June 20, 2022: Day 130- II Chronicles 6-10 and Psalm 30

We have the dedication of the temple both in II Chronicles and in Psalm 30.  Solomon dedicates the temple and has a visit from the queen of Sheba who is impressed  by his wisdom.  But before that Solomon asks that the temple be a place where the people can go when there is famine or pestilence or drought or anything at all that would take the poeople down, and the temple should be a place where the people beseech the Lord and he answers.  God promises that it will be that. 

We have not only the visit of the queen of Sheba but also Solomon takes as a wife the daughter of Pharaoh.  It could be that this was Cleopatra, at least it sounds like this is a pretty popular way to understand this history.  Psalm 30 is a celebration of the opening of the temple and so obviously it could not have been written by David, even though it is described as a Psalm of David.  We know that David was not living when the temple was built.  

Chronicles ends with divisions starting to be seen in the kingdom.  After the death of Solomon things start to go downhill, starting with Solomon’s son listening not listening to the advice of the older folks, but rather the younger folks.