If My People, Which Are Called By My Name,

[Walter and Deborah]

Monday 10-3-22 2nd. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Tishri 6 5783 11th. Fall Day

2 Chronicles Seven

1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

Love, Walter and Debbie

[Selah7]

Thank you, Walter and Deborah.  “If My people” … that’s us—Christians!    So let’s keep on praying without ceasing.    Selah 
 

 

[Guest]

(2 Chronicles 7:1)  And when Solomon finished praying, then fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.  [LEB]

The fire came down from heaven - As in the time of Moses on the dedication of the tabernacle Lev 9:24 The fact is omitted from the narrative of Kings; but omission is not contradiction.  [Albert Barnes]

(2 Chronicles 7:1)  And when Solomon finished praying, then fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.
(2 Chronicles 7:2)  And the priests were not able to go into the house of Yahweh, for the glory of Yahweh had filled the house.
(2 Chronicles 7:3)  When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the glory of Yahweh upon the house, they knelt down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loyal love is everlasting.
(2 Chronicles 7:4)  Then the king and all the people were offering a sacrifice before Yahweh.
(2 Chronicles 7:5)  And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
(2 Chronicles 7:6)  And the priests stood at their posts with the Levites, with the instruments of the song of Yahweh that King David had made to give thanks to Yahweh—for his loyal love is everlasting—whenever David offered praise by their hand. Now the priests sounded trumpets standing opposite them, and all Israel stood.
(2 Chronicles 7:7)  And Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of Yahweh, for there he had made the burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, for the bronze altar that Solomon had made was not able to hold the burnt offerings, cereal offerings, and the fat.
(2 Chronicles 7:8)  And Solomon held a feast at that time of seven days. And all Israel was with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-Hamath to the river of Egypt.
(2 Chronicles 7:9)  And on the eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for they held the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.
(2 Chronicles 7:10)  And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents rejoicing and festive of heart on account of the goodness that Yahweh had done for David, Solomon, and Israel his people.
(2 Chronicles 7:11)  And Solomon finished the house of Yahweh and the house of the king. And all that came into the heart of Solomon to do with respect to the house of Yahweh and his own house he accomplished.
(2 Chronicles 7:12)  Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.
(2 Chronicles 7:13)  When I hold back the heavens so that there is not rain, and when I command the locust to devour the earth, and if I send disease among my people,
(2 Chronicles 7:14)  then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and will pray and will seek my face and will turn from their evil ways, then I myself shall hear from the heavens and will forgive their sins and heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:15)  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer of this place.
(2 Chronicles 7:16)  And now I have chosen and consecrated this house for my name to be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.
(2 Chronicles 7:17)  Now as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked and do according to all that I have commanded you and will keep my ordinances and judgments,
(2 Chronicles 7:18)  then I will establish the throne of your kingdom as I promised to David your father, saying, 'A man shall not be cut off for you from ruling over Israel.'
(2 Chronicles 7:19)  "But if you turn yourselves away and forsake my ordinances and my commandments which I have given before you all and will go and serve other gods and bow down to them,
(2 Chronicles 7:20)  then I will uproot them from upon my land that I have given to them, and this house that I have consecrated for my name I will send away from before my face, and I will make it a proverb and a taunt among all the nations.
(2 Chronicles 7:21)  And as for this house, which was exalted, all who pass by it will be appalled and will say, 'Why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house?'
(2 Chronicles 7:22)  Then they will say, 'Because they forsook Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, and they laid hold of other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought upon them all this evil.'"  [LEB}

2 Chronicles 7:1-7   As soon as Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The people saw . . . the glory cloud coming down . . . on the temple, and they bowed . . . on the pavement, worshiping and praising the LORD. Solomon then led the people in offering thousands of bulls and sheep as sacrifices to the LORD.
The priests took their positions, the Levites played the Lord's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord. Opposite the Levites, the priests sounded their trumpets, while all the Israelites stood.
The bronze altar was too small for the enormous number of sacrifices and offerings.
7:8-10   The dedication feast lasted for seven days, including the Day of Atonement. This was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, after which Solomon dismissed the people.
7:11-16   After Solomon had finished the temple and his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night with promises and warnings. In the event that God sent drought, locusts, or pestilence on the people, they should humble themselves, . . . pray, . . . seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways. Then He would forgive their sin and restore them.
Verse 14 may very well be the golden text of this entire book. Though originally addressed to the chosen nation of Israel, it has rightly been applied to those nations which have a biblical heritage. It is the sure road to restoration and revival for all times. If the conditions are met, the promises are sure of fulfillment.

J. Barton Payne comments:
This great verse, the best known in all Chronicles, expresses as does no other in Scripture God's requirement for national blessing, whether in Solomon's land, in Ezra's, or in our own. Those who believe must forsake their sins, turn from the life that is centered in self, and yield to God's word and will. Then, and only then, will heaven send revival.

7:17-22   If Solomon would live in obedience before God, He would establish his throne and allow Solomon's descendants to sit upon it. On the other hand, if Solomon and his people forsook the Lord for other gods, they would be carried into captivity, and God would reject the temple so that it would be an object of derision and a testimony to the nations that Israel had forsaken the LORD.
Verse 16 seems to imply that the temple would endure for all time; yet we know that it was destroyed in 586 B.C. The explanation, of course, is that God's promise was conditioned on Israel's faithfulness and obedience. Verses 19 and 20 specifically warn that if the people became idolaters, God would reject the temple.  [Believers' Bible Commentary]