October 2, 2022
This week we started 2 Chronicles. This is a summary of what we read in Samuel and Kings. First Chronicles was all about King David. He was not able to build the temple because “you are a warrior and have shed blood” (1 Chronicles 28:3). David prepared for the building of the temple, but he did not actually build the temple.
David had many sons, but appointed Solomon to be king, as God directed. Solomon built the temple to the Lord. It was filled with gold and worth millions to billions in today’s economy. Once the temple was complete, Solomon said a prayer to dedicate the temple (2 Chronicles 6).
After Solomon prayed, the Lord appeared to him. The Lord said to Solomon, “I have heard your prayer and chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:12-14).
God said to Solomon, “As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel. But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.”
This says a lot about what is important to God. Solomon spent millions or billions in today’s economy on the temple. This was not important to the LORD. The LORD said that if his people who were called by his name would:
- Humble themselves
- Pray
- Seek God’s face (presence)
- Turn from their wicked ways (repent)
Then he would hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.
He said to Solomon, “if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel. But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, thin I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple.”
God did care about the temple, but He cared morre about the condition of the people’s heart and the relationship the people had with Him. If they did the above, God would open his ears and eyes to their prayers. If they did not follow His ways, his ears would be closed. Just like in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The expectation the LORD had for his people is the same today. The difference is that our salvation through Jesus Christ is through the work on the cross and lasts forever. When we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and ask for forgiveness (repent) through Jesus Christ, he will forgive of our sins, and we will be saved. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This salvation is forever. God will not take it away. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Just like thousands of years ago, God does not care about the things of this world. He cares about you, and your heart and your relationship with Him. He wants you to seek His presence.
How is your relationship with the LORD? Are you seeking His presence?
Next week we will read 2 Chronicles 11-24.
Diving into the Bible 