King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Friday, June 11, 2021
Chapters: II Chronicles 2-4
Message: A Place Before the Place
Hello My Friend,
The older you get and the wiser (well, most of us) you get as you walk with Christ the more you discover that this world and these people are not your own. We belong to Christ and because we belong to Him we are going to face a lot of trials and tribulations for our faith, even if they do not even know that we belong to Christ. It can be quite discouraging, especially when you work in a society where it is much easier to blame someone else for their short comings or mistakes than admit they are the cause. Whether they falsely accuse, persecute, or prosecute us, we cannot let our heart be troubled because this is not our home, [John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.]
Jesus is preparing a place for us right now that no one will ever say one bad thing about us again, a place where we will live for eternity. A place where even if we die before He returns we will be risen, just like Jesus, and dwell with Him forever. Until that time comes we need a place to come before we come to the place, [Matthew 10:16,19-20 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.]
We are not alone in this and that is why we need a place to come together and worship Him freely. In the first four years of his reign, Solomon’s heart was strong for God, he wrote most of the Proverbs during this time. Before David died he gave Solomon the plans to have the first temple for God built, so in the fourth year of his reign he fulfilled that plan. He contacted the king of Tyre, and good friend of David’s.
[2 Chronicles 2:1,3-6 And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. 3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. 5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. 6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?]
[an house for his kingdom.] [House; A family of ancestors; descendants and kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe.] Solomon, did not just say that the temple was for God, he said it was for his God and His kingdom. Believe it or not, as quirky as we are, and as diverse as we are, as saved, born again Christians, we are all of the kingdom of God. Early in his reign, Solomon was quite Godly, and was not ashamed at all to admit that He was his God. We should not be afraid or ashamed to embrace every opportunity to speak of God, and our faith.
[But who is able to build him an house,] Solomon expresses humility here, “Who am I that I should build a house for the one and only Almighty God?” A church or house of worship does not contain God, in fact, God does not dwell at all in a building with four walls, He dwells within every believer who accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour, [John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.]
Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, the neighboring nations were willing to be taught by them in the true religion is, and be as one nation of God’s kingdom. Solomon not only asks Huram to send materials, he also asked for men to help build the house.
[2 Chronicles 2:7-8,12-13,17 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. 8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, 12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. 13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s, 17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.]
[my servants shall be with thy servants,] This sounds a lot like when Ruth wanted to go back with Naomi, she wanted her God to be her God. We cannot build up God’s kingdom alone, while God does not need anyone to build Him up, He does need us to come together as one to help build up His Church, [Romans 12:5-8 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.]
You know, each one of us can reach people in ways that others may not be able to. We are not all going to agree on everything, and we are not all going to do everything the same way, but that is perfectly fine because as long as we are preaching the same Gospel there are different ways to teach it to them. With Solomon’s people and Hiram’s people, construction of the temple began. Every piece, every detail that went into the temple was precise, pure, and only of the best quality work.
[2 Chronicles 3:1-3,8,10,13-14 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. 3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. 13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. 14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.]
[where the LORD appeared unto David his father,] The temple had to be built in the very spot that David had prepared. Remember, David purchased the threshing floor from Ornan during the plague that took seventy thousand lives in order to remove the plague per God’s instructions, [II Samuel 24:18-25] It is very important that if we want to worship God we do it according to His plan. Why? One word, eternity, [John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.]
It took about seven and a half years for the temple to be completed, but every detail was precise, everything that went into the temple was pure and only of the best quality. The furniture and amount of items in the temple, compared with that of the tabernacle, showed that God’s church would be enlarged and multiplied greatly.
[2 Chronicles 4:1-2,6,9,11 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof. 2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in. 9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass. 11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;]
[Moreover he made an altar of brass,] The altar of brass was the place where they would bring their sacrifices and offer them up to God. Today, Christ is our sacrifice that we offer up to God through our faith in Him. The second a person believes in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and accept Him as the only one who can save them from their sins, God enters their soul. We become His temple, and believe it or not, as filthy as we think we are, and rightfully should, God does not see our sin, He sees His Son, actually it is the blood of His Son, [Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [2 Chronicles 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.]
Today’s Prayer: God, I understand that the second I called on Your Son, Jesus Christ to save me that Your Spirit entered my body and now You indwell in me. I admit that my whole life I had to be independent, I did not know what it meant to depend on others because I had no one to depend on. Now, that You are in my life I have had to learn to depend on others, and most of all upon You. I still struggle with this, yet You never stop showing me that no matter how low I get You are there to pick me back up. Lord, teach me to humble myself before You always, I know I would save myself a lot of tears and grief if I would just do that all the time. Give me Your strength to endure the trials and tribulations, peace and comfort to get through them, and help me to keep my heart from being troubled, only trust that You will see me through. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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