2 Chronicles 5:2-7:22

What’s Happening?

By following God's guidance and wisdom, Solomon has just built God’s temple in Jerusalem. Now, he prepares to bring the ark, the center of God's guidance, into the newly built temple. Solomon gathers all his heads-of-state and the rulers of Israel to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 5:2-3). When they arrive they immediately begin offering sacrifices as God’s priests carry the ark into the temple (2 Chronicles 5:4-6). They place the ark, which contains the original copies of God’s legal guidance to Moses, in the temple and begin to sing (2 Chronicles 5:7-12). They sing that God is good and his love endures forever. And as the words are still in their mouths, God descends as a cloud and rests in his new home (2 Chronicles 5:13-14). God descended as a cloud in Moses’ tabernacle at Israel’s founding as well (2 Chronicles 6:1-2; Exodus 40:34-35). The fact that it is happening again means that God is with Israel as they enter a pivotal new era of their history.

Solomon then stands up, thanks God for all that he’s done for Israel, and asks for his mercy. He thanks God for his promise that his family would rule forever, his choice of Jerusalem as his capital, and this temple as his home (2 Chronicles 6:1-6). He also thanks God that he has been given the honor to build the temple, rule God’s people, and place God’s laws and ark in the center of Israel (2 Chronicles 6:7-11, 14-17). Solomon climbs onto a bronze platform, kneels before all Israel, and admits Israel, his family, and his temple are all inadequate recipients of God’s presence (2 Chronicles 6:12-13). He knows they will fail to obey all God’s laws. So he asks that God’s temple would be a place of mercy and forgiveness where Israel can look no matter their disobedience (2 Chronicles 6:18-21).

Solomon then gives seven different examples of prayers he wants God to answer from his temple. Most ask for God to forgive Israel when they inevitably break his commands and are punished for their sins (2 Chronicles 6:24-31, 36-39). Other prayers ask that the temple be a place where the oppressed, the falsely accused, and the foreigner can find relief and justice (2 Chronicles 6:22-23, 32-35). No matter the needs or the failures of God’s people, Solomon wants this temple to be the place where God always meets and forgives his people. God answers Solomon’s prayer by sending fire from heaven to burn all Israel’s sacrifices. It’s God’s way of saying he will be merciful. In response, the people of Israel spend seven days offering thousands of sacrifices and singing that God is willing to forgive and show mercy—forever (2 Chronicles 7:1-11).

After the festivities, God speaks to Solomon privately. He says he knows Israel will be unfaithful to his commands and that he will eventually punish them with exile and captivity. But he promises that if Israel prays towards the temple, he will always forgive and restore everything they will lose (2 Chronicles 7:11-16). Finally, God warns Solomon that if he or any of his sons fail to obey his laws, Israel will be totally destroyed (2 Chronicles 7:17-22).

Where’s the Gospel?

The opening of the temple is the high point of Israel’s history. Israel is at peace with all the nations of the world. God’s promised son is on the throne. And God has a permanent home among his people. But this high point is anticlimactic. It ends with a stern warning to Solomon that dampens the mood. And both God and Solomon predict Israel’s future catastrophic disobedience, which will lead to Jerusalem and the temple burning to the ground (2 Chronicles 36:15-19). 

But the original readers of Chronicles had returned from exile. In Babylon, their ancestors prayed towards the destroyed temple and asked God to forgive them (Daniel 9:1-3). And he did. The original readers have returned to their land, rebuilt God’s temple, and are now ruling in Israel like Solomon (Ezra 3:7-13). They are living proof that his love and forgiveness endures forever. 

God still answers the prayers of his people. And he is still ready to love and forgive anyone who has broken his laws, disobeyed his commands, or feels exiled from God. When God descended as cloud and as fire, he was telling Solomon that he would always be with and forgive his people. And God has shown us that he is still willing to be with and forgive us by descending from heaven and becoming human in Jesus. Instead of sacrificing thousands of animals to secure the forgiveness of his people he sacrificed himself, in Jesus. Jesus was exiled to death so that no matter how disobedient we have been to his commands or laws, we will know there is no judgment left for us—only mercy and forgiveness. Just as God met those who looked to the temple, God always meets those who look to Jesus with forgiveness and eternal love. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God whose love never ends. And may you see Jesus as your King who has made it possible for his people to be forgiven forever.