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Study No.8 : Reason for the Temple  : 2 Chron 6:1-11

 

A. Find Out:

1. What had the Lord said about Himself? v.1

2. Who did Solomon do what to? v.3

3. What had the Lord said about where He would dwell? v.5,6

4. What had the Lord felt about what David had intended? v.7,8

5. Yet what had God decreed? v.9

6. So how did Solomon see his present activity? v.10,11

 

B. Think:

1. How had David been unique as a leader?

2. Read 1 Chron 17:10c-14 How did Solomon interpret that?

3. How, spiritually, did that apply to Jesus?

C. Comment:

      Solomon first now addresses God, and then he blesses the nation. After he had blessed them he explains why they have done what they've done in building a temple.

First he remembers that this was all because of a promise to his father, David. Until David, the Lord hadn't chosen any particular place to be a central focus and hadn't previously chosen a man to rule - the tabernacle had been mobile, the judges hadn't been true rulers, and Saul had been the people's choice! The Lord knows that we are frail and need a focal point in our relationship with Him.

     Now God had chosen Jerusalem and had chosen David. David had desired to build a temple for the Lord which had been approved by Him, but because of his blood-covered history, he wasn't allowed to build, only his offspring. Now Solomon clearly understood that to means materially (i.e. as a physical building), yet further on in history we can see that it applied to the coming of Jesus, for the prophecy spoke about an everlasting reign. The building of a ‘house' would be both materially (then) and spiritually through the church (future).Yet God blessed the building with His manifest presence.

 

D. Application:

1. Church building.

•  When it comes to building the temple of the Lord (the church) the Lord looks for clean hands and a pure heart.

2. Understanding prophecy?

•  When it comes to interpreting prophecy, we so often misunderstand and only see half of the picture, yet God still speaks.

 

  

Study No.9 : Lessons in Prayer (1) : 2 Chron 6:12-21

A. Find Out:

1. Where was Solomon, and what did he do? v.12,13

2. What did he first remind himself about the Lord in prayer? v.14,15

3. So what does he ask? v.16,17

4. What next does he remind himself? v.18

5. But what does he ask? v.19

6. How does he enlarge that request? v.20,21

 

B. Think:

1. What truths about God does Solomon pray here?

2. How does that direct his praying?

3. How might this act as a lesson for us?

C. Comment:

     Solomon has declared before the people that the reason for the temple being built was because God had suggested it. He now goes on to pray before the people. It is a very public prayer.

     Note first the things that he says about the Lord. His starting place (v.14,15) is a reminder that God is a promise-keeping God. God has made a covenant with Israel and a covenant with Solomon's father, David. The one thing Solomon knows is that God is faithful, and keeps His word. The second thing he says about the Lord (v.18) is that God is too big to dwell in man-made buildings, He lives in heaven. This makes God great but distant. These two truths become the basis for his petitions. Our praying should come out of what we know about the Lord. We can only pray because of this.

     So next, let's see what he actually asks in prayer. First of all (v.16) he simply asks that God will carry on keeping His promises and, specifically, the promise He made to David about his offspring. He is praying for continuity of his family and security for them in their relationship with the Lord. The next thing he asks (v.19), because he is aware that God is in heaven, is that God will listen to his requests. He does not take for granted his position. He comes humbly. He asks the Lord to hear not only his prayers, but those of others coming here.

 

D. Application:

1. The basis of prayer?

•  Do my prayers start from my knowledge of the Lord?

2. Confidence in prayer?

•  Does that knowledge of the Lord give me confidence to pray?

 

Study No.10 : Lessons in Prayer (2)  : 2 Chron 6:22-42

A. Find Out:

1. Identify each potential situation that Solomon now prays for and note what he asks

     for in each case: a) v.22,23 b) v.24,25 c) v.26,27   d) v.28-31 e) v.32,33 f) v.34,35 g)

     v.36-39

2. What is his petition of v.40?

3. What further 5 things does he ask in closing? v.41,42

 

B. Think:

1. What are most of Solomon's petitions about?

2. How much of a prophetic element do you think there is here?

C. Comment:

    There is a lot in this prayer. There are seven major petitions. Some of the petitions are of a fairly general nature. The first one (v.22,23) is simply to judge between disputes. The fifth one (v.32,33) simply asks that foreigners who come to God at the Temple may be heard and accepted. The sixth one simply asks for help for God's people when they go to war at his bidding.

     The other four petitions are all to do with possible times when the people of God may sin, judgement comes on them, and they repent. In each case the plea is then to hear their prayer of confession and restore them. The judgements are losing at war (v.24), when there is a drought (v.26), when there is a famine or plague (v.28), and when they sin generally and are taken into exile.

     Note in each case, each of these things is seen as a specific act of God requiring His mercy to bring restoration when the judgement has brought repentance. Watch in your further reading of the Old Testament to see how each of these things did occur in the future life of Israel . The seventh one in particular was so clearly seen in the whole exile that took place at the end of 2 Chronicles and was exactly fulfilled. In this sense many of these don't only reflect the curses of the Law (Deut 28:15-68 & Lev 26:14-45) but they also have a distinct prophetic ring about them.

      This prayer indicates that Solomon is fully aware of the sinful potential of Israel and their need of God's mercy.

 

D. Application:

1. Sin & Judgement.

•  Do we see a link between national sin and major catastrophes?

2. The way through?

•  Do we understand that repentance is always the answer to sin.

 

Study No.11 : The Glory Comes Down : 2 Chron 7:1-10

A. Find Out:

1. What 2 things happened when Solomon finished praying? v.1

2. What couldn't happen as a result? v.2

3. What did the people do? v.3

4. What did everyone then do? v.4-7

5. How long did the celebrations continue? v.8,9

6. How did it finish? v.10

 

B. Think:

1. How did God show His approval of all Solomon had done?

2. What were their feelings about God?

3. How would you describe what went on?

C. Comment:

      The Temple has been completed, the glory of God has come and filled it ( 5:14 ), and Solomon has prayed and there had been sacrifices presented (5:6). Suddenly there is fire from heaven and the sacrifices are burnt up (v.1). What further sign could there be of the approval of God receiving the offering presented to Him.

      The response of the people is to worship the Lord but notice that as much as there is awesome respect in it as they bow down, their appreciation of God is that He is a God of love (v.3c).

      Solomon's offering can only be described as wholehearted (v.5). The priests are in their places, the musicians play. This is pageant at its best. By every means possible they acknowledge and honour the Lord. Thus they give the Temple over to the Lord (v.5c). Because the volume of offerings was so great, Solomon separated off as holy (consecrated) the middle courtyard area and there for a week they offered sacrifices and praised the Lord.

     On the eighth day they held a more solemn day of acknowledgement of the Lord's greatness, bringing to an end the specific period of dedicating the temple and its altar for sacrifices, and then had a further week of general celebrations, which in fact was the Feast of Tabernacles finishing on the 22 nd of the month.

 

D. Application:

1. Worship?

•  Can we say that our worship is wholehearted?

2. Worship?

•  Does our worship ‘cost' us anything?

 

Study No.12 : Repentance, the Key : 2 Chron 7:11-16

 

A. Find Out:

1. What had Solomon finished doing? v.11

2. What did the Lord then do and say? v.12

3. What things did he envisage happening? v.13

4. What four things would His people need to do? v.14a

5. What would He then do? v.14b

6. What will He do and why? v.15,16

 

B. Think:

1. Why do you think the Lord appeared to Solomon at night?

2. How would you sum up the situation the Lord speaks about?

3. What is to be the key to future problems?

C. Comment:

       There is a sense of completeness in verse 11. Solomon has completed his palace and he's completed the temple. The two central focal points for rule in Israel have been established. Solomon will rule from the palace, and God will rule from the temple. It is at this point that the Lord comes and speaks directly to Solomon at night. Why at night? Perhaps because it is a time of quietness when no one else is there, a time when Solomon can hear without interruption.

      The Lord first reaffirms that He has chosen the temple as the place of sacrifice, the place where people can come and meet with their God and offer either their sins or their thankfulness (those essentially were the two main reasons for the sacrificial system). The Lord focuses on the former, the potential sin of the people in the years to come. He speaks about times when He might cause there to be a drought, or cause pests to destroy the land, or cause a plague among the people.

      Each of these would be a judgement of God on the people because of their sin (though that is only implied by what follows). If His people will come to their senses and humbly come before Him in true repentance, then He WILL hear and He WILL heal the land. Repentance will be the key to all national failings in the future. The temple will be a place of hope in this respect, that's why the Lord has established the place.

 

D. Application:

1. The fruit or consequences of Sin.

• Do we see a link between sin and things going wrong?

2. The way out of Sin?

• Do we understand that repentance is always the key to forgiveness?

    

Study No.13 : Determinants of the Future : 2 Chron 7:17-22

A. Find Out:

1. What condition does the Lord place on blessing Solomon? v.17

2. What does He say He will do if that condition is met? v.18

3. What does He warn against? v.19

4. What does He say He will do if that happens? v.20

5. What will the on-looking world ask? v.21

6. What will be the answer? v.22

 

B. Think:

1. How is the future seen to be in Solomon's hands?

2. How is it seen to be in the hands of the people?

3. How is it seen to be in the hands of the Lord?

C. Comment:

      There was nothing accidental about the ups and downs of Israel 's subsequent history that we read about in the Old Testament. It is entirely down to the choices made by Solomon and the subsequent kings, and their people. Life did not just keep on as a uniform steady flow. The good or bad times were entirely determined by Israel 's spiritual state! Their relationship with the Lord was all-important.

      In this passage the Lord clearly warns Solomon about this. His requirement is that Solomon walks faithfully with the Lord keeping God's Law. If Solomon does that then he can be assured that God will bless his family and they will continue to rule. If he DOESN'T then he is in for trouble. If he forsakes the Lord and goes after idols and leads the nation astray, then the Lord will both take Israel out of this land and reject the temple as the gateway to His presence.

     So obvious will this be that the whole world that looks on will see and know why this has happened. Israel are called to be a light to the nations and that includes the nations seeing when they are judged and disciplined. What was tragic was that this king who has been given such wisdom by God, will eventually disobey God and be led astray to idol worship. That seems hardly possible at this moment, but that is the stupidity of the sin that indwells the human race. However, the choice is always still ours!

 

D. Application:

1. The end of unrestrained sin

• Do we realise that Sin will seek to lead us into self-centred godlessness.

2. Human choice

• We must always remember that we are in control of what we do and can still choose NOT to go down that path of sin.

 

RECAP No.2  "In the Temple"  2 Chronicles 6 & 7

 

SUMMARY :

In this second group of 6 studies we have seen:

- Solomon blessing the people (6:1-11)

- Solomon's prayer of dedication ( 6:12 -42)

- The glory of the Lord & worship response (7:1-3)

- Solomon's sacrifices, praise & dedication (7:4-7)

- Observing the festivals (7:8-10)

- The Lord comes & speaks to Solomon ( 7:11 -22)

 

COMMENT :

      These two chapters are all about covenant. As Solomon comes to dedicate the temple he remembers that this was all that the Lord had spoken to David about, the fulfilment of His word. As he prays he again reiterates it is all about covenant and promise, and the petitions he then goes on to make are all based on covenant – the responses of God to the behaviour of His covenant people. His final plea is for God to remember His promise of love to David. All the things Solomon does are part of the covenant agreement made between God and His people through Moses. When the Lord comes and speaks to Solomon, again it is all about covenant, about what will happen in the future because of it.

 

LESSONS?

1. When we come to the Lord He looks for holiness.

2. We can only pray confidently in the knowledge of our relationship.

3. Sin always has consequences, but repentance is the way through.

4. God looks for whole-hearted worshippers.

5. Obedience is our part of the covenant. Blessing is God's part.

 

PRAY :

     Thank the Lord that He has made a covenant of blessing for all those who will turn to Him through Jesus. Thank Him for the blessings that are promised for you.

 

PART 3 : "Splendour & Failure"

      In this next Part we will see the incredible splendour that was granted to Solomon that came because of his God-given wisdom. Sadly we will also see the reason for his failure and the coming division of the kingdom. These are very mixed pictures.