2 Chronicles 6:1-42

2 Chronicles: God desires loyal people

Solomon rules *Israel

2 Chronicles Chapter s 1 to 9

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 6

Solomon blesses the people – 2 Chronicles 6:1-11

v1 Then Solomon spoke. ‘The *LORD said that he would live in the dark cloud. v2 *LORD, I have built a wonderful *temple for you. It is a place for you to live for all time.’

v3 All the *Israelites were standing there. King Solomon turned to them and he blessed them. v4 Then he said, 'Praise the *LORD, the God of *Israel. With his mouth, he made a promise to my father David. With his hands, he has done it. v5 He said, “I brought my people out of the country called Egypt. There is one thing that I have not done since then. I have not chosen a city in any *tribe of *Israel where they should build a *temple for my name. And I did not choose a man as ruler over my people *Israel. v6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my name to be there. And I have chosen David to rule my people *Israel.”

v7 It was the desire of my father’s heart to build a *temple. He desired to build it for the name of the *LORD, the God of *Israel. v8 But the *LORD spoke to my father David. “It was good that you wanted to build a *temple for me. It was good that this desire was in your heart. v9 But you are not the right person to build the *temple. Your son, who shall be born to you, will build the *temple for my name.”

v10 The *LORD has done what he promised to do. I am the king since my father David died. I sit on the *throne and I rule *Israel. This is what the *LORD promised. And I have built the *temple for the name of the *LORD, the God of *Israel. v11 I have put the *ark there. In the *ark is the *LORD’s special promise that he made with the *Israelites.’

Verses 1-2 Many times the *glory of the *LORD came as a cloud. At the mountain called Sinai, the *LORD said that he would come to the people in a dark cloud. Then the people would hear him when he spoke to Moses (Exodus 19:9; Exodus 20:21). That cloud covered the mountain for 6 days while God spoke to Moses (Exodus 24:16). When Moses had completed the construction of the holy tent, God came to it in a cloud (Exodus 40:34; Numbers 9:15). The *LORD told Moses that he would appear in the cloud over the *ark in the holy tent (Leviticus 16:2). And when Solomon put the *ark in the *temple, the *glory of God came like a cloud. That cloud filled the *temple (2 Chronicles 5:14).

Solomon saw the cloud. He believed that the *LORD was in that cloud. The cloud showed to him that the *LORD accepted the *temple. Solomon had built a wonderful *temple. He built it as a place for the *LORD to live in for all time. But for this to happen, the people must be loyal to God. In the end, God’s people were not loyal to God so his *glory left the *temple (Ezekiel chapter 10). The army from Babylon destroyed this *temple in 586 *BC.

Verses 3-6 Solomon turned from the cloud to speak to the people. He told them how God had made a promise to David. And God had done as he had said. God chose Jerusalem as his city and he chose David as the king over his people.

Verses 7-9 David had said that it was in his heart and his mind to build a *temple for the *LORD. He made plans to build it. But God did not allow him to begin its construction. God promised to David that his son Solomon would build the *temple (1 Chronicles 28:2-7).

Verses 10-11 The *LORD had done as he had promised. Solomon became the king of *Israel. He built the *temple and he put the *ark in the *temple.

Solomon’s prayer of *dedication – 2 Chronicles 6:12-42

v12 Then Solomon stood in front of the *LORD’s *altar. He was in front of all the *Israelites. And he spread out his hands. v13 He had made a *bronze platform. The size of the platform was 5 *cubits long, 5 *cubits wide and three *cubits high. He had placed it in the centre of the area outside the *temple building. He stood on the platform. Then he kneeled down in front of all the *Israelites. And he spread out his hands toward the sky. v14 He said, ‘*LORD, God of *Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. As you have promised, you continue to love your servants. You love those who follow you with all their hearts and with all their minds. v15 You have done what you promised to your servant, my father David. With your mouth, you have promised it. And today with your hand, you have done it.

v16 Now *LORD, God of *Israel, do what you said to your servant David, my father. You said to him. “Your sons must be loyal to me. They must live for me as you have done. And they must be careful to obey my laws. Then there will always be a king from your family. He will sit for me on the *throne of *Israel.” v17 *LORD, God of *Israel, you made this promise to your servant David. Now, let this happen.

v18 But, God, you will not really live here on the earth with people. Even heaven and the highest heavens are too small to contain you. So this *temple that I have built for you is certainly much too small! v19 But listen to the prayer of me, your servant, and hear my appeal. *LORD, my God, answer the cry and the prayer that I, your servant, am praying to you. v20 Open your eyes day and night to watch over this *temple. You said that you would put your name in this *temple. As I look toward this place, hear the prayer of me, your servant. v21 Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people *Israel. Hear us when we pray in front of this place. Hear us from your home in heaven. And when you hear us, then forgive us.

v22 If someone does wrong deeds to another person, he will come to the *altar in this *temple. There he will insist that he is not guilty. v23 Then hear from heaven and be the judge. If he is guilty, punish him. Punish him, as he deserves. But if he is not guilty, then show it. Declare that he is innocent.

v24 When your people, *Israel, *sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. Then your people will *turn back to you and they will declare your name. They will pray and they will appeal to you in this *temple. v25 Then listen from heaven and forgive the *sin of your people, *Israel. Bring them back to the country that you gave to them and to their *ancestors.

v26 When your people *sin against you, you will shut up the skies. And there will be no rain. Then they will look toward this place and they will pray. They will declare your name and they will *turn from their *sin. They will *turn from their *sin because you punished them. v27 When this happens, hear their prayer in heaven. And forgive the *sin of your servants, the *Israelites. Teach them the right way to live. And send rain upon the land that you gave to your people. You gave that land to them for a permanent home.

v28 Sometimes, the land may be so dry that no food crops will grow. A great disease may spread among the people. Troubles may cause serious damage to their crops or to their possessions. Insects such as *locusts or *grasshoppers may eat the crops. Enemies may attack your people in any town. *Disasters and diseases may come to your people. v29 When any *Israelite prays to you, hear that prayer. Or when all the *Israelites appeal to you, answer them. Each man or woman knows what they suffer and their pain. They will spread their hands toward this *temple. v30 Then hear their prayers from your home in heaven. Forgive them. Deal with each person in the manner that is right for that person. Only you know what is in people’s hearts and in their minds. v31 Then the people will be afraid not to obey you. They will obey you all the days that they live in this country. You gave this country to our *ancestors.

v32 Foreigners who are not *Israelites will come from distant countries. They will come because they have heard about the greatness of your name. They have heard about the great deeds that you have done. They will come because they have seen your power. They will come and they will pray toward this *temple. v33 When they pray to you, hear from your home in heaven. Do what those foreigners ask you to do. Do that, so that people from all the nations in the world will know your name. They will be afraid of you even as the *Israelites are afraid of you. They will know that I have built this *temple for your name.

v34 Your people may go to war against their enemies. They will go the way that you send them. They will pray to you towards this city that you have chosen. They will pray towards the *temple that I have built for your name. v35 Then hear from heaven their prayer and appeal and help them to win.

v36 There is nobody who does not *sin against you. When your people *sin, you will be angry with them. You will let their enemies defeat them. Their enemies will make them prisoners. Their enemies will take them away to a country, which may be a long way away or near. v37 When they change the attitude of their hearts and their minds there, they will *repent of their *sins. In the country where they are *exiles, they will pray to you. They will say to you, “We have *sinned. What we have done is wrong. We have been wicked.” v38 They will *turn back to you in the country where they are *exiles. They will *turn to you with all their hearts and with all their minds. Then they will pray towards this country that you gave to their *ancestors. They will pray towards the city that you have chosen. And they will pray towards the *temple that I have built for your name. v39 Then hear their prayers and appeals from your home in heaven. Help them. And forgive your people, who have *sinned against you.

v40 Now, my God, please watch what happens in this place. Please listen to the prayers that we pray in this place.

v41 Now, rise, *LORD God, and come to your resting place. Come with the *ark that shows your strength. *LORD God, dress your priests with *salvation. And cause your holy people to have delight because of your goodness.

v42 *LORD God, do not refuse the person that you appointed. Remember the love that you had for your servant David.’

Verses 12-15 Solomon stood on a platform so that the people could see him more easily. He had made the platform out of *bronze. It was about 7.5 feet (2.3 metres) square and about 4.5 feet (1.3 metres) high. At first, he stood and he spread his hands out. Then he went down on his knees in an attitude of prayer. And he raised his hands towards the sky.

Then Solomon prayed to the *LORD. He started to praise the *LORD. The God of *Israel is the only real God. There is no other god like him. The *LORD had done what he had promised to David. Solomon had become the king of *Israel. And he had built the *temple for the *LORD.

Verses 16-17 Solomon then asked the *LORD to continue to do what he had promised to David. But the *LORD had only promised to do these things if Solomon and the people were loyal to him. If they obeyed the *LORD, then a *descendant of David would rule *Israel.

Verses 18-21 Solomon had built the *temple for the *LORD. But he knew that the *LORD was too big to live in any building on earth. Space and time cannot contain God. He is larger than the heavens. But we should not think that he is a long way away. He is everywhere at the same time. Therefore, he is always near. The *temple’s function was for people to find God; not to contain him. So, the *temple was the place where the people came to *worship God.

Solomon asks the *LORD to guard the *temple day and night. It belonged to the *LORD and his name was there.

Solomon asks the *LORD to hear the prayers of his people, that is, *Israel. They would make their prayers towards the *temple. The *temple was the place where they expected the *LORD to meet with them. But the *LORD was in heaven and there he would hear their prayers. He would answer them from heaven.

Verses 22-23 Now Solomon describes to the *LORD 7 problems that may happen (6:22-40). Each problem follows the same pattern. First, there is the situation or the problem. Then there is the prayer or statement in the *temple. Then there is the request for God to hear. At the end, Solomon asks God to solve the situation or problem.

Situation 1: A difficult legal problem

A person may do wrong deeds to another person but sometimes nobody has seen it. Then there would be no way to discover the truth. Then both people would come into the *temple. There they would both insist in front of God that they are not guilty. Only God knows which person is speaking the truth. So Solomon asks that God will be the judge. Let God say whether a person is guilty or not guilty.