CHAPTER 7:1-22 – SOLOMON’S PRAYER ANSWERED BY
FIRE, THEN GLORY!
Verses 1-2: God answers Solomon’s prayer with a
physical sign of His acceptance. This very same thing had happened before, at
the dedication of the tabernacle we are told: “(34) Then a cloud covered the
tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (35)
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the
cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exo.
40:34-35) and “And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed
upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which
when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces” (Lev. 9:24). It
is a thing that will happen again—Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kin. 18:37-38).
It is remindful to us in a physical way of what happened on the Day of
Pentecost in Acts 2.
Though
measured indirectly by the Scripture, our worship is similarly approved or
disapproved (Col. 3:17) by the same All-seeing, Omnipotent, Jehovah God (cf. 1
Cor. 11:27-29). This Everlasting One requires my body/temple (entire being) to
be dedicated and presented as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2), with His
special presence today not found in a temple made of stone (2 Chr. 7:1-2; Lev.
16:2), but in His people (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:21-22).[1]
Solomon
and the nation now begin to sacrifice before the LORD. This is not some
meaningless and “lip service” sacrifice as we might see even today from many,
this was a true and heart-felt sacrifice by these people. Animals to the tune
of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were offered and yet this cannot compare to
the greatness of God nor remove the sins of the people or even have hope to
“repay” what the LORD had given to Israel and by example to the whole of the
world!
Verse 7: Imagine our own sacrificing coming to
this point before the LORD. That altar of 30 feet by 30 feet – 900 square feet
of fire – “was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings,
and the fat.” What would we do if the collection plates could not contain our
physical offering to the Lord. Imagine what the church could and would do if
our spiritual offering (ourselves fully and wholly) were given in this manner.
Verses 13-22: Look
closely as the chronicler reminds those returning from captivity of the promise
given to Solomon by God in 1 Kings 9:4ff. At verse 20 think of how Joshua and
the Israelites were GIVEN victory at Jericho and how from then on if Israel
followed God then good came, but if Israel forsook God then “evil” came. At
verses 21-22 look back at 1 Kings 25:9, 13-17 for what had happened. The
chronicler’s continual reminder: We were told! We did not listen! We paid for
it! And if we do the same again – we will again pay.
The
implication of 2 Chr. 7:13-22 is that God's sinning people were suffering the
consequences of departure from God's will. Based upon ownership (i.e., "my
people who are called by my name"), the Chronicler repeatedly stresses the
conditional nature of Yahweh's blessings (spiritually and physically) by the
formula: "If you do X, then I will do Y – if you don't do X, then I will
do Y!" To expect that observance and non-observance of God's law will be
followed by the same results is shallow, damnable error! Today, no amount of
hermeneutical gymnastics by us will do away with a parallel New Testament
formula of positive and negative conditions (John 14:15; 1 John 1:6-9; 2:1-6;
5:3; 2 John 1:9-11).[2]
CHAPTER 8 – SOLOMON’S OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
The king
orchestrated not only a world-class temple but an envy-of-the-world empire
through his alliance with King Hiram of Tyre (2 Chr. 8:2), his wise extension
and fortification of Israel's border towns (2 Chr. 8:3-6), forced labor (2 Chr.
8:7-8), domestic freedom and responsibility (2 Chr. 8:9-10), decent and orderly
concern (at first) for the holiness of the temple and its worship according to
the commandment of Moses (2 Chr. 8:11-16), and his shipping fleet to
"Timbuktu" (2 Chr. 8:17-18; 9:21). These were heady, breath-taking
days (2 Chr. 8:9:4), but just as American political rulers and leaders in the
church are doing now, a tragic mistake was in the offing. A secret termite was
gnawing.[3]
There were
in Solomon’s kingdom remnants of the native inhabitants of Palestine. Five of
the seven native nations are named in verse 7. Girgashites and Canaanites are the others who are not named. All of these people were supposed to
be utterly dispossessed in Joshua’s day and the period of conflict that
followed. The Hebrews failed in this matter. Instead of annihilating these
people, they subjected them to taskwork. The free-born children of Israel were
the chief military leaders. From among these Solomon selected two hundred and
fifty men who were to have very responsible military positions.[4]
"Thanks
for the freedom to practice my personal faith ... and Solomon Honey, ... I need
a few shekels for the construction of a high place to my god Chemosh."
While he was perceptive enough to recognize that Pharaoh's daughter would
defile Mount Zion so that he put an appropriate distance between it and her (2
Chr. 8:11), Solomon failed to see that she would defile him (1 Kings 11:1-8).
Tarnished by luxury, pleasure, and compromise, his glory gradually began to
fade. After being graciously privileged to build the holy temple, can anyone
imagine that he would lose the strength of his convictions to the point of
justifying gross idolatry? No doubt Solomon did not fall into idolatry early
on, but the desire for (1) love, (2) carnal pleasure, (3) a "macho"
eclipsing of rival foreign monarchs in virility, and (4) a sealing of
strengthening political alliances, bore its destructive fruit much later.[5]
NOTE:
Solomon did not totally abandon his worship of God, but he just "went not
fully after Jehovah" (1 Kings 11:6; 2 Chr. 8:12-16). His mistake was in
assuming that allowing idolatry to exist alongside Yahweh-worship was a
commendable form of "denominational" neutrality, an admirable example
of broad-mindedness and non-dogmatism. It appears Solomon fell into the trap of
“as long as I do what God has said the minimum is – ‘a certain rate every day’
and ‘three times a year’ – then I have my ticket punched!” In our God's eyes
his actions were an abomination (Rev. 3:15-16; Jam. 1:7-8) even as a perverted
"gospel" brings Christ's anathema (Gal. 1:6-9).
The pagan
"high places" Solomon built were long-lasting in their influence
because they were still standing three hundred years later when King Josiah
finally destroyed them (2 Chr. 34:33). Preacher, elder, member: Will your compromises
be felt three hundred years from now? More importantly, what will you be
feeling five minutes after death in view of your compromises?[6]
[7]
The extent of Solomon's kingdom
[1] Terry M.
Hightower. “The Grandeur of Solomon’s Reign; the Kingdom was Divided” in Studies in 1, 2 Kings and 1, 2 Chronicles.
Ed. By Dub McClish, Denton, TX: Valid Publications, Inc., 1993.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Ibid.
[4] Robert E.
Black. The Books of Chronicles in
Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1991.
[5] Terry M.
Hightower. “The Grandeur of Solomon’s Reign; the Kingdom was Divided” in Studies in 1, 2 Kings and 1, 2 Chronicles.
Ed. By Dub McClish, Denton, TX: Valid Publications, Inc., 1993.
[6]
Ibid.
[7] Thomas
C. Brisco. Holman Bible Atlas.
Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.
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