Get the appThe Temple: A Study in 2 ChroniclesSample
What does it say?
Solomon prepared to build a temple and a palace. He calculated the number of men he would need for each task and asked the king of Tyre to supply the timber and cutters.
What does it mean?
With insight and wisdom granted by God, Solomon understood the enormity of the task given to him. In his letter to the pagan king Hiram, Solomon explained the difficulty of building a suitable house for the Lord. Unlike pagan gods, the God of Israel cannot be contained by even the highest heavens. This magnificent temple would be a place to worship the living God and obey His laws regarding sacrifices, atonement, and fellowship with Him. Solomon’s passion for God’s house and his desire to glorify Him caused Hiram to praise Israel’s God as Creator of Heaven and earth.
How should I respond?
We serve a living God, who cannot be contained or even adequately described. Yet, in an attempt to understand or explain Him, our thoughts about God often become small. Understanding every aspect of His character isn’t necessary to follow Him; we can only begin to scratch the surface in this lifetime. If you could grasp the greatness of God, He would not be big enough to handle the details of your life, let alone the entire world. How have your thoughts about the Lord made Him less than He really is? Start a list of God’s traits as revealed in Scripture; then verbally praise Him each day for at least one.
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About this Plan
Beginning with the reign of Solomon and the construction of the temple, 2 Chronicles opens to a period of wealth and prosperity in Israel's history. This period was short-lived, however, as sin and idolatry plagued God's people. Even as the temple is destroyed and Israel exiled, the book ends with an exiled people returning home and a ruined temple being rebuilt. Through it all, God's plans and purposes remain unabated.
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