2 Chronicles chapter 7
Solomon dedicates his new temple, continued. Blessings and curses.
Note: Many people find it morally objectionable that a religion requires the killing of innocent animals.
SOLOMON DEDICATES HIS NEW TEMPLE, CONTINUED
VERSE 1. Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the LORD’s glory filled the house.
Solomon had finished praying. Solomon is still on the high stage. He finishes praying his lengthy prayer in front of everybody.
fire came down from heaven. At special moments in biblical history, a miraculous fire appears and consumes a sacrifice. This indicates God’s acceptance. Plus it must have been spectacular! Read more »
the LORD’s glory filled the house. This is probably the cloud-like darkness.
The LORD God often seems to dwell in cloud-like darkness.
This is a manifestation of his mercy. For without the shielding of the Cloud, his direct presence would be too much for us.
We want to see God. But we are unable to apprehend the LORD God in all his glory. So at the great moments of biblical history, he appears in the hidden form of a Cloud. Read more »
VERSE 2. The priests could not enter into the LORD’s house, because the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house.
VERSE 3. All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the LORD’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!”
with their faces to the ground. This is profound worship.
his loving kindness endures forever. The loving kindness of the LORD God is what stands out to the nation.
Unlike many Christians, they do not see the LORD God as an angry old man.
VERSE 4. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
VERSE 5. King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.
twenty-two thousand head of cattle. How does the killing of these innocent animals glorify God?
a hundred twenty thousand sheep. How does the killing of these innocent animals glorify God?
VERSE 6. The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to give thanks to the LORD, when David praised by their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures forever.” The priests sounded shofars before them; and all Israel stood.
shofars. Or “trumpets.”
VERSE 7. Moreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before the LORD’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the fat.
VERSE 8. So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
VERSE 9. On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
On the eighth day. This dedication lasted seven days. And on this eighth day, they gather one more time before going home.
VERSE 10. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
BLESSINGS AND CURSES
NOTE. Many of the covenant texts in the Old Testament include section containing blessings and curses.
VERSE 11. Thus Solomon finished the LORD’s house and the king’s house; and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the LORD’s house and in his own house.
VERSE 12. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a house of sacrifice.
chosen this place for myself. The temple is located in this place. But the LORD God cannot be contained within a building.
VERSE 13. “If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people,
VERSE 14. if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of 2 Chronicles and from the entire Bible.
When Ronald W. Reagan took the Oath of Office as president of the United States, both in 1981 and in 1985, he swore on his mother’s Bible. Many sources indicate it was opened to this verse.
VERSE 15. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.
VERSE 16. For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
VERSE 17. “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 will keep my statutes and my ordinances,
if you will walk before me. This is a great promise. But it is conditional.
Solomon will be blessed. But only if he lives a holy life.
VERSE 18. then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’
VERSE 19. But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
serve other gods and worship them. Later in his life, Solomon did indeed worship other gods.
VERSE 20. then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
VERSE 21. This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?’
VERSE 22. They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’ ”
2 CHRONICLES
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Mount Moriah, The Cloud of Glory
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.