In You I Find my Strength

2nd Chronicles 3

If we compare this chapter to 1st Kings 6, we can see that 1st Kings has a little more detail given to it with what the temple’s decoration is. Why do you think it is important that the Bible list details of the Temple? In this chapter we see that, the Temple was a certain size and the Most holy place was a certain size but more attention is given to the gold that was laid through out it. 

The best you can Do

If we had a colored and detailed picture of the Temple, I believe the world would be blown away. When Alyssa and I first got married we went to a place called Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

Have you been there? We would pretend what it would have been like if you lived there? I just remembering being blown away with the detail that was put in the architect. It was not just detail but expensive detail. There were valuables that were considered priceless, gold trim, statues that dated to ancient Rome and Greece. In comparison, the Temple would have been even greater and the time and amount of work as well as the detail in architecture and gold everywhere would have been beyond priceless (If that is possible).  

We need to realize the amount or price that was paid for this temple was amazing. The amount of gold given was great and we see it being used for the temple being to give it decoration. A reminder that God is deserving of our best. When we come to the time of offering, is it an attitude of worship or is it of distraction? When songs are sung do you give it whole heartedly or do you do you let your lips sing but your heart is on something else? God deserves our best and when it comes to a time set aside for praise and adoration we should not fail at that.

God’s Pillar is Everlasting

At the end of the chapter we see that Solomon names two pillars. Now a pillar would be a column used to support the building. If you had a weak column your structure would not last that long. Solomon named two pillars, Jachin which means “He establishes” and Boaz, which means “In him is strength.” God is the foundation which he establishes and which in him you find strength. David wrote in Psalm  18:2, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

In who do you put your trust? If it is in someone be careful because we will always be let down one way or another by our friends and even it could happen with family. True strength that will never fail is in our Lord Jesus Christ. In him and him alone is my hope to continue in this world.

A Good Start

2nd Chronicles 1

I like fresh starts in life. I know looking back in my life I wish I could have done certain things differently. I wish I could have answered my parents differently instead of harshly or said, “no” instead of “yes.” I wish I could have been bolder to my friends when it came to standing up in Christ. We all have this moments in life that we wish we could go over and change but we can not. We live now in the hope and the future that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and that we live by that. When we do there should be no moments of regret but just those moment of seeking and trusting the Lord.

In this chapter we come to the 2nd book that the Chronicler describes the Theological history of Israel. We see Solomon as king and worshiping the Lord as the Temple gets ready to start to be used daily.

A Good Start

In verses 1-6 we see that Solomon and Israel worshiped the Lord went to Gibeon, the place where worship was taking place. As he then offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. This was the start showing that under his leadership he was going to seek and serve the Lord just like his father David had done. We need to focus on the beginning of Solomon but also we know where he went wrong. In 1st Kings 11:6 we read that Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He had altars in the high places for worshiping false gods. He turned his heart from sacrificing a thousand burnt offerings to the true God to false idols.

We need to take note and know that this Christian walk is hard. We get faced with temptations all the time. We need to be prepared spiritually to be able to handle them.  

God’s Grace

We read in verses 7-17 we see that God gave Solomon wisdom. God gave Solomon a chance to ask for anything and Solomon wanted to be able to discern for the people to reign over them as best as he could. Since he did not ask for wealth or peace, God gave him those as well as wisdom. And we read in 1st Kings 3:16-28 of how wise and discerning Solomon was. This is a great picture of God’s grace. Solomon did not deserve God to give him wisdom or all of that wealth, all of that power, all of that land. God seriously blessed him. 

We are like Solomon were we do not deserve salvation. We are wretched and sinful and God is holy and righteous. God in flesh came as Jesus to die on a cross, to be buried in a tomb, and to rise again on the 3rd day. We who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). When we call on the name of the Lord we know that we are saved which means we are found righteous before God. We are found guiltless. We are a new creation (2nd Corinthians 5:17) in Christ and that is God’s grace where we went from nothing to a purpose. We went from an enemy of God to a child of God. We went from death to life. This is God’s grace.

May we cling to it because we need it. We did not earn it, we did not deserve it so I want it, I need it.