April 14, 2021: Day 39 – II Chronicles 6

This entire chapter, all 42 verses is a prayer of Solomon to God as he basically inaugurates the temple and asks God to be present not only in the temple but with all the people who might ask for God’s blessing by turning to the temple.  There are a number of things that I really like, but the first that I wanted to highlight is how there is no differentiation between the people of Israel and the strangers who come to the temple to bless the Lord.  Solomon asks for God to bless each equally, to hear each of their prayers, equally.  He doesn’t ask to only listen to the prayers of the people of Israel, but rather even if a stranger were to come and ask for prayers, God, please answer their prayers.

In this time in which we find ourselves I love the reference in vs.28 where Solomon prays that if there be “plague” (in 2021 read Covid-19), then: “may you hear from heaven, your dwelling place, forgive, and render to all whose heart you know, according to all their ways, for only you know the human heart.”  The appeal is that where there is plague when the people come to ask for deliverance, that God would respond.  Notice, all of this is in the context of this happening, plague, famine, drought etc., as a result of sin that the people of God committed.

This prayer of dedication from Solomon covers all of the bases in regards to recognizing that the Lord promised to Israel that the house of David would be the one to rule over Israel and that Solomon would build the temple which would be the central place of worship for all the people of Israel.  

Solomon then invites God to take residence in his dwelling place.  From there on we find that God is considered as taking His place in the temple and it is from the temple that all religious life would emanate, and all life in general, for that matter, would find its meaning and purpose through the lens of the temple.