2 Chronicles 6 -- Reading Between The Lines

Once the Temple construction had been completed, Solomon gathered the people together to petition God to come inhabit it.  He first reminded them of God’s promises and how He had kept them by allowing the completion of the Temple, thus showing His faithfulness.

Solomon’s prayer that followed was pretty prophetic as we read it with 20/20 hindsight.  I noticed perhaps a few too many “I’s” in it – “the Temple I have built for You.”  I’m sure that being in the center of the magnificence of the completed building and surrounding courtyard, and the thousands of people gathered there, and being located before them on a 7 ½ foot tall bronze platform could have led him to that point.  But intermixed with it all, I noticed a particularly poignant cry, repeated five times during the prayer.  It’s as if Solomon knew in his heart that all the pomp and circumstance, and all of the blood offerings that would follow on that site would only cover over sins, for he kept asking:

“Hear … and when You hear, forgive us … Forgive the sin of Your people …. Hear their prayer in heaven, and forgive the sins … hear their prayers from Your home in heaven.  Forgive … We have sinned … hear their prayers … Forgive Your people who have sinned against You…”

Hear and forgive.  Isn’t that sad?  All those resources and years of labor – yet it meant nothing if sins were only covered over and not forgiven.  They really had no expectations that God would forgive – they could only ask, for they knew Him to be a righteous and just God who couldn’t abide sin.

Father, thank You for your grace, for no longer covering over sin with the blood of animals, but for removing it and forgiving us through the death of Your one and only Son.  The extravagance of Solomon’s Temple was as dust compared to the extravagance of Your love for us shown in the sacrifice of Your Son for our sins.  We’ll spend eternity thanking You for that one act, Father!  Thank You!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford