March 7, 2021 – 2 Chronicles 3-7

Chapters 3 and 4 detail how Solomon built the temple and the things that were put into the temple. These chapters reveal the type of effort and dedication we should put into any work of the Lord. In chapter 5, the ark is brought into the Holy of Holies, and a song of praise was sung after which the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The same happened in the time of Moses with the tabernacle such that he could not enter the tabernacle (Ex 40:35) much like the priests in this passage. They could not do this, because men are sinful, and the holy God cannot be in the presence of evil without destroying men by His terrible beauty.

In chapters 6 and 7, Solomon dedicates the temple to the service of the Lord by praying and offering many sacrifices. 1 Chron 6:18 stands out to me in this passage. It says, “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!” Solomon understood the insufficiency of the temple, even in all its grandeur, to be a proper place for the Lord to dwell. This passage reminds me of a something David said: “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:16-17). These two passages reveal the understanding that these old testament saints had concerning the symbolic (not being effective in themselves) nature of the ceremonial practices of the temple. The sacrifices point to the need of a final and effective sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross once and for all who believe. The temple symbolizes heaven, the place where God dwells, where we may enter in through our Priest who intercedes.