2 Chronicles 6

June 9, 2022

Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.

Reading along with us in 2 Chronicles? Here’s today’s reading:

2 Chronicles 6 (NIV)

1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 2 I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”
3 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 4Then he said:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said,..........Continue Reading

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This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Solomon’s prayer and blessing over the temple. He first recognizes all of the promises of God that have been kept and asks that He would continue to keep those promises. He also asks for Him to be present in all of the issues that will come before the temple…prayers, oaths, guidance in victories and defeats of battle, times of trouble they may face like drought and famine.
    I did notice that in every instance Solomon acknowledged our part in coming before God. When he reminded us of what God said in regards to keeping His promises “if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.” The temple isn’t just a place for you to come and ask for things but rather a place for you to become right with God, to acknowledge your own sin and rebellion and with God get back on the path He wants for you.

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  4. A moving prayer of dedication of the temple, asking God to answer prayers of all kinds as they pray toward the temple, but at the same time acknowledging that the temple does not contain God.

    He continually mentions the Lord knowing the hearts of men.

    “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.”

    “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.”

    “Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), 31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.”

    “…yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; 38 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: 39 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.”

    I like where he speaks of the foreigner praying there as well. This is a place of worship for all nations.

    “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.”

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  5. It is explained the steps needed to ask forgiveness and to be heard but only once those instructions are followed to the T.

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  6. With the people present, Solomon presents this prayer affirming all that God has established through David and to him. It is clear that God is there for His people but also calls them to follow and obey. Rightfully, Solomon understands that no place can contain the infinite, creator God, and yet He condescends Himself to inhabit the temple so the people of Israel will be known as the people were God dwells. I also love the statement he makes in verse 15, with your mouth you have promised and with your hand have fulfilled. It is a good expression of how God’s economy works. Then He asks God to regard various prayers directed to the temple….most of them being when Israel is in a bad place because they forsook God, that God will honor their prayers of confession and repentance. What a great thing to understand that God always provides a way to return to Him. It is impressive that He also recognizes that nonJews’ prayer should be welcomed as well. As Jesus said, the temple was supposed to a be a house of prayer for all people. It is unfortunate that they have struggled with that for millennia….

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