“I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”’
~ 2 Chronicles 6:2
Hi James and Ellen,
What is the most beautiful place that you have visited that was built by guys? Has the most beautiful place that you have visited that was built by guys been a cathedral or church or castle or zoo or . . . have you seen a picture in a magazine or on TV a really beautiful place that was built by guys that you would like to visit one day? There are all kinds of beautiful, fascinating places to visit on Planet Earth that were built by guys. If you were to ever have the opportunity to visit just one beautiful place on planet Earth that was built by guys, what would be that one place that you would like to visit? What do you think that life was like 3000 years ago for a kid? What do you think that life was like for a kid who had a very rich, powerful dad – like Solomon had? Do you know who Solomon’s dad was? David was Solomon’s dad. Solomon was a king’s kid. Would you have liked to have been born a king’s kid? What do you think that life 3000 years ago was like for Solomon being a king’s kid? What do you think that a king’s kid did all day long? Do you think that David spent quality times with his kids? David was the Israelite people group’s second king. David spent forty years being the Israelite people group’s king. Solomon grew up as a kid knowing what life was like being a king. When David died, Solomon became the Israelite people group’s king. Solomon would also spend forty years being the Israelite people group’s king. When David was king, David almost always tried to please God. When Solomon became king, Solomon also wanted to please God. When Solomon became the Israelite people group’s third king, Solomon knew that he was who was to build something that God had not let his dad build. Solomon’s dad wanted to build in Jerusalem a beautiful temple for God. David wanted the temple that he wanted to have built in Jerusalem to be a permanent place for God to be worshipped by His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. Because David over his lifetime had killed guys who wanted to kill him – even though David talked and walked with God, God wanted another guy – like Solomon, who had not grown up killing guys, to be the guy who He wanted to build for Him a beautiful temple in Jerusalem where He would have His presence reside.
The chronicler recounts Solomon’s dedication speech and the prayer in 2 Chronicles 6 that Solomon prayed to God when Solomon dedicated the beautiful temple that he had had built in Jerusalem for God’s presence to reside. Solomon in verse 2 gives himself credit for having built a beautiful place for God’s presence when he said, “I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”’ Solomon probably had for years listened to his dad talking about having a magnificent temple built in Jerusalem where God could be worshipped by His specially chosen guys and gals. Solomon was obviously pleased that God gave him the opportunity to fulfill the promise that God had given to his dad. God had promised David that He would have a temple built in Jerusalem by one of his sons for His presence to reside and where He would be worshipped by His specially chosen guys and gals. After Solomon finished his short dedication speech – which included how God had kept His promise of having a temple built in Jerusalem and about how he had placed the ark of the covenant in the temple, Solomon knelt before God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, and prayed to God. What would you have said to God about now – after having the privilege of seeing to it that one of the most absolutely beautiful places – if not the most beautiful place, that has ever been built by guys was built using you to make it happen?
Your grandpaa does not know what he would have said to God if God had given him the privilege of building a place for His presence to reside on planet Earth. After thanking God for keeping the promise that He had made to his dad, Solomon’s prayer to God was that God would always forgive His specially chosen guys and gals for their inevitable sins. Even though Solomon was praying for all the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, it seems like to your grandpaa that Solomon may have been thinking about himself in the prayer that he prayed to God before the beautiful temple that he had had built for God’s presence to reside on planet Earth. Even though Solomon obviously was thankful that God gave him the privilege of building a beautiful structure where God’s presence could reside on planet Earth, your grandpaa is curious why Solomon would ask God at this moment for His judgment on guys and gals who were guilty of wrongdoings. Your grandpaa thinks that it is quite probable that Solomon knew that God’s specially chosen guys and gals would turn their backs on God. Solomon in his prayer to God asks God to forgive His specially chosen guys and gals after He stops rain from falling or after He sends a plague or famine or after He has them taken away as captive slaves or . . . after they have asked Him for His forgiveness for their sinful ways. It was as if Solomon knew that even though this day was a very special God-driven day – that God’s specially chosen guys and gals would forget God and would begin to live their lives to please only themselves. Solomon may have been reflecting on the possibility that he might be one of those guys who would quickly forget all that God had done for him and that he would lead the way in thinking only of himself. Do you know where God’s divine presence is on planet Earth today? God presence on planet Earth today is not in a beautiful building; God’s presence today resides in the heart of each guy, gal and kid who has accepted by faith what Jesus Christ did on a crude cross for him or her.
2 Chronicles 6 (258)