Recap

So far in 1-2 Chronicles we’ve read through the introductory genealogies and king David’s reign. While separate books in our Bible 1-2 Chronicles tell one story, giving a recap of the Old Testament from Adam to the Jews' return from exile.

We read through the opening chapters of the book dedicated to the genealogies of God's people. This started with Adam and followed his descendants down to Jacob. Then, from Jacob, we explored the genealogies of each of the twelve tribes focusing on Judah, the tribe of the royal family, Levi, the tribe of the priests, and Benjamin, the tribe of the first king Saul. There were genealogies of the people who returned from exile, and then the genealogy of Saul the first king.

As we moved into the section of the book focused on David, we saw the author use David as a model for what an ideal future king will look like. David was described as a shepherd of God's people, and a military ruler who united the tribes, led them to defeat their enemies, and established peace. He built up God's city and brought God's presence in. He served, in part, as a priest.

There were many parallels between David and Moses. Moses laid out the design for the Tabernacle, gathered its resources, and organised the Levites and the priests. Now David is doing the same for the temple. Moses encouraged Joshua to take courage and lead well, and David does the same for his son Solomon. When the people were suffering, his desire was to take on this suffering himself. In all this, David modelled what an ideal king should be. And even when he messed up, he modelled for us what an ideal king should be. David give into his pride and temptation of Satan by holding a census. The ideal king would resist the temptation of Satan.

And so David united the people, established peace, and prepared everything needed for the new temple. He then turned to his son Solomon and encouraged and challenged him. Solomon was to be the future king that David hadn't been, and David had done everything he could to set Solomon up well. We'd read how God described Solomon as his son. In his final role as king, David made an offering to the new temple out of his personal wealth, and encouraged the people to do the same. He then stepped back to allow Solomon to be king. 

2 Chronicles 1-4

While the Ark of the Covenant is in Jerusalem at this point, the Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of Meeting, is on a mount in a place called Gibeon. Solomon visits the Tabernacle and makes 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar there. Solomon, like his father, wants to lead firmly in the will of God.

God comes to Solomon and asks what he would like. But rather than asking for power, wealth, or reputation, Solomon asks for wisdom to lead God's people well. Because of Solomon's selflessness, God grants him the wisdom he asked for and the power, wealth, and reputation that he didn't. Solomon became so wealthy that silver and gold became as common as stone in Jerusalem.

So Solomon turns his focus to the temple. Realising that there are still plenty of resources needed to build it, Solomon sets the people to work. He gets 80,000 men to begin to mine out the stone, with a further 70,000 to help move the stone.

Next, he speaks to the neighbouring nation of Tyre and asks if they can send over their most skilled craftsmen to help build this temple. He would also like to buy a serious amount of wood, cut from their vast forests. Because of the favour God had given Solomon, the king of Tyre is all too happy to help and sends over everything that Solomon had asked for.

A fun little nod back to Exodus and the building of the Tabernacle is found in who the king of Tyre sends. In Exodus 31:6, Oholiab was appointed to oversee the crafting of the Tabernacle. He was from the tribe of Dan. Now, the king of Tyre sends Huram-abi who is the son of a woman from the tribe of Dan, who married a Tyrian man.

So the construction of the temple begins. Because Chronicles is an overview, the writer doesn't go in as much detail as Exodus 25-31 did when describing the Tabernacle, and it is almost half the length of the description of the temple found in 1 Kings 6-7.

Much like the Tabernacle, the temple was designed in a way to call back to the garden of Eden. There are statues and engravings of cherubim, divine beings that spend their time in God's presence, and various different fruits such as gourds and pomegranates. The sheer size and richness of this temple would have been a sight to behold.

Psalm 69

This psalm is attributed to king David and falls into the category of a lament psalm.

Psalm 69:1-5 - A complaint

Psalm 69:6 - A request

Psalm 69:7-12 - A complain

Psalm 69:13-18 - A request

Psalm 69:19-21 - A complaint

Psalm 69:22-29 - A request

Psalm 69:30-36 - Declaration of trust

The psalmist open with a request that God save them and then jumps in with their complaint. It feels like they are drowning, being swallowed up in thick mire. They are worn out, tired, and weary, and are surrounded by people who hate them.

The psalmist recognises it’s their own foolishness and mistakes that have caused this, and so they turn to their first request. May no one who is loyal to God or wants to know him more be negatively affected by the psalmist’s mistakes.

And then we’re back to the complaint. The psalmist argues that they are suffering because they have been loyal to God. They were hated by others for their faithfulness, be it their own family or others who hate God. The more they sought God, the more they were hated for it.

The psalmist turns back to request. May God answer the psalmist because he is a loving and faithful God. May God deliver them from the waters that they feel like they’re drowning in. But perhaps most importantly, may God be near to them. May the psalmist get to experience God’s presence again.

Then, again, we’re back to the complaint. The psalmist’s heart is broken because of all the rebukes they are getting. All they want is some pity and someone to comfort them, but they are all alone. Those near them continue to taunt them, offering them drinks that are actually poison, and places at their table that are actually traps.

This time, the psalmist’s request is focused on their enemies. May God defeat them. May they become blind and weakened. Their wealth and flourishing are gone. May God punish them and remove them from among the righteous, which the psalmist is lifted back up.

Finally, the psalmist turns to trust. Despite their struggle, they will praise God. They understand that God prefers obedience and thanksgiving over offerings that don’t reflect one’s heart.

He is the God of the humble and the needy. All of heaven and earth will praise him. Then, as is common in these psalms, the psalmist turns from their own situation to the situation of Jerusalem, Zion.

Not only will God rescue and restore the psalmist, he will also rescue and restore Jerusalem, the embodiment of God’s people. God will cause his people to flourish.