7:1,2God sent fire from heaven to consume the offering and to begin the fire that was to burn continuously under the altar of burnt offering (see Leviticus 6:8-13). This perpetual fire symbolized God’s presence. God also sent fire when inaugurating the Taberna- Cle (Leviticus 9:22-24). This was the real dedication of the Temple because only God’s purifying power can make something holy.
Life Application Study Bible2 ChroniclesChapter 7
2 Chronicles 7
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 675, 676
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72 Chronicles 7
The Dedication of the Temple
1When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. 2The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. 3When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” 4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD. 5King Solomon offereda sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people dedicated the Tempie of God. ®The priests took their assigned positions, and so did the Levites who were singing, 6His faithful love endures forever!” They accompanied the singing with music from the instruments King David had made for praising the LORD. Across from the Levites, the priests blew the trumpets, while all Israel stood. 7Solomon then consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the LORD’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar he had built could not hold ail the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrificial fat. 8For the next seven days Solomon and ail Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters.* A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. 9On the eighth day they had a closing ceremony, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Shelters for seven days. 10Then at the end of the celebration,* Solomon sent the people home. They were all joyful and glad because the LORD had been so good to David and to Solomon and to his people Israel.
The LORD’s Response to Solomon
110 Solomon finished the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. 12Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 1¢For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy~a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. 17As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 18then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’ 19“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, 20then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. 21And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the LORD do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ 22“ And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.”
Textual footnotes
- month. This day of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in October or early November.
- 7:8 Hebrew the festival (also in 7:9); see note on 5:3.
- 7:10 Hebrew Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh
Life Application Notes 6 notes
7:4,5The Temple was dedicated to God, and Solomon and the people prepared to worship him. Dedication means setting apart a place, an object, or a person for an exclusive purpose. The purpose of this dedication was to set apart the Temple as a place to worship God. Today, our bodies are God's temple (2 Corinthians 6:16). Solomon's dedication of the Temple shows us that we should dedicate ourselves to carry out God's special purpose (Ephesians 4:11, 12).
7:12Months, maybe years, had passed since Solomon’s prayer of dedication (chapter 6). Several other building projects had been completed after the Temple (7:11: 8:1). Then after all this time, God told Solomon that he had heard Solomon's prayer. How often do we look for immediate answers to our prayers and, when nothing happens, wonder if God has heard us? God does hear, and he will provide for us. We must trust that God will answer at the proper time.
7:14(nchapter 6, Solomon asked God to make provisions for the people when they sinned. God answered with four conditions for forgiveness: (1) Humble yourself by admitting your sins, (2) pray to God, asking for forgiveness, (3) seek God continually, and (4) turn from sinful behavior. True repentance is more than talk—it is changed behavior. Whether we sin individually, as a group, of as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness. God will answer our earnest prayers.
7:17-22God plainly set forth certain conditions for Solomon to meet if he wanted the kingdom to continue. If Solomon followed God, he and his descendants would prosper; if Solomon did not, he and the nation would be destroyed. in Deuteronomy 27 and 28, these conditions were outlined before all the people. But sin is deceptively attractive, and Solomon eventually turned from God. As a result, his son and heir lost most of the kingdom. Following God brings benefits and rewards (not necessarily material). Turning away from God brings suffering, punishment, and ultimately destruction. Today, God's conditions are just as clear as they were in Solomon's day. Choose to obey God no matter what happens, knowing that God will eventually bless your efforts.
7:21,22Soon after Solomon’s reign, the Temple was ransacked (12:9). It is difficult for us to imagine that such a great and wise king could become corrupted by idols—symbols of power, prosperity, and sexuality. But even today these idols lure us into their traps. When we atiow any desire to rival God’s proper piace, we have taken the first step toward moral and spiritual! decay.
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Study feature · page 676
8:6 Or and charioteers.