Tag: 2 Chronicles 6

NONE LIKE HIM

2 Chronicles 6:13-19 NET.

¹³ Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and four and one-half feet high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky, ¹⁴ and prayed: “O LORD God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your servants who obey you with sincerity. ¹⁵ You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. ¹⁶ Now, O LORD God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.’ ¹⁷ Now, O LORD God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized. ¹⁸ “God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! ¹⁹ But respond favorably to your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O LORD my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you.

Last week, we saw King David praying a prayer of repentance and intercession at the threshing floor of Ornan. This week, we move a few years into the future, and we find David’s son Solomon is now king. We are still in the same location, but now the temple has been built there. Solomon is doing the same thing his father did—praying. However, the purpose of his prayer is different. David had prayed because the destroying angel was attacking Jerusalem. He knew he was to blame, so David prayed for forgiveness and asked God’s mercy to stop the destruction. The LORD answered David’s prayer and halted his judgment. Now, David is gone, and his son Solomon has taken his place as king over the united Israel. The location remains the same, but it is now the site of the temple. Solomon is praying to dedicate the temple.

Let’s look at the context of Solomon’s prayer.

Solomon built a platform into the temple structure for prayer on behalf of his people. The platform was large enough to stand out among the beautiful temple buildings. It was a square measuring 5 cubits by 5 cubits and was 3 cubits high. It was not located inside the holy place or the holy of holies because Solomon, as king, did not serve as a priest. He could, however, go to the temple courts. Solomon created this platform as an official spot where the king could dedicate the entire temple area. Therefore, at the entrance of the temple, in front of the burnt offering altar, Solomon took his place to pray.

Look closely at what the text shows us about Solomon’s posture. He stepped onto the platform, then knelt down on his knees. He raised his hands and stretched them toward the sky. This posture reveals a lot about the purpose of Solomon’s prayer. As king, he was praying for his people, the nation of Israel. As the one responsible for building the temple, he was praying for that place. He was dedicating it for the worship of God according to the laws of Moses. He knelt to show he was not the ultimate ruler of the nation. He submitted to God and recognized God’s authority above his own. He knelt as a subject of God and a citizen of His kingdom.

He also raised his hands to the sky and spread them apart, symbolizing the focus of his prayer. He was praying for the temple they were dedicating to the LORD and for his ministry. He also signaled that his prayers were for the entire nation.

We have just celebrated our nation’s Independence Day. It is fitting for us, as citizens of this country, to express gratitude for the blessings we have received and the legacy we have inherited. However, as Christians, we must also recognize that our independence is always qualified. Like Solomon, we should come to God on our knees and submit to His sovereignty. The colonies were justified in rebelling against King George and declaring their independence from him and his realm. But we must not believe that a true Christian is ever completely independent.

Our dependence upon God means two things. First, it means he is the supreme authority over our lives. What he wants is always our highest aim. What he does not want is never an option for us. To seek something outside of God’s will is to rebel against his authority. It is treason for us. We don’t resent his intrusion into our lives because we understand that his will is also a blessing for us, not a curse.

Secondly, our dependence means that we have someone to turn to in order to improve our lives, correct our failures, or heal our diseases and injuries. When we have exhausted our abilities and used up all our resources, we can go to him for blessing and restoration. This was another reason Solomon stood on the prayer platform that day and prayed. He was seeking divine blessing. He was asking God to bless the place he had chosen to visibly manifest his presence: the temple. From that location, Solomon was also praying for God’s blessing on his entire house and kingdom.

I should also mention that there was a part of this new temple called the court of the nations or the court of the Gentiles. This was a place where even those outside the nation of Israel could come and access God and His blessings. You might remember that when Jesus overturned the moneychangers’ tables, it happened in the court of nations. The reason Jesus got so angry is that the moneychangers were doing their own business in the area that God had declared should be a house of prayer for all nations.

It is certainly appropriate for us to ask God to bless America. However, it is wrong to assume that America is the only nation God desires to bless. It is also incorrect to celebrate any nation’s independence from God. Many people in our country need to be blessed with the gift of repentance. So, when I say, “God bless America,” that is what I mean.

Now, let’s examine the content of Solomon’s prayer. I didn’t include the entire prayer in today’s message. I selected this section because Solomon starts his prayer with a lesson on theology. He describes the God of the Bible in contrast to all the other gods of different nations.

According to Solomon, God is unique. He says that there is no God like Him in heaven or on earth. It is important I clarify something from what we read here. Solomon is not suggesting that heaven contains multiple gods and that Israel’s God is just one among them. The words “heaven” and “earth” are poor translations. What Solomon actually means in his prayer is that God is unique among all the gods in the sky and on the land. Other nations and tribes made their own gods, often using something visible to represent them. Some chose features on the land, like a river, a fish, a bull, or a frog. Others selected features in the sky, like storms, the sun, the moon, or the stars. When Solomon prayed, he acknowledged that these are not truly gods. They are creations of the true God. Some appear powerful, but that power belongs to God. Some seem wise, but that wisdom comes from God. All these things in the sky and on the land are blessings from God, but they are not God Himself.

Solomon also says that God is reliable. He states that God remains loyal to his servants who sincerely obey him. The God of the Bible cannot be manipulated. He does not bow to the will of a shaman or priest. However, he can be trusted to fulfill the promises he has made in his word. God does not respond to rituals and threats, but he does respond to our faithfulness. When we are faithful like he is, he blesses us. If we show ourselves dependent on him, he will prove to be dependable toward us.

Solomon states that God keeps His promises. He reflects on the life of David, his father, and concludes that God has fulfilled His word to him. Then he looks ahead in faith and asks God to do what He has already promised: to continue blessing the nation with rulers from David’s dynasty. There is a hint in this prayer of another ruler, another anointed king in David’s line, who will one day come and establish God’s eternal kingdom.

Solomon also makes a concession in his prayer. He prays for God to bless the temple and take up residence there, but he acknowledges that God does not truly dwell with humankind on earth. The temple will be a physical symbol of God’s presence, but it will never contain the fullness of God’s presence.

God cannot be contained. He is the creator of the land, but He lives beyond it. He created the sky, but He dwells above it. Even the highest heaven, His divine residence, does not contain Him. He is everywhere, always. Even our word “good” fails to measure His goodness. Even our word “great” falls short of describing His greatness.

But despite his differences, today’s message highlights a moment when one of God’s creatures connected with Him. That’s a lesson for all of us. No matter how insignificant we think we are, we can still reach God through our prayers. No matter how sinful we become, we are only a prayer away from His forgiveness. No matter how long we have hardened our hearts and resisted Him, He still waits for us. He desires connection.

What happened after Solomon prayed that day? When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the LORD’s splendor filled the temple. The priests were unable to enter the LORD’s temple because the LORD’s splendor filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the LORD’s splendor over the temple, they bowed down on their knees with their faces toward the ground. They worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). That is the connection. From that time on, it was not just Solomon’s temple; it was the LORD’s temple. It was not just Solomon’s kingdom or David’s kingdom. It was the LORD’s kingdom.

Communion meditation:

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NLT.

“There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”

The apostle’s declaration here reflects the same truth that Solomon expressed in his prayer at the dedication of the temple. The world around both men was a polytheistic one—they believed in many gods. But the truth of Paul’s declaration and Solomon’s prayer pierces through all the false theology and independence. The reality is monotheism, yes, but it goes deeper than that. Paul emphasizes the one Lord, Jesus Christ. He tells us that we were all created through Jesus Christ and that we live through Him. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. As we remember what Jesus did for us on Calvary today, let us keep in mind that His sacrifice served a purpose. We all live through Him. He purchased eternal life for us. Let’s set aside all the false gods and rulers of the world — they are nothing but idols. Jesus is our true connection to the Father. He is the source of our resurrection life. Let us declare our independence from everything else and our loyalty to the One Lord.