WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 7

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter seven,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the Message. When Solomon finished praying,

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<v Speaker 1>a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the whole

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<v Speaker 1>burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of God filled

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<v Speaker 1>the temple. The glory was so dense that the priests

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't get in. God so filled the temple that there

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<v Speaker 1>was no room for the priests. When all Israels saw

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<v Speaker 1>the fire fall from heaven and the glory of God

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<v Speaker 1>filled the temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads,

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<v Speaker 1>and worshiped, thanking God. Yes, God is good, His love

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<v Speaker 1>never quits. Then the king and all all Israel worshiped,

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<v Speaker 1>offering sacrifices to God. King Solomon worshiped by offering twenty

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. At

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<v Speaker 1>the dedication of the temple, the priests were all on duty.

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<v Speaker 1>The choir and orchestra of levites that David had provided

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<v Speaker 1>for singing and playing. Anthems to the praise and love

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<v Speaker 1>of God were all there across the courtyard. The priest's

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<v Speaker 1>blew trumpets. All Israelites were on their feet. Solomon set

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<v Speaker 1>apart the central area of the courtyard in front of

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<v Speaker 1>God's Temple for sacred use, and there sacrifice the whole

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<v Speaker 1>burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat from the peace offerings.

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<v Speaker 1>The bronze altar was too small to handle all these offerings.

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<v Speaker 1>This is how Solomon kept the Great Autumn Feast of

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<v Speaker 1>Booths for seven days. There were people there all the

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<v Speaker 1>way from the far northeast the entrance to Hamath to

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<v Speaker 1>the far southwest the brook of Eas Egypt. A huge congregation.

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<v Speaker 1>They started out celebrating for seven days, and then did

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<v Speaker 1>it for another seven days, a week for dedicating the

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<v Speaker 1>altar and another for the feast itself. Two solid weeks

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<v Speaker 1>of celebration. On the twenty third day of the seventh month,

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<v Speaker 1>Solomon dismissed his congregation. They left rejoicing, exuberant over all

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<v Speaker 1>the good God had done for David and Solomon and

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<v Speaker 1>his people Israel. Solomon completed building the Temple of God

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<v Speaker 1>in the Royal palace, the projects he had set his heart,

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<v Speaker 1>Ondoing everything was done success satisfaction. God appeared to Solomon

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<v Speaker 1>that very night and said, I accept your prayer. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice,

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<v Speaker 1>a house of worship. If I ever shut off the

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<v Speaker 1>supply of rain from the skies, or order the locusts

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<v Speaker 1>to eat the crops, or send a plague on my people,

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<v Speaker 1>and my people, my God defined people respond by humbling themselves, praying,

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<v Speaker 1>seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be there ready for you. I'll listen from heaven

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<v Speaker 1>forgive their sins and restore their land to health. From

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<v Speaker 1>now on, I'm alert day and night to the prayers

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<v Speaker 1>offered at this place. Believe me, I've chosen and sanctified

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<v Speaker 1>this temple that you have built. My name is stamped

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<v Speaker 1>on it forever, My eyes are on it, and my

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<v Speaker 1>heart in it always. As for you, if you live

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<v Speaker 1>in my presence as your father David lived, pure in

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<v Speaker 1>heart and action, living the life I've set out for you,

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<v Speaker 1>attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back

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<v Speaker 1>your kingly rule over Israel. Make it a sure thing

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<v Speaker 1>on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave

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<v Speaker 1>to David, your father, I'm giving to you. Namely, you

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<v Speaker 1>can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my

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<v Speaker 1>guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving

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<v Speaker 1>and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off. I'll wipe

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<v Speaker 1>Israel right off the map and repudiate this temple I've

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<v Speaker 1>just sanctified to honor my name, and Israel will be

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<v Speaker 1>nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world,

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<v Speaker 1>and this temple, splendid as it now is, will become

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<v Speaker 1>an object of contempt. Tourists will shake their heads, saying,

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<v Speaker 1>what happened here? What's the story behind these ruins. Then

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<v Speaker 1>they'll be told the people who used to live here

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<v Speaker 1>betrayed their God, the very god who rescued their ancestors

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<v Speaker 1>from Egypt. They took up with alien gods, worshiping and

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<v Speaker 1>serving them. That's what's behind this god visited devastation. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at it together. Today.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, it's beautiful to be able to look at

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<v Speaker 1>this passage of scripture and see how you very clearly

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<v Speaker 1>made it known to the people of Israel that you

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<v Speaker 1>were present with them. And Lord, you make that abundantly

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<v Speaker 1>clear to us as well. You sent your son Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>Christ into this world, and Christ promises us that he

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<v Speaker 1>is with us always to the very end of the age.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, you invited Solomon, and you invited the people

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel to be sincere in their worship of you,

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<v Speaker 1>and do not invite the worship of any other gods

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<v Speaker 1>into their midst. And Lord, that's your calling on our

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<v Speaker 1>lives as well. You call us to be sincere worshipers

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<v Speaker 1>of You who have been made righteous through faith in

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<v Speaker 1>your son Jesus Christ, and did not invite any other

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<v Speaker 1>false gods into our lives. We're also grateful, Lord, for

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<v Speaker 1>the promise that you made here in this passage of

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<v Speaker 1>scripture that a descendant of David would rule on the

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<v Speaker 1>throne of Israel. And we know that that promise wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately fulfilled in Solomon, but it finds its ultimate fulfillment

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<v Speaker 1>in your son Jesus Christ. So again, Lord, we're grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for all of these things, and we're grateful that you

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<v Speaker 1>allow us to see these things in this passage. And

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<v Speaker 1>we pray Lord that throughout the course of today that

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<v Speaker 1>you would be the primary object of our affection. We

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<v Speaker 1>thank you Lord for all of these things, and we

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<v Speaker 1>pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.