June 18, 2022: Day 129 – II Chronicles 1-5 and Psalm 72

Solomon is now firmly in place as the king.  It is time for him to build the temple of the Lord.  We see early in our reading that he is also in need of a new home for himself, but we find that his priority for now is to build a temple, a home, for God.  Because he was able to unify the land even more than how it was unified under David, he is able to get help from all the surrounding regions to build the house of the Lord.  

Before we get to the building we can’t just skip over that Solomon asked from God wisdom.  God says to Solomon in 1:7 – “Ask what I should give you” and Solomon respond in 10 – “Give me now wisdom”.  God does that.  That was a big deal to God that Solomon asked for wisdom and not for riches or any of the things that most people would ask like riches or fame or power.  Just give me wisdom and the rest will follow, if it is the will of God.  Then he reaches out, in wisdom, to the other kings to help him build the temple of God. 

Once the temple is build we hear a song raised by all the Levitical singers where we find the words: “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”  When we get to Psalm 72 we find ourselves in a classic kingly Psalm.  It is Psalm that lifts up the needs of King and asks for the protection and safety of the king and the grace of God to fall upon the king.  We find the phrase – “long may he live!”  That is still used in connection to the kings and queens of this earth even to this day.