April 20 A READ 2 CHRONICLES 1–5
Solomon’s Magnificent Temple
OVERVIEW
Solomon’s wealth and wisdom are legendary. But they pale by comparison to the one project with which history would later connect his name: Solomon’s Temple. In only seven years, Solomon uses the efforts of 153,000 workers to fashion tons of gold and silver, brass and cedar, into a breathtaking place of worship for the God who is “greater than all other gods” (2:5). When at last the task is complete, the glory of God fills the Temple with such a thick cloud of radiance that even the people who work there must temporarily evacuate—a visible sign of God’s pleasure with the finished project.
MY DAILY WALK
What is your reaction when you encounter a wealthy businessman? . . . a wealthy politician? . . . a wealthy Christian? . . . a wealthy minister? Do the terms rich and Christian seem contradictory?
The real issue for a Christian living in an age of plenty is not how much money he or she has. Christians can be rich or poor—in or out of the will of God. The rich man in James 5 is not so much a man who possesses much as he is a man who is preoccupied with what he possesses. King Solomon had much, but he was able to look back and recognize it all as a gift from God (1:11-12), which, if used wisely, would become a constant source of blessing to himself and others.
How can you use a part of your material blessings from God to become, in turn, a blessing in someone else’s life today? To be truly rich, reach out.
WEALTH IN ITSELF IS NEUTRAL. WHAT WE DO WITH IT IS NOT.
INSIGHT
Temples Old and New | 2 Chr. 2:1
The temple that Solomon built underwent significant changes throughout history (2:1). The original structure was destroyed when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and sent its inhabitants into exile in 586 B.C. Seventy years later, the Jews who had returned from exile finished rebuilding what historians call the Second Temple or Zerubbabel’s Temple (after the man who led the effort to rebuild; see Ezra 3:8). By Jesus’ day, Herod had greatly remodeled and expanded Zerubbabel’s Temple, hence it is often referred to as Herod’s Temple during this period. The Romans destroyed Herod’s Temple in A.D. 70.
INSIGHT
The Glory Filled the Temple | 2 Chr. 5:14
The glorious cloud that filled the Temple represented God’s presence (5:14). The Lord was present in this permanent structure just as he had been in the Tabernacle before (see Exodus 40:34-38). Hundreds of years later a tragic event occurred. Because of the people’s persistent violation of God’s covenant with them, the glory of the Lord departed from the Temple (see Ezekiel 10–11). Shortly thereafter the Temple was destroyed by the invading Babylonians.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
1Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him very powerful.
2Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army,* the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. 3Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle* was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the LORD’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)
4David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. 5But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there* at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the LORD.* 6There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the LORD’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.
7That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
8Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. 9O LORD God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! 10Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,* for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”
11God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people—12I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”
13Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel.
14Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.* He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 15The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.* 16Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt* and from Cilicia*; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 17At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,* and horses for 150 pieces of silver.* They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.