This week, we shall continue the
study of 2 Chronicles of the Old Testament.
(1) 6:22-23—Wronging One’s Neighbor (civil justice)
a. When one is accused of wrong doing against his neighbor (as referred to in Exod. 22:6-12) and upon denial, comes before the temple, what did Solomon ask God to do?
b. Would God necessarily condemn or vindicate immediately? Why or why not?
c. How important was this prayer to Solomon and the people?
(2) 6:24-25—Defeat with some taken captive (as referred to in Lev. 26:17; Deut. 28:25)
a. Do you think every time they were defeated it was necessarily because of their sin?
b. Solomon details the necessary acts of repentance in v. 24: Which of these acts of repentance is the hardest to do?
c. What did Solomon ask God to do?
d. How important was this prayer to Solomon and the people?
(3) 6:26-27—Drought (as referred to in Lev. 26:19; Deut. 11:17; 28:23)
a. Do you think drought can still be a consequence of our sin?
b. What would repentance entail?
c. What did Solomon ask God to do?
d. How important is this prayer for us today?
(4) 6:28-31—Plague and Natural Disasters (as referred to in Lev. 26:19, 20, 26; Deut. 28:20-22)
a. How many would it take to intercede for the entire nation?
b. What is the prerequisite for this intercessor? (v. 29a; see also 1 Ki. 8:38)
c. What did Solomon ask God to do?
d. What is the purpose of God’s forgiveness? (v. 31)
e. How and for whom may you apply this prayer today?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them….” (2 Chr. 6:26)
When we come across adversity and especially some serious setback in our lives, as much as we think we are very strong in faith and do love the Lord, it is really hard to come before the Lord and sincerely “give praise” to Him. But to be able to do so is very important to our relationship with the Lord, because
- giving praise in the midst of trials is the best expression of submission, in not just accepting our lot grudgingly, but in expressing our trust in God’s intention for us — having “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11); and that all things do work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28); and
- the example of Job also reminds us that by giving praise even as we suffer losses (Job 1:21) is a clear demonstration to Satan, to God and ourselves that our faith is one of “dis-interested” faith—that is one that does not depend on blessings but rests solely on who God is. As Paul puts it, He is the God “who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
(1) 6:32-33—Foreign Worshipper (as referred to in Num. 15:14-16)
a. Why did Solomon choose to pray for foreign worshippers at this dedication ceremony?
b. What reason did Solomon give for God to hear the foreigner’s prayer? (v. 33)
c. How does this reflect his agreement with Isaiah 56:7 and Mark 11:17?
d. How does this reflect the desire of God in His covenant with Abraham? (Gen. 22:18)
(2) 66:34-35—Going to War
a. What condition was attached to such a war? (v. 34)
b. How important was it?
c. What did Solomon ask God to do?
(3) 6:36-39—In Captivity (as referred to in Lev. 26:33, 44; Deut. 28:45ff, 64ff; 30:1-5)
a. From the words he said, do you think Solomon anticipated their exile? (v. 36)
b. Since they will be in exile in a foreign land, how can they pray in the temple? (v. 38)
c. Where did Solomon expect God to hear their prayers? (v. 39)
d. What did he ask God to do?
e. Can you remember who prayed exactly according to the request of Solomon while Israel was in exile? (See Dan. 9)
(4) 6:40-42—End of Solomon’s Prayer:
a. As Solomon concluded his intercession, what was the basis of his confidence that God would open His eyes to see and His ears to hear their prayers? (v. 42b)
b. Why did he call the temple “God’s resting place”? (v. 41)
c. How did he express his wish for the priests? (v. 41) What does it mean?
d. Solomon did ask God not to reject His anointed one, meaning himself:
- Would God reject him?
- Why or why not?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.” (2 Chr. 6:33)
I am not only impressed with Solomon’s “breadth of understanding” (1 Ki. 4:29), but also the breadth of his intercession.
In his dedication prayer, I do expect to hear his adoration and thanksgiving, and I also expect to hear his intercession for his people, but I am particularly impressed with
- His heart for future generations as seen in all his prayers including his prayers for the administration of social justice among his people (6:22-23): He knew God had given him wisdom to do just that, but he was praying for succeeding generations that in spite of his absence, God would continue to do so as people brought their cases before the priests. He was not just satisfied with what happened in his time, but during future generations. How different he was from Hezekiah! (Isa. 39:8);
- He knew that God is not just the God of Israel, but of the world; and he also understood the true meaning of the Abrahamic Covenant in that this temple was meant to be a blessing to all nations (Gen. 22:18) and that this was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations as well (Isa. 56:7; Mk. 11:17); and
- He knew human depravity: All seven specific requests were based on his deep understanding of human depravity—for there is no one who does not sin (6:36). He fully expected his future generations to sin, to the point that there would be drought, natural disasters, defeats and even exile. It was with this understanding that he knew the importance of having committed to God to bear His name and reveal His presence through the building of the temple so that the people might learn to repent and the Lord would remain their God, and they His “inheritance”—the ultimate purpose of Exodus.
7:1-3—God Accepts Solomon’s Prayer
(1) What did Solomon ask for at the end of his prayer? (6:41)
(2) How did the Lord answer his prayer in no uncertain terms? (7:1-2)
(3) How did the people respond to God’s epiphany? (7:3)
(4) What future event might it remind you of? (e.g. Philippians 2:9-12)
7:4-10—The Dedication of the Temple
(5) It is helpful to remember that the 7th month was a significant month for festivals: With the 1st day being the Festival of Trumpets, the 10th day the Day of Atonement and the 15th–21st days the Festival of the Tabernacles. It appears that they celebrated the feast for the dedication of the temple for “seven days” (i.e. 8th to14th), and the Festival (of the Tabernacles) for seven days more (i.e. 15th–22nd days), the 8th day (after the Festival) was the day they held a sacred assembly:
a. How lavish was the sacrifice made to the dedication of the temple? (vv. 5, 7)
b. It is safe to assume that the Lord did not send fire down to consume these cattle and sheep so sacrificed: Did it make these sacrifices less meaningful and acceptable? Why or why not?
c. The focal point of the celebration was obviously the temple (and God Himself) and secondarily the king who built it. How does the whole passage end in v. 10?
d. What did the whole experience of the dedication of the temple mean to
- The people?
- The priests?
- King Solomon?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; His love endures forever’.” (2 Chr. 7:3)
The death of David had to be a very unsettling time for the nation of Israel. He was the king after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), and it was under him that the nation of Israel established, for the first time, unprecedented military supremacy over the surrounding nations (1 Chr. 14:17). Spiritually, especially in the absence of a powerful prophetic figure like Samuel, the people looked upon David as not just a king, but also as a spiritual leader—a true servant of the Lord.
With his passing away and the anointing of a much younger monarch in Solomon (1 Chr. 29:1), the people had to wonder if Solomon could continue to lead the nation as powerfully as David did, and more importantly, would God continue to be with them. These questions were quickly answered by God in no uncertain terms.
As Solomon eventually came around to build God’s temple in the 4th year of his reign (1 Ki. 6:1) and brought the Ark of Covenant back to the temple he built for the Lord, the Lord immediately filled the temple with His glory to the point that “the priests could not perform their service” (5:14). As if that was not enough to show His delight with Solomon, He sent fire from heaven and “consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices” right after the great prayer of Solomon (7:1-2).
While the glory of the Lord did fill the Tabernacle at its dedication (Exod. 40:34), the consuming of sacrifices with fire from heaven could only remind the people of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:17) — what a powerful affirmation of His covenant with Abraham and with David.
The result was just as powerful because, “When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped” (7:3). This reminds us of the day when Jesus shall return again and reign over all the earth, and then “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
What a glorious hope we have in Christ Jesus!
(1) When and why did the Lord first appear to Solomon? (1:7 and 1 Ki. 3)
(2) Direct answer to Solomon’s prayer:
a. Vv. 12, 15-16: God has chosen this temple:
- What is meant by “consecrating” this temple? (v. 16)
- What is meant by “My eyes and my heart will always be there”? (v. 16)
- Was Solomon’s prayer of dedication just wishful thinking on his part then?
b. How did the Lord respond to Solomon’s seven intercessions in 6:22-39? (vv. 13-14)
c. God’s answer in v. 14 is often used as our prayer for our own land: Do you think it is equally applicable to our time? Why or why not?
(3) What was the additional personal blessing that God promised Solomon? (v. 18) How much, do you think it meant to Solomon?
(4) What conditions did God put on His blessings? (v. 17) Why?
(5) What curses would befall him and his people should he or his descendants turn away from the Lord? (vv. 19-22)
(6) Why did God choose to warn him at this point?
(7) What eventually would happen to Solomon? (1 Ki. 11:4)
(8) What eventually would happen to the people and the temple? (2 Chr. 36:15-20)
(9) “All who pass by” (v. 21) obviously refers to the Gentiles: What would they say? How would they (including you) know?
(10) Since God has already affirmed His delight of Solomon and his building of the temple by filling the temple with glory and sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice (7:1-3), from the words by the Lord, why do you think He chose to appear and speak to Solomon again?
(11) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.” (2 Chr. 7:12)
As much as Solomon spent seven years in building the temple of the Lord and thirteen years in building his own palace complex, I do not believe that it was a reflection of his heart in that he cared more about his own palace than the temple.
The fact that the Bible mentions the two projects as being carried out one after the other and that they took a total of twenty years (2 Chr. 8:1; 1 Ki. 9:10) means that they were not carried out simultaneously. Rather, it was only upon the completion of the temple that Solomon began the work on his palace. This shows his priority and where his heart was. It shows that he put God first in his heart, at least during that period of his reign.
Furthermore, it was at the completion of both projects that God chose to appear to Solomon a second time (7:11-12). This shows that God was still very pleased with Solomon.
Apart from the fact that God was really pleased with Solomon, His second appearance (which God was really not obliged to make) was important because:
- He wanted Solomon to know that his prayers have been answered: You see, if we carefully read the seven requests he made at the dedication ceremony (6:22-39), they were all intercessions for future generations. While he interceded by faith, the Lord was eager to let him know that He has indeed heard all his prayers. That’s how good our God is; He is eager to let us know that He hears and He answers prayers.
- He also wanted Solomon to know that He is a faithful God who keeps the promise that He has made to his father David in that, he “shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel” (7:18).
- However, in God’s foreknowledge, He knew the weakness of Solomon, and for that matter that of all his descendants, and so with this special appearance and words of encouragement, He hoped that Solomon would cherish the privilege of God “consecrating” the temple and His promise that His “eyes and heart will always be there”, and that Solomon would walk before Him faithfully as David did (7:16-17).
Indeed, as depicted by the incense in the temple of the Lord, our prayers always reach all the way up to Heaven. God hears and He answers prayers and He is our faithful God; we can count on it. At the same time, we have to be conscious not only of our own desire to have our prayers answered, but of God’s desire in our lives — to walk before Him faithfully (7:17). Our love relationship with God is always a two-way street!
After the description of how Solomon finished his most important projects, the building of the Lord’s temple and the palace complex, the Bible gives us a glimpse into the other military and commercial activities of Solomon:
8:1-6—Fortification of Cities in the Outskirt
(1) How long was Solomon’s reign? (9:30) What might be the significance that he spent most of his energy during the first half of his reign in these two building projects?
(2) Solomon originally gave Hiram the 20 towns in Galilee only to have him mockingly call them “the land of Kabul”—meaning good for nothing (1 Ki. 9:11-13). It appears that Hiram had returned these cities to Solomon who then rebuilt them. What was the reputation of Galilee which lasted not only to the time of the writing of the Books of the Kings, but all the way to Jesus’ time? (See Jn. 7:3, 41, 52.)
(3) The towns fortified by Solomon (in vv. 3-6 as supplemented by 1 Ki. 9:15-19) were basically cities in the outskirts from Hazor (in the far north), Megiddo (in the northwest coast), Gezer, to Lower Beth Horon and Baalath (along the southwest coast) and Tamar (in the extreme south, near Edom). According to 1 Chr. 8:4-6, they were reinforced for defense purposes, stationed with chariots and horses: What picture is being painted by this account?
8:7-10—Using of Foreign Laborers
(4) What was the importance of the emphasis that in these projects of re-fortification, only non-Israelites were used as forced labor? (see Deut. 20:11; Lev. 25:39)
8:11—Moving of Pharaoh’s Daughter
(5) What was the reason of moving his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, away from the City of David into her own palace? Do you admire Solomon’s intention? Why or why not?
8:12-16—Enforcement of Public Worship at the Temple
(6) How important was it for the nation that Solomon enforce all regulations concerning the offering of sacrifices?
(7) Would it necessarily guarantee the faithfulness of the people to the Lord? Why or why not?
8:17-18—Solomon’s Other Activities
(8) In concluding the account of the various projects of Solomon, what does the account of vv. 17-18 serve to reflect? (you may wish to consult the Note below)
(9) What is the main message to you today, and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
While Israel had never been known for its naval superiority, in the time of Solomon, he was able to take advantage of his alliance with Hiram to build a respectable fleet, achieving stability in land (with the fortified cities) and sea (with the fleet). This too, reflected the wisdom of Solomon over his predecessors and successors. The mining of gold from Ophir (location uncertain to these days, but likely situated in Southern Arabia) also reflected his wealth, as 16 to 17 tons of gold was quite substantial in value!
“At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace...” (2 Chr. 8:1)
Both 2 Chronicles 8:1 and 1 Kings 9:10 point out that Solomon used 20 years in total to construct the temple and his palace complex. Twenty years is a long time, especially when one considers that Solomon reigned only for 40 years (9:30). In other words, he spent half of his reign on these two major projects.
By Solomon’s own admission in Ecclesiastes, he did not just commission such great projects, he basically used his wisdom and engaged himself in these projects, consuming his time and his energy to see to their completion (Eccl. 2:4ff). To say that in the first twenty years of his reign, these two main projects (perhaps including other smaller ones) occupied a good part of his time would not be an exaggeration.
It was only after the completion of these projects did we read of his falling into sins (which we shall reflect upon later in the week)—being obsessed with women, having 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Ki. 11:3).
Of course, one should not depend on work, almost like a workaholic, to avoid moral failure, but the fact remains, having too much time in one’s hand is always harmful to one’s soul, and I am thinking of the potential harm of summer vacation to students and the retirement years to the senior.
9:1-9, 12—Visit by the Queen of Sheba
(1) What had prompted the Queen of Sheba to visit
Solomon? (v. 1; see also additional information in 1 Ki. 10:1)
(2) How did the Queen of Sheba (see Note below) know of Solomon’s “relationship to the Lord” as 1 Kings 10:1 says?
(3) Do people know of “your relationship to the Lord”? Why or why not?
(4) Why did she come to ask “hard questions”? (v. 1)
a. To prove Solomon wrong? Or
b. To learn from him?
(5) Do people come to ask you “hard questions” about your faith? What might be their intention?
(6) What were the things that had caused the queen to be “overwhelmed”? (v. 4)
(7) If you were the queen of Sheba, would you also be overwhelmed? Why?
(8) The queen mentioned about Solomon’s achievements and wisdom (vv. 5-6).
a. What is “wisdom” as defined by the Bible? (Prov. 9:10)
b. Among the two things mentioned by the queen, what might be the more important to a person?
c. Is achievement a must for a person ...
- To bring glory to God in his or her life, to prove that he or she is pleasing to the Lord? Or to change the society?
- Why or why not?
d. According to the queen:
- What was the cause of the happiness of Solomon’s people and officials? (v. 7)
- What was the source of Solomon’s success and purpose? (v. 8)
(9) What does this passage about Queen of Sheba serve to illustrate?
9:10-11—Trade-Pact with King Hiram
(10) What was this “bracketed” section concerning King Hiram about?
(11) Why is it inserted within the narrative of the visit of queen of Sheba? (Note the last sentence in v. 11.)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
While Josephus opines that Sheba is Ethiopia, many scholars think that it refers to Sabeans, an Arabian tribe living in North Arabia.
“When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame (and his relationship with the Lord [1 Kings 10:1]), she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions.” (2 Chr. 9:1)
The story of the visit by the Queen of Sheba is legendary, but certainly not a legend, but factual history as recorded in both 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings. In this biblical account, the purpose is not just to show the success and fame of Solomon, but rather, through the mouth of the Queen of Sheba, it points out the source of Solomon’s success and its purpose. Such emphases are made plain by the following verses:
- In 1 Kings 10:1, the Bible points out that the queen of Sheba did not just hear of the fame of Solomon, but also of “his relationship to the Lord”. In other words, Solomon had not been shy to attribute all his successes to the Lord in public, to the point that foreigners like the Queen of Sheba were attracted to seek out who that God of Israel is.
- 2 Chronicles 9:7 points out that the happiness of Solomon’s people and officials was based on the privilege of continually hearing the words of wisdom from Solomon. This verse follows the preceding verses 5-6 in which the wisdom, wealth and achievements of Solomon were praised, and yet, the queen only mentioned wisdom as the basis of their happiness. The spiritual implication is very clear in that while wealth and achievement may be blessings from God, they are not the source of happiness, only wisdom is. As we know, true wisdom comes from the fear and the knowledge of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) and that was what Solomon exemplified; and
- 2 Chronicles 9:9 shows that through this visit, she had come to understand not only that the source of Solomon’s success was from the Lord his God who had delighted in him and placed him on the throne; as a queen, she also understood that his successes which were a gift from God, had a much higher purpose and that was for Solomon to “maintain justice and righteousness”.
Although, many modern scholars dispute that Sheba is the modern-day Ethiopia, the fact that to these days, many Ethiopians are of Jewish origin and they worship the Lord, sides with the view of the famous historian Josephus of the 1st century (Ant. viii, 6, 5). It is indeed not far-fetched to believe that the queen had indeed taken the belief of the Lord of Israel back to her home country.
9:13-28—The Splendor of Solomon
(1) Gold was obviously the most precious metal and this passage highlights the extravagant use of gold by Solomon:
a. His annual revenue in terms of gold was about 25 tons: How much might it be in today’s value? (1 ton is 2,240 lbs)
b. How many ornamental shields, big and small did he have? (likely for a parade or special occasion)
c. What else were made of gold in his royal household?
d. Was his wealth necessarily a reflection of God’s glory?
(2) The awesomeness of Solomon’s power was reflected by the following:
a. His one-of-a-kind throne:
- What was it made of?
- What might the two lions on the armrests and the twelve lions on the steps stand for?
b. His military power:
- How many chariots and horses did he have?
- Where were they imported from?
- How does this passage reflect the dominance of Solomon over the region?
(3) The wisdom of Solomon:
a. What was the evidence of Solomon’s wisdom? (vv. 22-23)
b. How might Solomon use such opportunities to bring glory to God?
9:29-31—The Death of Solomon
(4) Although the Chronicler does not highlight the failures of Solomon in his account, Solomon’s sin was known to all (1 Ki. 11). Given the splendor of Solomon in terms of wealth, power and wisdom, consider the following:
a. What might great wealth do to a person?
b. What might immense power do to a person?
c. What might the possession of great wisdom do to a person?
d. Which of the three above, in your opinion, presented the greatest temptation to Solomon?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.” (2 Chr. 9:22)
In describing the splendor of Solomon, the Bible employs language that has caused some scholars like G.H. Jones to doubt their authenticity and even call them “dubious”. Among other things they opine that the annual revenue of Solomon in gold amounted to 666 talents which is the equivalent of 25 tons or 56,000 lbs. That would be excessive, and to say that “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” was a gross exaggeration.
Well, based on today’s value, for a nation to have a reserve of US$48 million in gold is really not that excessive, and given that this history is from over 3,000 years ago, these scholars really do not have any solid evidence in world history to disprove its authenticity.
On the other hand, the Bible has given us proof of Solomon’s prosperity in citing example after example of his extravagant use of gold instead of silver “because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days” (9:20). Apart from the annual revenue of 25 tons of gold, the Bible cites 500 ornamental shields (big and small), royal goblets and royal household items all made of gold, not to mention the imposing ivory throne which was overlaid with fine gold (9:17-19).
Personally, I have no problem accepting these biblical accounts as true, because they are the very word of God, and they are recorded as historical narrative, and not in the form of poetry. One has to remember that the biblical author does not seek to glorify Solomon, but the Giver of all these splendors, the Lord.
We all know of the latter years of Solomon and the message becomes very clear: Few can handle excessive wealth and power without being morally corrupted by them — not even Solomon. In the course of using his wealth and power to seek all “the delights of the heart of man” and becoming “greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem” before him, he thought he could still retain his God-given wisdom in the process (Eccl. 2:8-9). The truth of the matter was: he didn’t.