May
21st 2
Chronicles 1
A. Solomon’s Reign Solomon asks for wisdom
1: And Solomon the
son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God
was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 2: Then Solomon spake
unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to
the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the
fathers. 3: So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to
the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of
the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made
in the wilderness. 4: But the ark of God had David brought up from
Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he
had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5: Moreover the brasen altar,
that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before
the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought
unto it. 6: And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before
the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and
offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. 7: In that night did God
appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8: And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David
my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. 9: Now , O LORD
God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou
hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in
multitude. 10: Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out
and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people,
that is so great? 11: And God said to Solomon, Because this was in
thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor
the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast
asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my
people, over whom I have made thee king: 12: Wisdom and knowledge is
granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and
honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before
thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 13: Then
Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to
Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and
reigned over Israel.
Solomon’s
horses & chariots
14: And Solomon
gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four
hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in
the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 15: And the king
made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar
trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for
abundance. 16: And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen
yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 17:
And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six
hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and
so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for
the kings of Syria, by their means.
2
Chronicles 2 Solomon prepares to build
1: And Solomon
determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house
for his kingdom. 2: And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand
men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain,
and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. 3: And Solomon
sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David
my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell
therein, even so deal with me. 4: Behold, I build an house to the
name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before
him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt
offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons,
and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance
for ever to Israel. 5: And the house which I build is great: for
great is our God above all gods. 6: But who is able to build him an
house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him?
who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn
sacrifice before him? 7: Send me now therefore a man cunning to work
in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and
crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men
that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did
provide. 8: Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out
of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in
Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, 9: Even
to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to
build shall be wonderful great. 10: And, behold, I will give to thy
servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of
beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty
thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil. 11: Then
Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon,
Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over
them. 12: Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel,
that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise
son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an
house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. 13: And now I have
sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,
14: The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a
man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in
iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen,
and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out
every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and
with the cunning men of my lord David thy father. 15: Now therefore
the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath
spoken of, let him send unto his servants: 16: And we will cut wood
out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to
thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shall carry it up to
Jerusalem. 17: And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in
the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father
had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand
and three thousand and six hundred. 18: And he set threescore and ten
thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to
be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred
overseers to set the people a work.
2
Chronicles 3 Solomon builds the Temple
1: Then Solomon
began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah,
where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that
David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2:
And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the
fourth year of his reign. 3: Now these are the things wherein Solomon
was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by
cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth
twenty cubits. 4: And the porch that was in the front of the house,
the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty
cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it
within with pure gold. 5: And the greater house he cieled with fir
tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees
and chains. 6: And he garnished the house with precious stones for
beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. 7: He overlaid also the
house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors
thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls. 8: And he made
the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth
of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits:
and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9: And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he
overlaid the upper chambers with gold. 10: And in the most holy house
he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. 11:
And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of
the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house:
and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of
the other cherub. 12: And one wing of the other cherub was five
cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was
five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13: The
wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and
they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. 14: And he
made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and
wrought cherubims thereon. 15: Also he made before the house two
pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on
the top of each of them was five cubits. 16: And he made chains, as
in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an
hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17: And he reared
up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand
Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
Today we begin the
second book of Chronicles. This book is all about the reign of
Solomon and the kingdom divided. The book of Chronicles has 36
Chapters and was probably written by Ezra, in 430 BC, after the
exile. The book records the reign of King Solomon and the Kings that
followed him both good and bad, down the years until the exile in
Babylon. This book parallels 1 & 2 Kings. This book describes the
construction of the Temple. Chapter 1 -3 describe the beginning of
Solomon who asks for wisdom. Then the scribe describes the immense
wealth of Solomon in horses and chariots. Then it describes the
preparations for the building of the temple. Solomon became very
powerful in his kingdom and the Lord greatly increased him. Then
Solomon gathered all the leaders of the nation and went with them to
Gibeon were the Tabernacle was pitched but the Ark of the Covenant
was in a tent in Jerusalem. The brass altar was put into the
tabernacle and there Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings to the
Lord. Then that night the Lord appeared to him and asked him what he
would like to have from him. Solomon asked for wisdom. The Lord was
impressed by Solomon saying you have not asked for riches wealth, nor
for the lives of your enemies. Nor have you asked for long life, but
wisdom and knowledge so that you may judge Israel properly. So l will
give you what you asked for but l will also give you riches and
wealth in abundance. There has never been anyone that will have been
like you and no one in the future will be like you. Next we have a
review of Solomon’s military strength. He had 1,400 chariots and
12,000 cavalry. He built cities to house them. He made silver and
gold as common as the stones on the street. He purchased all the
horses of Egypt and of the Hittites, thus making himself totally
superior in battle. Then have established total military superiority
he began to build. The great builders can only build on the
foundation of national security. The building scheme of Solomon was
vast indeed. He had 3,600 overseers over all the workmen. He sent a
message to Huram king of Tyre to send his workers to build in temple
of the Lord. Huram sent a message acknowledging the Goodness of God
for Solomon and offering to him all the assistance he needed. He sent
his most skilled worker in gold and a huge army of skilled workers
and labourers. Solomon began building the temple 480 years (In the
years of the Lord) after the dedication of the Tabernacle. It took 7
years to build it and three to furnish it. So it was completed 490
years after the completion of the Tabernacle. (70 Weeks - of Years.
The History of Israel is divided into four periods of 490 years. The
Patriarchs, the Tabernacle, the Temple and the Times of the
Gentiles.) The temple was built on the very place where Abraham
offered Isaac. The building is described in amazing detail and was
furnished at unbelievable expense.
- What did Solomon ask for?
- Why was the Lord impressed with in Solomon?
- How can we see that God blessed him?
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