FRAMEWORKS:
2 Chronicles 8: Solomon's
other activities
[Introductory
Notes: 1 Kings 7 tells us that it took Solomon thirteen
years to build himself a great palace in Lebanon and thus it is
to this a palace that he brings his Egyptian wife [v.11]. The
chapter is a general summary of the nature of the activity of
Solomon in establishing his nation. It starts [v.1] and finishes
[v.16] yet again noting the completion of the temple – seen also
in 5:1, 7:11. Here it is noted that no Israelite was made a slave
for the work, only those other nationalities left in the land
after the original conquest [v.7-10]. Not only is the Temple completed
but the ministry in it is established [v.12-15]. It is very much
a chapter rounding up his activities in respect of the temple.]
v.1-7
Solomon's general building work around the land [note the concluding
verses]
v.1
At the end
of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the
Lord
and his own palace,
v.2
Solomon
rebuilt the villages that Hiram had given him, and settled Israelites
in them.
v.3
Solomon
then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it.
v.4
He
also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he
had built in Hamath.
v.5
He
rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities,
with walls and with gates and bars,
v.6
as
well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for
his chariots and for his horses – whatever he desired to
build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory
that he ruled.
v.7-10
Aliens in the land conscripted
v.7
There
were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Hivites and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites).
v.8
Solomon
conscripted the descendants of all these people remaining in the
land – whom the Israelites had not destroyed – to serve
as slave labour, as it is to this day.
v.9
But
Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they
were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders
of his chariots and charioteers.
v.10
They
were also King Solomon's chief officials – two hundred and
fifty officials supervising the men.
v.11
He provides for his wife from Egypt
v.11
Solomon
brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace
he had built for her, for he said, ‘My wife must not live in the
palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of
the Lord
has entered are holy.'
v.12-15
He establishes the activity at the Temple
v.12
On
the altar of the Lord
that he had
built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings
to the Lord
,
v.13
according
to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for
the Sabbaths, the New Moons and the three annual festivals –
the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the
Festival of Tabernacles.
v.14
In
keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the
divisions of the priests for their duties and the Levites to lead
the praise and to assist the priests according to each day's requirement.
He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various
gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered.
v.15
They
did not deviate from the king's commands to the priests or to
the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.
v.16-18
The work finsiehd & established [see v.1 - 'bookends']
v.16
All
Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of
the temple of the Lord
was laid until
its completion. So the temple of the Lord
was finished.
v.17
Then
Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom.
v.18
And
Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew
the sea. These, with Solomon's men, sailed to Ophir and brought
back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered
to King Solomon.
Continue
to Ch.9