination of the ancients.
2Ch 7:6. And the priests stood at their posts, literally, watches; comp. 2Ch 8:14; 2Ch 35:2; the Vulg. rightly in substance: in officiis suis; to suppose a standing of the priests according to their divisions (Berth.) is unnecessary.When David praised by their hand, that is, executing the song of praise arranged by David, so that he, as it were, praised God by their musical performance. The Vulg. translate in substance correctly, but somewhat freely: hymnos David canentes per manus suas (similarly the Sept.). On the whole verse, comp. the similar but somewhat more diffuse notice of the co-operation of the priests and Levites in the solemnity, 2Ch 5:11-13.
2Ch 7:7. And Solomon hallowed the middle of the court, the court immediately before the temple forming the middle of the sacred square (Then.). This whole inner space had Solomon formed as it were into a great altar of sacrifice, on account of the multitude of offerings to be presented. The notice is plainly supplementary, on which account (with the relat. of mere sequence of thought) may be rendered by the pluperfect.
2Ch 7:8. And Solomon kept the feast at that time, namely, the feast of tabernacles; comp. Lev 23:36; Num 29:35 ff. On the now following notes of time, and their greater clearness than those of the parallel 1Ki 8:65 f., see Bhr on this passage.
2Ch 7:10. He sent away the people to their tents, that is, their homes; comp. 1Sa 13:2; Psa 78:55; and 2Ch 10:16 (1Ki 12:16.).For the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon. In 1Ki 8:66, and to Solomon is wanting; but the arbitrary addition of this expression is not therefore to be charged on the Chronist (against Thenius).
Footnotes:
[1] Keri: , as above, 2Ch 5:12-13.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
We have here the account of the Lord’s gracious answer to Solomon’s prayer. The effect it had upon the people. Beside these things, here is related the circumstance of the Lord’s visit to Solomon by night.
2Ch 7:1
It is remarkable, that this gracious manifestation of God’s acceptance in the fire descending and consuming the sacrifice is not noticed in the parallel passage in the book of the Kings. We therefore may find cause from it to bless the Holy Ghost for this duplicate of the history in this book of the Chronicles, by which the Reader is desired to take notice, that this part of the word of God is not, as some have injudiciously thought, a superfluous repetition of the sacred history. If there was but this one thing contained in all the Chronicles which had not been brought before the church in the former account, this alone would be enough to prove its value. The fire coming down from heaven, and consuming the sacrifice, was the gracious method the Lord was pleased to adopt by way of testifying his divine approbation. We have several examples before this of Solomon’s sacrifice upon record. If the Reader wishes to compare scripture on this point, I refer him to the case of Aaron in his offering of the sin-offering, Lev 9:24 : the memorable case of Gideon, Jdg 6:21 and Elijah, 1Ki 18:38 . But Reader! when you have turned to these and other instances which may be found in scripture, do not overlook the vast and infinite concern we have in this doctrine as it refers to the Lord Jesus. When the Son of God, for the purpose of redemption, took upon him our nature, and became a sacrifice for our sins; the fire of God’s wrath was manifested in the sufferings of Jesus. And what an approbation was given to this redemption by Jesus, when the voice from heaven publicly proclaimed: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased! Precious Jesus! how lovely and gracious dost thou appear in all thy redemption-work for the souls of thy people.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The Divine Response
2Ch 7
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying” ( 2Ch 7:1 ).
IN praying there is no end. Pray without ceasing. It is the only thing we can do endlessly, unless it be things that are vitally related to itself, as request of knowledge, love of truth, and love of God. But we end for the time being. We cannot always morally and audibly continue to pray; the poor flesh could not stand it, the brain would rebel, and call for rest. Blessed be God, there is a praying that is not praying in words. That is the great praying. The soul delights in it; it is without the fatigue and the temptation of bodily exercise; it is, so to say, an exhalation of the soul, a continual rising of the whole nature Godward, starting at the cross, resting at the throne. Solomon’s prayer itself is a prayer without an end. Never until a greater than Solomon came, was such a prayer offered upon the earth: how pathetic, how tender, how comprehensive! How like a king, how like a friend! How august, how simple, is the man when he prays! He was never afraid of the Gentiles. We have seen that he sent to Tyre for a man to help him. In his prayer he says, “Moreover, concerning the stranger.” What a gospel enters there! How the heavens seem to palpitate with the fulfilment of evangelical prediction and promise! Concerning the man who was not of the house of Israel, if he, poor soul, should come to this house and pray, let the tears of thy pity fall upon him: he is only a stranger to us, he is not a stranger to thee. Peter was long in learning that lesson; Solomon seemed to grow it in the garden of his heart; it was planted there by the Lord, who has trees of his right hand planting everywhere. The prayer is majestic in thought, noble in expression, comprehensive in solicitude, but how seldom it drops into pathos deeper than “concerning the stranger.” Strangers want help, attention, civility, hospitality; it is bad enough to be a stranger, but to be made to feel our strangeness is a heavy calamity. There are hospitable walls that receive us in a way that makes us forget that we are strangers, that give us a touch of the inner masonry, that bring heart to heart in loving consolidation. The Christian Church is nothing if it forget the stranger. Your church is not a church, but a pit of rottenness, if you exclude anybody from it. Write your nefarious creed; scratch with a villain’s finger your putrid dogmas; for they are such if they are not associated with a sympathy broad as Christ’s, a solicitude about the far-away and the prodigal tender as the spirit of the cross. Never be great in excommunication: never be superbly grand in telling people to go away from the church: make the prodigal feel that if there is any place on earth where he might hope for rest, it would be in Christ’s Church-home, in Christ’s wondrous, immeasurable, hospitable sanctuary.
Do you think you have exhausted prayer? Then you have never prayed. There is a temptation at a certain point of life to give up prayer. There are persons who suppose themselves to have outgrown the necessity of intercession. There are persons who suppose themselves to have outgrown everything; the wonder is that such marvellous outgrowth should not receive more honour and homage. There are persons who have outgrown their first principles, their early enthusiasms, their beginnings of Christian consecration; there are those who have outgrown the old house Bible, there are some who have outgrown the sanctuary. They look in now and then: what condescension! What sublime humility! Grow in the right direction; grow upward, and see how high it is.
Here we have prayer consciously answered
“And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night [this is implied, though not directly stated, in Kings, where we hear that ‘the Lord appeared to Solomon… as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon’ ( 1Ki 9:2 ), which was ‘in a dream by night’ (ib. 1Ki 3:5 )], and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice [a phrase occurring nowhere else in the Old Testament]” ( 2Ch 7:12 ).
Thus stands the case. The Old Testament is full of this familiarity with the divine coming and going. Have we changed our expression, or have we changed the reality of the case? For we are now ashamed to say we have had a visitation from God. Were a man to say now that he saw God last night he would be laughed at; hands would be significantly held up, and men would exchange the masonry of signs, to indicate that the person must be pitied and tenderly considered. Where is the change? Is it in phraseology or in substance? Are we ashamed to say that we prayed and got an answer? If we are ashamed then we neither prayed nor received a reply. Men who have been with God are never ashamed to say so. One sight of him nerves the seer with courage that cannot be abashed. When a poor child comes from a little country village where everything is upon a small scale, and where pence are treasured like silver, the child is astonished when it comes to larger places, to towns and cities, and beholds a broader civilisation: the child then opens its mouth in wonder, and its eyes in mute amazement; everything looks so large, so grand: but when a man has once seen the stars, not with the look of an ox, but with the look of an astronomer, you cannot show him anything astonishing on earth; the earth itself is a little fleck of mud, which might be brushed off the coat of the universe, and never be missed. It is thus with our communings of a intellectual and spiritual kind. All things are wonderful to ignorance. Wonder indeed is the sign of ignorance. Where there is no ignorance there is no wonder. Knowledge looks on with calm apprehension, with the familiarity of old acquaintanceship. When we hold communion with God we fear no man. The preacher who has not brought his sermon from heaven fears the critic, the little fool that knows nothing but words, the prickly little pedant who can hardly sit down without hurting himself: but when a man has come from God, he feels that he has a message tender, gracious, mighty, all-comprehending, a gospel of love which he must deliver with emphasis and zeal.
We now approach some awful words: who dare read them? The Lord speaks of Israel, and says what he will do to Israel under certain circumstances
“But if ye turn away, and forsake [and keep not] my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck them up by the roots [i.e., your children (comp. Deu 29:27 )] out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations” ( 2Ch 7:19-20 ).
This is not like God: judgment is his strange work; mercy is his delight. But when he begins he will make an end. He will pluck Israel up by the roots. There would be men who are twice dead, plucked up by the roots, and the roots are fit only for burning. We do not know what God’s burning means. Let us take care how we exclude the penal element from our theology and from our contemplation of the future. If there is no hell, there is no heaven. Do not imagine that we can grow independently of God. The plants cannot grow independently of the dew, the rain, the light, the warmth; if they try, they will surely perish. We can only live as we live in God, as we live in Christ, as we are branches in the vine. The vine will never be plucked up by the roots. Our Christ is an eternal Saviour. But if any branch that is in him bear not fruit after pruning, who shall say what will follow? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; not that he is arbitrary in judgment, but that his universe is constructed upon principles, and is animated and ruled by laws that sting when they are violated. They are wondrous laws sabbatic, evangelic, loving, redeeming, when obeyed, understood, followed, honoured. But let any man try to cross God’s law, and he will never return from that fool’s journey. It is one of two things: either we have to fall upon the stone, Christ, and be broken; or the stone will fall upon us, and grind us to powder. We hear the crash of that grinding may we never know it!
Prayer
Help us to spend our life according to thy will, thou Creator of man. Thou knowest how many temptations assail our life, and how prone we are to go downwards: thy grace alone can sustain us, and perfect thy will within our spirit. Thus we come to thee every day, as men come for bread; we cannot live without thee; thou art not our occasional joy, thou art our everlasting necessity. In God we live and move and have our being. Thus God is known to us through Jesus Christ, Son of man, Son of God, by his teaching, his example, his cross, his death, resurrection, and intercession. We cannot see thee, and live, but we can see Jesus Christ thy Son, and listen to his words, and receive his testimony, and walk by his doctrine, and trust ourselves to the mystery of his cross. Thou didst lay upon him the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: we cannot understand this, but we feel in moments of agonised need that this Gospel alone can touch our deepest life and bring our souls into the light of hope; because the doctrine has thus released us from the dominion of fear and the prison of darkness, we know it to be in very deed our God. Thou hast taught us that by their fruits shall we know trees and men: by their fruits do we know thy doctrines, for they help us and bless us, with richest comfort they make us wise and strong; and we know still further that the doctrine is of God, because it compels us towards discipline and service and sacrifice on behalf of others. For such a revelation we bless thee; every day it vindicates its divinity by its action in life; we profess the cross, we assume the sacred name, may we vindicate our title to its use by the simplicity of our motive and the nobleness of our service. As for broken hearts, thou alone canst heal them; as for men who are sitting down amid the ruins of their fortunes, and beholding their ambitions wrecked at their feet, thou only canst give wisdom and strength in the hour of weariness and unutterable sorrow. Help every man to find the right way, and to walk in it steadfastly; disappoint every man who has set a trap for others, or who has digged a pit for the feet of his fellow pilgrims; if any man’s mind be set on mischief, the Lord send a blight upon his memory, that he may not recollect his own purposes of iniquity. May every house be dear to thee, in proportion to the sickness or weakness or old age or infancy which it encloses; visit every room of the house, make the feast divine, turn the burial into a resurrection, but specially lean over the bed where old age lies, or where infancy begins to wonder at the mystery of life, and let thy blessing abide there, a light, not a fire, a blessing that can be understood by the thrilling of the heart with new and sudden joy. O Lord Jesus, come, take up thine abode in all the house, so that we cannot open a door without finding a welcome from thyself. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
XXIX
DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
1Ki 8:1-10:29
This discussion begins on page 178 of the Harmony, and relates to the dedication of the Temple. We have already shown that the building of the Temple was the greatest work of Solomon; that it made the greatest impression upon the world’s mind of any structure that had ever been erected in human history. The importance of the Temple was to insure a central place of worship, or of sacrifice, rather. The object of it was to bring about unity of faith, and national unity among the people. The idea comes from the following legislation by Moses: “When you shall obtain possession of the land and have become established, then you shall have one place in which to appear before the Lord.” In brief, the purposes of the Temple were these:
1. To provide a fixed habitation for Jehovah.
2. To provide a central place of worship where the tribes might assemble at the three great annual festivals and thus preserve the unity of the nation, Jehovah being the center of unity. In other words, as we explained on Leviticus, there must be: (a) A place to meet Jehovah on the throne of grace. (b) Sacrifices, or means of propitiation, (c) Priests, or Intermediaries between Jehovah and the people, (d) Times in which to approach him, that is, with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings, (e) A ritual, telling how to approach him.
3. To prefigure the more glorious building, the church of our Lord. A magnificent building, with an imposing ritual, and with fixed times of gathering the whole nation together, would bring about this unity of faith and unity of national life. The building having been completed, Solomon now proposes publicly and formally to dedicate it to the service of God. God had told him when he commenced the building that he would inhabit the house built for him, and now Solomon proposes, by a very solemn national service, to consecrate this house to the Lord. I do not suppose that from any other one source, indeed from all other sources put together, we get the idea of dedication services so much as from this. The house could not be dedicated as soon as it was finished. It was several months from the time it was finished until it was dedicated. There had to be an appropriate time. It must be on the occasion of one of the great national feasts; so it was probably several months after the house was completed before the dedication services took place.
The first thing was to secure a great convocation of the people, and it is repeatedly stated that from Hamath on the north, or from the Euphrates River, unto the river of Egypt on the south, throughout the length and breadth of the land the princes, the rulers of the people, the representative men, were all commanded to be present. So it was a very great national convocation. The next step was to bring into this house all of the sacred things that survived from Moses’ time, and including those that had been prepared by David. So with great ceremony the old tent that Moses built, the brazen altar of burnt offerings, the table for the shewbread and the golden candlestick, were all brought and put in this Temple. Those of them no longer usable, for instance the tent, and a great many of the old-time utensils, were stored away and preserved as relics, including the brazen serpent Moses had made. We hear of that in a later reign and find out the last disposition of it. Then the ark itself was brought from the tent in which David had placed it, and it was put in its place in the most holy place. It was necessary to make a new lid for it, or mercy seat. A long time had elapsed, nearly 500 years, since it was made, and when they opened it there was found in it nothing but the two tables of stone upon which God had inscribed the decalogue. From the Pentateuch we know that other things had been put there. For instance, Aaron’s rod that budded, the pot of manna, and quite a number of things were put by the side of the ark, but when they brought that ark in that is all there was in it. Probably at the time it was captured by the Philistines come of these things were taken out.
The preliminary steps of the dedication were: (1) Placing in the treasury of the house all the things dedicated by David. (2) Placing all the sacred vessels and furniture in proper position. (3) The offering of multitudinous sacrifices. (4) The priests carrying into the most holy place the ark of the covenant. (5) As the priest issues from the most holy place, and the one hundred and twenty other priests standing east of the altar blow their trumpets, and the great Levite-choir bursts into a song of praise and thanksgiving, with cymbals and other instruments, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.” (6) Then the cloud, symbol of divine presence and glory, filled all the house.
So it had been when Moses finished the tabernacle, and so it was at Pentecost, after the Lord had built his church) that the Holy Spirit came down in consecrating, attesting power.
Now, having all the sacred things in place, Solomon had a platform of brass erected, about seven feet square, for himself, a kind of pulpit, so that he would be sufficiently lifted up above the people to be seen as well as heard, and we now note a singular fact, viz.: that Solomon acted as both king and high priest, a royal priest, a priest on a throne, and all through his life, he seems not only to perform the functions of the high priest, but he keeps the entire priesthood subject to his immediate control. Nothing is more evident in the study of his life than that the throne, in this case the civil power, kept the priesthood, the religious power, in subservience.
Solomon’s posture in this dedication was standing at the introduction, standing when he goes to pronounce the benediction, but in offering prayer, he kneels, and that is the first place in the Bible where kneeling for prayer is mentioned. You read in the Bible about standing to pray and sitting to pray, and here we have kneeling to pray, showing that the posture is not essential to the act. One can pray lying down, but kneeling is very reverential, and congregations should observe one form.
Standing up before the people, his opening address reverts to the fact of God’s promise to David that a son should succeed him, and that this son should build him a house, and God’s promise to live in the house when it was built. He then commences his prayer, and it is a very remarkable one. His first petition is that the Lord would accept and continually look toward this structure, really inhabit and be present in it. The other elements of the petition are clearly set forth in the text here. Look on page 180 of the Harmony. First, the position with reference to the making of an oath where there is an issue between neighbors, and the difficulty cannot be settled by outside testimony, then all oaths shall be made before God. A man, as in the presence of God, shall solemnly swear that what he says is the correct version of the case. That is called an appeal to the judgment of God. It was a favorite method of settling matters throughout the middle ages. For instance, a nobleman might testify about a case, another challenge his testimony, and they would agree to refer it to the arbitrament of God, as decided in battle, and the two knights would come out and fight in the presence of many witnesses with judges governing all the forms of it, and trusting to God that the right should triumph in that fight.
In Ivanhoe , you have an account of an appeal to the judgment of God in the fight between Ivanhoe and Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert in order to settle a charge against the Jewess, Rebecca. She appealed to the trial by combat and said let God say if she was a witch, as they charged, and so the case was fought out. Hundreds of instances are noticed in history, romance, and poetry of this appeal to God. Another method of appeal, mentioned also by Sir Walter Scott, is that when one was found to have died by violence, all of those whose circumstances made it possible that they might have participated in that murder were required to come up before the judge and with the murdered man’s body shrouded in a white sheet, put their finger on the dead man and swear that they had nothing to do with that murder, and the legend taught that if the real murderer did come and put his hand on the man, then blood would flow out from the wound and thus convict him. Now Solomon prayed that in any case of issue between two neighbors, where there were no means of settling it by outside testimony, and they come before God, that God would decide the case so as to justify the innocent and condemn the guilty.
His second petition is with reference to defeat in battle. This people is a glorious people. War will doubtless arise, and they that go out may be defeated. If they be defeated, he says it will be on account of their sins, and, convicted of sin by public defeat, if they there on that battlefield turn toward the Temple and pray God to forgive the sin, then Solomon asks that their national sin be forgiven.
He next considers the case of droughts. That whole country is subject to drought, and it is easy for all the sources of life to be dried up in severe drought. Drought in the Bible is represented as serving Jehovah; that it comes from him. Elijah prayed that it might not rain for three years and six months, and it didn’t rain, and he prayed that it might rain, and it rained. Now he says, “when a time of drought comes on this land on account of sin, if this people pray toward this Temple, asking God to open the windows of heaven and send rain upon the land, then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin and send rain.” You notice how he is connecting the Temple with all the great vicissitudes of life.
Following that come famines and pestilences. Famines may result from wars, in destroying the products of the land, or they may result from plagues, as of locusts. Now, when a famine or a pestilence, or a contagious or epidemic disease, comes and the whole country was subject to them, as we would have here in this country, if there should come the Asiatic cholera, or the yellow fever then let the people pray, and his petition is that when these displays of divine wrath against the sins of men are made, that they will remember that here at Jerusalem in the Temple is a throne of grace unto which any man may come boldly in time of need and ask divine interposition and pardon. We will find numerous examples of all these in the history as we go on.
He then takes the case of a stranger. This is a beautiful thought. Some stranger from a foreign country, not one of the chosen people of Israel, may be in exile, banished from his own land, no light from heaven, seemingly, by the selection of Israel barred from the commonwealth of God, yet if this stranger comes to that Temple and lifts up his heart to God, then Solomon prays that the Lord will hear that stranger. That gets to be a very big item of the New Testament gospel. You remember Paul says to the Ephesians, “Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” In this prayer of Solomon is a forecast of the abrogation of the middle wall of partition between the Jew and the Gentile. All peoples, all races, tribes, tongues, and kindreds may come before the Lord. Paul enunciated it in Mars’ Hill when he said, “God made of one blood all nations of men that inhabit the face of the earth, and appointed their seasons and their boundaries with a view that they might seek after him and find him.” Now if a stranger comes to this house of God and honestly seeks a blessing from God, he may find it. That is a good thought. While our houses of worship are not temples, yet they ought to be places attractive to strangers. “Here the people of God are meeting and I am an outsider. Will I be welcome? Is there anything here for me? Will anyone speak a word of comfort or peace to my soul?”
When I was pastor of the First Church in Waco, two deacons had a special duty. Every Sunday morning, as soon as the bell tapped to call the Sunday school together for its final exercises, these two deacons arose and went down on the streets of Waco and spent the time till the opening song of the church service inviting strangers on the streets to come to church. One notable incident occurred. They brought a man in that way one day and he was converted. I think I never heard anything more touching than his relation of the fact that a very gentlemanly old man saw him on the street where he was wandering without money, no place to go, without a friend in the world, and asked him to come to church, which led to his salvation.
Solomon then takes up the case of battle. This is before the battle is joined. Is there such a thing as the decision of battle by the Almighty? Infidels adopt the theory of the French Marshal that God favors the heaviest battalions in the fight. But the battle is not always to the strong. Patrick Henry insisted upon that in his speech before the House of Burgesses. Solomon wanted that thought fixed in the very hearts of his people, that before they fought they should pray. At the great battle of Agincourt, when a very small English army was surrounded by an enormous French army, say 25,000 against 100,000, just before the fight the English army prayed that the French king says, “Are they prostrating themselves in homage to us already? Do they acknowledge their defeat?” One who knew them replied to the king, “No, sire. They are taking their case to their God, and they will fight the better for it when they get up off their knees.” One of the soldiers, in the English civil war, remarked to Prince Rupert that he feared Cromwell’s Ironsides when they knelt and prayed just before a fight and rose singing, “Let God arise and his enemies be scattered.” In the book of the Maccabees there is a marvelous illustration of this, when Judas Maccabaeus with 10,000 men defeated 100,000, having made a solemn appeal to the God of battles before the issue was joined.
It is related as an incident of colonial history that in the war between France and England, with the battlefield over in this country, that the French at a serious crisis dispatched a great fleet with 3,000 soldiers and 40,000 stands of arms to turn the scale, and as that armament approached this continent, the colonists felt that if it arrived safely they were lost, and so the preachers gathered the people for prayer that God might save them from this armament, and even as they prayed a storm came and scattered the fleet, wrecking many of the vessels, drowning most of the soldiers, and sinking most of their munitions of war.
The climax of Solomon’s prayer anticipates a time when his people, on account of very grievous sin, shall be carried into captivity, their city taken, and over there in a land of exile they should become slaves of a foreign power. In this dire disaster, if they should repent and remember and look back toward Jerusalem and to this house, then might the Lord forgive them there and restore them to their land. We see Daniel carrying out this thought, as every day he would open his window and look toward Jerusalem and pray, doing just what this prayer suggests. Against the royal edict he would turn toward the Temple and pray. In Dan 9:19 we find a famous prayer confessing the sins of the people and repeating the promise in the prophecy of Jeremiah that the seventy years of captivity is nearly out, and crying out, “Oh Lord, hear! Oh Lord, forgive,” and even while he is praying an angel comes, touches him and tells him that his prayer is heard and shows him that not only will they be restored at that time, but unveils the prophecy concerning the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem and the length of time to elapse between that event and the birth of the long-looked-for Messiah, as you will find in the conclusion of Dan 9 .
Having offered this great prayer, Solomon arose and pronounced the benediction. As soon as this prayer ended, confirmation came in a very remarkable way. Fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that had been placed upon the altar, and not only that, but God appears to Solomon as he had appeared to him at Gibeon, and uses this language, which Spurgeon makes the text of one of his great sermons: “And Jehovah said unto him) I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me! I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built to put my name there forever.” On the next page it says, “Now I have chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there forever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.” In another place he says, “My hands shall be there.” Now Spurgeon takes for a text: “My name shall be there, my eyes shall be there, my heart shall be there, my hands shall be there.” “Whoever comes to that place of worship, I see him. Whoever prays, I hear him. Whoever pleads, I love him and I save him by my hand.” Spurgeon makes a great sermon out of it, and I suggest it as a good text.
We note the permanent use of the Temple: “Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch even as the duty of every day required.” That is the daily sacrifice, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the sabbaths, then there are the weekly sacrifices, and on the new moons, which are the monthly sacrifices; and then on the great feast days three times in the year. There you have the whole cycle of the sacrifices to be offered in the Temple. Moses provided for morning and evening sacrifices in the tabernacle. Perhaps you have read The Prince of the House of David by Ingraham, an Episcopalian preacher. He represents the young Jewish lady that came from Alexandria on a visit to Jerusalem as being waked up just as the dawn flushed the eastern sky; the silver trumpets began to blow, and as those trumpets were blown everybody rushed to the housetops, and while they were looking at the Temple a great white cloud of incense rose up over the Temple and ascended to heaven, representing the morning prayers of the people, and they on the housetops prostrated themselves at the time of the incense and offered their morning prayers. That occurred every evening also, and it could be seen by everybody in the city, the going up of that great cloud of incense. They could hear the sound of those trumpets calling to prayer morning and evening. Solomon provided according to the ritual of Moses and David that these daily sacrifices should never be neglected in that Temple, nor the sabbatical, or weekly, nor the monthly, nor the annual sacrifices in the times of the great feasts.
I will devote the rest of the chapter to the glory of Solomon. You will note these words: “And the King made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland for abundance. So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart, and they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.” Again, “And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought him presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.”
As a sample of the glory of Solomon, we have the visit of the Queen of Sheba, who came, as our Lord said, from the uttermost parts of the earth. Commentators are divided as to whether she was a queen over, that best watered and most fertile part of southern Arabia, or whether she was the Queen of Abyssinia just across the dividing water in Africa. Most modern commentators make her the queen of what is called “Arabia Felix,” but my own judgment is that she was the queen of Abyssinia. The tradition of her reign lingers there where recently King Menelik defeated the Italian armies, and where they still keep up certain forms of the Christian religion, whence also in New Testament times came the Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip led to Christ. By combining 1Ki 10:1-13 with Mat 12:42 you may make a great sermon with these heads: (1) She heard a rumor that there was a wise man who could answer any question. (2) She had hard questions knocking at the door of her heart, as every woman has. She determined, at any cost, to have these problems solved, so she makes this great journey, and when she gets there and he answers all of her questions and she sees his glory, his Temple, the way by which he went up into the Temple, the apparel of his servants, there was no more breath in her, that is, she fainted. You know some people are so finely strung that they will faint when looking at a great picture, or on being stirred by great music. From her words, “The half was not told me,” we get our hymn, “The half has never yet been told.”
My own sermon on Mat 12:42 had these heads: (1) There shall be a resurrection of the dead. (2) It will be a general resurrection, (3) followed by a general judgment, (4) whose determining principle shall be: Men are judged according to their light. We may close this discussion with a brief account of Solomon’s relations with other governments.
1. Phoenicia. He inherited from his father a most valuable alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, whose fleets controlled the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Egypt. His marriage with Pharaoh’s daughter held the friendship of the ruling dynasty in Egypt.
3. Friendly alliance with the Queen of Sheba.
4. In David’s time the Hittite nation at Hamath paid tribute. Solomon conquered the country.
5. By intermarriage he secured friendly relations with many countries, as most of his marriages were political.
6. By commerce through the Mediterranean he held friendly relations with the nations on its shores as far as Spain.
7. By commerce with the archipelagoes of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, he held friendly relations with the Orient, and Africa.
8. By land-traffic he held friendly relations with Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the nations around the Caspian Sea.
QUESTIONS
1. What promise of Jehovah was made to Solomon when he commenced to build the Temple?
2. What command of Jehovah, through Moses, was fulfilled in the building of the Temple?
3. When then, in brief, were the purposes of the Temple?
4. What effect has this dedication on all subsequent dedications of buildings?
5. At what annual festival was the Temple dedicated?
6. What are the steps of offering the house, and how the divine acceptance signified?
7. What similar event occurred in Moses’ day, and what greater event in the New Testament day?
8. Describe the platform occupied by Solomon, and his posture in the several parts of the dedication.
9. In what double capacity does he act?
10. What were the salient points of his opening address?
11. The salient points of his prayer?
12. What evidence in later days that in accord with Solomon’s petition his people prayed toward Jerusalem?
13. In what signal way did confirmation come from heaven, that his prayer was answered?
14. Distinguish between the two manifestations of the glory of the Cloud, 2Ch 5:13 ; 2Ch 7:1-3 .
15. What says the text of the glory of Solomon, and the extent of his kingdom? (See 1Ki 4:20-25 ; 1Ki 10:18-25 .)
16. What our Lord’s reference to Solomon’s glory?
17. Recite the story of the Queen of Sheba. Where her country? What our Lord’s reference to it, and what the sermon outline on Mat 12:42 ?
18. What was Solomon’s relations to foreign nations?
19. When and why Jehovah’s second appearance to Solomon?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
2Ch 7:1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
Ver. 1. The fire came down from heaven. ] In a miraculous manner, to testify God’s approbation. This fire was kept alive till the captivity of Babylon: and after that, it was said to have been miraculously also renewed; /APC 2Ma 1:18-22 fides sit penes authorem.
And the glory of the Lord filled the house,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2 Chronicles Chapter 7
But in the next chapter (7), after he makes an end of praying, the fire comes down. For we read: “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah had filled Jehovah’s house.” And so there is nothing but worship according to their measure. “And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised Jehovah, [saying], For [He is] good; for His mercy [endureth] for ever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Jehovah. And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen” – the nation was so very great that a thousand would not do now – “and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.”
And this was most admirable in its season. The admirable thing then for an earthly people was to pour out all the wealth of the earth at the feet of God. The admirable thing now for a heavenly people is to count whatever we have as nothing for the sake of Christ. That is, it is suffering now. As the Apostle Paul said, “What things were gain to me [as a Jew], I counted loss for Christ.” He counted them dung; and not only did he so begin, but, as he adds, “and I do count them.” He counted them so when he began, and he counted them so still. There is many a man that counts them so at first; but he begins to like them afterward. But it was not so with Paul – “I counted,” and “I do count.” It is a great thing to make a good start and to continue accordingly. So did Paul, but so has not done the Church of God. The Church of God began well, but where are we now?
So “Solomon finished the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he prosperously affected.” And then Jehovah appears to him again and confirms what he has done. “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice.” And so He not only says this, but “now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.” Now I take that as it plainly means. You will tell me, Well, the Gentiles are there now; some of the most wicked of the Gentiles are there now. But faith can wait. It need not be in a hurry. “He that believeth shall not make haste,” and, therefore, as sure as God has spoken it, Jerusalem will be recovered – not by foolish crusaders, not by the power of man, but by the power of God. He means to have the glory to Himself. The whole idea of the crusades was a fundamental mistake from beginning to end, and arose from Christians fancying that they were Jews, taking the place of God’s people and, consequently, denying Israel’s place. The greatest enemies the Jews had were those same crusaders who fought against the Turks. The place of the true Christian is the very contrary. We ought to be the shelter of the Jew; we ought to be a sort of city of refuge to the Jew, till the day comes for the Jew to enter upon his heritage. We ought always to plead the rights of Israel as we know the wrongs of Israel. We ought to mourn deeply the unbelief of Israel; but, at the same time, we ought to protect them and show them all kindness for the fathers’ sake.” The Church of God can afford to do so. If we were an earthly people, we might be a little jealous of those who are going to be put in the highest earthly places; but the heavenly people have no need for it. And that is what delivers Christians from foolish vanity in competing with the Gentile, and from jealousy as we think about the Jew.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
the Are came down: i.e. to consume the sacrifices. See note on Gen 4:4. This is complementary to 1Ki 8:63, 1Ki 8:64.
sacrifices = victims. Hebrew. zebah. App-43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Chapter 7
And when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house ( 2Ch 7:1 ).
It’s a reminder of the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness where the fire of God came down and kindled the coals upon the altar and consumed the sacrifices. And the glory of God filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. And now the same thing happened as God’s glory fills the temple.
And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and they worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And then the people for seven days offered sacrifices unto the LORD. They sacrificed twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So all of the people in the kingdom dedicated the house ( 2Ch 7:2-5 ).
What a barbecue they had!
And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music to the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all of Israel stood. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the fat ( 2Ch 7:6-7 ).
And so they just made a place out to do it in the yard there.
Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people ( 2Ch 7:8-10 ).
So that should be the way people leave the fellowship. Glad and merry in heart for the goodness of God.
And Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. Now the LORD appeared ( 2Ch 7:11-12 )
After the whole celebration and the thing had died down, the Lord then appeared.
to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. And if I shut up heaven that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land ( 2Ch 7:12-14 ).
This promise of God is an answer to Solomon’s prayer. As Solomon foresaw the calamities that might befall the nation in their sinning against God, and if they turn and repent and pray, then hear Thou from Thy dwelling place in heaven. God is now answering the prayer of Solomon saying, “If these things come, and if my people who are called by my name will just humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.”
I believe that this scripture today is perhaps one of the most important scriptures to be brought before the people of our nation. The people who have been called by His name. United States has been considered as a Christian nation. I didn’t say it was a Christian nation. I said it’s been considered as a Christian nation. But how far we have moved from true Christianity. How far we have moved from God in our national life, in our local life. And we see the plague that Solomon could foresee. The judgments of God. It is time for God’s people to humble themselves and pray and to seek His face and to turn from their wicked ways, because God will hear. God will forgive. And God will heal the land. That’s His promise.
Now my eyes will be open, my ears will be attentive unto the prayers that are made in this place. For I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments; then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and you shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it to be a proverb and a byword among the nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them ( 2Ch 7:15-22 ).
Now God’s warning to Solomon. The warning is… It is, first of all, a promise. “Solomon, if you just walk in my ways, I’ll keep the covenant of David and I’ll prosper you on the throne. But if you forsake Me, Solomon, then I’m going to forsake you. You’re going to be cut off and these calamities are going to come. This beautiful house that you’ve built is going to be ruined. People are going to say, ‘How in the world did God allow such desolation to come?’ And people will say, ‘Because they forsook God.'”
Now many times when God warns us of something, possible danger, we say, “Oh, come, that’s all right. I’ll never be troubled there, Lord. You know, why don’t You save Your breath, God? That’s a situation I would never forsake You, Lord.” Now the Lord is warning Solomon about forsaking Him.
I have learned to heed every warning God gives, because I have found that I have never fallen but what I wasn’t warned of God beforehand. And many times when the warning came, I felt that they were totally unnecessary. I thought, That’s an area where I could never trip or be tripped up. But in the scriptures, it is interesting that God seemed to warn people of the very thing that later became their stumbling block. Of the very thing that later on happened. And here is Solomon now still fresh with this glorious experience of the power of God demonstrated. The fire of God kindling the altar and the sacrifice. The glory of God filling the house, the cloud of God and all of this glorious experience and God is saying, “Now, Solomon, don’t forsake Me.” And I’m sure Solomon in his heart was saying, “Oh God, I could never forsake You. I could never worship other gods. There is no God like unto Thee who keeps covenants and who shows mercy. Lord, I could never forsake You.”
But what happened to Solomon? He forsook the Lord and began to worship and serve other gods. Tragic. The very thing that God warned him about was the very thing that he did. And that is so often true. Thus, we need to take heed to every warning that God gives us. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
2Ch 7:1-3
2Ch 7:1-3
FIRE FROM HEAVEN;
THE GREAT FEAST;
GOD WARNS SOLOMON;
THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. And the priests could not enter the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah filled Jehovah’s house. And all the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah was upon the house; and they bowed themselves down with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and gave thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth forever.”
Other Biblical accounts of fire coming down from heaven to consume sacrifices are: (1) at the Mosaic tabernacle (Lev 9:24), (2) before Manoah (Jdg 13:20), and (3) at the Davidic altar on Mount Moriah (1Ch 21:26). Curtis (Madsen) believed that the Chronicler “invented” this; but the mystery to this writer is not the the fire from heaven, which is not any more wonderful than a hundred other things recorded in the O.T., but, WHY WOULD ANY SCHOLAR WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE WHAT IS WRITTEN; WASTE A LIFETIME OF STUDY ON WHAT HE THINKS IS A FALSEHOOD? The attention that unbelievers bestow upon the sacred text is a tacit confession that they do believe it. If they think the Bible is false, why do they bother themselves about it? As Shakespeare stated it, “Methinks (he) dost protest too much.”
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 7:1. When the brazen altar of the tabernacle was first put into service, God started the fire on it miraculously. (Lev 9:24.) Now when the new service is offered to God, it is fitting that he indicate his acceptance of it by this demonstration.
2Ch 7:2. The condition was the same as in Ch. 5:14. The splendor of the Lord’s glory was too much for the physical endurance of the priests.
2Ch 7:3. The presence of God’s glory was so bright that all the people saw it. The effect upon them was profound, and they performed the custom of the times under conditions of extreme respect. They became prostrate in the posture of their bodies, and thus worshiped the Lord. But it was not the actions of fanatics under excitement, for they gave a clear and highly appropriate reason for their conduct by saying, “The Lord, his mercy endureth for ever.”
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
As the ceremonies had begun with sacrifice and song, so they closed, and it is quite easy to realize how “joyful and glad of heart” the people were as they dispersed. Had only the king and people remained on the high altitude on which they stood that day, their history would have been very different. How deeply we should realize the awful truth, that even in the midst of such high experience the seeds of evil may already be at work in our life.
Solomon’s greatest work now being completed, God appeared to him in a second vision, in which He first declared that the work done was accepted, and Solomon’s prayer heard and answered. Then with the tenderness and faithfulness of His infinite love He restated for Solomon the conditions of Solomon’s safety. Obedience would be rewarded with continuity of blessing. Disobedience, on the other hand, must issue in rejection and disaster.
The words speak to us also. No height attained, no work done, no blessing received, is in itself suf6cient to ensure our continuance in favor. Nothing but continued fidelity can do that. The influence of particular and sacred work was over, and therefore new and subtle perils awaited the king. The underlying weaknesses of his nature would now appeal, with new force for attention. Either he would hear their appeal, to heed, and yield, and fail; or to refuse, and conquer, and rise. On the eve of the coming struggle God spoke. It was the action of perfect love.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7:1-10 The Answer by Fire-the Sacrifices and the Feast
1. The answer by fire (7:1-3)
2. The sacrifices (7:4-7)
3. The feast of tabernacles (7:8-10)
A fuller manifestation of Jehovahs favor and presence followed the great prayer of the king. First the cloud had appeared and now the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. This is complementary to 1Ki 8:63-64. Nothing is mentioned of this answer by fire upon the sacrifices in the book of Kings. And now all the children of Israel saw the fire and the glory of the Lord; and they bowed themselves and worshipped, praising the Lord and saying, as the Levites had said before, He is good, for His mercy endureth forever. So all Israel will see in a future day the glory of the Lord and the coming Lord in glory and worship Him (Zec 12:10). The house was dedicated by the King and all the people. (The Hebrew word used for dedicate is the word channuka. The Jews keep a feast called by that name.) The feast which followed was the feast of tabernacles. Its prophetic significance is mentioned in previous annotations.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
when Solomon: 1Ki 8:54-61, Isa 65:24, Dan 9:20, Act 4:31, Act 16:25, Act 16:26
the fire: Gen 15:17, Exo 29:43, Lev 9:24, Jdg 6:21, 1Ki 18:24, 1Ki 18:38, 1Ch 21:26, Mal 3:1, Mal 3:2
the glory: 2Ch 5:13, 2Ch 5:14, Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35, Lev 9:23, 1Ki 8:10, 1Ki 8:11, Isa 6:1-4, Eze 10:3, Eze 10:4, Eze 43:5, Eze 44:4, Hag 2:7-9, Rev 21:23
Reciprocal: Gen 4:4 – had Exo 19:18 – in fire Lev 1:7 – fire 1Ki 8:9 – when Psa 20:3 – accept Eze 1:4 – a great Mal 3:4 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 7:1. The fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt- offering, &c. This circumstance is added to what is recorded in the first book of Kings. Hereby, and by the cloud filling the whole house, was shown Gods gracious acceptance of Solomons prayer and sacrifices; and an assurance was given that he would be present in this place, and grant all their lawful petitions. By the former of these, it is generally thought, the first sacrifice that we read of in Scripture, that of Abel, was declared to be acceptable to God. And when the tabernacle was erected and dedicated, and Aaron was consecrated, there was the same testimony given of Gods presence there as here, Exo 40:34-35; Lev 9:24. The surest evidence of Gods acceptance of our prayers is, the descent of his holy fire of love upon us. And the heart which is filled with a holy awe and reverence of the divine majesty, (as the glory of the Lord filled this house,) the heart to which God manifests his greatness, and (what is no less his glory) his goodness, is thereby owned as his living temple.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 7:3. The fire came down. This is noted in 1 Kings 8., and twice here, as in 2Ch 5:13-14, to designate the holy temple as the house of God. The fire descended in answer to prayer, and in fidelity to the promise of the divine presence. Exodus 24.
2Ch 7:8. Hamath; Targum, Antioch.
2Ch 7:12. The Lord appeared to Solomon by night, which is noted to be the second time, to confirm and strengthen his faith. 1Ki 9:2.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 5:2 to 2Ch 7:10. The Dedication of the Temple (see notes on 1 Kings 8).The chief points of difference between the Chroniclers account and 1 Kings 8 are: (a) that in 2Ch 5:4 the Levites are the bearers of the Ark (cf. 1Ch 15:2; 1Ch 15:26 f.) instead of the priests as in 1Ki 8:3; (b) that in 2Ch 5:5 and is omitted between the priests the Levites, the two being thus identified; the omission may, however, be merely a textual error; (c) further, the words for all the priests . . . for his mercy endureth for ever (2Ch 7:11 b 2Ch 7:13 a) are not found in 1 K.; they are from the Chronicler, or possibly the addition of a later editor. These three variations illustrate the ecclesiastical standpoint of the Chronicler and the school of thought to which he belonged, (d) In 2Ch 6:41 f. there is a prayer, made up of Psa 130:2; Psa 132:1; Psa 132:8-10, in place of the conclusion to Solomons prayer given in 1Ki 8:53. (e) In 2Ch 7:1 the mention of fire coming down from heaven (cf. 1Ch 21:26) is not found in 1Ki 8:54. () A comparison between 2Ch 7:8 f. and 1Ki 8:65 f. well illustrates the way in which the later usage of the Chroniclers times was read into that of earlier days.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
GOD’S GLORIOUS ANSWER
(vv.1-3)
God wonderfully demonstrated His approval of the temple and of Solomon’s prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the sacrifices (spoken of in ch.5:6), and filled the temple with His glory (vv.1-2). When the children of Israel saw this. they were prostrated in lowly worship, praising the Lord, and particularly emphasising “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever” (v.3). This was a wonderful beginning of a new era in Israel’s history, though it is sorrowful that the freshness of joy in the Lord very soon wore off, so that both Solomon and Israel departed far from their early condition.
THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
(vv.4-11)
The Lord had accepted the offerings without number (ch.5:6;7:1) by sending fire to consume them, and now in order to dedicate the temple Solomon and the people offered 22,000 bulls and 20,000 sheep. The priests would have abundant work to do with these offerings, and the Levites accompanied this by playing musical instruments that David had introduced when offering praise to the Lord (v.6).
Since the copper altar was not large enough to accommodate all the offerings, Solomon consecrated the middle of the court in front of the temple, to offer the burnt offerings (v.7).
Keeping the feast for a full week, they ended this with a special assembly on the eighth day before Solomon sent the people to their homes on the 23rd day of the seventh month (v.16). This feast therefore (the Feast of Tabernacles) pictured the coming glory of the millennial blessing of Israel, though the joy at that time, great as it was, did not last long compared to the joy of the Lord’s reign in the millennium.
Though they were long in building, both the temple and the house of Solomon were eventually finished (v.11). The work was not in vain, as is sometimes the case with those who have not before counted the cost, but what God builds is always perfectly finished. The temple pictures the Father’s house in glory, while Solomon’s house is a picture of the Church in her condition and circumstances on earth, where God’s order is to be maintained among His saints.
THE LORD’S SECOND APPEARANCE TO SOLOMON
(vv.12-22)
The Lord had first appeared to Solomon (ch.1:7) to offer him what he might ask. Now He appears to assure him that He has heard his prayer and to encourage him to put God first in the rule of his kingdom. This was the same night after the dedication, and the Lord sought to impress on Solomon the importance of single hearted obedience to His Word. He had chosen the temple for Himself as a house of sacrifice and He would have special consideration for those who looked toward the temple.
The Lord then spoke of specifically answering Solomon’s prayer in regard to His governmental chastening of Israel by His withholding rain or sending locusts or pestilence. If Israel would humble themselves and pray, seeking God’s face, turning from the evil of their ways, then God would indeed hear from heaven, forgive them and heal their land (vv.13-14).
God affirms again that He had both chosen and sanctified the temple. that is, He had set it apart for Himself, that His name might be there forever, His eyes and His heart there perpetually (v.16). Yet after this the temple was destroyed and there has been no temple in Jerusalem for centuries! Why is this? Because Israel was guilty of themselves desecrating the temple. Though it was rebuilt in the days of Ezra, then destroyed again and rebuilt by Herod, the Lord Jesus declared before His crucifixion, when His disciples showed him the buildings of the temple, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down” (Mat 24:1-2). This was fulfilled before long, and Israel has been without any temple for nearly 2000 years!
But God anticipated all this even in 2Ch 7:1-22, for he speaks conditionally to Solomon in verse 17 and the verses following. “As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all the I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David. But if Solomon turned away, forsaking the commandments of the Lord and serving and worshipping other gods, he could expect God’s serious judgment in uprooting Israel from the land, casting the temple out of His sight, making it a proverb and byword among all the nations.
Was such a warning necessary for Solomon? Absolutely so! For he very soon fell into the trap of marrying many women of foreign nations and adopting the false worship of their various idols (1Ki 11:1-8). Eventually the judgment of God fell on Israel for this: their land became desolate, their temple was destroyed and the people taken captive by the Babylonians. Then indeed everyone who observed the ruin of the land and the temple were astonished and questioned why the Lord had done this after expressing His approval of the house and greatly blessing Israel (v.21).
Solomon was warned then that the answer would be, “Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity upon them” (v.22). Yet Second Chronicles does not speak of Solomon’s shameful failure in turning from the Lord as does 1 Kings, for Chronicles emphasises the grace of God rather than His government as in the books of Kings.
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
7:1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the {a} fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
(a) By this God declared that he was pleased with Solomon’s prayer.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
4. The celebration of the people 7:1-10
This celebration consisted of a seven-day dedication of the bronze altar, followed by the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. The very large number of sacrifices Solomon offered seems incredible, but there are records of other large sacrifices such as this one that scholars have discovered from ancient times (cf. 1Ki 8:63). [Note: Edward Curtis and Albert Madsen, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Chronicles, p. 348.]
"The double attestation of the temple, in 2Ch 5:13-14 and 2Ch 7:1-3 a, reminds one of the twofold divine endorsement of Jesus, with a voice from heaven at his baptism and a voice from the cloud of glory at his transfiguration (Mar 1:11; Mar 9:7)." [Note: Leslie C. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, p. 236.]
This record of the dedication of the temple emphasizes both the importance of the temple and the character of Israel’s God who indwelt it. Solomon reunited the ark, the symbol of God’s grace, and the altar, the symbol of human sacrificial response to that grace. It was now possible for Israel to fulfill the purpose for which God had created her as never before in her history. The temple was the key to this possibility. That is one reason the temple was so important in the national life of Israel.