2Ch 8:1

2Ch 8: “Following the establishment of the temple and palace, King Solomon engaged on a tremendous building activity in Israel (vv 1-6). It is a token of the labour that will be accomplished in the reign of Messiah throughout the land of the future. Then the Law of Domination was established: vv 7-10. The marriage of Pharaoh’s daughter was conducted in pomp and ceremony: v 11. Arrangements were made for temple worship: vv 12-18.

“Solomon established, possibly for the first time, the full order of worship as required under the Law. In the wilderness, much of the sacrificing was not carried out, the Law specifying many things to be done when ‘in the land’ (Exo 23:19,26; Lev 19:9,23; 23:10; 25:2; Num 15:2,18). Meanwhile, a great degree of allowance was permitted in the days of probation (Deu 12:8,9). Circumcision was omitted (Jos 5:5). But once in the Land, the wars of Joshua would have interfered with the establishment of full worship. The ‘place’ had not then been defined (Deu 12:11) although some went up to the tabernacle (1Sa 1:3). The anarchy of the times of the Judges — similar to today — would suggest this was far from a general rule. The closing days of Eli and the ministry of Samuel saw the ark separated from the tabernacle, so that the Day of Atonement could not be kept. The days of Saul saw the ephod in the hands of a fugitive priest, so that the high priest was absent from the people. But now, in the times of Solomon, for the first time ‘the place’ is defined, the ark united with the most holy, and the full order of worship commenced. So it will be in the Millennial Kingdom” (GEM).

2Ch 8:2

THE VILLAGES: These were villages in Galilee, land of Jesus, despised (Isa 9:1; Joh 1:46). These villages were unimportant to Solomon (sym Jews), and called “dirty” by Hiram (sym Gentiles) (cp 1Ki 9:11,13).

2Ch 8:4

ALL THE STORE CITIES: These “store cities”, it seems. were used mainly for the storage of the weapons and requirements of WAR. Just what “treasures” do we store up?

2Ch 8:6

CHARIOTS… HORSES: Ct Deu 17:16: “The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself.”

2Ch 8:11

MY WIFE MUST NOT LIVE IN THE PALACE OF DAVID… BECAUSE THE PLACES THE ARK OF THE LORD HAS ENTERED ARE HOLY: Early in his reign (1Ki 3:1), Solomon had married a daughter of Pharaoh. But despite the prestige and political advantages (cf 1Ki 9:16), such marriages introduced foreign idolatries and, eventually, apostasy into Israel (1Ki 11:1-4). At this point Solomon still retained enough spiritual sensitivity to keep her residence out of “places” made “holy”.

But one must ask the question: if he knew this much, then why did he marry her in the first place?

Where had Pharaoh’s daughter lived before? In the City of David (cp 1Ki 9:24), which is called the “fortress of Zion” in 2Sa 5:7,9. That would have been the original citadel of the Jebusite city, captured by David. This was the area just south of the “Temple Mount” (and Palace) area. It looks like Solomon did not want to bring Pharaoh’s daughter into David’s palace at all, but kept her separated in another residence in the citadel area until he could build a house especially for her.

2Ch 8:18

OPHIR: See Lesson, Ophir.

2Ch 9:10

OPHIR: See Lesson, Ophir.

2Ch 9:13

666: The number of man (Babylon) in Rev 13:18. Solomon’s kingdom likened to Babylon:

2Ch 10:11

SCORPIONS: Special whips, with thorns and stones embedded in the lashes; a type of whip which inflicted esp biting, stinging wounds.

2Ch 10:14

SCORPIONS: Special whips, with thorns and stones embedded in the lashes; a type of whip which inflicted esp biting, stinging wounds.

2Ch 10:15

THIS TURN OF EVENTS WAS FROM GOD: This suggests that this was not an act of Rehoboam’s own will, but one placed there by God in order to further His purpose.

THE WORD THE LORD HAD SPOKEN… THROUGH AHIJAH THE SHILONITE: There is no record of this prophecy of Ahijah in the Chronicles account, but it can be found in 1Ki 11:29,30. Ahijah also wrote down the words he spoke to Jeroboam (1Ki 12:15) even though the record is no longer available.

2Ch 5:5

From the time when David brought the ark to Zion until now the tabernacle had been at Gibeon (1Ch 16:39).

2Ch 5:9

These staves, or carrying poles, were so long that the ends could be seen if one were to look into the Holy Place (in other words, the staves extended outside the Most Holy Place). The statement about the staves shows that Exo 25:15 was complied with, that is, that the staves were not to be removed from the ark.

Even though the ark was now in its permanent home, the staves remained in place, a reminder of its journeys at the head of God’s people. Though all the other furnishings of the Temple had been newly made, the ark, representing the ruling presence of God, was still the same as that made while Israel was encamped at Sinai. It provided an unbreakable link with all that had gone before.

It is good to have reminders of who we are and where we have come from. In our ecclesias, this role is often filled by the older ones, and by the history and stories which they can tell, of earlier generations. In the broader sense, the Bible fills this same role for all of us: its pages demonstrate how our faith, as individuals and as a community, is linked with the faith of others who have gone before. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” (Heb 12:1).

In Acts 1:3 and following, after the resurrection of Christ, the disciples who (being “priests”) stood in the holy place of the new “temple”, were able to infer by what they had witnessed in the previous forty days, that though they soon would not be able to physically see their Lord (as he was soon to ascend to the Most Holy Place in the heavens, to the side of his Father), they could accept that he would ever be in his Father’s presence, acting as their sacrifice, mediating for their forgiveness. And it was these disciples alone — and not the elite Sadducees and Pharisees — who could “see” their Lord in the “heavenly place”!

2Ch 5:10

THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ARK EXCEPT THE TWO TABLETS…: The other contents of the ark — the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded — seem to have been already lost in the time of Solomon (maybe when the ark was in the hands of the Philistines?). Other possibilities: Exo 16:33,34 and Num 17:10 seem to indicate that Aaron’s staff and the golden jar of manna may originally have been kept in front of the ark, rather than in it. How the golden jar and Aaron’s staff were stored may have differed over time. Therefore the description in Heb 9:4 on the one hand, and 1Ki 8:9 and 2Ch 5:10 on the other, may be referring to the ark at two different times of Israel’s history.

2Ch 5:12

Vv 12-13 links to Acts 1:14,15: (1) 2Ch 5:12 has 120 priests sounding with trumpets; Acts 1:15 has 120 disciples continuing in prayer. (2) 2Ch 5:13 has the trumpeters and singers in unison; Acts 1:14 has the disciples continuing “with one accord”. (3) 2Ch 5:13,14 has “the house” (the temple) filled with a cloud, and the cloud is described as “the glory of Yahweh”; Acts 2:1-2 shows the glory of Yahweh (implied) “filled all the house where they were sitting.”

2Ch 5:13

THEN THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD WAS FILLED WITH A CLOUD: Other passages where the house is filled with the Glory of God: 1Ki 8:10,11; 2Ch 5:13,14; 7:1,2; Eze 10:3,4. The future Temple of God will likewise be filled with God’s Glory (Hag 2:7; cp Eze 43:5; 44:4).

When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet, “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3) — and a link is established between Jesus’ death and the glory of God in the house.

After the resurrection of Christ, the “house” is now the ecclesia (2Co 6:16), and it is fitting that the Holy Spirit fills those in the “house” on the Day of Atonement (Acts 2:2).

2Ch 6:1

THE LORD… WOULD DWELL IN A DARK CLOUD: A description of the manifestation of Yahweh at different times: Exo 10:22; 20:21; Deu 4:11; 5:22; 1Ki 8:12; 2Ch 6:1. Sometimes this describes the “day of the LORD” (Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15), when His glory will again be manifest.

2Ch 6:12

SPREAD OUT HIS HANDS: Also in v 13. Other instances of this form of prayer: Psa 28:2; 63:4; 134:2; 141:2; 1Ti 2:8.

2Ch 6:38

The return of the Jews from captivity, to worship God.

2Ch 7:1

FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN: At a later time, God answered Elijah in just such a way: 1Ki 18:24,38.

2Ch 7:5

Is it feasible to actually offer at that time so many animals as sacrifices? Perhaps Solomon simply “transferred title” of some of his vast herds to the Temple service itself.

2Ch 7:11

Thus the record notes at this point, after the Cloud of Glory had entered the temple, that “Solomon had finished the temple”; this demonstrates that the building on its own was incomplete until it had received the presence of God.

We are the temple of the living God (2Co 6:16), but we are not complete as the dwelling place for God until Christ returns and glorifies his “Body” or “Temple”.

2Ch 3:1

MOUNT MORIAH: The place where Abraham showed his faith in God by being willing to offer his son: cp Gen 22:6-14. Abraham was so faithful that he knew that God would provide an offering (v 8), and sure enough… God came through! Abraham looked up, and SAW HIS SALVATION in a ram caught in a thicket (v 13; cp Joh 8:56). He memorialized this event by calling the name of that place by a name that has alternatively been translated as “Yahweh sees” or “Yahweh provides” (cp Rom 8:31,32). So the juxtaposition between God seeing our needs, and providing for them, and that provision being both effective and visible. It’s something we can see. It’s something real.

THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ARAUNAH: Cp 1Ch 21:13-18; this shows the quandary David was placed in, and the awesome responsibility to choose between three different punishments to come on Israel. After choosing a plague, and this plague decimating the people, David looks up and SEES the angel of Yahweh standing over the city of Jerusalem, with a sword drawn over it! What else was there to do but to throw themselves on the mercy of God? They do this, and He repents of the evil he planned on the city; and so they witness, visibly, both amazingly and yet in such a terrifying way, both the goodness and the severity of God.

“So we have this temple, being assembled by Solomon. A place where so visibly God’s power and mercy had been seen. A place where God’s desire to repent of evil had been carried out before. A place where salvation could be had.

“Does this interesting set of links end there? No… because now we jump forward to the time when another son was born, but one that was oh so much more precious and special. The Lord, OUR Lord — Jesus Christ. The time came for him to be presented before the Lord, at His special place, the temple. The same place, the same location as Abraham, David and Solomon. What do we find? ‘Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he HAD SEEN THE LORD’S CHRIST. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOUR SALVATION, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel’ ” (Luk 2:25-32). Again, amazingly, at this place, we see a link to seeing the Salvation of God!

“This is what the Jews missed. They saw the stones, the ornamentation, the architecture, the beautiful temple. What they should have been seeing was God, and the salvation He provides. They concentrated on the temporary, and couldn’t see the eternal. How often do we do this?

“Do we see the stones, and miss the salvation? Do we see our brothers and sisters, with all their potential flaws… and even sometimes the great talents that all of us have in different areas… and miss the important thing… the salvation of God manifested in each and every one of us?

“Do we see the bread and the wine on a Sunday morning as a snack to tide over our hunger for lunch? A way to get rid of the annoying tickle we’ve had in our throats all morning? Or even just a chance to… feel better about ourselves?

“Or do we see the salvation of God?

“So Mount Moriah was all about reminding people that even though we get all caught up in temporary things, there are eternal things, an eternal hope, which we can see, and can draw hope from. It can be as solid a rock and foundation to us as the physical Mount Moriah is.

“Perhaps to us we should use the bread and the wine, the brothers and sisters around us, this place at this moment in time, as our own private Mount Moriah… a place of power and hope… a place to see through the veil of mortality to the plane of reality and immortality, where life isn’t distorted, and things can be seen clearly?” (MMc).

2Ch 3:14

PURPLE: Scarlet, sig death and sacrifice (Num 19:6n), which gives way to….

CRIMSON: Heb “carmel” = fruitful (Isa 32:15; 35:2). Christ has suffered and realized the fruit of his labors: Isa 53:11.

2Ch 3:15

KJV has: “thirty and five cubits high”, but this is wrong: the pillars were 18 cubits high (1Ki 7:15). The 35 cubits ref distance between pillars, or their distance from temple.

2Ch 3:16

A HUNDRED POMEGRANATES: 100 pomegranates on each row. Each capital had two rows; thus 200 pomegranates on each pillar: 1Ki 7:20. With 2 pillars, there would be 400 in all: 1Ki 7:42.

2Ch 4:1

A BRONZE ALTAR TWENTY CUBITS LONG…: The altar of brass Solomon made is four times as big as the one that was made in the wilderness (Exo 27:1). The absence of other details besides its size might mean that the details given in Exo would form the basis for its manufacture.

The absence of any mention of staves to carry it indicates that the altar was now in a permanent resting place.

2Ch 4:5

How to reconcile 1Ki 7:26 and 2Ch 4:5? The Jewish Targum specifies: “3,000 baths dry measure; 2,000 baths liquid measure.”

2Ch 1:1

See Lesson, 1Ch / 2Ch, overview.

2Ch 1:10

2Ch 1:10

THAT I MAY LEAD THIS PEOPLE: Lit, “that I may go out and come in before this people”: Heb idiom for shepherding: cp Num 27:17; 1Sa 18:13.

2Ch 1:16

SOLOMON’S HORSES WERE IMPORTED FROM EGYPT: An interesting juxtaposition. Solomon is given “wisdom” but takes horses from Egypt in direct contravention of the command (Deu 17:16). Here is an aspect of Solomon’s character: he oscillates between serving God and violating His laws. This is so much like us.

2Ch 1:17

Trust in fleshly strength; trust in wealth.

2Ch 2:2

THIRTY-SIX HUNDRED: Or 3,300 (1Ki 5:16).

2Ch 2:3

HIRAM: Gentiles build the temple of God, as in Isa 60:10.

2Ch 2:4

EVERY MORNING: Manna given (Exo 16:21). Fire on the altar (Lev 6:12). Incense offered (Exo 30:7). Praise offered (1Ch 23:30). Service offered (1Ch 9:27). Sacrifice presented (here; 2Ch 13:11). God visits (Job 7:18). God is their arm (Isa 33:2). His compassions new (Lam 3:23). The Philistines present themselves (1Sa 17:16). God silences the wicked (Psa 101:8). Judgment (Zep 3:5). Administer justice (Jer 21:12).

2Ch 2:6

THE HEAVENS, EVEN THE HIGHEST HEAVENS: Or, as AV, “heavens, AND heaven of heavens” — sig “holy place” and “most holy place”.

2Ch 2:11

BECAUSE THE LORD LOVES HIS PEOPLE, HE HAS MADE YOU THEIR KING: What an extraordinary communication from a Gentile king to Solomon. It suggests that Hiram may have been a true and righteous proselyte to the faith of Israel. In his letter, he declares that Solomon was of such a character that his reign would be a special blessing from God to his people. Such was the character of Solomon, in those early days before he “left his first love”, that even this Gentile monarch could see that he was bound to he a blessing to the people. How wonderful it would be if our characters were so transparent, so true, and pure, and good, that all who knew us might feel that we were a blessing to those among whom we dwell.

Also, Hiram distinctly recognizes that every blessing comes from God. If Solomon is a blessing to his subjects, Hiram attributes that to the fact of God having placed him where he was. Now, if one who was once an idolater could trace a blessing back to Yahweh as its source, what sort of pseudo-“Christian” must those be who never do anything of the sort, but trace it to what they call “good luck”, or to “chance”, or to anything rather than to God! We must never forget… whenever there is anything of good, anything of excellence, anything of spiritual profit, that comes to our door, we should praise and bless the God who gave it. We are all too apt to complain of Him when we suffer, and ready enough to attribute our afflictions to Him. Surely, then, when mercies come to us plentifully, we should magnify and glorify the name of the Lord our God from whom they come. We should say of every mercy, just as Hiram wrote to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves His people”, He has done this.

2Ch 2:13

HURAM-ABI: Or, “Huram my father”. (“Father” may sig “master” or “employer”.)

2Ch 2:14

WHOSE MOTHER WAS FROM DAN: By birth a Danite, she married a man of Naphtali, who later died (1Ki 7:14).

DAN: There have been found extensive remains of metal works at Tell Dan, incl copper slag, crucibles, furnace pipes. Perhaps this man came from a tradition of metal workers (BAR 25:5:74).