2 Chronicles 7: 1 – 22
All is well, today
7 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He Is good, for His mercy endures forever.” 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So, the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood. 7 Furthermore Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat. 8 At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 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 good that the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD and in his own house. 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 as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’ 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, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 Then they will answer, ‘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 on them.’ ”
Solomon wrote, “Don’t brag about tomorrow since you don’t know what the day will bring.” Proverbs 27:1
Isaiah wrote, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18
Our Lord Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.” Matthew 6:34
Don’t worry. Don’t brag. Forget the past.
Live for today.
That’s what I want and I hope you want also…. simple, faith-filled, focus on what God is doing in my life today. I want to let go of yesterday and leave tomorrow where it belongs—in the future!
But even though I want to faithfully live in the present, I fall short way too often. The enemy of my soul constantly taunts me with regrets and worries and my thoughts wander off to places that discourage and dishearten me.
Though I know I’m sacrificing peace, joy, contentment and so much more when I choose to focus on past or future “what ifs,” I still have days when I don’t feel well, or circumstances don’t go the way I want challenging me to lose focus and retreat into the past and the future.
I can’t do it on my own. I need God’s Holy Spirit to help me live one day at a time – free of regrets and worries.
I’ve made a list of “Just for Today” goals that I believe will help me. I’m hoping they will help you too…
1. I will make healthy choices.
I will make every effort to eat a healthy diet, stay active, and get the rest I need with balance and without obsession.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body. Corinthians 6:19–20
2. I will be kind to myself and others.
I will remember how much God loves me and wants the best for me. I will not sabotage His work in my life with unhealthy thoughts and choices. I will do my best to extend kindness and compassion to the people God places around me.
When we are outrageously kind to ourselves it’s easier to be kind to others. (Wow, I need to work on this one! I can say some terrible things to myself)
3. I will choose to find joy in every day.
With God’s help, I will live in this moment and look for reasons to be joy-filled and happy.
It’s so easy to focus on what’s wrong and what’s missing. I am trusting my Holy Spirit Who Is called the ‘Comforter’ to help me…
I must fix my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable while also hinking about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
4. I will trust God’s plans for me and follow where He leads me.
If you’re like me, you make your plans and you’re sure they’re right. Changes and interruptions can be the beginning of my day heading south.
The bottom lines is that with His help, you and I can trust that His plans, even His interruptions, are for our good and His glory although we may not see it at the moment.
5. I will repent and confess my sins to God trusting that He faithfully forgives me.
I’m one of those people who will relive past mistakes and own the guilt again and again. The enemy teases me for often taking the blame for things that aren’t even my fault or my doing. Talk about joy robbers!
So, I am committing myself to trust God’s promise…
But if we confess our sins to Him, He Is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9
And remember that when I doubt His forgiveness I doubt His love.
When you and I trust Jesus’ sacrifice we must also trust its sufficiency to cover our sins.
6. I will forgive others the way God has forgiven me.
I will give the gift of forgiveness to those who hurt me. The Lord Jesus included our need to forgive each other in the prayer He taught…Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:12
Sometimes the pain seems too great to forgive but I am trusting that because my Master and King Jesus spoke of the importance of forgiveness, His Holy Spirit will help me accomplish it.
7. I will plan and prepare for my day asking God to guide me.
With God’s help, I will use today’s 1440 minutes intentionally.
I’ll admit, this one challenges me. I can so easily get distracted and unfocused. I want to strive to become a better steward of every moment of life God gives me.
“8. I will not over-plan my day. I will leave time for stillness and rest.
9. I will accept the unexpected … do what I can and trust God with the rest.
Whatever a day brings, I will trust that God is greater than my circumstances and live with confidence that He is able to give me the strength to endure.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38
I will trust His love!
10. I will refuse to worry.
Worry is a joy stealer! It is impossible to worry and experience joy!
And right after Jesus told His followers to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
He said… “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:33 –34
We can trust Him! With God’s help, we can simply do what we are given to do today and leave tomorrow to the mercy and grace of God trusting that when we His Kingdom and live for His glory, He will supply everything we need to live … one day at a time.
And finally – I will count my blessings.
I began blessing counting during a time when my heart hurt so much it seemed impossible to see anything good. A discipline God used to strengthen me and fill me with hope. I’m a committed counter now.
Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” Luke 5:26
I want to pay attention! I want to see the amazing things God is doing and count every blessing one day at a time!
I have to remember my own counsel to others which is ‘One day at a time- this is enough. Anything that in the past is gone. I cannot go back and correct anything. So, why do I keep trying to live in the past. I must live just today and try to suck out some joy from it. Tomorrow is in The Lord’s hand, so I will trust Him in what He plans.
Today we are going to review the Lord’s direct involvement with the Israelites during the dedication of the Temple. It was a good day for everyone. All the sins, errors, and mistakes were set aside by our Holy God to show His people that He loved them and wanted to be their God.
Solomon’s plea for YHWH and His Ark which represented His strength to arise and enter His resting place (6.41), resulted in the glory of YHWH descending on the Sanctuary and the fire of YHWH consuming the sacrifices. Solomon and the people then worshipped Him, offering many sacrifices, and observed the Feast of Tabernacles in His honor.
7 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
The Ark having been set in the Holiest Place, and the priests having then left the Sanctuary (5.11), fire came down and consumed the offerings and sacrifices then being offered, and the glory of YHWH filled the house, shielded from the onlookers by a great cloud (5.14). It was a sign that YHWH was possessing the Temple as His own. From then on none but sanctified priests would be able to enter it, and they with suitable awe.
2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.
At this time even, the priests could not enter the Sanctuary because the glory of YHWH filled the whole Sanctuary. None could withstand His consuming fire. As with the pillar of fire at the Exodus, and the glory that filled the Tabernacle excluding even Moses, it was a confirmation that YHWH was with His people, and an indication of His extreme holiness.
3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He Is good, for His mercy endures forever.”
Here it is made clear that not only the priests, but also all the people, saw the fire come down and the glory of YHWH fill the House. And the consequence was that they fell on their faces before YHWH and gave Him thanks and praise, repeating the phrase that was continually on their lips (5.13b) “For he is good, for his covenant love is forever.” It was a reminder that He would never forget His people.
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
Having worshipped Him, the king and all the people brought sacrifices to YHWH. Apart from the burnt offerings, and possibly sin offerings, these would be sacrifices of which the people could partake once they had offered the fat to YHWH They were offerings of praise and thanksgiving to YHWH.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So, the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
Solomon had decided that on this occasion they would feast as never before. And he therefore provided the priests with offerings of twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. These would be offered as sacrifices and then the people could partake of the meat.
This feast of dedication of the altar (which represents the whole Sanctuary) lasted for seven days, to be followed immediately by the seven day Feast of Tabernacles.
6 And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.
The verse begins with the priests standing and ends with all Israel standing. All were partaking in praise to YHWH. The priests stood in accordance with their allotted courses (by David), trumpets at the ready, and the Levites also, with the instruments that David had made for giving thanks to YHWH when he had offered praise through their ministry. Then the priest blew their trumpets in front of all Israel, as the words of praise echoed, “for His covenant love is forever”.. The assurance of God’s love through the covenant was a theme of the celebrations.
7 Furthermore Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.
The offering of such huge amounts of offerings was more than was possible, even on the enlarged brazen altar, and so the middle of the court facing the Temple entrance was especially ‘hallowed’ (‘sanctified’) for offerings sacrifices. These would be offered by the multitude of priests’ present, who would continue making the offerings from day to day through the feast, from which they would receive their allotted portions. Only the fat of the peace-offerings was offered up, the meat could be partaken of in the feast.
8 At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
The seven-day feast which Solomon had called for dedicating the altar being over, he now held another seven day feast, the Feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering (from the fifteenth day of the seventh moon period to the twenty first day), to celebrate the final gathering in of the harvest of summer fruits. This was one of the three great feasts, held at the Central Sanctuary, which Israelites were expected to attend (Exodus 23.14-17; Leviticus 23.33-43). Now all Israel were gathered for it.
9 And on the eighth day they held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
‘On the eighth day’, that is the day after the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles (‘the great day of the Feast’ - John 7.37), a solemn assembly was held. This was in this case the fifteenth day of feasting coming after seven days of feasting for the dedication of the altar, and seven days of feasting for the Feast of Tabernacles. During the seven days for the dedication of the altar the Day of Atonement would have taken place.
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 good that the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel.
Then on the day after the ‘eighth day’, that is on the twenty third day Solomon sent the people back to their homes full of joy and glad of heart at the goodness that YHWH had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to all Israel, by uniting the Ark and the Tabernacle in the new Sanctuary and revealing Himself in it.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD and in his own house.
The work on the house of YHWH was declared to be finished. The difference now was that it was also dedicated to YHWH and seen as accepted by Him. It will be noted that the work on the king’s house (which took thirteen years once the Temple was finished - 1 Kings 6.38-7.1) is also declared here to be finished, but it is very much as a brief note, and the dedication of the Temple would have taken place before that happened. The book of Chronicles pays little attention to the building of the king’s house. It is only mentioned in brief notes. But the fact that it is mentioned here emphasizes that Solomon paid as much attention to his own house as he did to YHWH’s House, and completed it equally luxuriously. His heart was revealed as being equally involved in both.
There is a similar disapproval in the book of 1 Kings that Solomon had spent nearly double the amount of time on his own house than he had on the Temple (1 Kings 6.38-7.1). He had, without thinking, exalted himself above YHWH. It took away something of the gloss on what he had done for YHWH and demonstrated how his position had gone to his head.
Our Lord Father God YHWH now appeared to Solomon by night and confirmed that He would respond to what Solomon had prayed, but warned him and the people of the need to be responsive to the covenant and to be obedient to its commandments, giving a stern warning of what the consequences would be of disobedience.
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 as a house of sacrifice.
That YHWH appeared to Solomon by night suggests that His appearance was through a dream (1 Kings 3.5). In that dream He declared that He had heard Solomon’s prayer and had consequently chosen this place personally as a house of sacrifice. This suggests that while in Solomon’s prayer he had not mentioned sacrifice, YHWH saw repentance and the offering of sacrifices as going hand in hand. To call on His Name would require genuine offerings and sacrifices.
‘I have heard your prayer and chosen this place.’ These words tie in with YHWH’s promise in Deuteronomy 12.5 that He would ‘choose a place’ to which Israel could come and seek Him. The implication is that the Temple was not previously His chosen place. He had now chosen it because of Solomon’s prayer (and, no doubt, the people’s worship). This ties in ill with the idea that the Temple was initially built through YHWH’s initiative.
13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
In three clauses YHWH God sums up some of the things concerning which Solomon had prayed, famine through lack of rain, famine through insects, and sickness and death through pestilence and disease, for He has in mind the healing of the land after repentance. These ideas of retribution and forgiveness continue throughout the book. Note that He omits reference to war and fighting. At this time such was not a serious threat, and Solomon was a king of peace.
So, YHWH promises that if He sends the retribution He describes on the land as a punishment for the people’s sins, then if His people respond in the right way, by humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face and turning from their evil ways, He will hear, forgive and heal.
Please take note what is required;
. They must come to Him humbly
. They must acknowledge their unworthiness and sinfulness.
. They must pray truly from the heart.
. They must seek His face with a desire to know Him and be known by Him.
. They must turn from their evil ways.
This is the way of salvation. Only then can He hear, forgive and heal,
The promise is to those who are ‘called by His Name’, in other words to true Yahwists. And if they are to receive His help, they must ‘humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways’, and this because of what He Is.
These words are a pattern of what God seeks from His people, and from us. Whenever His people become aware that sin has overtaken them with its awful consequences, this is the way back to God. They must humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their sinful ways. Then He promises that He will respond by hearing, forgiving and restoring.
15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
YHWH then assures Solomon that He will be watching and listening when men pray in the Temple, because He has adopted it as His own. He will be watching for what He has just described.
‘16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
This responsiveness of YHWH will be because, in response to the prayers of Solomon and His people, He has chosen the Temple in which His Ark is set, and made it ‘holy’, separated unto Him as sanctified in His sight, so that His Name, at this time represented by His Ark, may be there forever. And His guarantee was thus that His eyes and heart would be there in perpetuity. Whilst the Temple would last men could always find hope there if they came to Him on His conditions.
He is thus pointing out that He has accepted it as taking the place of the Tabernacle and the Sacred Tent, where His Name had previously been, and which were so important in the worship of Israel, and was thereby graciously submitting to the well-meant desires of David and Solomon.
Having recognized that Solomon was interceding on behalf of his people, and having responded accordingly, YHWH now turns towards the needs and desires of Solomon Himself, indicated by the words ‘as for you ---.’ The spiritual health of the people was very much linked up with the spiritual health of the king. If the leadership was failing the people would tend to fail, although as the book will later reveal God was able to raise up prophets to speak to those of His people who would listen even when the leadership failed.
17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
Blessing was not guaranteed for the king or for his descendants who followed him. Obedience was equally demanded of Him (Deuteronomy 17.18-20). If he was to enjoy the promises of 1 Chronicles 17.10-14 for himself and his dynasty he must walk before God as David his father had walked, in covenant obedience, repenting truly when he sinned. He must do all that YHWH had commanded and observe His statutes and His ordinances as revealed in the Law of Moses.
A good point to take from this is that no one could say that our Holy God did not warn Solomon. He let him know that His eyes were on Solomon as well.
18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’
If he did so then God would establish the throne of his kingship, just as He had covenanted with David when He promised, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’ Thus obedience would result in a continuing dynasty.
We should, however, notice that the promises in 1 Chronicles 17.10.14 were absolute and finally unconditional. His speaking of them as conditional here is as an encouragement to Solomon to follow the way of obedience. He is not thereby denying their absoluteness. Fortunately for us is that whatever Solomon did the king over the everlasting kingdom would come. But Solomon would have lost his part in it.
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,
God now addressed both Solomon and all the people, and described what would happen if they turned away from His ways, and forsook His statutes and commandments which He had set before them in the Law of Moses, and went and served other gods and worshipped them.
20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
The consequence of their serving other gods and worshipping them will be that they will be ‘plucked up by the roots out of My land’, that is they will be uprooted and ‘cut off from YHWH’s land which He had given them’ (1 Kings 9.7), the point being that the land was given to them because He was their God and they were His people, and on rebelling against Him they would thus no longer have any right to it.
21 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and this house?’
‘This house being exalted refers to the reputation that it would gain. Either way it would become an astonishment to men as they saw it broken down and deserted. And all would ask, ‘why has YHWH done this to this land and to this people’.
22 Then they will answer, ‘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 on them.’”
Then men will reply that it was because they forsook YHWH, the God of their fathers, to Whom they owed so much, the God Who brought them forth from the land of Egypt. They forsook Him by laying hold of other gods and worshipping and serving them. That was why God had brought this evil upon them
Please Lord God for myself and all those who seek out your wisdom and presence be protected by You to never turn away from You.
