2 Chronicles 1-3
(1) How did King Solomon started his reign:
From 1 Kings 3 we know that God provided him with wisdom, but in 2 Chronicles we get more details.
1:3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God was located there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the wilderness.
5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the LORD’s tabernacle. Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him there.) 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a thousand burnt sacrifices.
Solomon went to Gibeon where the tent and most importantly the bronze altar were located. He went and offered sacrifices and prayed to God. Then God spoke to Solomon and granted his request for wisdom.
Solomon went to Gibeon where the tent and most importantly the bronze altar were located. He went and offered sacrifices and prayed to God. Then God spoke to Solomon and granted his request for wisdom.
(NAC) In front of the tabernacle of the Lord, Solomon and the assembly “inquired of the LORD” (v. 5). The altar provided a symbolic picture of the one in whose honor the altar was erected. The offering of a thousand burnt offerings was considerable, appropriate to the occasion. It was the first event of Solomon’s reign, which thus began with a national act of worship.
Reflection: How do you start your day? What is most important to you? To Solomon, he spent his effort to go down to the tent and the altar. To put God first to honor God. Have we offered ourselves to God this morning?
(2) Repeated words: great temple for our great God
2:5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods.
2:9 to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple.
The size of the temple itself is not that big (smaller than an American football field), and the meaning of the word, great is not about the size.
The size of the temple itself is not that big (smaller than an American football field), and the meaning of the word, great is not about the size.
great=(BDB) in importance
magnificent= (BDB) make wonderful, do wondrously: of God
While God is important, and does wondrously, man cannot do anything to compare with Him. We can only worship Him. That humbled Solomon.
6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him.
(NAC) “Who am I?” is a well-known protestation of humility in the Old Testament ...The temple was designated as a place to burn sacrifices before the Lord. It was indeed Israel’s focus for the worship of the Lord. Yet the Lord was not confined to the temple. Even the highest heavens cannot contain him.
(NAC) “Who am I?” is a well-known protestation of humility in the Old Testament ...The temple was designated as a place to burn sacrifices before the Lord. It was indeed Israel’s focus for the worship of the Lord. Yet the Lord was not confined to the temple. Even the highest heavens cannot contain him.
Reflection: Is God great to you? Solomon was humble when he faced that reality. Do you? Do we worship God by recognizing His greatness? How can our daily worship and Sunday worship reflect our humbleness?
Audrey
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