Sunday School Lesson
May 11
Lesson 11 (KJV)
Solomon Dedicates the Temple
Devotional Reading: 2 Chronicles 6:12, 14–27
Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:1–20
2 Chronicles 7:1–7, 11
1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat. 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
Key Text
When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.—2 Chronicles 7:3
Costly Sacrifices
Unit 3: Special Offerings and the Sanctuary
Lessons 10–13
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Summarize what happened when Solomon finished praying.
2. Explain the idea of “dedicating” or “consecrating” something.
3. State how one can respond to God’s presence and love with worship and sacrifice.
How to Say It
Hezekiah Hez-ih-kye-uh.
Josiah Jo-sigh-uh.
Uzziah Uh-zye-uh.
Introduction
A. Finishing a Father’s Legacy
From 1927 until his death in 1941, Gutzon Borglum, along with numerous assistants, carved the sculptures of four American presidents into the side of Mount Rushmore, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Borglum chose the 60-foot sculptures to represent 150 years of American history. Borglum worked on the project until his death, mere months before its completion. His son completed the project.
Today’s lesson, regarding the construction of the temple, is both similar to and different from the Borglums’ project. They are similar in that neither man who envisioned the projects in the first place lived to see their respective completions. They are different in that while the father oversaw almost all the work in the Borglums’ project, the opposite was true regarding the temple construction. King David wanted to build a magnificent temple for the Lord, but the honor went to his son Solomon instead. While David laid the groundwork, it was to be Solomon’s legacy to oversee and complete the project.
B. Historical Context
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles emphasize the importance of the reigns of David (1010–970 BC) and Solomon (970–930 BC) as their lives related to the temple’s coming into existence. The chronicler explains how those kings instituted most of the ongoing practices of the temple, especially those of sacrifice, prayer, and singing. All three of those elements are present in the parallel books of 1 and 2 Kings, but much more so in the Chronicles.
In 1 Chronicles 22:8, King David explained to his son Solomon that God had forbidden David from building the temple due to the amount of blood he had shed. After David’s extensive preparations (22:5), the honor was to fall to Solomon instead. He spent seven years completing the temple his father dreamed of building (1 Kings 6:38). The year of its completion was, therefore, 963 BC. The book of 2 Chronicles links father and son in several passages not included in 1 Kings (examples: 2 Chronicles 2:3, 7; 3:1; 6:42; 7:10; 8:14).
The dedication ceremony for the temple included a lengthy and eloquent prayer by the king (2 Chronicles 6). In that prayer, Solomon asked the Lord to remember His covenant with His people and His promise to David. He prayed for forgiveness of future sin. He pled for the temple to be a beacon of God’s great name and mighty hand. He closed his prayer by inviting everyone else to celebrate the same divine mercy that he had recognized. Solomon thereby challenged himself and his hearers to a life of worship and sacrifice.
C. Literary Context
The first nine chapters of 2 Chronicles are commonly recognized as a literary sub-unit of the book as a whole. One reasonable outline of these nine chapters is:
A.Solomon’s Kingship (1:1–17)
B.Temple’s Construction (2:1–5:1)
C.Temple’s Dedication (5:2–7:22)
D.Solomon’s Other Activities (8:1–9:31)
Another way to show the inner dynamics of 2 Chronicles 1–9 is with this arrangement:
A—Solomon’s wisdom and wealth (1:1–17)
B—He prepares temple construction (2:1–18) C—He builds the temple (3:1–5:1)
C′—He dedicates the temple (5:2–7:22) B′—He completes the temple, etc. (8:1–16)
A′—Solomon’s wisdom and wealth (8:17–9:28)
Notice the repetition of themes in a parallel “inverse pyramid” arrangement.
The powerful conclusion to Solomon’s prayer, which immediately precedes today’s lesson text, is reflected in a psalm:
Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant. —2 Chronicles 6:41–42
Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. —Psalm 132:8–10
The parallel account to today’s text is 1 Kings 8:62–66. Compared to that earlier account, today’s passage is the longer version; it includes additional details.
I. Glory of God
(2 Chronicles 7:1–3)
A. Fire Comes Down (vv. 1–2)
1a. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices.
See Literary Context, above, regarding the content of Solomon’s praying. As we read about the fire that came down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the sacrifices, we’re naturally inclined to compare and contrast this event with other such episodes in the Bible. Fire of divine origin was often for the purpose of judgment. Examples of this kind of fire stated in a personal way as being from the Lord or similar are Leviticus 10:2; Numbers 11:1; 16:35; and Psalm 21:9. Examples of judgmental fire more generally said to be from Heaven are 2 Kings 1:10–14; Luke 9:54; 17:29; and Revelation 20:9. But the fire in the lesson text at hand is in the minority of cases that are not judgmental, but showing divine favor instead (compare Leviticus 9:24; Judges 6:21).
Burnt offerings were a specific type of sacrifice whereby the entire offering was consumed by fire on the altar (Leviticus 1). By making such an offering, the people acknowledged their sin and the need for its removal. In the context at hand, it should have convicted the original audience of the need to enter the temple with holy attitudes and intent if they were to live in a healthy relationship with God and each other (contrast Jeremiah 7:30; Luke 19:46). The dramatic descent of the fire signaled that God was watching.
What Do You Think?
Without fire from Heaven, how can your congregation know whether someone’s sensing of God’s presence is genuine?
Digging Deeper
What can happen if proper discernment is lacking in that regard?
A Third Kind of Fire
Have you ever seen a “fire tornado”? These can form when a large forest fire heats the air so much that weather patterns begin to self-generate. The result may be a towering vortex of spinning flames connecting earth and sky, inspiring awe and terror.
I imagine that the descent of fire from Heaven at the dedication of Solomon’s temple looked something like this kind of tornado. And yet, there is no record of fear on the part of those present! The fire was one of approval, not judgment.
But between the two fires of approval and judgment stands a third type of fire: the fire of testing. We all have to undergo certain trials of fire that test our faith (1 Peter 4:12). These can serve to cleanse us from unholiness (compare Proverbs 25:4; Malachi 3:2–3). We serve the Lord with the realization that the quality of our work will be tested by fire on the last day (1 Corinthians 3:12–13). Wouldn’t it be better to embrace the testing now so we have time to repent before that final audit? —A. W.
1b. And the glory of the LORD filled the house.
The dramatic intensity of the fire from Heaven, just considered, was enhanced (if that were possible!) when the glory of the Lord filled the house. The concepts of fire and glory are combined in several places in the Bible (examples: Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 5:24; Isaiah 4:5; Zechariah 2:5; 1 Peter 1:7).
The manifestation of God’s glory occurred also at the dedication of the tabernacle, which was the forerunner to the temple (Exodus 40:34–35). On that occasion, the glory happened in conjunction with a cloud rather than fire. This same combination had also occurred in the account of Solomon’s bringing the ark of the covenant to the temple (2 Chronicles 5:13b–6:1; 1 Kings 8:10–12; compare Exodus 16:10). The combination of glory and cloud will occur yet again when God’s glory departs the temple some 366 years after its dedication (Ezekiel 10:4, 10). Thus, God’s glory is regularly connected with vital turning points in ancient Israel’s focus on expressions of worship. The purpose of the glory is consecration or sanctification (Exodus 29:43).
2. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.
At first glance, 1 Kings 8:11 seems parallel to the verse before us because the idea conveyed is identical. But 1 Kings 8:11 is actually parallel to 2 Chronicles 5:11, 13b–14 in the flow of events. All are similar in outcome to what we see here: the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, with echoes of Exodus 40:35, as noted above.
B. People Bow Down (v. 3)
3. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
The text shifts its focus to those gathered, the children of Israel. Their experience of seeing the fire that came down and the glory of the Lord prompted them to renew their life of worship. (“Renew” is the right word because they had prayed and sacrificed before, but henceforth they would do so in a more profound way.)
The people sang an often-repeated phrase found also in Psalm 136. The song also preceded Solomon’s prayer (2 Chronicles 5:13). It was part of the singing when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:34). It was sung again centuries later as the altar was being rebuilt following return from exile (Ezra 3:11). The event of the consecration of the temple was a reminder of God’s goodness and mercy in the past and for the future.
What Do You Think?
What changes might you experience by being more mindful of God’s goodness, mercy, and love?
Digging Deeper
How can we gain that greater mindfulness?
Powerful Love
Most kids of Lavonte’s age didn’t watch their dads play pro football on TV. But Lavonte did—his dad was a 6′7″, 360-pound offensive tackle. He was intimidating and didn’t have to do much to keep Lavonte in line. Just the deep rumble of Dad’s voice calling Lavonte from the back porch was enough to make the youngster freeze in his tracks and rapidly reconsider his intentions!
Would it be fair to say Lavonte feared his dad? Well … yes and no. He knew his father was a firm and strong man. Yet Lavonte also knew with absolute certainty that his dad would never hurt him. Because the same voice that growled out his name like a lion had talked as softly as a cat’s purr to him every night at bedtime. And he knew he had a standing invitation to curl up next to his dad on the couch to watch replays of his dad’s last game.
God inflicts powerful acts of judgment. His enemies don’t stand a chance against His wrath. Yet when His people witness the consuming fire falling from Heaven, their response is not one of terror but one of love, awe, and admiration: “He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever!” (2 Chronicles 7:3).—A. W.
II. Worship by People
(2 Chronicles 7:4–6)
A. Sacrifices (vv. 4–5)
4. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
The sacrifices that followed differ from those incinerated by fire from Heaven (burnt offerings) in that some of the sacrifices in view here could be eaten. After God put His stamp of approval on the temple by consuming the initial sacrifices, the people joined in.
There are usually clear delineations of the duties of the three offices of prophet, priest, and king in ancient Israel. In the laws of sacrifice in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, the king had no role—indeed, there was no provision for ancient Israel even to have a king in those three books (compare 1 Samuel 8). The story of King Uzziah’s leprosy after his attempted sacrifice (2 Chronicles 26:16–23) reveals that a king was not to usurp the role of a priest. But there were some exceptions, and that seems to have been the case here as the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. The sheer number of sacrificial animals may have overwhelmed the number of priests available. If so, a practical adjustment was made (compare 30:2–3).
We might easily misunderstand the purposes of sacrifice and dismiss the practice as barbaric or see it merely as a way of appeasing God’s anger. Sacrifice was a form of worship. The people had to take something that was valuable to them and either give it over to God entirely or to both God and other people.
What Do You Think?
In what circumstances should our actions as living sacrifices be visible to all? In what circumstances visible only to God?
Digging Deeper
How do Matthew 5:13–16 and 6:1–4 influence your answers?
5. And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
The number of animals would have fed many thousands of people, making this event a celebration for a large percentage of Solomon’s subjects. The dedication ceremony was designed to shape the life of the entire kingdom, including those not able to be present in Jerusalem. Solomon rightly understood that celebrating such an important event as the dedication of the temple in grand style should bring the people together in more ways than one.
It is interesting to compare the numbers of animals sacrificed in this verse to the Passover sacrifices later offered under Kings Hezekiah (reigned 716–687 BC) and Josiah (reigned 641–609 BC) centuries later, according to 2 Chronicles 30:24; 35:7–9:
King
Oxen/Cattle
Sheep and Goats
Solomon
22,000
120,000
Hezekiah
2,000
17,000
Josiah
11,100
37,600
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles measure kings by how they treat the temple in Jerusalem and facilitate worship there. By that measure, Solomon was a model king, at least at this point in his life.
B. Music (v. 6)
6a. And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry.
This verse stands on the shoulders of 1 Chronicles 15:3–22. That passage describes in great detail how David the king organized the Levites as temple musicians in conjunction with his second (and successful) attempt at bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. The musical instruments mentioned there are “psalteries and harps and cymbals” (1 Chronicles 15:16). These instruments were also present at the first (and failed) attempt to relocate the ark, with two additional instruments mentioned in that context: timbrels and trumpets (13:8). The Old Testament mentions at least 14 distinct musical instruments a total of over 200 times.
Singing isn’t mentioned in this verse. But since the first attempt to relocate the ark involved singing (1 Chronicles 13:8), as did the second attempt (15:22), it’s more than reasonable to presume that singing also occurred here.
What Do You Think?
In what ways can you better incorporate music as part of your private worship?
Digging Deeper
How will your decisions in that regard differ in your “good” times from that of your “bad” times? Why?
6b. And the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. Priests are associated with trumpets about a dozen times in the Old Testament. There were two kinds of trumpets used for different purposes. First were the trumpets of silver; these were for calling the people to assemble, for setting out, to announce times of rejoicing at festivals, and for signaling in battle (Numbers 10:1–10). These are the trumpets in view here.
The second kind was trumpets made from rams’ horns. These are mentioned in dozens of places, but in connection with priests only in Joshua 6.
III. Actions by Solomon
(2 Chronicles 7:7, 11)
A. Consecration (v. 7)
7. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat. The horizontal surface of the altar Solomon had built measured 20 cubits by 20 cubits, or about 900 square feet (2 Chronicles 4:1). Although it was quite large, it was not large enough for the work of that day of dedication. Thus, Solomon needed a plan to deal with this. So, with priestly help, he hallowed (meaning “consecrated” or “sanctified”) the middle of the court[yard] to be suitable as an overflow altar. This practice was not provided for in the Law of Moses, but 2 Chronicles sees it as an appropriate emergency measure. The aim of the event was more important than the silence of the law in this regard.
Three types of offerings are noted. Burnt offerings were characterized by being totally consumed by the fire; regulations are in Leviticus 1 and 6:8–13. Regarding meat offerings, we note that the King James Version uses the word meat at times to stand for any food, even grain; see Leviticus 2:1, 4) Regulations for this kind of offering are in Leviticus 2 and 6:14–23. Peace offerings were offerings of thanksgiving or are connected with the taking of vows; regulations are in Leviticus 3 and 7:11–21. The Law of Moses forbade the eating of the fat of animals that were candidates for sacrifice (Leviticus 7:22–27; compare Exodus 29:13).
What Do You Think?
What steps do you need to take for greater consecration since 1 Corinthians 6:19 establishes that your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit?
Digging Deeper
What superficial efforts have you seen others make in this regard?
B. Completion (v. 11)
11. Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
The passages 2 Chronicles 5:3; 7:8–10 indicate that the temple dedication occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three annual pilgrimage feasts (Deuteronomy 16:13–17; 31:10). Solomon had committed himself fully to the completion of the temple, focusing all his resources to that effort. But more than it being about a building, it was also about a people. He recruited many artisans and craftsmen to help as they used their skills for God’s glory.
Solomon, like any other king, also built a palace (the king’s house). His palace had a footprint more than four times that of the temple (11,250 square feet and 2,700 square feet, respectively; see 1 Kings 6:2 and 7:2). Compared to the seven years it took to build the temple, the 13 years to build his palace is understandable! The palace had to be larger than the temple because it needed to house the king, his numerous wives, many officials, etc. A palace was not just a grandiose house but a small city within the city.
Conclusion
A. Seeking God’s Goodness
The temple became the center of ancient Israel’s religious life. It was the place where they could meet God. Sacrifices and prayers would occur at that temple for generations. While Solomon could not have foreseen the details of the long history of worship that followed his actions, his trust in God was proven by his prayer, worship, and actions. These reflected confidence in God’s holiness, power, and enduring love.
Solomon prayed to God to remember His promises to his father and to previous generations. The king’s prayer was integral to his worship. His focus on completing the temple before he started his own house showed his heart (contrast Haggai 1:2–4).
Unfortunately, this interconnection of faithful prayer, worship, and actions would not last. It didn’t last for the people (2 Chronicles 36:15–21), and it didn’t last for Solomon himself (1 Kings 11:4–11). Will it last for you?
B. Prayer
O God our Father, may we always praise You for Your merciful love and goodness. Renew in us a life of worship. Strengthen our dedication to Your holiness and help us to love others as You see them. May we be living sacrifices for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Respond to God with worship.
Standard Publishing. KJV Standard Lesson Commentary® 2024-2025 (pp. 837-855). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.