Category: 2 Chronicles

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chron 2-3

~ Patricia ~ 7 Comments

Quick recap: David wanted to build a permanent structure for the Lord.  God’s dwelling place was currently in Gibeon and the construction was a Tabernacle, make of wood, cloth, and animal skins so that it could travel with the Israelites.  The blueprint for construction was given to Moses directly from God.  However, God said he would choose the place where his Temple would be established.  Mount Moriah was the very place Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac and a substitute was offered to save his life.  This spot was the Gospel from the very beginning.  David purchased this land, which is a threshing floor (a threshing floor is where farmers separated the wheat from the chaff), a perfect visual of the Gospel: separating the saved from the lost.

God told David he had blood on his hands and could not be the one to build the Temple BUT the son I (God) anointed King, will be a King of Peace,  and he will build the Temple: Solomon.  David, in the meantime, spent the rest of his days gathering resources for Temple Construction.

2 Chronicles 5:

5 “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?”

Watch this video so that you can visualize the Temple.  But before you do here are some facts:

  • The labor force: 186,000 
    • 30,000 men workers (in 10,000 at a time rotations)
    • 70,000 laborers
    • 80,000 stone cutters
    • 3,600 foreman
  • The Temple Blueprint was the Tabernacle- enlarged
  • The size was doubled (15ft by 45ft TO 30ft by 90ft)
  • Height was tripled (15 ft to 45 ft)
    • The next temple will be larger (what do I mean next Temple?? What happens to this one?? You will have to read to find out)
  • The materials for the structure was (today’s value) were $11,000,000 (that’s million!)
  • It was 2700 sq ft (about the size of a home these days)
    • that’s $4,000 per sq foot
  • Later we will read about furnishings and such (instruments, courtyards, pillars, priest clothes) $$$ The TOTAL to build this Temple is $140,381,000,000 (that’s BILLION!)
  • Took 7 1/2 years to complete

“The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.

OK, now you can watch video:

Click here for a short visual Video

OR

Click here: Here is a video with an EXCELLENT description!  (Brew some coffee and watch this if you have time)

That’s all I planned on posting but if you wanted more feel free to read on.

Extra Information:

Hiram reigned from about 980-947.  His reign overlapped David’s by about nine years and Solomon’s by about 24.  Tyre was an important Mediterranean seaport in Phoenicia north of Israel. Sidon, another, more important Phoenician port city at this time, stood a few miles north of Tyre.

Tyre and Sidon (With images) | Bible mapping, Bible, Daily bible study

The fact that Hiram cooperated with and even acknowledged the Lord (v. 7) shows how God brought blessing to Gentiles as well as to the Israelites through David and Solomon. The treaty between Israel and Phoenicia resulted in peace for many years.

Proverbs 16:7 said:

“When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
    he causes their enemies to make peace with them.

When you read Chronicles REMEMBER the purpose of it and that it was written from a Priest perspective. 😁

1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1 and Psalm 72

~ Patricia ~ 4 Comments

Before we read:

  • Exodus 34:15-16 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.  And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.”
  • Deuteronomy 17:17  He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
  • Deuteronomy 12:13-14 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

Chapter 3

Verse 1: “Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

Chapter 3 begins immediately with the scripture that will eventually be Solomon’s ultimate downfall.

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter.

Marriage between royal families was a common practice in the ancient Middle East because it secured peace.  His MANY marriages opened the door to pagan ideas and practices.  Solomon’s foreign wives brought their gods to Jerusalem which led to idolatry.

Solomon loved God, but sacrificing outside the Tabernacle was forbidden.   It took the offerings out of the careful practices of the priesthood and opened the door for false teaching.

(Fun fact: 40 kings will be mentioned in 1 and 2 Kings, and Solomon is the only one in scripture that says he loved the Lord)❤

This is was so cool I thought I would share:

In 1928 a Syrian farmer found the first of many tablets in his field.  He uncovered the Ras Shamra tablets. These tablets described Canaanite religious practices “in high places” of child sacrifice (lining up with the exact description from the Bible).  Other cultural practices mentioned in the Bible such as Levirate marriage (Gen 38:8; Deut 25:5-6), were also described in the Ras Shamra tablets.  A small fragment of one of the tablets contained an account of the flood story. Findings like this support the reliability of the Bible.

Next:

God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon said, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

His words show that he viewed himself as dependent on God, not self-sufficient.

(A few keywords are underlined)

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

(Darn!  as soon as I see an “if”, I know it’s not going to go as planned!)

One of Solomon’s first acts in the Bible to use his Wisdom was “The Wise Ruling” incident:

Chapter 4- Continuing with a wise decision, Solomon organizes Officials and Governors to maintain government effectiveness.  He was wiser than the men from the East (Egypt) who were known for their wisdom.  The men that were named: Heman, Kalkol, and Darda are from the tribe of Judah (mentioned in 1 Chron 2:6)

2 Chronicles 1:   It is not what this book says, but what it does NOT say.

  1. What is missing?
  2. Why is it missing?

Psalm 72– This is categorized as a Royal Psalm so here is my question…when you read Psalm 72, did you read is as:

  1. David writing it, and praying it over his son Solomon?
  2. Solomon, wanting/needing Wisdom from the Lord?
  3. Did you read it as they were referring to the Messiah?

(There is no right or wrong answer)