2 Chron.1
1:6 Solomon offers 1000 burnt offerings on the bronze altar at the high place in Gibeon.
How long would this take?
There is debate about it’s appropriateness.
1:7 God appears to Solomon for the first time that night.
1:8-10 Solomon asks for wisdom and knowledge.
1:12 God grants him that, and more. Is it possible to receive more than you can handle? Does God give you what you can handle, but will it go awry without God?
1:14-17 Solomon’s stuff.
2 Chron.2
Solomon organizes the building of the temple.
2:2 Assigns 80,000 to quarry, 70,000 to carry, 3,600 to supervise.
2:11 King of Tyre (Huram) assists.
2 Chron.3
3:1 “...Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite...”
Remember the threshing floor purchased by David from Ornan to sacrifice at the time of the illegal census?
Moriah is a north-south range of mountains.
Zion was a Jebusite city on the southern slope, that David captured and made his capital - City of David.
Jerusalem actually sits upon three mountains -Mt. Zion, Mt Moriah, and the Mount of Olives.
We were introduced to Mt. Moriah in Gen.22:1-2, when Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah.
Jewish legend says that the Garden of Eden was at Mt. Moriah. (Others think it was in the Tigris - Euphrates river valley).
The exposed bedrock on Mount Moriah is referred to by Jews today as "Even ha-Shetiyah", which in Hebrew means, "the foundation stone".
This spot is the where the temple of Solomon was built. Later, the temple of Zerubbabel, when Israel returned from its exile. Later, King Herod lavishly expanded before Jesus day.
The Arabs refer to Moriah as; "Kubbat es-Sakhra", or the stone of foundation. Inscribed on the western side of the Dome of the Rock Mosque is this statement; "The rock of the Temple from the Garden of Eden".
Where was the Son of God sacrificed? Mt Moriah.
What role does this area play in end-time events?
2 Chron.4
Furnishings of the temple: 4:1 Bronze altar, 4:2 Metal sea, 4:6 Wash basins, 4:7 Golden lampstands, 4:8 Tables, 4:9 Court and great court, 4:19 Golden altar, tables with Bread of Presence.
2 Chron.5
5:5 Levites bring up the ark.
5:6 Sacrifices - too many to count.
How much will we sacrifice to honor and call upon God?
1. Sacrifice what we value.
2. Lift up our praise.
3 Then comes the glory.
5:14 What do you think the glory of the Lord filling the house would be like?
2 Chron.6
Solomon’s prayer of dedication.
6:13 On his knees, hands spread out toward heaven.
6:21-42 Asks God to hear and forgive in all situations that the people find themselves - when they pray.
2 Chron.7
The Shekinah Glory.
7:1 Fire from heaven consumes the burnt offering.
7:3 The people bow with their faces to the ground. Again, I ask, what do you think this was like?
7:5 More sacrifices - 22,000 oxen, 120,000 sheep. Yikes, that’s a lot to sacrifice.
7:12 God again appears at night.
7:14 “...and 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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land...”
Famous passage which reveals 4/3 Us/Him. Many versions say IF instead of AND, but even those versions don’t have verse 14 a separate sentence, but continuation of verse 13.
We use the passage as if we’re in a spot and need God’s attention.
It’s really saying that the spot we’re in is a direct result of God’s interaction in the affairs of men.
2 Chron.8
Builds cities, enslaves workers.
8:12-13 “...Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch; and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up 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...”
Started out doing things according to God’s script.
2 Chron.9
Impresses the Queen of Sheba.
They have a gift exchange.
9:17 Makes himself a throne, six steps up, of ivory and gold.
What do you think of this extravagance?
Is God extravagant? [self vs others].
9:22 Greater than all the kings of the earth.
9:31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried.
40 yr reign is a blip in time, an he is gone.
2 Chron.10
10:8 “..But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him...”
Rehoboam, like most people, paid more attention to peers than elders.
10:16 Because the king didn’t listen, he lost the trust and loyalty of the people.
2 Chron.11
God intervenes to avoid civil war, sustaining the split. Remember from 10:15 that the turn of events was from God.
Jeroboam sets up his own priests for the high places.
Rehoboam doesn’t have as many wives as his father - just 18 of the standard variety and 60 concubines.
2 Chron.12
Prosperity -- to carelessness -- to captivity.
12:1 “...When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord...”
12:5 “...Thus says the Lord, 'You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you...”
Humility -- deliverance -- but lesson to learn
12:6 “...So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is righteous.”...”
12:8 2 “...But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries..."
The world’s way and God’s way are NOT the same.
Why was Rehoboam’s reign considered evil?
12:14 “...He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord...”
On what do we set our hearts?
2 Chron.13
A word to those whose hearts are set wrongly.
13:12 “... do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed..."
Is it possible to misjudge for which side you’re fighting?
13:3,13:17 400,000 against 800,000 and the larger army loses 500,000
2 Chron.14
14:2 Asa did good and right
14:3 says “...he removed the foreign altars and high places...”. But 1Kng 15:14 said “...the high places were not taken away...”
What do you do when you run into what appears to be contradictory scripture? [understand the limitations of your understanding or flippant disregard]
14:1 Says the land was undisturbed for 10 yrs. But we’ll see in chapter 16 that he reigned for 41 years (16:12,13) and that his trust shifted during his last 6 years.
2 Chron.15
Asa gets a warning
15:2 “...and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you...”
15:7 “...But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work..."
15:16 Queen mother was misbehaving.
15:17 “...the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa's heart was blameless all his days...”
15:19 “...And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign...” Pretty good situation up to year 35.
2 Chron.16
In his 36th year, Asa’s trust shifted, and he bowed to the world’s way of doing business. He made a treaty with foreigners.
And here sits one of my favorite scriptures.
16:9 “...For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His...”
What is this saying? [God is always looking to INTERACT with and for His people. We should be looking to Him, not to the world for support]
16:10 What was Asa’s response? [He throws the seer in prison for speaking a word against him]
16:12,13 He spends his last 2 years diseased in his feet - and dies.
Did he run the race well? [He did for 35 years] Did he finish well? How will we finish?
2 Chron.17
Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, reigns well.
17:9 “...They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people...”
2 Chron.18
18:1 Jehoshaphat allies with Ahab via marriage.
Do you think this was a good thing?
This is where the 400/1 prophet ratio kicks in. False prophets say what people want to hear. True prophets are harder to come by, and much less popular.
Ahab recognized there was something special about Micaiah, even though he didn’t like him. When Micaiah agreed with the 400, Ahab knew he wasn’t telling the truth.
Just stop and think about this story again.
Jehoshaphat is tying himself to a man who is being thwarted in the spiritual dimension. Things are happening beyond normal human perception that are directed by God against an evil king.
What company do we keep?
Ahab is disguised, Jehoshaphat is exposed. Jehoshaphat is spared, and Ahab is killed.
2 Chron.19
19:1-3 Jehoshaphat is scolded by Jehu for aligning himself with the wicked, but praised because “...you have set your heart to seek God...” Do we have that going for us? Have we set our hearts correctly?
19:5-7 Judges were appointed, and warned “...you do not judge for man but for the Lord...be very careful what you do...” I wonder how many judges understand their responsibility.
2 Chron.20
Judah is invaded by Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.
20:3 Jehoshaphat calls for a national fast.
Pray, Listen, Bow, Trust
20:5-13 Prays, with the nation standing before the Lord (20:13), admitting “...we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You...”
20:14-17 “...the battle is not yours but God’s...stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf...”
20:18 “...Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord...”
20:20 “...put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established...”
The Lord brings victory.
20:29 “...the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands...”
But...
20:33 “...the high places ...were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers...”
20:35-37 Jehoshaphat again allies himself with a king of Israel and is thwarted by God.
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