1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter seven, 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the Message. When Solomon finished praying, 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the whole 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of God filled 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: the temple. The glory was so dense that the priests 9 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: couldn't get in. God so filled the temple that there 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: was no room for the priests. When all Israels saw 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: the fire fall from heaven and the glory of God 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: filled the temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads, 13 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: and worshiped, thanking God. Yes, God is good, His love 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: never quits. Then the king and all all Israel worshiped, 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: offering sacrifices to God. King Solomon worshiped by offering twenty 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. At 17 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: the dedication of the temple, the priests were all on duty. 18 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: The choir and orchestra of levites that David had provided 19 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: for singing and playing. Anthems to the praise and love 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: of God were all there across the courtyard. The priest's 21 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: blew trumpets. All Israelites were on their feet. Solomon set 22 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: apart the central area of the courtyard in front of 23 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: God's Temple for sacred use, and there sacrifice the whole 24 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat from the peace offerings. 25 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: The bronze altar was too small to handle all these offerings. 26 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: This is how Solomon kept the Great Autumn Feast of 27 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: Booths for seven days. There were people there all the 28 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: way from the far northeast the entrance to Hamath to 29 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: the far southwest the brook of Eas Egypt. A huge congregation. 30 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: They started out celebrating for seven days, and then did 31 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: it for another seven days, a week for dedicating the 32 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: altar and another for the feast itself. Two solid weeks 33 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: of celebration. On the twenty third day of the seventh month, 34 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: Solomon dismissed his congregation. They left rejoicing, exuberant over all 35 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: the good God had done for David and Solomon and 36 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: his people Israel. Solomon completed building the Temple of God 37 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: in the Royal palace, the projects he had set his heart, 38 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: Ondoing everything was done success satisfaction. God appeared to Solomon 39 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: that very night and said, I accept your prayer. Yes, 40 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, 41 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: a house of worship. If I ever shut off the 42 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: supply of rain from the skies, or order the locusts 43 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: to eat the crops, or send a plague on my people, 44 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: and my people, my God defined people respond by humbling themselves, praying, 45 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives. 46 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: I'll be there ready for you. I'll listen from heaven 47 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: forgive their sins and restore their land to health. From 48 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: now on, I'm alert day and night to the prayers 49 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: offered at this place. Believe me, I've chosen and sanctified 50 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: this temple that you have built. My name is stamped 51 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: on it forever, My eyes are on it, and my 52 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: heart in it always. As for you, if you live 53 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: in my presence as your father David lived, pure in 54 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, 55 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back 56 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: your kingly rule over Israel. Make it a sure thing 57 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave 58 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: to David, your father, I'm giving to you. Namely, you 59 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne. 60 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my 61 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving 62 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off. I'll wipe 63 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: Israel right off the map and repudiate this temple I've 64 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: just sanctified to honor my name, and Israel will be 65 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world, 66 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,119 Speaker 1: and this temple, splendid as it now is, will become 67 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: an object of contempt. Tourists will shake their heads, saying, 68 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: what happened here? What's the story behind these ruins. Then 69 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: they'll be told the people who used to live here 70 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: betrayed their God, the very god who rescued their ancestors 71 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: from Egypt. They took up with alien gods, worshiping and 72 00:04:52,480 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: serving them. That's what's behind this god visited devastation. Let's pray, Lord, 73 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 74 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at it together. Today. 75 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: And Lord, it's beautiful to be able to look at 76 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: this passage of scripture and see how you very clearly 77 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: made it known to the people of Israel that you 78 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: were present with them. And Lord, you make that abundantly 79 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: clear to us as well. You sent your son Jesus 80 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: Christ into this world, and Christ promises us that he 81 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: is with us always to the very end of the age. 82 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: And Lord, you invited Solomon, and you invited the people 83 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: of Israel to be sincere in their worship of you, 84 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: and do not invite the worship of any other gods 85 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: into their midst. And Lord, that's your calling on our 86 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: lives as well. You call us to be sincere worshipers 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: of You who have been made righteous through faith in 88 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: your son Jesus Christ, and did not invite any other 89 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: false gods into our lives. We're also grateful, Lord, for 90 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: the promise that you made here in this passage of 91 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: scripture that a descendant of David would rule on the 92 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: throne of Israel. And we know that that promise wasn't 93 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: ultimately fulfilled in Solomon, but it finds its ultimate fulfillment 94 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: in your son Jesus Christ. So again, Lord, we're grateful 95 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: for all of these things, and we're grateful that you 96 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: allow us to see these things in this passage. And 97 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: we pray Lord that throughout the course of today that 98 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: you would be the primary object of our affection. We 99 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: thank you Lord for all of these things, and we 100 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.