Today in God's Word—February 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
February 17, 2 Chronicles 7
When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." - 2 Chronicles 7:3
Maybe it was when you first saw the vastness of the ocean or the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. Perhaps it was a towering skyscraper or an intensely moving piece of music or a film. It could have even been when you fell in love or saw your firstborn child. Despite our reputation for being jaded, I suspect there are still sights and experiences that leave us awestruck, filled with a sense of awe and wonder.
Your reverent sense of wonder and fear may have been produced by something that was much bigger than you. It could have come when you discovered something so profound or complex that it reminded you of how limited your knowledge really is.
When people in the Bible had a close encounter with God, they normally fell to their knees or on their faces, Even when they saw an angel, far less glorious than God himself, the angel's first line was usually, "Do not be afraid." Remember how Peter, James and John hid their faces and cowered in fear when they saw Jesus transfigured and standing with Moses and Elijah? In this chapter, the whole vast assembly of the nation of Israel bowed with their faces to the ground went they saw the fire come down from heaven and the glory of the LORD fill the temple. They were awestruck. They exclaimed a line made popular by the songs of David, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” I think they fervently hoped he was good when they were overwhelmed with fear in his presence.
The text says that Solomon accomplished all he planned to do for the house of the Lord and for
his own house. As we’ve already seen, that statement is quite accurate. Solomon did what he wanted to do about the temple. He also took the liberty of doing things in ways not authorized by God. He added additional altars in the court of the temple to handle the excess offerings that were offered during the dedication festivities.
If the temple was a wonder of human design, it showed to wonder of God's merciful accommodation about the whole business of the temple. He told Solomon he had heard his prayer, and had chosen this place as a house of sacrifice. He said his eyes and ears would be open to prayers that were prayed there. The Lord consecrated the place and renewed the conditional promise about blessing David's descendants as long as they obeyed him, and reiterated what would happen if they forsook and disobeyed him. He threatened to bring such total destruction on their temple and their land that the neighbors would be astonished.
You and I can see how good God was to these people from all the ways he blessed them. Because we know the history that followed and how Jerusalem and their temple was ruined, we also know that God does not make idle threats. Truly as Paul would write centuries later, we can see “the goodness and the severity of God.” God's goodness shines in his willingness to accept the prayers and sacrifices that would be offered from the temple. And God's severity is outlined in chilling details by the threats he made about what he would do to them and their temple if they did not honor and obey him.
Today, we find hope in his promises of blessings. We should also realize that the warnings are equally true, and humbly obey our gracious God.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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