Categoria: 2 Chronicles

Now Josiah’s son Jehoahaz became king of Judah at the age of 23 but his reign only lasted 3 months because the king of Egypt dethroned him and replaced him with his brother Eliakim whom he renamed Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim reigned for 11 years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon put him in bronze shackles and took him to Babylon together with articles from the temple. Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin and he reigned for just 3 months and 10 days until Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon and replaced him with his uncle Zedekiah. He reigned for 11 years and did evil before God and did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah who spoke God’s word to him, and the nation became consistency spiritually lost. God sent messages consistently to Judah but these were not heeded and they even mocked God’s messengers so that the Lord perceived that there was no remedy for the people’s perverseness. Hence God brought up the king of Babylon against them and they killed the young men of Judah with the sword and many more with them. They carried off the treasures from the temple, set fire to the temple, burnt the palaces and destroyed everything of value. Those who were not killed were carried into exile in Babylon until 70 years were completed according to the word spoken by Jeremiah, until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

Now King Josiah celebrated the Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month, in the 18th year of his reign. He ordered the slaughter of the Passover lambs and the consecration of the people. Josiah gave 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover offerings and 3,000 cattle. Officials also contributed to the Passover voluntarily with lambs and cattle. Then the Passover lambs were slaughtered and roasted, and the priests were sacrificing burnt offerings till nightfall, and the musicians and gatekeepers were in their rightful places. Following the Passover the Festival of Unleavened Bread was celebrated for 7 days. Never had there been a celebration of the Passover like this since the days of the prophet Samuel and no other king had celebrated the Passover than had done King Josiah. 

So after Josiah had completely set the temple in order King Necho of Egypt came to battle with Josiah, and in the stand-off which ensued Josiah was killed and he was buried in Jerusalem. Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah and many laments were sung.

Josiah was 8 when he became king of Judah and he reigned for 31 years. He did what was right before God and ruthlessly combatted paganism smashing its altars, idols and poles. He purged Judah of paganism even burning the bones of pagan priests on their altars. He then repaired the temple and used the money received in the temple to pay the carpenters and builders. The Levites oversaw the workers from job to job. Then amidst their work renovating and restoring the temple Priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law and reported it to King Josiah. When Josiah heard the words of the Law he tore his robes and sought God as to its meaning, sad because it had been previously ignored and had not been obeyed. Then they went and consulted Hulda the prophetess and she said that all the curses of the book would come upon the people because of their disobedience, but because the king had been humble and contrite he would die before God’s judgement fell upon his people and not have to see it. So King Josiah renewed the covenant with the Lord and he made all the people pledge themselves to it. He removed paganism from the land and all were faithful to God under his leadership. 

Manasseh was 12 when he became king and he reigned for 55 years. He was a wicked king completely the opposite to his father Hezekiah. He revived pagan Baal and Asherah worship, he sacrificed his own children burning them alive, and he practiced divination, witchcraft and spiritism which all greatly angered God. Manasseh completely led the people of God astray. God spoke to Manasseh but he would not take heed. So God brought the Assyrians against him and they took him prisoner, put a hook in his nose, and took him in shackles to Babylon. There Manasseh humbled himself and cried to God who had mercy on him and restored him to Jerusalem. There he rebuilt the outer wall and installed military commanders in all the fortified cities. He then greatly reduced paganism, removed the image he had previously put in the temple, and reintroduced worship and sacrifice to the Lord. When Manasseh died he was succeeded by his son Amon, at the age of 22, who only reigned for 2 years and did evil in the sight of God reintroducing paganism. He was assassinated and replaced by his son Josiah. 

After all Hezekiah’s faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah as he aimed to conquer Jerusalem. So Hezekiah reinforced the defenses of Jerusalem and controlled the water supplies so that is wasn’t readily available to the Assyrians. He also worked on encouraging his people to trust in God despite the vast superiority of the encroaching army. Sennacherib ridiculed Judah’s trust in God saying Assyria was unbeatable. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah therefore cried to the Lord for help and God sent an angel who annihilated all the Assyrian fighting men, officers and commanders. This led to Hezekiah being highly regarded internationally. 

Then Hezekiah became seriously ill but he prayed and God healed him. However he filled with pride over this which angered God until Hezekiah repented. Hezekiah’s wealth and honour grew and grew in silver, gold, spices, grain, wine and olive oil, and he acquired great numbers of flocks and herds. Hezekiah succeeded in all he undertook. When he finally died it was his son Manasseh who succeeded him.

 After the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread had been celebrated the people went to the towns of Judah in a campaign against paganism smashing the pagan stones, destroying the high places and cutting down the Asherah poles of the Canaanite goddess of fertility. (Asherah is mentioned 40 times in the Old Testament. This goddess clearly was an attraction to the Israelites and therefore a stumbling block to them with apparently licentious rites and “sacred” prostitution.)

Then King Hezekiah reorganized the work and ministry of the priests and Levites in the temple and personally contributed from his own possessions in terms of offerings. He then ordered the people to contribute in the support of the priests and Levites to that they could dedicate themselves to the work of the Lord, and they gave generously a tithe of everything producing great heaps of contributions, so they prepared storerooms for this. Kore was in charge of the free-will offerings given to God and a list is given of people responsible for the distribution of the tithes and gifts. Thus Hezekiah always worked wholeheartedly for God and for this reason he prospered.

King Hezekiah decided to celebrate the Passover which hadn’t been done for many years. However it was celebrated a month late because neither priests or people were prepared earlier. Hezekiah sent out a proclamation to all Judah and Israel calling everyone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He called on all who had escaped Assyrian exile to not be stiff-necked but to submit to the Lord. However many people in Israel scorned and ridiculed the messengers, but some humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. There was unity in Judah to follow the way of the Lord. So a large crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and accompanying Feast of Unleavened Bread. They slaughtered the Passover lambs and offered up burnt offerings in the temple. Hezekiah interceded for those from northern Israel who had not come adequately prepared and God forgave them. After the Passover the people celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for twice as long as usual such was the happiness and rejoicing! Hezekiah provided 1,000 bulls plus 7,000 sheep and goats and the officials provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats, and there was great jubilation. There had been nothing like this since the days of Solomon. 

Hezekiah was 25 when he became king of Judah and he reigned for 29 years doing what was right before God. Upon taking up office he immediately opened the temple doors and repaired them. He then called the priests and Levites to personal consecration and the consecration of the temple. He told them to remove all defilement from the temple because the time had come for them to reverse all the evil practiced by Ahaz and their fathers. Hezekiah then told the priests and Levites that he intended to make a covenant with God. They then consecrated themselves and set about purifying the temple removing everything unclean which they found there from the previous reign, and the consecration of the temple lasted 8 months. Then King Hezekiah went up to the temple with all the officials and sacrificed 28 animals. They sacrificed the animals to the sound of triumphant music and then they knelt down and worshipped with fervent praise. Then the general assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings and they sacrificed 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 male lambs and the total number of animals sacrificed was 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep and goats, and the priests were helped by the Levites to cope with the workload. Thus the service of the temple was reestablished.

 Ahaz came to the throne aged 20 and reigned for 16 years, but he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He strongly involved himself in paganism, Baal worship and infant sacrifice. In the light of this God delivered him into the hand of the Arameans and they took many prisoners to Damascus. He also was given into the hands of the Israelites and Judah suffered heavy casualties. In one day 120,000 Judean soldiers were killed and the Israelites took captive 200,000 Judean wives and children plus lots of plunder. However God was angered by these kidnappings and called for their return. Then some of the leaders confronted those returning from battles in Judah concerning their treatment of the people of Judah and they clothed the naked, gave them food and drink and healing balm. 

Then King Ahaz asked the Assyrians for help. The Edomites attacked Judah again and carried away prisoners, and the Philistines also raided towns. Thus the Lord had humbled Judah because king Ahaz had promoted wickedness in Judah. Yet Ahaz’s attitude only got worse, his unfaithfulness to the Lord increased as he offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus. Ahaz became increasingly pagan and opposed to the temple of God which greatly angered the Lord. Then Ahaz died and his son Hezekiah replaced him.

 Jotham was 25 when he came to the throne and he reigned in Jerusalem for 16 years. He did what was right before God and did not commit the errors of his father concerning the temple. He did important work rebuilding the upper gate of the temple and built towns in the hill country of Judah. Jotham conquered the Ammonites and they paid him 3.4 tons of silver, 1,600 tons of wheat and 1,350 tons of barley. Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord. Then he died and his son Ahaz succeeded him. 

Uzziah was 16 when he became king and he reigned for 52 years doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Uzziah went to war against the Philistines and God helped him, and the Ammonites brought him tribute as his fame spread and his power grew.

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem and fortified them. He also built towers in the wilderness and dug cisterns for his livestock. He also had a well-trained army of 307,500 men and he equipped them with shields, spears, helmets, armour, bows and slings as he became very powerful.

However as his power increased this led to pride which was his downfall as he became unfaithful to God. He illicitly went into the temple to burn incense on the altar and the priests confronted him as it was their job and not his. He was therefore struck with leprosy on the forehead which remained with him till he died. He was relieved of his responsibilities, lived in a separate house and his son Jotham took control of the palace and the government. Then he died and Jotham succeeded him as king.

Amaziah came to the throne of Judah aged 25 and he reigned for 29 years being half-hearted in the things of God, and he executed those who had murdered his father.

Then King Amaziah gathered an army from Judah of 300,000 men in order to go to war against the Edomites (the men of Seir). He added to them 100,000 men which he hired from Israel to the tune of 3.4 tons of silver! However a man of God told Amaziah to send the Israelites home because God was not with them, and this he did reluctantly in the light of the heavy loss involved, and the men from Ephraim were livid at being sent home.

Then Amaziah attacked the Edomites and killed 10,000 of them before he killed another 10,000 by pushing them off a cliff! Meanwhile the redundant Israelites caused a lot of trouble in Judah raiding towns, killing 3,000 people and seizing great quantities of plunder. However strangely after defeating the Edomites he started worshipping their gods which angered the Lord a lot, and he sent a prophet to tell him that he would be destroyed. 

Tensions always existed between Israel and Judah, and stupidly  Amaziah of Judah challenged Israel’s king’s son to a battle. King Jehoash of Israel replied comparing himself to a cedar tree whilst comparing Amaziah to a thistle bush, telling him that just because he had beaten the Edomites he was now arrogant and proud, and he laughed off the challenge. However Amaziah insisted on a battle which he lost completely and Jerusalem was plundered. Some years later Amaziah was killed. 

Joash reigned as king of Judah for 40 years and whilst priest Jehoiada was alive Joash lived correctly before God and Jehoiada chose him 2 wives. Then Joash decided to restore the temple and instructed the Levites and priests to collect the temple tax to this end, but they heard but didn’t act, and the damage caused by Athaliah’s sons remained. So the king placed a collection chest at the gate of the temple to collect the temple tax and the people gave gladly to the Lord. With this income the workers were paid to repair the temple and they repaired the temple according to its original design and all the temple’s articles were restored. Thus as long as Jehoiada was alive burnt offerings were presented before God, but things changed once he died at the age of 130. 

Then the temple was abandoned, God was forgotten and Asherah poles and idols were worshipped. So the spirit of God came upon Jehoiada’s son Zechariah who declared that because Joash had forsaken God he had forsaken Joash, so they stoned the prophet to death. Hence the Aramean army came with a few men, killed Joash, invaded Jerusalem and Judah and killed all the leaders. Amaziah, Joash’s son, succeeded him as king.

The parallel to this chapter is 2 Kings 11. Priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba had custody of young 7-year-old Joash who was the only surviving son of the late King Ahaziah of Judah. He survived the massacre of his brothers by queen Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah and was kept safe in hiding.

When Joash was 7 Priest Jehoiada made alliances with different commanders and heads of families so as to depose Athaliah from leadership of Judah and install the young Joash as the rightful heir to the throne. They brought Joash to the temple, crowned him king, gave him a copy of the covenant and shouted long live the king! When the wicked Athaliah saw what was happening she tore her robes shouting treason, but the troops put her to death. Then the king and all the people made a commitment to the Lord and went and tore down the temple of Baal smashing the altars and idols and killing priest Mattan of Baal. Then Priest Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple into the hand of the Levite priests. They then took Joash from the temple and placed him on the throne in the palace and the people rejoiced because they were free of Athaliah and that Joash was king.

Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, succeeded his father as king as he was his only surviving son, and he reigned for a year. He followed the evil pathway of Ahab doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahaziah went to visit Joram son of Ahab, and he was captured at Samaria where he was put to death. When Ahaziah’s mother found out about her son’s killing she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. Only one child escaped death and that was Joash the son of Ahaziah who was hidden away at the temple for 6 years. 

Jehoshaphat was buried in Jerusalem and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king as his first born of 6 sons. Once well established in the throne he murdered all his brothers and some officials of Israel. He married a daughter of Ahab and did evil before God as did Ahab. 

Times of trouble evolved with rebellion by the Edomites and revolt by Libnah. Jehoram also built pagan high places and led the people into prostitution. (It is clear to me that the repeated attraction of falling into paganism by the people of Israel/Judah had a lot to do with sex) 

Then Elijah sent Jehoram a letter condemning his evil ways taking the people into prostitution and murdering his own brothers. He told him that God would now target Jehoram’s family as a consequence and also give him an incurable bowel disease! So the Philistines attacked Judah and kidnapped all his family, and Jehoram’s bowel disease got steadily worse till be died with it in great pain. Jehoram reigned for 8 years and died to no one’s regret.

 Jehoshaphat now was faced with a possible invasion from the Moabites and Ammonites which made up a vast army. So he did what was right, consulted God as to what to do and proclaimed a fast for all Judah. Then before the general assembly of Judah King Jehoshaphat cried out to God in his distress beseeching him to hear them and save them. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he told the people not to be afraid of the vast army because ‘the battle is not yours but is the Lord’s!’ He told Judah to face the enemy the following day and he would be with them. So Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him for the splendour of his holiness saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever’. As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the invaders and they panicked into fighting and killing each other! When the men of Judah looked at the enemy all they saw were dead bodies. They then proceeded to retrieve the plunder which took them 3 days to do, and everyone returned joyful to Jerusalem where they praised God in the temple. 

So Jehoshaphat came to the end of his 25-year reign at the age of 60 and he had largely done what was right in the eyes of the Lord. However before he died Jehoshaphat made an alliance with king Ahaziah of Israel whose ways were wicked. They made a trading fleet of ships together but God caused them to be wrecked before they set sail because of the alliance with wickedness.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah was criticized for his alliance with the wicked Ahab, but this reprimand was reduced in severity because on the other hand he had combatted paganism and had set his heart on seeking God.

Then Jehoshaphat appointed judges in the fortified cities of Judah to judge carefully without injustice, partiality or bribery. In Jerusalem he appointed Levites, priests and heads of families to also judge faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. He also appointed chief priest Amariah to rule in all cases concerning the Lord and Zebadiah to be over any matter concerning the king.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an unholy alliance with King Ahab of Israel and Ahab asked if Jehoshaphat would go with him in war against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat answered that first they should seek the counsel of God. So Ahab consulted 400 prophets who contaminated by a deceiving spirit all guaranteed victory in the battle. Jehoshaphat questioned the prophecy in unison so Ahab begrudgingly spoke to one further prophet named Micaiah whom he said he didn’t like because he never prophesied positively in his direction. Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, prophesied the death of Ahab in battle and the scattering of Israel’s army, but he was not heeded and Ahab and Jehoshaphat went ahead to Ramoth Gilead. However Ahab disguised himself going into battle, but a random arrow had a direct hit on Ahaz between his breastplate and armour and by sunset he was dead.

 Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa as king of Judah and he strengthened himself against Israel stationing troops in all the fortified cities. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he sought God and was devoted to the Lord, not consulting the Baals and removing the high places and the Asherah poles. In the 3rd year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent officials to teach in Judah together with some Levites and priests. They went round Judah teaching the people with the Book of the Law of the Lord. The fear of God came upon the surrounding kingdoms and they never went to war against Jehoshaphat, some Philistines brought gold and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats as Jehoshaphat became increasingly more powerful.  He kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. 

In the 36th year of Asa’s reign king Baasha of Israel came up against Judah, so Asa sent gold and silver to king Ben-Hadad of Aran asking him to relinquish his alliance with Israel and form an alliance with Judah. Ben-Hadad agreed to this and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel causing Baasha to give up his plans and work against Judah. Then the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for having put his trust in a human alliance with Ben-Hadad rather than depending upon God as he had done against the Cushites. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. God therefore said that Asa had been foolish and would now be at war as a consequence. Then Asa contracted a foot disease for which he never sought God’s help and in his 41st year he died. 

The Spirit of God came on Azariah and he said to Asa and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you when you are with him! If you forsake him he will forsake you! Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. These words encouraged Asa to combat paganism in Judah, and he repaired the altar of the Lord. Then Asa assembled all Judah in Jerusalem and he sacrificed 700 head of cattle plus 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder brought back from the defeat of the Cushites, and the people went into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul, but all who refused to enter this covenant were to be put to death. As part of Asa’s reform he even deposed his own grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother because of her bad involvement with pagan Asherah religion. Asa’s heart was fully committed to God throughout his life and there was no more war until the 35th year of Asa’s reign. 

Abijah died and his son Asa succeeded him as king and reigned for 10 peaceful years. Asa lived correctly before God and destroyed all aspects of paganism in Judah whilst also building up its fortified cities. Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah and 280,000 from Benjamin. Then the Cushites marched against Judah with an enormous army including 300 chariots, so Asa called to the Lord for his help saying they relied on God as they faced such a vast army. So the Lord struck down the Cushites and the people of God pursued them as they  fled as far as Gerar killing a great number of them on the way. Thus the men of Judah obtained a great deal of plunder destroying and looting all the villages around Gerar, and capturing droves of sheep, goats and camels.

Abijah reigned for 3 years as king of Judah and he was engaged in war with Jeroboam of Israel. Abijah’s army was half the size of Jeroboam’s but he made a rousing speech condemning Jeroboam’s rebellion and idolatry and focusing on God’s promise of a Davidic dynasty. Thus God intervened on Judah’s behalf because Judah’s priests were the sons of Aaron and they presented regular burnt offerings and incense to the Lord. Judah was faithful to God but Israel was not, and when the priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry God gave the victory to Judah with 500,000 casualties amongst Israel’s men because Judah relied on the Lord. So Jeroboam died but Abijah was very much alive and  married 14 wives with whom he had 22 sons and 16 daughters!    

Once Rehoboam was well established as king of Judah he and all the nation abandoned God. As a consequence King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem with the support of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites, and they captured the fortified cities of Judah coming as far as Jerusalem. So the prophet Shemaiah told Judah that God had abandoned them because they had abandoned God. The leaders of Judah admitted that God’s action was just and in the light of them humbling themselves God said he would not destroy them but would teach them a lesson by letting them become subject to Shishak. So Shishak plundered all the wealth of the temple and royal palace in Jerusalem, but Rehoboam continued as king of Judah for 17 years although he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord, and there was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam before Rehoboam died and was succeeded by his son Abijah. 

 Rehoboam mustered 180,000 young men from Judah and Benjamin to go to war against Israel, but the man of God Shemaiah spoke against this so they turned back from marching against Jeroboam. Rehoboam however built up towns for defence in Judah such as Bethlehem and Hebron. He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, and the priests and Levites in Israel sided with Rehoboam because Jeroboam had rejected them as priests appointing his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. Those that set their hearts on serving the Lord followed the Levites to Jerusalem where they supported Rehoboam for 3 years.

Rehoboam married Mahalath, then married Maakah who was his favourite out of his 18 wives and 60 concubines! (like father like son!) He had 28 sons and 60 daughters. He appointed Abijah as crown prince among his brothers and he dispersed some of his sons throughout Judah and Benjamin giving them abundant provisions and many wives.

When Rehoboam became king the people asked for a reduction in taxes and the work load, so he made consultations over a 3-day period about the matter. The older experienced counsellors proposed that he should grant the people their request, but a younger contemporary group of counsellors rejected the people’s request and even proposed a tax/workload increase! Rehoboam opted for his peers’ response causing a disastrous political rift, with Israel rebelling against Rehoboam. They stoned the man in charge of forced labour to death but Rehoboam escaped. Thus Israel in the north has been in rebellion against Judah and the house of David since then.

Here is another Chronicles re-run of a previously told story. In this case the story of the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon was previously told in 1 King 10. The Queen had heard of Solomon’s fame and came bringing gifts to see how much was true for herself. He answered all her questions and she was overwhelmed by all she heard and saw. She admitted that Solomon’s wisdom was twice as great as she had been told and she praised God for having placed Solomon on Israel’s throne to maintain justice and righteousness. She then gave Solomon 4 tons of gold plus precious stones and extraordinary spices, and he gave the Queen of Sheba gifts of even greater value in return before she returned to her own country.

Solomon used to receive 23 tons of gold per annum not including merchant and trader revenue. What is more all the kings of Arabia brought gold and silver to Solomon. Thus the King made hundreds of golden shields which he put in the Palace. Then he made a glorious throne covered with ivory and pure gold. The throne had 6 steps with a lion standing beside each of them on either side. All the goblets and household articles were made of gold with nothing made of silver. King Solomon was greater in wealth and wisdom than any other king on earth. He had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horses imported from Egypt and other countries. Solomon reigned over all Israel for 40 years and when he died he was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Rehoboam succeeded him.

At the end of 20 years Solomon rebuilt the villages given to him by Hiram and settled Israelites in them. He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities. Solomon conscripted the descendants of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites as slave labour, but he did not make slaves of the Israelites who were fighting men. Solomon built a palace for his wife, who was Pharoah’s daughter, because he didn’t want her in holy places where the ark had been. On the altar Solomon maintained the regular sacrifices according to the law of Moses and he appointed the priests, Levites and gatekeepers according to the ordinance of his father David. Then Solomon sent out sailors and ships and they sailed to Ophir bringing Solomon 15 tons of gold. 

 When Solomon finished praying the fire fell and the priests couldn’t work inside the temple because the glory of the Lord had filled it. Then the people knelt before God on the pavement saying God is good, his love endures forever. Then King Solomon sacrificed 22,000 head of cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats as they dedicated the temple! The priests and Levites took up their positions, musical instruments were played and the priests blew their trumpets. The festival lasted for 7 days, then there was a vast assembly on the 8th day, prior to 7 more days of festival. Then the people went home.

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon, after he had completed the temple and the palace, and said to him: I have heard your prayer and chosen the temple for myself. When I send drought, locusts or plague if my people will humble themselves and pray turning from their wicked ways then I will forgive their sin and heal their land. I have consecrated this temple so that my name might be there forever. If you walk faithfully in obedience then I will establish your throne, but if you do not then I will uproot Israel from my land and reject this temple and it will become a heap of rubble. 

King Solomon said: Praise be to the Lord that I have built a magnificent temple for God which was something in my father’s heart but which was left for me to do. Just as the Lord had promised I have built the temple for the name of the Lord. The Lord has kept the promise he made. Then Solomon stood on the bronze platform in the outer court, he then knelt down, spread out his hands towards heaven and said: Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you… you have kept your promise to David my father… But will God dwell on earth with humans?… May your eyes be open to this temple day and night… Hear from heaven and forgive… hear from heaven and act condemning the guilty and vindicating the innocent… when Israel is defeated because of sin or there is drought because of sin then forgive your repentant people… hear the foreigner so that all peoples may know your name… uphold the cause of your people… hear the prayers of your repentant people… may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in the temple… now arise Lord God… may your priests be clothed with salvation… remember the great love promised to David!

When Solomon finished building the temple he placed in it all the gold, silver and furnishings left by his father. Then Solomon called all Israel’s leaders to bring up the ark, and the Levites took the ark and all the sacred furnishings, and they sacrificed an enormous number of cattle and sheep. Then the priests put the ark in the most holy place of the temple beneath the wings of the cherubim, and in the ark were the 2 tablets that Moses placed in it at Horeb. Then the priests withdrew from the holy place and the Levite musicians Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun and families played cymbals, harps and lyres and 120 priests played trumpets giving praise and thanks to God saying, “He is good; his love endures forever”. Then the cloud of God’s glory filled the temple.

Solomon made a bronze altar 9 metres long and 4.5 metres high. Below the rim figures of bulls encircled it. The Sea stood on 12 bulls with 3 facing north, 3 south, 3 east and 3 west. He then made 10 basins for washing the things to be used in the burnt offerings, but the Sea was for the cleansing of the priests. He also made 10 gold lampstands and 10 tables, and he also made 100 gold sprinkling bowls. Huram made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls and thus finished his work for King Solomon. Huram-Abi made a great deal for Solomon of polished bronze. Then Solomon made all the furnishings such as the golden altar, tables, lampstands, gold floral work, pure gold wick trimmers and gold doors.

Then Solomon began to build the temple on Mount Moriah on the land that his father David had bought on the the threshing floor of Araunah. He began on the 2nd day of the 2nd month of the 4th year of his reign. He built the temple twice as big as the tabernacle with the foundation measuring 27 metres long and 9 metres wide. He overlaid the inside with gold including the ceiling beams, door frames, walls and doors. He built the Most Holy Place and overlaid the inside with gold. For the Most Holy Place Solomon made a pair of sculptured cherubim and the total wingspan of the cherubim was over 9 metres. He then made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen with cherubim worked into it. For the front of the temple he made 2 pillars and he made interwoven chains which he put on top of the pillars and he made 100 pomegranates which were attached to the chains. The northern pillar he named Boaz and the southern pillar he named Jakin. 

Solomon announced the building of the temple and palace so he conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 men stonecutters with 3,600 men as foremen. 

Then Solomon requested cedar logs from Hiram king of Tyre. He said that this was for the temple which was to be great because our God is greater than all other gods. He also requested a skilled worker in gold, silver, bronze and iron to work with his men. He proposed that their men should work together so as to provide plenty of timber, and he said he would in exchange support them with wheat, barley, wine and olive oil.

Hiram replied positively and told David he was sending skilled craftsman Huram-Abi to work with Israel’s skilled men. Huram-Abi was a specialist with gold, silver, bronze and iron. 

This chapter re-tells the story of when Solomon asked for wisdom as was told in 1 Kings 3. King Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings at Gibeon where the tent of meeting was. Then God appeared to Solomon telling him he could ask whatever he wanted. And Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge so as to govern well. God was pleased with Solomon’s request so granted him what he asked for plus wealth, possessions and honour which he had not asked for. 

Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, and he made gold and silver more common in Jerusalem than stones! Solomon traded in horses and chariots importing from Egypt and Cilicia and exporting to the Hittites and the Arameans.