April 15, 2021: Day 40 – II Chronicles 7

After the dedication of the temple and the words of Solomon God then appears.  Fire comes down from heaven in the same way that it came down with Elijah when he was dueling it out with the prophets of Baal.  The glory of the Lord that filled the temple was so powerful that it prevented any others from entering the temple.  For seven days a celebration was held to dedicate the temple.  This brings to a conclusion the dedication of the temple, and the Lord takes his place as he had promised.

After this God appears to Solomon a second time.  The first time it was to give Solomon a single wish.  This second time is to confirm the promise that God had made to Solomon’s dad, David.  The promise was that God would reside in Jerusalem in the temple that Solomon had made.  He tells Solomon that as long as the people of God obey him, as long as the people of Israel follow the commandments that God had given then he would dwell in his place.  

There is a bit of foreshadowing as God warns the people of Israel that if they do not follow his commandments and if they pursue other gods then he would abandon them and they would be carried off into exile, which indeed happens in the future.  But here is a song that I think reflects God’s love endures forever.