2 Chronicles Chapter 18
Although the Kings of Israel and Judah were often at war after The Division Of Israel, the Israelite Dynasties
were also sometimes temporarily allied together against common enemies.
The difficulty with that was that it was one or the other's corruption
that resulted in The Lord enabling Israel and/or Judah's enemies to
become strong. If one of them was faithful, he was putting himself in
danger because of The Lord's wrath that was coming upon the other. That
was what happened when righteous King Jehoshaphat of The Southern Kingdom of "Judah" allied himself with corrupt King Ahab of The Northern Kingdom of "Israel."
"Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he made a marriage
alliance with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria.
And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the
people who were with him, and induced him to go up against
Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah,
"Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?"
He answered him, "I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war." (2 Chronicles 18:1-3 RSV)
Jehoshaphat had the wisdom to seek The Lord's counsel. When Ahab had
four hundred of his sycophant "prophets" give their approval,
Jehoshaphat asked for just one true prophet of God.
"And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word
of The Lord." Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together,
four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to battle against
Ramoth-gilead, or shall I forbear?"
And they said, "Go up; for God will give it into the hand of the king."
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of The Lord of whom we may inquire?"
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by
whom we may inquire of The Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate
him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil."
And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." Then the king of Israel
summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah."
(2 Chronicles 18:4-8 RSV)
Most of Ahab's prophets were merely "yes men" who parroted to the king
of Israel what he wanted to hear, based on what Ahab himself had
declared. There were hundreds of them, but they were useless as
prophets. Micaiah, on the other hand, spoke only the true Word of God,
which is the reason that corrupt King Ahab hated him.
"But Micaiah said, "As The Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak." (2 Chronicles 18:13 RSV)
Ahab of Israel whined to Jehoshaphat of Judah that Micaiah "would not
prophesy good concerning me, but evil" - when all that Micaiah was doing
was revealing the evil that Ahab himself was doing.
"And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he
would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" (2 Chronicles 18:17
RSV)
Ahab's false prophets were liars, so they were open to lying spirits,
something that The Lord does not allow with those who truly speak His
Word. Ahab's death sentence had already been declared by The Lord (see The Fall of Ahab and Jezebel); The Lord merely allowed Ahab's own lying prophets to set up the final act.
"And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of The Lord: I saw The Lord
sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right
hand and on His left; and The Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab the king
of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?'
And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came
forward and stood before The Lord, saying, 'I will entice him.'
And The Lord said to him, 'By what means?'
And he said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'
And He said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and
do so.' Now therefore behold, The Lord has put a lying spirit in the
mouth of these your prophets; The Lord has spoken evil concerning you."
(2 Chronicles 18:18-22 RSV)
Ahab's lying prophets were heeded, while true and faithful Micaiah was
thrown into prison by Ahab as a pressure tactic to get Micaiah's
approval of Ahab's doomed mission. Micaiah didn't flinch.
"And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon
the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son; and say, 'Thus
says the king, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with scant fare
of bread and water, until I return in peace.'"
And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, The Lord has not spoken by
me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!" (2 Chronicles 18:25-27 RSV)
The two kings entered battle with their troops; Ahab of Israel was
disguised as an ordinary soldier, in order to not make himself the prime
target of every enemy sharpshooter within range. It didn't matter; a
"lucky shot" not only hit Ahab, it hit him between the sections of his
body armor. Ahab died exactly as prophesied.
"So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to
Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will
disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And the
king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into battle.
Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, "Fight
with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." And
when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the
king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat
cried out, and The Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, for
when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of
Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
But a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of
Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate; therefore he said to
the driver of his chariot, "Turn about, and carry me out of the battle,
for I am wounded." And the battle grew hot that day, and the king of
Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until
evening; then at sunset he died." (2 Chronicles 18:28-34 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 19
Jehoshaphat of Judah made it safely back to Jerusalem where Hanani, a
true prophet of The Lord, rebuked the king for involving himself with
the corrupt regime in the north (see also Regime Change).
"Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in
Jerusalem. But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and
said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those
who hate The Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from
The Lord. Nevertheless some good is found in you, for you destroyed the
Asherahs [see Asherah] out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God." (2 Chronicles 19:1-3 RSV)
Jehoshaphat then wisely proceeded to make The Law of The Lord (see the
Fact Finder question below) the law of the land of Israel.
"Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people,
from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back
to The Lord, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges in the land
in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the
judges, "Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for The
Lord; he is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of The
Lord be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no perversion of
justice with The Lord our God, or partiality, or taking bribes." (2
Chronicles 19:4-7 RSV)
Jehoshaphat also made Jerusalem the religious capital of the nation (see also Who, What or Where Is Zion?).
"Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests
and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for The Lord and to
decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. And he charged
them: "Thus you shall do in the fear of The Lord, in faithfulness, and
with your whole heart: whenever a case comes to you from your brethren
who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment,
statutes or ordinances, then you shall instruct them, that they may not
incur guilt before The Lord and wrath may not come upon you and your
brethren. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt." (2
Chronicles 19:8-10 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 20
Faithful and obedient Jehoshaphat was then given a lesson in how The Lord will defend His obedient people.
"After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the
Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told
Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from
beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar," that is,
En-gedi. Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek The Lord, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help
from The Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek The
Lord." (2 Chronicles 20:1-4 RSV)
The Lord's message to Jehoshaphat was to simply sit and watch; The Lord would go to battle for His people (see also Christ the Conqueror For Peace).
"And the Spirit of The Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son
of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of
Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Hearken, all Judah
and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says The Lord
to you, 'Fear not, and be not dismayed at this great multitude; for the
battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them; behold,
they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of
the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to
fight in this battle; take your position, stand still, and see the
victory of The Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Fear not,
and be not dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and The Lord will be
with you." (2 Chronicles 20:14-17 RSV)
The Lord then delivered a total defeat upon the invaders. Judah reaped a great spoil from them.
"And when they began to sing and praise, The Lord set an Ambush
against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against
Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose
against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, destroying them utterly, and when
they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to
destroy one another.
When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward
the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies lying on the ground;
none had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil
from them, they found cattle in great numbers, goods, clothing, and
precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry
no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. On
the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for there they
blessed The Lord; therefore the name of that place has been called the
Valley of Bera'cah to this day." (2 Chronicles 20:22-26 RSV)
The defeat also served as a warning to other nations (see also "Strong Is He Who Has Come Down"), thereby providing peace to Judah - for as long as they remained true to The Lord.
"And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they
heard that The Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the
realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about."
(2 Chronicles 20:27-30 RSV)
Jehoshaphat reigned for twenty-five years, "he did what was right in the sight of The Lord."
"Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when
he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His
mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of
Asa his father and did not turn aside from it; he did what was right in
the sight of The Lord." (2 Chronicles 20:31-32 RSV)
Like all humans however, Jehoshaphat of Judah was not perfect. He allowed some of the High Places to remain, and later allied himself with another wicked king of Israel in a doomed venture to build a merchant navy.
The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet
set their hearts upon the God of their fathers." (2 Chronicles 20:33
RSV)
"After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of
Israel, who did wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to
Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son
of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because
you have joined with Ahaziah, The Lord will destroy what you have
made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish." (2 Chronicles 20:35-37 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 13
Although they were at first together in The United Kingdom of Israel, after The Division Of Israel, The Northern Kingdom of "Israel" was often at war against The Southern Kingdom of "Judah." Such was the case between Abijah of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel (see Kings of Israel and Judah).
"In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over
Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was
Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between
Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah went out to battle having an army of valiant
men of war, four hundred thousand picked men; and Jeroboam drew up his
line of battle against him with eight hundred thousand picked mighty
warriors." (2 Chronicles 13:1-3 RSV)
At that time, Judah was relatively faithful to The Lord, while Israel
had made themselves religiously corrupt almost from the time that Israel
was first split into two kingdoms. Abijah reminded Jeroboam of their
common history.
"Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim which is in the hill country of
Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! Ought you not to
know that The Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever
to David and his sons [see and Israelite Dynasties and Israelite Monarchy - The Messiah] by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord; and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them." (2 Chronicles 13:4-7 RSV)
The northern kingdom of "Israel" had driven out the Levites of The Lord and descended into Calf Worship (the northern kingdom was destroyed by the end of The Galilee Captivity primarily because of their idolatry).
"And now you think to withstand the kingdom of The Lord in the hand of
the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you
the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have you not driven
out the priests of The Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and
made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever
comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a
priest of what are no gods." (2 Chronicles 13:8-9 RSV)
Although "Judah" also became corrupt, at least at that point Abijah
declared that the southern kingdom would obey The Lord and serve Him
faithfully (see "The God Of The Old Testament" to understand who "The Lord God" was; see also Why Did Christ Put Moses To Death?).
"But as for us, The Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him. We
have priests ministering to The Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites
for their service. They offer to The Lord every morning and every
evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the
showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand
that its lamps may burn every evening; for we keep the charge of The
Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him." (2 Chronicles 13:10-11 RSV)
Jeroboam responded by having his army of Israel attack Abijah's army of
Judah (literally, Israel was at war with Jews - "Jew" is an abbreviation
of "Judah"). The Lord took the side of those who were obedlient to Him,
at that time - "God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and
Judah." Israel lost 500,000 troops in the battle.
"Jeroboam had sent an Ambush
around to come on them from behind; thus his troops were in front of
Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked, behold,
the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to The Lord, and
the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised the battle
shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all
Israel before Abijah and Judah. The men of Israel fled before Judah, and
God gave them into their hand. Abijah and his people slew them with a
great slaughter; so there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand
picked men. Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the
men of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon The Lord, the God of
their fathers." (2 Chronicles 13:13-18 RSV)
The intensity of the defeat guaranteed that Judah would be secure
against Israel for some years to come. Jeroboam himself "did not recover
his power in the days of Abijah; and The Lord smote him."
"And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its
villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.
Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah; and The Lord
smote him, and he died. But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen
wives, and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters." (2 Chronicles
13:19-21 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 14
Abijah fulfilled his reign; he died and was succeeded as king of Judah by his son Asa.
"So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in The City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land had rest for ten years." (2 Chronicles 14:1 RSV)
Asa was one of the most faithful of the Israelite kings, north or south.
"Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of The Lord his God." The
result? There was "no war in those years, for The Lord gave him peace."
"And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of The Lord his God. He took away the foreign altars and the High Places, and broke down the pillars and hewed down the Asherim [see Groves],
and commanded Judah to seek The Lord, the God of their fathers, and to
keep the law and the commandment. He also took out of all the cities of
Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest
under him. He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He
had no war in those years, for The Lord gave him peace." (2 Chronicles
14:2-6 RSV)
Although "Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah" (2
Chronicles 14:8 RSV), there is no security without The Lord's favor,
which comes from obedience to The Lord - a disobedient nation with an army of a billion troops would be surely defeated by a small obedient nation. The Lord is the only superpower on earth, as a million-man Ethiopian army learned when they attacked obedient Asa:
"Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots." (2 Chronicles 14:9 RSV)
"And Asa cried to The Lord his God, "O Lord, there is none like Thee to
help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we
rely on Thee, and in Thy Name we have come against this multitude. O
Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee." So The Lord
defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians
fled. Asa and the people that were with him pursued them as far as
Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive; for they were
broken before The Lord and His army. The men of Judah carried away very
much booty." (2 Chronicles 14:11-13 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 15
Asa knew well, and was reminded of it by The Lord's Prophets, that "the good shepherd" (see the Fact Finder question below) will protect the sheep of His flock.
"The Spirit of God [see also Spirit of God or Ghost of God?]
came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa, and
said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with
you, while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you,
but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." (2 Chronicles 15:1-2 RSV)
Asa then removed "the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and
Benjamin" which were most likely allowed there up to then as a political
compromise for more "votes" (see Royal Democracy) by a young king who hadn't yet accepted the reality that there can be no compromise with obedience to The Lord.
"When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he
took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the land of
Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the hill
country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of The Lord that was in
front of the vestibule of the house of The Lord." (2 Chronicles 15:8
RSV)
Asa eventually cleansed Judah (but not Israel, which was still
apparently subject to Judah from the defeat of Israel that The Lord gave
to Judah in the time of Abijah) of idolatry, even from within his own
family.
"They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth
year of the reign of Asa. They sacrificed to The Lord on that day, from
the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand
sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek The Lord, the God of
their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; and that
whoever would not seek The Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to
death, whether young or old, man or woman. They took oath to The Lord
with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with horns.
And all Judah rejoiced over the oath; for they had sworn with all their
heart, and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by
them, and The Lord gave them rest round about.
Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother
because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her
image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless the
heart of Asa was blameless all his days. And he brought into the house
of God the votive gifts of his father and his own votive gifts, silver,
and gold, and vessels.
And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa." (2 Chronicles 15:10-19 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 16
Amazingly, in later years when Israel restored its military forces and
threatened Judah, Asa foolishly departed from his certain security from
The Lord and sought to bribe Syria away from their alliance with Israel.
"In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel
went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to
go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took silver and gold
from the treasures of the house of The Lord and the king's house, and
sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus,
saying, "Let there be a league between me and you, as between my father
and your father; behold, I am sending to you silver and gold; go, break
your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me."
And Ben-hadad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his
armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan,
Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naptali. And when Baasha heard of
it, he stopped building Ramah, and let his work cease. Then King Asa
took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its
timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba
and Mizpah." (2 Chronicles 16:1-6 RSV)
Hanani, a prophet ("seer") of The Lord rebuked Asa for looking to mere
men for his kingdom's defenses - "the eyes of The Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show his might in behalf of those whose
heart is blameless toward him." The result was that Asa's kingdom would
forever after be vulnerable to attack.
"At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to
him, "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on The
Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not
the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with exceedingly many
chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on The Lord, he gave them
into your hand. For the eyes of The Lord run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to show His might in behalf of those whose heart is
blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on
you will have wars." (2 Chronicles 16:7-9 RSV)
Asa reigned for nearly forty years. When Asa became seriously ill,
apparently with a severe infection of his feet, he sought only man's
help, just as he had done with his military. Asa died.
"The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the
Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was
diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet even in his
disease he did not seek The Lord, but sought help from physicians. And
Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.
They buried him in the tomb which he had hewn out for himself in the
city of David. They laid him on a bier which had been filled with
various kinds of Spices prepared by the perfumers art; and they made a very great fire in his honor." (2 Chronicles 16:11-14 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 17
Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa as king of Judah. The tensions
between Israel and Judah continued, but because Jehoshaphat was faithful
to The Lord, The Lord secured his kingdom against any threat.
"Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself
against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah,
and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim
which Asa his father had taken.
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father; he did not seek the Baals [see Baal and Baal-zebub and Beelzebub],
but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and
not according to the ways of Israel. Therefore The Lord established the
kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat; and
he had great riches and honor. His heart was courageous in the ways of
The Lord; and furthermore he took the high places and the Asherim [see Asherah] out of Judah." (2 Chronicles 17:1-6 RSV)
There was no "separation of church and state" in Jehoshaphat's kingdom
because he recognized that The Lord had established Judah for His
purpose. The law of Judah was the Law of The Lord.
"In the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-hail, Obadiah,
Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and
with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel,
Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with
these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. And they taught in
Judah, having the book of the law of The Lord with them; they went about
through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people." (2
Chronicles 17:7-9 RSV)
As happened every time when the people were obedient to The Lord, The
Lord impressed upon all other nations that it was not wise to make one's
self an enemy of those who obey Him, regardless of where they are (see Physical and Spiritual Israel).
"And the fear of The Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that
were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. Some
of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute;
and the Arabs also brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams and
seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. And Jehoshaphat grew steadily
greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store-cities, and he had great
stores in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in
Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 17:10-13 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 10
The splitting of Israel into The Southern Kingdom of "Judah" and
The Northern Kingdom of "Israel" (the northern kingdom later became "the lost ten tribes of Israel" after The Galilee Captivity) was sure to happen (see the Fact Finder question below). It was accomplished by means of the arrogance of Solomon's son Rehoboam.
"Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
And when Jeroboam [see notes for 1 Kings 11-13
for more detail about Jeroboam] the son of Nebat heard of it, for he
was in Egypt, whither he had fled from King Solomon, then Jeroboam
returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all
Israel came and said to Rehoboam, "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now
therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke
upon us, and we will serve you."
He said to them, "Come to me again in three days." So the people went away." (2 Chronicles 10:1-5 RSV)
Rehoboam was faced with an ultimatum by the people of Israel, but not
only did he refuse to lessen the heavy burden upon the people, he
ignored "the counsel of the old men" (see The Senate)
and proclaimed that he would make the people's hardship even worse, as
"advised" by the cocky young fools of Rehoboam's peer group. It was the
means that The Lord used to bring about what He declared would happen
(see the Fact Finder question below).
"So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the
king said, "Come to me again the third day." And the king answered them
harshly, and forsaking the counsel of the old men, King Rehoboam spoke
to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father
made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with
whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." So the king did not
hearken to the people; for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God
that The Lord might fulfil His word, which he spoke by Ahijah the
Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat." (2 Chronicles 10:12-15 RSV)
The response to Rehoboam's arrogance was immediate - all of the tribes except Judah and Benjamin rejected the king (see Royal Democracy).
"And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house,
David." So all Israel departed to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over
the people of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah." (2 Chronicles
10:16-17 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 11
Rehoboam's response to the rebellion was to launch a military campaign
to force the larger part of Israel to return to his rule. The Lord
however commanded Rehoboam to do nothing because it was His will that
the kingdom be divided. Fortunately for Rehoboam, he obeyed.
"When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah, and
Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight
against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
But the word of The Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah [see Kings of Israel and Judah],
and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 'Thus says The Lord, You shall
not go up or fight against your brethren. Return every man to his home,
for this thing is from Me.'" So they hearkened to the word of The Lord,
and returned and did not go against Jeroboam." (2 Chronicles 11:1-4
RSV)
It did not take long before it became apparent that the new northern
kingdom had also rejected the proper religious structure for Israel, as
declared by The Lord. Unlike all of the other tribes of Israel, the Levites
had no tribal territory of their own; they lived throughout the other
tribes. When it became obvious that they were not welcome in "Israel,"
most of them moved south to "Judah" (hence the reason that there were,
and are, relatively few Levites in the "lost ten tribes," the
descendants of whom will be gathered, along with Judah, after Christ's
return - see The Gathering of Israel and Judah).
"And the priests [see The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar]
and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him from all places
where they lived. For the Levites left their common lands and their
holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons
cast them out from serving as priests of The Lord, and he appointed his
own priests for the High Places, and for the satyrs [see Satyr], and for the calves which he had made [see Calf Worship].
And those who had set their hearts to seek The Lord God of Israel came
after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to
The Lord, the God of their fathers. They strengthened the kingdom of
Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure,
for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon." (2
Chronicles 11:13-17 RSV)
The Messianic line of Jesus Christ continued uninterrupted in Judah (see Israelite Dynasties).
"Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of
David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; and she
bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. After her he took Maacah the
daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and
concubines, he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and had
twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters; and Rehoboam appointed Abijah the
son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to
make him king. And he dealt wisely, and distributed some of his sons
through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified
cities; and he gave them abundant provisions, and procured wives for
them." (2 Chronicles 11:18-23 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 12
The southern kingdom also became corrupt and unfaithful to The Lord, so He permitted an enemy army to threaten Judah.
"When the rule of Rehoboam was established and was strong, he forsook
the law of The Lord, and all Israel with him. In the fifth year of King
Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to The Lord, Shishak king of
Egypt came up against Jerusalem with twelve hundred chariots and sixty
thousand horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him
from Egypt - Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. And he took the fortified
cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 12:1-4
RSV)
When Rehoboam and the people of Judah repented, The Lord granted them
"some deliverance" - enough to save them for a while longer.
"When The Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of The Lord
came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy
them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be
poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they
shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service
of the kingdoms of the countries." (2 Chronicles 12:7-8 RSV)
The Lord nevertheless allowed Judah to experience the trouble that comes
when The Lord is forsaken. Shishak looted parts of Jerusalem (some
incorrectly believe that The Ark Of The Covenant was taken from Jerusalem to Egypt at that time - see Raiders Of The Lost Ark).
"So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the
treasures of the house of The Lord and the treasures of the king's
house; he took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold
which Solomon had made; and King Rehoboam made in their stead shields of
bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard,
who kept the door of the king's house. And as often as the king went
into the house of The Lord, the guard came and bore them, and brought
them back to the guardroom. And when he humbled himself the wrath of The
Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction;
moreover, conditions were good in Judah." (2 Chronicles 12:9-12 RSV)
Rehoboam "reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem" before he died and was succeeded by his son Abijah.
"So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam
was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which The Lord had chosen out of
all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. His mother's name was
Naamah the Ammonitess.And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to
seek The Lord.
Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in
the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were
continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam [see Jews At War With Israel]. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in The City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead." (2 Chronicles 12:13-16 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 7
After Solomon completed the dedication of the Temple (see Temples), The Lord (see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD) responded with "fire from heaven" as "the glory of The Lord filled the Temple."
"When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of The
Lord filled the temple. And the priests [see Levites; also The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar] could not enter the house of The Lord [see also "My Father's House"],
because the glory of The Lord filled The Lord's house. When all the
children of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of The Lord upon
the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth on the
pavement, and worshiped and gave thanks to The Lord, saying, "For He is
good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." (2 Chronicles 7:1-3 RSV)
The Temple was completed and dedicated in the seventh month, in early autumn (see Bible Calendar and
Bible Months) at the time the Feast of Tabernacles.
"At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days [see Christ's Feast of Tabernacles], and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
And on the eighth day [see Christ's Eighth Day]
they held a solemn assembly; for they had kept the dedication of the
altar seven days and the feast seven days. On the twenty-third day of
the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and
glad of heart for the goodness that The Lord had shown to David and to
Solomon and to Israel his people." (2 Chronicles 7:8-10 RSV)
The Lord then provided Solomon with encouragement - and a warning.
"And as for you, if you walk before Me, as David [see King David]
your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you
and keeping My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish your
royal throne [see also Royal Democracy], as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man to rule Israel.'
"But if you turn aside and forsake My statutes and My Commandments [see The Decalogue]
which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship
them, then I will pluck you up from the land which I have given you [see
Why Babylon?]; and this house, which I have consecrated for My Name, I will cast out of My sight [see Temple Mount Treasures and Raiders Of The Lost Ark],
and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this
house, which is exalted, every one passing by will be astonished, and
say, 'Why has The Lord done thus to this land and to this house?" Then
they will say, 'Because they forsook The Lord the God of their fathers
who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods,
and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this
evil upon them'" (2 Chronicles 7:17-22 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 8
The United Kingdom
of Israel was peaceful and prosperous because of the military victories
that The Lord had given to King David i.e. Solomon inherited David's
rule over other nations as well.
"All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
who were not of Israel, from their descendants who were left after them
in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed - these
Solomon made a forced levy and so they are to this day.
But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they
were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his
horsemen. And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, two
hundred and fifty, who exercised authority over the people." (2
Chronicles 8:7-10 RSV)
Solomon married many foreign women, including a daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh.
"Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from The City of David
to the house which he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall
not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which
the ark of The Lord has come are holy." (2 Chronicles 8:11 RSV)
At that time, Solomon was still wise - he was still faithful and
obedient to The Lord. Solomon observed all of Christ's Holy Days.
"Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to The Lord upon the altar of
The Lord which he had built before the vestibule, as the duty of each
day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the
Sabbaths [see How To Be A True Christian - Lesson 4], the new moons, and the three annual feasts - the feast of unleavened bread [see Christ's Feast of Unleavened Bread], the feast of weeks [see Christ's Pentecost], and the feast of tabernacles [see Christ's Feast of Tabernacles]. According to the ordinance of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites
for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty
of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions for the
several gates; for so David the man of God had commanded. And they did
not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites
concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries." (2 Chronicles
8:12-15 RSV)
Solomon's Navy consisted of trading ships sent to far places in the known world.
"Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in
the land of Edom. And Huram sent him by his servants ships and servants
familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants
of Solomon, and fetched from there four hundred and fifty talents of
gold [see The Gold of Ophir] and brought it to King Solomon." (2 Chronicles 8:17-18 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 9
The visit of the queen of Sheba (see The Queen Of The South) to Solomon is one of the most famous events of Bible History.
"Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to
Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue
and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. When
she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon
answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from Solomon which
he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the
wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table,
the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and
their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt
offerings which he offered at the house of The Lord, there was no more
spirit in her." (2 Chronicles 9:1-4 RSV)
Solomon's wealth was displayed to an extravagant extreme, as evidenced
by his throne of gold and ivory. Gold was so plentiful that "silver was
not considered as anything in the days of Solomon."
"The king also made a great ivory throne, and overlaid it with pure
gold. The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were
attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and
two lions standing beside the arm rests, while twelve lions stood there,
one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never
made in any kingdom. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold,
and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure
gold; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon." (2
Chronicles 9:17-20 RSV)
Solomon reigned for forty years, the same as his father David. After he
died and was buried in Jerusalem, Solomon was succeeded by his son Rehoboam (see the Fact Finder question below).
"Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan The Prophet,
and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo
the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? Solomon reigned in
Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. And Solomon slept with his
fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam
his son reigned in his stead." (2 Chronicles 9:29-31 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 4
The design for the interior and external areas of the Temple (see Layout Of Solomon's Temple for the key to the illustration below; also Temples) was given to Solomon by The Lord (to understand just Who "The Lord God" was and is, see "The God Of The Old Testament" and Why Did Christ Put Moses To Death?). Everything was specific in place and symbolic purpose.
The Sea (see also The Sea) provided water for the ceremonial washings (see The Origin of Baptism).
"He made an altar of bronze [see Brass, Bronze, Copper], twenty Cubits
long, and twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. Then he made the
molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits
high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Under it
were figures of gourds, for thirty cubits, compassing the sea round
about; the gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast.
It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east [see also Why Did They Face East?]; the sea was set upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth [see Biblical Weights and Measures]; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held over three thousand baths.
He also made ten lavers in which to wash, and set five on the south
side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what
was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash
in." (2 Chronicles 4:1-6 RSV)
All of the furnishings of The Temple were symbolic of Christianity (e.g. see Christ's Mercy Seat)
"And he made ten golden lampstands [see The Menorah] as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.
He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the
south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold
[see Bread of the Presence].
He made the Court
of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and
overlaid their doors with bronze; and he set the sea at the southeast
corner of the house." (2 Chronicles 4:7-10 RSV)
Most of the mold casting was done using the clay along The Jordan River.
"The pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these
Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of The
Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD]. In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the Clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah." (2 Chronicles 4:16-17 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 5
When the building of The Temple was completed, Solomon brought in the many things that his father King David had provided as well (including the peace that David had won for Solomon and Israel; see also Christ the Conqueror For Peace).
"Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of The Lord was
finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had
dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the
treasuries of the house of God." (2 Chronicles 5:1 RSV)
The Temple was completed at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (see Christ's Feast of Tabernacles), in the seventh month of God's Calendar (see Bible Calendar and
Bible Months).
"Then Solomon assembled the elders [see The Senate] of Israel and all the heads of the tribes [see also Family, Clan, Tribe, Nation], the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up The Ark Of The Covenant of The Lord out of The City of David,
which is Zion [see the Fact Finder question below]. And all the men of
Israel assembled before the king at the feast which is in the seventh
month." (2 Chronicles 5:2-3 RSV)
The specific Levites who were authorized to handle The Ark then brought it to the Temple (see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark and How Does The Ark Get To Heaven?).
"So the priests brought the ark of the covenant of The Lord to its
place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place,
underneath the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread out their
wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering
above the ark and its poles. And the poles were so long that the ends of
the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but
they could not be seen from outside; and they are there to this day.
There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moses put there
at Horeb [see What Did The Ten Commandments Look Like?], where The Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt." (2 Chronicles 5:7-10 RSV)
Amidst the joyous celebration of the arrival of The Ark, "the house of The Lord, was filled with a cloud" (see The Clouds of Heaven and He That Sat On The Cloud).
"Now when the priests came out of the holy place, for all the priests
who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to their
divisions; and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun,
their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps [see
also The Harp String Verses], and lyres [see Lyre],
stood east of the altar with a hundred and twenty priests who were
trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make
themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to The Lord, and
when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical
instruments, in praise to The Lord, "For he is good, for his steadfast
love endures for ever," the house, the house of The Lord, was filled
with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of
the cloud; for the glory of The Lord filled the house of God." (2
Chronicles 5:11-14 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 6
Solomon then proclaimed a prayer of dedication for the Temple, "O Lord,
God of Israel, there is no God like Thee, in heaven or on earth."
"Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide,
and three cubits high, and had set it in the court; and he stood upon
it. Then he knelt upon his knees in the presence of all the assembly of
Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and said, "O Lord, God
of Israel [again, see "The God Of The Old Testament"
to understand Who Solomon was praying to], there is no God like Thee,
in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to
Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their heart; who hast kept
with Thy servant David my father what thou didst declare to him; yea,
thou didst speak with Thy mouth, and with thy hand hast fulfilled it
this day." (2 Chronicles 6:13-15 RSV)
Solomon's "will God dwell indeed with man on the earth" was not merely a
rhetorical statement of God's presence throughout His entire Creation -
God is going to dwell on earth after Christ has prepared the way (see Preparing The Way For God's Arrival and What Is Jesus Christ Doing Right Now?).
"But will God dwell indeed with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the
highest heaven cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I
have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of thy servant and to his
supplication, O Lord my God, hearkening to the cry and to the prayer
which thy servant prays before Thee; that Thy eyes may be open day and
night toward this house, the place where Thou hast promised to set Thy
Name, that Thou mayest hearken to the prayer which Thy servant offers
toward this place." (2 Chronicles 6:18-20 RSV)
Solomon then also inadvertently prophesied the fall of Judah and the
destruction of the Temple that he was just then dedicating upon its
completion (see Why Babylon?) and the return and restoration in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
"If they sin against thee - for there is no man who does not sin - and
thou art angry with them, and dost give them to an enemy, so that they
are carried away captive to a land far or near; yet if they lay it to
heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent,
and make supplication to thee in the land of their captivity, saying,
'We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly'; if they repent
with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their
captivity, to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their
land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast
chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou
from heaven thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and
maintain their cause and forgive thy people who have sinned against
thee." (2 Chronicles 6:36-39 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 1
The Tabernacle In The Wilderness had a long journey in time (about 400 years) and place (through the Wilderness Journey). The Tabernacle continued to be used long after the Israelites entered their promised land, through the entire era of The Judges - and was still in use after King David had The Ark Of The Covenant brought to Jerusalem. Solomon worshiped in Gibeon, even though the Ark was in Jerusalem.
"Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom [see Israelite Monarchy - The United Kingdom], and The Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.
Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of
hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads
of fathers' houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to
the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tent of meeting of God,
which Moses the servant of The Lord had made in the wilderness, was
there. But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to
the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for
it in Jerusalem. Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri,
son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of The Lord. And
Solomon and the assembly sought The Lord. And Solomon went up there to
the bronze altar before The Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and
offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it." (2 Chronicles 1:1-6 RSV)
It was there, at the Tabernacle, that The Lord (see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD) appeared to Solomon and promised him a great kingdom.
"In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."
And Solomon said to God, "Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to
David my father, and hast made me king in his stead. O Lord God, let thy
promise to David my father be now fulfilled, for thou hast made me king
over a people as many as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and
knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule
this thy people, that is so great?"
God answered Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, and you have not
asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and
have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for
yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king,
wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches,
possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before
you, and none after you shall have the like." [see Solomon's Kingdom]
So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of
meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel." (2 Chronicles 1:7-13
RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 2
Solomon then returned to Jerusalem and began the building of the Temple
and the royal palace - both of which would survive until the Babylonian
captivity of Judah (see Why Babylon? and Israelite Monarchy - The Southern Kingdom).
"Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of The Lord, and a
royal palace for himself. And Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to
bear burdens and eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country, and
three thousand six hundred to oversee them." (2 Chronicles 2:1-2 RSV)
Much of the fine cedar and skilled workmen would be supplied by King Hiram Of Tyre (also rendered "Huram").
"And Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre: "As you dealt with
David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in,
so deal with me. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of
The Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of
sweet spices before him, and for the continual offering of the
showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths
and the new moons and the appointed feasts of The Lord our God, as
ordained for ever for Israel." (2 Chronicles 2:3-4 RSV)
Hiram was a faithful ally to both David and Solomon. Israel and Lebanon also traded extensively.
"Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in a letter which he sent to
Solomon, "Because The Lord loves his people he has made you king over
them."
Huram also said, "Blessed be The Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and
earth, who has given King David a wise son, endued with discretion and
understanding, who will build a temple for The Lord, and a royal palace
for himself.
Now I have sent a skilled man, endued with understanding, Huramabi, the
son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of
Tyre. He is trained to work in Gold, Silver, bronze [see Brass, Bronze, Copper], iron, stone, and wood, and in Purple, blue, and crimson [see also Scarlet] fabrics and fine Linen,
and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be
assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your
father.
Now therefore the wheat and barley [see Corn],
oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his
servants; and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon, and
bring it to you in rafts by sea [i.e. The Mediterranean Sea] to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 2:11-16 RSV)
2 Chronicles Chapter 3
The Temple would be built on Mount Moriah, a place familiar to Abraham and Isaac centuries before (see Isaac's Faith And Obedience).
"Then Solomon began to build the house of The Lord in Jerusalem on Mount
Moriah, where The Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place
that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 3:1-2 RSV)
The Temple dimensions (see Cubits and Biblical Weights and Measures):
"These are Solomon's measurements for building the house of God: the
length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth
twenty cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was
twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house; and its height was a
hundred and twenty cubits." (2 Chronicles 3:3-4 RSV)
The Layout Of Solomon's Temple was patterned after the Tabernacle that it replaced.
"The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long,
equal to the width of the house; and its height was a hundred and
twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. The nave he
lined with cypress, and covered it with fine gold, and made palms and
chains on it. He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The
gold was gold of Parvaim. So he lined the house with gold - its beams,
its thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the
walls." (2 Chronicles 3:3-4 RSV)
Carved Cherubim were created for The Most Holy Place (see the Fact Finder question below).
"In the most holy place he made two cherubim of wood and overlaid them
with gold. The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits:
one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and
its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub;
and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the
house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing
of the first cherub. The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits;
the cherubim stood on their feet, facing the nave." (2 Chronicles
3:10-13 RSV)
Jachin and Boaz were the two pillars at the front of the Temple (see also Why Did They Face East?).
"In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with
a capital of five cubits on the top of each. He made chains like a
necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred
pomegranates, and put them on the chains. He set up the pillars in front
of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the
south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz." (2 Chronicles
3:15-17 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 27
Along with the entire nation of military-age men who would be mobilized immediately upon need, King David maintained a standing army of 12 divisions of 24,000 men.
"This is the list of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers' houses,
the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served
the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went,
month after month throughout the year, each division numbering
twenty-four thousand" (1 Chronicles 27:1 RSV)
Israel's army was to be a force for national defense, not a tool for any man's lustful aggression toward other nations (see Landmark).
David only once began to misuse Israel's (not David's) army for such a
Satanic purpose, but The Lord prevented it (see notes for 1 Chronicles
21 at 1 Chronicles 19-23).
"David did not number those below twenty years of age, for The Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.
Joab the son of
Zeruiah began to number, but did not finish; yet wrath came upon Israel
for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King
David." (1 Chronicles 27:23-24 RSV)
The United Kingdom
of Israel was a peaceful, prosperous, orderly society in which freedom
was tempered with obligation; without personal responsibility, "freedom"
becomes nothing more than a "law of the jungle" anarchy in which no one
is truly free.
"Over the king's treasuries was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the
treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the
towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; and over those who did the work
of the field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Chelub; and over
the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; and over the produce of the
vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite.
Over the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephelah was Baal-hanan the
Gederite; and over the stores of oil was Joash. Over the herds that
pastured in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; over the herds in the
valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. Over the camels was Obil the
Ishmaelite; and over the she-asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. Over
the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. All these were stewards of King
David's property.
Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding
and a scribe; he and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni attended the king's
sons. Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was
the king's friend. Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada the son of
Benaiah, and Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king's army." (1
Chronicles 27:25-34 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 28
The Lord told David that a Temple would be built, but it would be
David's son Solomon who would complete the construction. Why? "God said
to me, 'You may not build a house for My Name, for you are a warrior and
have shed blood ... He said to me, 'It is Solomon your son who shall
build My House and My courts [see Court], for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father." (1 Chronicles 28:3,6 RSV).
David was nevertheless given the important task of making the necessary
preparations for Solomon. Was David acting on his own? Was it David's
design? No. The Lord told David exactly what to do i.e. "All this he
made clear by the writing from the hand of The Lord concerning it, all
the work to be done according to the plan." (1 Chronicles 28:19 RSV).
"Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the
temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its
inner chambers [see Layout Of Solomon's Temple], and of the room for the mercy seat [see Christ's Mercy Seat];
and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of
The Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of
God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; for the divisions of the
priests and of the Levites,
and all the work of the service in the house of The Lord; for all the
vessels for the service in the house of The Lord, the weight of gold for
all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for
each service, the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the
weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver
for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in
the service, the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the
silver for the silver tables, and pure gold for the forks, the basins,
and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the
silver bowls and the weight of each; for the altar of incense made of
refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of
the cherubim that spread their wings and covered The Ark Of The Covenant of The Lord." (1 Chronicles 28:11-18 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 29
David and Solomon were shining examples of Royal Democracy; both had the support and consent of the majority of the people, just as Jesus Christ will have by His people (i.e. The Elect who "vote" to repent and obey Him; see When Will You Be Judged?) when "Israel" is fulfilled by the Kingdom of God on earth (see Israelite Monarchy - The Messiah).
"Then the heads of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did
also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of
hundreds, and the officers over the king's work. They gave for the
service of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand
darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand
talents of bronze, and a hundred thousand talents of iron. And whoever
had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of The Lord,
in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because
these had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered
freely to The Lord; David the king also rejoiced greatly." (1 Chronicles
29:6-9 RSV)
David then gave thanks in prayer, humbly acknowledging "Thine, O Lord,
is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the
majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine;
thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all."
"Therefore David blessed The Lord in the presence of all the assembly;
and David said: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of Israel our father,
for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the
heavens and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and
Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from
Thee, and Thou rulest over all. In Thy hand are power and might; and in
Thy hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we
thank Thee, our God, and praise Thy glorious Name." (1 Chronicles
29:10-13 RSV)
Solomon was then proclaimed king (see Solomon's Kingdom).
"Then Solomon sat on the throne of The Lord as king instead of David his
father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him." (1 Chronicles
29:23 RSV)
David then died, after a long life of service to The Lord.
"Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron [see David's Capital During The Civil War],
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. Then he died in a good old age,
full of days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his
stead.
Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the
Chronicles of Samuel the seer [see notes for 1 and 2 Samuel beginning at
Ruth 4, 1 Samuel 1-2 and 1 Samuel 29-31, 2 Samuel 1-2], and in the Chronicles of Nathan The Prophet,
and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer, with accounts of all his rule
and his might and of the circumstances that came upon him and upon
Israel, and upon all the kingdoms of the countries." (1 Chronicles
29:26-30 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 24
The Temple servants (see Minister) were highly organized to provide a living prophecy of the process of salvation (e.g. see God's Holy Days).
The irony of what later happened is that many in the priesthood did not
recognize the Messiah when He came; even the High Priest, who was
personally symbolic of the Christ (see What Is Jesus Christ Doing Right Now?), was not able to see that he was rejecting the one who his office was created to represent.
"The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests [see The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar]. With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David
organized them according to the appointed duties in their service.
Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the
sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers'
houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. They
organized them by lot, all alike, for there were officers of the
sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the
sons of Ithamar.
And the scribe [see Lawyers]
Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence
of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the
son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and
of the Levites; one father's house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar." (1 Chronicles 24:1-6 RSV)
The Temple Levites were organized into twenty four divisions; their time
of service was fulfilled on a revolving cycle. This schedule was
restored and continued at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ - the
father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, was of the eighth division of
Abijah (see list below and the Fact Finder question): "In the days of
Herod, king of Judea [see The Herods], there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth." (Luke 1:5 RSV)
"The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to
Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to
Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to
Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to
Jakim, the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, the
fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, the seventeenth to Hezir,
the eighteenth to Happizzez, the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth
to Jehezkel, the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the
twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah." (1 Chronicles
24:7-18 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 25
King David's military experience enabled him to efficiently organize the
Temple service. David's love of and experience with music also enabled
him to properly organize the Temple musicians.
"David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service
certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should
prophesy with Lyres, with harps [see also The Harp String Verses], and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of
Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction
of the king.
Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,
Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father
Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to The
Lord.
Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and
Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer,
Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth." (1 Chronicles 25:1-4 RSV)
The Temple was a very musical place; 288 of the Levites were musicians.
"They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD]
with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God.
Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. The number
of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to The
Lord, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. And they
cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike."
(1 Chronicles 25:6-8 RSV)
1 Chronicles Chapter 26
Administration and security of the Temple was also intricately prescribed for the different levels of Levites.
"These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men,
had duties, just as their brethren did, ministering in the house of The
Lord; and they cast lots by fathers' houses, small and great alike, for
their gates.
The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for his son
Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north.
Obed-edom's came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the
storehouse. For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate
of Shallecheth on the road that goes up.
Watch corresponded to watch [see also Hours Of The Day]. On the east [see also Why Did They Face East?]
there were six each day, on the north four each day, on the south four
each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse; and for the parbar
on the west there were four at the road and two at the parbar.
These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and the sons of Merari." (1 Chronicles 26:12-19 RSV)
The administration of the Temple also involved safe storage for certain
historical articles of great value or significance. Along with being the
headquarters for the nation's religion, it also served as an eminent
central bank and national library.
"And of the Levites, Ahijah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts.
The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the
heads of the fathers' houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.
The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, were in charge of the
treasuries of the house of The Lord.
Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites -
and Shebuel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in
charge of the treasuries. His brethren: from Eliezer were his son
Rehabiah, and his son Jeshaiah, and his son Joram, and his son Zichri,
and his son Shelomoth. This Shelomoth and his brethren were in charge of
all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts which David the king, and the
heads of the fathers' houses, and the officers of the thousands and the
hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. From spoil won
in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of The
Lord. Also all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and
Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated--all
dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelomoth and his brethren.
Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges.
Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven
hundred men of ability, had the oversight of Israel westward of the
Jordan for all the work of The Lord and for the service of the king. Of
the Hebronites, Jerijah was chief of the Hebronites of whatever
genealogy or fathers' houses. In the fortieth year of David's reign
search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer
in Gilead. King David appointed him and his brethren, two thousand seven
hundred men of ability, heads of fathers' houses, to have the oversight
of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites
for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king." (1
Chronicles 26:20-32 RSV)
