If they will turn and seek my face I will heal their land
The temple dedication is completed and fire falls from heaven – Solomon then extends and builds his kingdom.
2 Chronicles 7: Fire from Heaven
1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house.
3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."
The Dedication of the Temple
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD.
5 King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD---for his steadfast love endures forever---whenever David offered praises by their ministry; opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood.
7 And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat.
8 At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
9 And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that the LORD had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.
If My People Pray
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished.
12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.
17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules,
18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.'
19 "But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
20 then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?'
22 Then they will say, 'Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.'"
2 Chronicles 8: Solomon's Accomplishments
1 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house,
2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it.
4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath.
5 He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,
6 and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8 from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed---these Solomon drafted as forced labour, and so they are to this day.
9 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen.
10 And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy."
12 Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD that he had built before the vestibule,
13 as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts---the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
14 According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded.
15 And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries.
16 Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from the day the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom.
18 And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there 450 talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.
Things to think about…
In 2Chr 7:1-3 we see God was pleased with the people and their heart of sacrifice that God’s fire comes down and consumes the offering. Jesus is our sacrifice and the Lord was ‘well pleased’ with Him. How do we know when the Lord is pleased with our offerings of praise and thanks as we worship Christ our Saviour? We receive the blessing and the bestowal of the fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5:22, 23.
In 2Chr 7:4-10 we see the altar could not contain all the sacrifices. People had to be told to ‘go home’ ,vs 10. Imagine such a revival where people have to be told to leave church in order to look after other needs in their lives. Seems impossible. Yet we know in times of true revival this has indeed been the case. The phrase ‘His steadfast love endures forever’ , vss 3&6 has significance. What promises were being fulfilled at this dedication service? What promises are fulfilled in Christ which show His steadfast love towards us? What do you think is the modern equivalent of the altar not being able to contain our sacrifices today?
The Lord answers Solomon’s prayer in 2Chr 7:11-22. Again, even in the Lord’s answer to Solomon’s prayer there looks to be an element of prophesy regarding the future rebellion and sin of the nation. It’s as if God knows the heart of the people and the fact that they will stray. We also have spiritual high days and other days where we have turned away from a full and complete love and obedience towards the Lord. How has the Lord shown his ‘steadfast love’ to you and how has He brought you back to Himself from a period of doubt or rebellion?
Do you see any hypocrisy already creeping into Solomon’s reign in 2Chr 8:1-11? Look what he does to those who are not Israelites – they are put into slavery, vss 7&8. Solomons first wife is not from Israel but is a foreigner – an Egyptian. He no doubt married her to maintain peace with Egypt. He builds her a separate house because the Lord is holy, 2Chr 8:11. This is the beginning of his moral downfall. We are told that we are to be holy as the Lord is holy. Consider Solomon’s hypocrisy here. In what ways do we do the same thing today? We are the Lord’s bride and any earthly relationship of marriage for the Christian should reflect that truth. Nehemiah refers to Solomon’s rebellion in this regard as we read of last week in Neh 13:26.
Solomon builds ships and they bring him much gold from other nations, 2Chr 8:12-18. This begins Solomon’s next long phase of his life. One of blessing and great wealth as the Lord had promised him when he asked for wisdom. Do you see this as being healthy for him spiritually with respect to his reliance upon God? Do you see any parallels with our western living? Is material blessing such a bad thing? If so, what is the answer to spiritual lethargy?
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for new people to step into ministries at CBC – eg worship, café, sound/technical, giving, podcast.
2. Reform and Revival over our city.
3. Finances to cover our needs
4. Pray for PlayPatch, Kids church, Creche and Kids Hope at Karalee State school.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Podcast area almost completed – Thanks Aart and Jacquiline
2. Kids church divider completed – thanks Aart
3. The Lord’s grace over our lives and country
4. Café, music, kids church, admin, sound and technical team every week
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Ministries this week. Life groups, Kids@Church, Kids Hope - Karalee.
2. PlayPatch 1-5yos, Fridays 9:30am at church.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for June...
Q. 33. Who can change a sinner's heart? A. The Holy Spirit alone.
