II Chronicles 7-8
Dear RTB’ers,
Chapter 7 is Solomon’s dedication of the temple and God’s response, including a very famous verse (God speaking), …if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (v. 7:14) I have often heard this verse spoken in the context of our own national repentance prayers.
Then chapter 8 tells of Solomon’s spiritual, civil, and military accomplishments. I read an interesting sidenote from Bible Gateway: “Verses 8:13-16 are unique to Chronicles and underscore the Chronicler’s concern to show continuity with the past and his association of David with Moses.” Again, the Chronicles author’s desire to keep David in a positive light.
Finally, the one verse that most got my attention today because it surprised me a bit: Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.” (v. 8:11) Yes, Solomon married foreign wives – in many cases, probably “political” marriages to daughters from nearby nations – and his foreign wives led him away from the Lord. (See I Kings 11:1-13, esp. verse 4.) However, in the verse noted above, in his earlier days Solomon was careful to seek the Lord more fully. As Bible Gateway also noted, “Holiness matters.”
A good thought for the day – holiness matters.
Blessings!
See also:
Yes, indeed, Fred. That’s a good word: Holiness matters! Yet are we, both individually and collectively, wholeheartedly pursuing holiness? A casual look around (and within!) would suggest that we don’t really think that holiness (being set apart for God) matters much at all. Would an outside objective observer (an extraterrestrial, say) be able to readily discern any particular difference between most Christians and the rest of the world? Do we behave any differently? Do we love one another as Christ told us to do? Or do we treat the Cross as a “get out of jail free card” and continue in conformity with the world. Perhaps we should give more consideration to Hebrews 12:14, that without holiness no one will see the Lord.