10 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.
Message: The Ark Comes to the Temple
Time: 2 Chronicles, like 1 Chronicles has a mystery writer and was separated into 2 books in 200 BC when the Septuagint was translated. This book focuses on Judah from 971-586 BC. The chronicler focused on the blessings God bestowed when leaders were faithful to His law. It covers Solomon's ascension to the throne to Judah finally carried into exile in Babylon.
What the Lord is Saying: This lesson picks up from 1 Kings 6:38 when it mentions the house of the Lord was completed. And now this passage in 2 Chronicles 5-6 is similar to Chapter 8 of I Kings as the Ark Comes to the Temple.
In verse 2, everyone is assembled together -- "elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel." This is a big deal and all are on hand for this. The ark will be brought up from the "city of David, which is Zion." In verse 4, "The Levites picked up the ark." There is mention in verse 6 of Solomon sacrificing sheep and oxen, too many to count. And it is the priests that bring it "into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim" as the wings will act as a covering or canopy of sorts over the ark. Thus there is sort of a processional and a celebration in bringing the ark into the inner sanctuary of the temple, the most sacred part of the temple. The poles were long making the ark easy to move. "There was nothing in the ark except the two tables (the 10 commandments)" and signified "where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel."
God's covenant with Israel shows us that God chooses His people and wants to have fellowship with them. And this temple is a reminder of that. The Holy of Holies is the place where sacrifices are offered to restore the relationship with God. Relationships are not restored through good efforts or us practicing faith or kindness or good works. The only way to have relationship restored is through God's forgiveness through the washing of our sins through the blood of Jesus.
"The glory of the Lord filled the house of God." This is the Shekinah Glory, a visible manifestation of God's presence.
Solomon then declares how the Lord will "dwell in the thick cloud" (16:1). God desires to make himself known and he does this through people and also nature. Jesus eventually will be God's representation and then we his people will represent Him on this earth. In verses 4-11 it another summary of what has transpired in God choosing Jerusalem, David, and then later David's son to build this house.
This was a high point in the history of Israel, commemorating God's covenant with His people and showing the importance of sacrificing or confessing our sins. It is important for me to worship God.
Summary: Samuel gathers the elders and leaders together to bring the ark to the inner sanctuary of the temple he has built, and God presences is seen in a thick cloud.
Promise: God will always make a way for His presence to be made to people.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing yourself, in the thick cloud, in Jesus, and in me. I want to shine your love and hope that I do this. Thank you for showing me the importance of the temple and the importance of forgiving sin and the importance of covering sin. Thank you for this message and showing me the importance of your glory and reverence to You.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
