Bible Verse: “Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.” (2 Chronicles 2:1)
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 2:1-18
Being on a roll is a special kind of feeling—when things just seem to go right, life seems almost easy. At the very least, it feels intuitive. Decisions seem obvious. Outcomes nearly flawlessly positive.
Let’s face it, men, that’s pretty rare.
But Solomon seemed to start his reign on a bit of a roll. The first days of his rule were marked by a deep sense of self. As we saw yesterday, he knew he was not up to the task of leading the people of God on his own.
So, when God, in His deep grace, offered him the chance of a lifetime, Solomon made a good choice—a bit of wisdom before the gift of wisdom came.
Let’s not forget that Solomon could have asked for anything. He could have turned that freebie into Solomon’s perfect life.
He didn’t.
He didn’t ask for riches, long life, or even peace for and within Israel.
He asked for wisdom. And God gave him that and much more.
That’s a good start.
Solomon kept it rolling.
One of his first recorded acts in the book of 2 Chronicles was ordering the building of the Temple. The people needed a place of permanence to worship and offer their sacrifices. The Temple was the focal point of Israel’s relationship with God; it was the symbol and reality of God’s presence and promises to Israel.
One of Solomon’s first acts as the wise ruler of God’s people was to ensure a connection between God and His people.
This becomes more significant when we remember that the purpose of Chronicles was to remember history from a different perspective. The books of Kings were written leading up to the exile. Chronicles speaks to the group coming back from exile. They would have been asking if they were still God’s people and if the promises given to their ancestors were still true.
Repeating Solomon’s act of building the Temple, highlighting its significance for Israel and her relationship with Yahweh, called the people to remember that Israel’s God is always the same.
Solomon did have a great start to his reign over Israel. He built the Temple that connected the people to God. The people needed to remember that God was still God. The account of Chronicles looks back at history to remind the people that God is and always will be the same.
Prayer: God, thank You for reminding me that even in my worst circumstances, You are still God. Help me see in the stories of the past that You are always working for Your own purposes. Amen.
Reflection: Have you ever felt like you were disconnected from God? What has helped you reconnect?
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