The People Gave Thanks to God

March 18, 2018 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:1 – 11 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 7:1 – 9 The temple that became known as the Temple of Solomon was the first structure, other than a tent, to be designated as the “official” resting place for the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was Israel’s most sacred physical possession. For them, it symbolized the very presence of God in the midst of His people. The Ark was important to Israel for many of the wrong reasons. The nations around them served idol gods (many of which they built) that could be seen—and in some cases touched. Israel’s all-powerful and living God was invisible. For many in Israel, the Ark was the physical representation of their invisible God. With the Ark, some behaved as if it was their physical entity (deity) like the other nations around them. Please note that Israel did not build the Ark as an idol god. God gave the Ark to them by providing the plans and the order to build it to Moses. The Ark was built in the wilderness during Israel’s years of sojourning. It was built to house the evidence of some of God’s miracles as well as a place to keep the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. At one time, it contained the tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. King David decided that the Ark needed to be better protected from the elements and have a glorious facility to reside in rather than to be kept in a tent as God originally instructed Moses to do with it. David compared the luxurious palace he had built for himself with the tabernacle (tent) that was used to house the Ark. The Ark meant too much to Israel to not be placed in better surroundings. God respected David’s desire to build a more permanent place but would not allow him to build the facility. That task (privilege) fell to David’s son, Solomon. Initiating the building of the temple was one of Solomon’s first official acts as king of Israel. Last week’s lesson was about Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the formal presentation of the temple after it was completed. The elegance of the temple can be attested by the fact that the biblical description of it would still make it one of the seven wonders of the world even today! Solomon’s prayer was for God’s acceptance of the temple as an adequate place for the Ark and to hallow the temple itself. Solomon appealed to God by the mercies God had shown to his father, David. God’s response to Solomon’s prayer was immediate. When Solomon finished praying before the people, fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. A thick cloud descended over the Holy Place and filled it so that no one could enter it—not even the priests. The people were in awe of God’s majestic display of power. Upon seeing this, the people bowed down and worshiped God. Their hearts were filled with gratitude because they understood that all that Solomon had requested in his prayer was being granted because of God’s immediate and positive response. Prayers that are answered immediately deserve an immediate spontaneous expression of praise, worship, and gratitude. Because of God’s response, the people bowed down and gave thanks to God. Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2017

There is No God like You

March 11, 2018 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 6:1 – 21 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 6:12 – 21 This lesson examines the prayer that King Solomon prayed in dedicating the newly completed temple in Jerusalem. At King David’s request, his son, Solomon, was anointed by the priest, Zadok, and the prophet, Nathan, to be the heir to the throne that governed Israel. On his death bed, David made two requests of Solomon to be completed after he had been enthroned over Israel. One request was for Solomon to execute judgment concerning David’s former captain of the military, Joab. Joab was ruthless, and David knew it. In fact, David took advantage of it when he needed to. His request to Solomon was to not allow Joab to die of old age. David’s second request was for Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant. David made provisions by acquiring all of the materials needed but God told David that he could not build it because he was a man of war and because of the blood that was on his hands. David gave the plans to Solomon for the construction. The temple was to be the most magnificent in the known world. The temple became known as one of the great wonders of the world and travelers from afar came just to see it. Its construction took seven and a half years to complete and no expense was spared. The formal dedication of the temple would not spare any expense either. Israel’s God was a great God; and the temple and its dedication were designed to reflect that greatness. During the dedication, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were offered to God as burnt sacrifices. Today’s lesson passage is part of the dedicatory prayer that Solomon prayed before the congregation of Israel. “There is no god like You” was the opening statement Solomon made in the prayer after addressing the Lord as the God of Israel. Solomon prayed about God keeping promises and covenants that He made with His servants. Solomon asked for the confirmation of God’s words that were spoken to his father, David: that there would not fail to be a descendant of David’s to sit on the throne of Israel. Solomon acknowledged that man’s finite work is not adequate to contain an infinite God. In spite of the temple’s finite limitations, Solomon requested that God bestow an honor upon the temple. He requested that God give attention to prayers offered in the temple, prayers offered by His servants who are away but would pray facing the temple, and even prayers offered by His servants who would be in exile in a foreign land who prayed facing in the direction of the temple. (Daniel experienced a fulfillment of this while in exile in Babylon. He prayed at a window looking towards Jerusalem.) Solomon prayed that all that had been done, in an attempt to acknowledge God’s greatness, would be accepted by God. Although the temple could not contain the vastness of God, Solomon’s prayer was that God would honor the temple by placing His name there. No other name would suffice for the temple; seeing that “There is no god like You.” Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2017