Tag Archives: 2 Chronicles 1-4

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2023 Bible Study — Solomon Accumulated Wealth And Horses, Contrary To The Command Which God Gave Concerning Israel’s Kings

Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Chronicles 1-4.

As part of consolidating his hold on the throne, King Solomon called all of Israel to a worship assembly at Gibeon, where the tent of the tabernacle and its altar still resided.  David had not  gone there to worship at least since the plague which followed his ill-advised census.  The writer tells us that while at Gibeon Solomon asked God for the wisdom and knowledge that he would need to lead the God’s people.  The writer also tells us that God granted Solomon his request, and said that He would give him wealth and honor.  However, the writer follows this up by telling us that King Solomon acquired many horses and chariots, and much wealth.  Further, we are told that Solomon imported horses from Egypt.  All of this is contrary to what God had explicitly told the Israelites through Moses about how their kings should behave.  Now, it seems to me that the writer told us about the horses and wealth which King Solomon accumulated in order to show us how God had fulfilled His promise to Solomon to give him great wealth since he had only asked for wisdom and knowledge.  And as we read a little further we see that initially, Solomon used that wealth to bring honor and glory to God by building a magnificent temple for Him.  However, once he completed that temple, rather than using the wisdom and knowledge which God gave him to find other ways to use his wealth to serve God, Solomon used that wealth to please himself.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2022 Daily Bible Study

Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Chronicles 1-4.

I feel like I am being redundant what I write this, but this passage holds Solomon up as a model for all people, but especially rulers and leaders.  When asked what he most desired from God, Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge.  Wisdom and knowledge may lead us to power, wealth, and a long life, but seeking power and/or wealth will not lead us to wisdom.  More importantly, wisdom will show us how to find joy in God’s plans for our life, even if those plans do not include wealth or power.

I think I have touched on this before, but I want to focus on something Solomon wrote to King Hiram of Tyre about the Temple he was about to build.  Solomon wrote that the temple he was going to build needed to be great because God was greater than any other god.  But, unlike other gods, God would not live in the Temple which Solomon (or anyone else, for that matter) built for Him because not even heavens could contain Him.  I am confident that Solomon was referring to the Universe which we see when we look up at night when he wrote heavens there.  So, Solomon was pointing out that the God of Israel was unlike the gods of other nations, because those gods lived in the temples which their people built for them, but Israel’s God did not live in the Temple which they would build for Him.  And this is one of those places where the fact that this book was compiled after the Return from Exile is important.  Those who returned from Exile were making a similar statement about the rebuilt Temple they were working on.  And the peoples around them still worshiped gods who lived in the temples built for them.  I will make one further note.  Jesus built a Temple for God in which He does indeed live.  That Temple consists of those who put their faith in Jesus.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2021 Bible Study Solomon Asked For Wisdom And Recognized That God Cannot Be Contained

Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Chronicles 1-4.

Usually when I write on this passage I focus on Solomon requesting wisdom from God.  That is always a good place to start.  While you may obtain fame, wealth, and power without wisdom, they will bring you no joy, and any happiness they bring will be short-lived, if that is the case.  On the other hand, if you obtain godly wisdom, you will find joy, even if it does not provide you any of those other things.

The wisdom which Solomon asked for was displayed in his missive to Hiram, King of Tyre.  I rarely look at it very closely because it is mostly diplomatese.  However, in this letter Solomon displays an important understanding about God: God cannot be contained within any building built by man.  He cannot even be contained within Heaven, which He created.  God is greater than all others and we cannot hope to contain Him in any way.  The structures which we build to worship God can only serve to focus our minds upon Him, but we should not allow ourselves to believe that our worship can, or should, be limited to those locations.  Let us remember that wherever we are, God is there as well, and worship Him at all times and in all places.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2020 Bible Study The Tabernacle Was In Gibeon Even After The Ark Was Moved To Jerusalem

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 1-4.

Every time I read this I am struck by the fact that even though David had moved the Ark to Jerusalem, the Tabernacle and its altar were at Gibeon.  If you have been paying attention, or do a little online searching, you will be aware that the Tabernacle and the Ark were in different places since the Ark had been captured by the Philistines.  Further, it is worth noting that when Samuel and King Saul led Israel it appears that the Tabernacle was the primary place of worship for Israel, not the location of the Ark.  It appears that when David brought the Ark to Jerusalem he made worship before the Ark of similar prominence to worship at the Tabernacle.  The presence of the Tabernacle at Gibeon explains why that was where the armies of Ishbosheth(King Saul’s son) and David first met after the death of King Saul.  I am confident that Joab and Abner chose to have their armies meet at Gibeon because the Tabernacle was there.  Gibeon was also where the troops gathered by Amasa met those led by Joab (even though David had given command to his brother, Abishai) and Joab killed Amasa.  In the second case I am not sure that there is any significance to the fact that the Tabernacle was also there.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2019 Bible Study — Seeking God’s Aid So That We Can Help Others

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 1-4.

The first thing I want to write is something that has been going through my head for a few weeks.  I realized that this blog varies between entries which talk about how the passage I am reading speaks to my faith to what it tells me about the historical context of the Bible to how it influences my biblical interpretation (I was going to use the word hermeneutics there, which would have been an example of me sometimes using more obscure words than necessary).  Basically, this blog is whatever thoughts the passage I am reading that day bring to me.  I would prefer if those thoughts were about ways the passage teaches me to be a better servant of Christ, but sometimes those thoughts go in different directions.  Nevertheless, I think that those thoughts have value and illustrate how reading the Bible over and over again can teach us things we missed previously.  Today’s thoughts are an example of that.

 I am not sure I was ever aware before my reading through the Bible this year that when King David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem he did not move the Tabernacle or the altar which had been built when Moses was alive.  I had not even been aware that they still existed at that time.  I first noticed the fact that the Tabernacle and altar were still at Gibeon when I read the 1 Kings passage about Solomon becoming king but did not comment on it at the time.  However, when I was presented with that understanding again today I realized that it changes my perception about what was going on in passages both before and after this.  I have always viewed the Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Exodus altar in unity.  That unity meant that to me, the Temple was a transformed Tabernacle.  However, this passage shows us that the early Israelites did not view it that way.  In fact, it made me realize that the Ark and the Tabernacle had been in separate locations since the Ark was captured by the Philistines in Eli’s day, and perhaps before that.  All of this suggests that the pre-Davidic Israelites had developed a practice whereby certain priests, Samuel is an example, traveled around and offered sacrifices to God locally for those who were unable to travel to where the Tabernacle or Ark were.  

I may have mentioned this next thought in my discussions about the similar passage in 1 Kings.  When I was growing up I was taught that what made Solomon’s request so wonderful was that he asked for wisdom rather than wealth or fame.  The lesson being taught was that wisdom should be valued more highly than either of those other two.  There is truth to that lesson, but it misses an even more important lesson which Solomon’s request teaches.  Solomon’s request was not for wisdom for himself.  Solomon requested wisdom in order to serve God’s people better.  We should seek how we can better serve God’s people.  So, we should seek wisdom because wisdom will always help us serve others better.  But there may be other things which are just as necessary for us to do the tasks to which God has called us.  Note: one element of any task to which God has called us is serving others.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2018 Bible Study — What Would We Choose If Given the Opportunity to Be Granted Our Deepest Desire?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 1-4.

    Today’s passage contains a slightly different account of Solomon’s visit to Gibeon to sacrifice to God that was mentioned in Kings. This account contains a somewhat clearer explanation as to why Solomon went there to sacrifice. While David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, the Tabernacle, including the altar which was built at the same time the Tabernacle was first made, was still in Gibeon. So, there would have still been people who considered Gibeon the correct place to worship God.

    So, while Solomon was at Gibeon God appeared to him in a vision and told him that He would give him whatever he asked for at this time. Now traditionally we have focused on the fact that Solomon asked for wisdom. Preachers and teachers have waxed long about how pleased God was that Solomon chose wisdom over wealth, or fame, or long life. However, I noticed today that that is NOT what pleased God about Solomon’s request. What pleased God was that Solomon’s desire was to help God’s people. Solomon did not request wisdom for wisdom’s sake. He requested wisdom so that he could better lead God’s people. So, when offered the opportunity to ask God for whatever he desired, Solomon requested the ability to better serve others. It reminds me of the “game” we sometimes played as children: If granted 3 wishes, what would you wish for? The question for us today is, if given one wish would we use it on ourselves, or on serving others? Solomon chose serving others and was rewarded with wealth and fame, but others chose serving others and were rewarded with suffering. The interesting thing is, if we look at what Solomon wrote later in life and what some of those others wrote, perhaps the suffering was the greater reward.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2017 Bible Study — Leaders Need Wisdom and Knowledge From God

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 1-4.

    When King David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he left the Tabernacle, and its altar, in Gibeon. We learn from today’s passage (and the account of the same event in Kings) that worship of God continued in Gibeon even after the Ark was in Jerusalem and worship took place there. I wonder if the existence of these dual places of worship (Jerusalem and Gibeon) were what inspired Jeroboam to set up two golden calves at either end of his kingdom rather than just one?

    Solomon’s first official act after taking the throne was to hold a national worship service at the Tabernacle in Gibeon. While there God appeared to Solomon and told him that He would give him whatever he asked for. Solomon asked for two things. We normally do not pay much attention to the first, for good reason. The first thing Solomon asked for was that God would continue to keep the promise He had made to King David. Solomon’s second request is the more important of his requests. It was a two part request, but those two parts were (and are) dependent on each other. Solomon asked for the wisdom and knowledge to lead the people of Israel properly. These two things go hand in hand. While wisdom is the more important of the two, it is impossible to make a wise decision if you completely lack knowledge of the situation. Perhaps the most important part of Solomon’s request was the fact that he acknowledged that he needed God’s knowledge and wisdom. Human knowledge and wisdom were insufficient for the task to which he had been called. The same is true for us, whatever task God has called us to is going to require us to depend on His wisdom and knowledge. We need to recognize that we cannot possible be wise enough, or knowledgeable enough to make the decision which God desires of us. We need to call upon God for Him to give us the wisdom and knowledge which we need to do His will.

Daily Bible Study

May 18, 2016 Bible Study — Building God’s Temple In Our Lives

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

DSCN0545

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Chronicles 1-4.

    There are two parts to today’s passage. The first is the account of Solomon’s interaction with God at Gibeon. There Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge rather than wealth and fame. God gave Solomon what he asked for and He gave him wealth and fame as well. The point is that we should seek wisdom and knowledge rather than wealth and/or fame. If we seek wisdom and knowledge, God will see that we find them. Once we have wisdom and knowledge, if we do as they instruct we may also find wealth and fame, but we will certainly find joy.

DSCN0555

    The second part of this passage is preparations and efforts to build the Temple. In preparation for building the Temple Solomon gathered his resources and entered into an agreement with King Hiram of Tyre for Hiram to supply him with cedar for the building. Before construction began, Solomon made sure that he had the resources to complete the project. In addition, he made arrangements with others to supply those resources which he did not himself possess. Then he began construction, but he did not limit himself to just constructing a building. As part of the project he planned for and had constructed the furnishings and decorations as well. The description of Solomon building the Temple can give us insight for when we do God’s work. We need to carefully plan what resources we will need to complete the project. Then we need to put in the effort to do so, but we need to keep in mind that it is not enough to build the basic structure we must also take into account how the work will be used once it is complete. We need to plan out the work to which God calls us and not consider it finished until we have “furnished” it.