2 Chronicles 3:1-2 NIV
“Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.”
INSIGHT
-The Hebrew word for temple is Heykal. Solomon began building the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. This place had been previously identified as the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. This was the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2). Solomon came from a place of obedience to the Lord as he was instructed to build the temple there, the measurements and designs were given. In the same way, Abraham was instructed to go to Mount Moriah and sacrifice his son Isaac, and he did not hesitate but demonstrated complete trust in the Lord. Jesus was later crucified and died on the cross in the region of Golgotha which is near mount Moriah (John 19:17). It is through obedience to His mandate that Jesus submitted to the call of offering Himself as a sacrifice for the cleansing of our sins. Even when He requested God the Father to take away that cup, He submitted so that God’s will may be done. The Lord is calling us to be obedient and to submit our hearts to His authority in every area that He calls us. Those who are called to be kingdom financiers and build churches should respond to the call of God, with humility and sincere submission.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus we come to Your throne of grace, that we may obtain grace and mercy to help us during our time of need. This is our time of need dear Jesus, we humbly beseech You for Your sufficient grace. We thank You for this day Lord Jesus. We appreciate You because You are our God, and none can compare to You. You are Jehovah Jireh our provider, Jehovah Shalom our Prince of peace, Jehovah Rapha our healer. May You continue to provide for all our needs dear Jesus. May You continually grant us peace in our homes, work places, society and nation. May You heal our wounds and all those who are sick among us. May You open many supernatural doors for us and respond to our hearts desires. We thank You for You have sustained us and protected us this far. We thank You for loving us and taking good care of us. May You respond with rain to the drought stricken regions of our nation, dear Jesus. May You forgive us all our sins and heal our land. May You go ahead of us in all our plans and hearts desires to make us fruitful throughout the week. May You help us to be obedient to Your call dear Jesus. We humbly call on You to teach us to hear Your voice and to follow You. May Your salvation reach all people including our Hindu brothers and sisters. We love You and exult Your holy name. We appreciate You dear Jesus for calling us to a great hope of an eternal inheritance into the riches of Your glory. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: 1 Samuel 15:22, Ephesians 1:18
2 Chronicles 2:11-16 NIV
“Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” And Hiram added: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself. “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my Lord, David your father. “Now let my Lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”
INSIGHT
-Solomon wrote to Hiram king of Tyre requesting for supplies to enable him build the temple of the Lord. He knew his father king David and respected him, and upon Solomon’s request, he was convinced that he was a wise and discerning king. Hiram sent skilled workers like Hiram-Abi, logs of cedar, Cyprus, juniper and algum from Lebanon, and food supplies including wheat, barley and olive oil. The work of building the temple was entirely collective responsibility. King Solomon could not have succeeded alone but the Lord granted him favor before his people and his neighbors to enable him commence and complete the construction works. After the first temple was destroyed in 586 BC by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Lord led Ezra to rebuild the temple and Nehemiah to redo the walls. They obtained success, for the glory of God. Genesis 11:6 tells us that, if the people are one and they all have one language, whatever they begin to do; will not withheld from them. Unity of believers is encouraged and in Romans 15:5-6 apostle Paul exhorts the Roman church to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To effectively build the church, we are called to be united as one in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord. My goodness is nothing apart from You. As for the saints who are on the earth. They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. Lord You are the Rock of our salvation, may You vindicate us from all the schemes of our enemies. May You unite us with strong bonds of love in our homes, work places, schools, society, churches and nation. May You bless all our plans and make us succeed in all that we do for the glory and honor of Your name. Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set You Lord always before me because You are at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope, for You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Amen
Further reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 2:2
2 Chronicles 3:3-10 NIV
“The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard). The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits long across the width of the building and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree and chain designs. He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls. He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold. For the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold.”
INSIGHT
-King Solomon was given the measurements and designs of how the temple would be built. The entire structure on the inside was overlaid completely with pure gold. The greater house he ceiled with fir trees, and he overlaid those with fine gold, and he set thereon palm trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. He overlaid also the house, with the beams, and the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls. And he made the most holy place, the length according to the breadth of the house, was thirty feet, and the breadth of it thirty feet: and he overlaid it with fine gold, which came to six hundred talents. He also overlaid the upper chambers with gold, and the most holy house he made two cherubim, and he overlaid them with gold. The cherubim are seen to protect the presence of the Lord, and when Adam and Eve exited the garden of Eden, cherubin with flaming swords came to protect the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). The Lord calls us to be vessels of honor, as our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Vessels of honor are made of gold, and are used in the temple of our God. Since the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us once we believe in Jesus Christ, God calls us to flee from sexual immorality which is sin against our own bodies, and not outside the body. Sexual immorality in itself is a destructive weapon that kills individuals, marriages and purposes. The Lord calls us maintain holiness and dignity through following His word, for we were bought at a price and should glorify the Lord in our bodies and in our spirit’s which belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:15-20).
PRAYER
Lord You are great and greatly to be praised. How great are You Lord our God in all the heavens and the earth. How great are Your purposes in all the earth. How great is Your love for us dear Jesus that You became sin and liberated from the eternal curse of sin, by giving us eternal life. How great is Your love for each one of us, we love You Lord. May You forgive us dear Jesus for the times we have committed sexual immorality and other sins. Wash us with Your precious blood Jesus, we humbly beseech You. May You heal us, and all the youth from addictions. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is true and proper worship, may You heal our hearts and renew our minds. May You heal all those who are sick and suffering in hospitals and at home dear Jesus and provide for the resources required. May You heal our businesses and economy Abba Father. May You heal us from physical, relational, social, economic, financial, emotional and psychological distress, dear Jesus. By Your stripes we are healed. May our purposes bear much fruit in our lives according to Your divine grace. We love You Lord and bless Your holy name, now and forever. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now, and forever more. Amen
Further reading: 2 Timothy 2:20-21
2 Chronicles 3:17 NKJV
“Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.”
INSIGHT
-King Solomon established two bronze pillars outside the temple which were impeccable and had names, Jachin meaning God shall establish and Boaz meaning in strength. When the crowds gathered at the morning and evening sacrifice to worship the Lord, the Levites led the people standing in front of the temple with these two great, bronze pillars behind them. It was always before them: He shall Establish and in Him is Strength. The priests perform the work of purification through a sacrificial offering that would cleanse the sins of the people. Jesus then offered Himself as a High Priest who was fitting for us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. He does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself (Hebrews 7:26-27). It is through believing in Him that we are saved and assured of an eternal blessing. The parable of the dragnet concerns fishermen who use a weighted net dragged along the bottom of a body of water to collect an assortment of fish. The fishermen then sit down to the business of sorting the fish into the “good” and the “bad.” The fish worth keeping were gathered into containers, but the rest were tossed away. This is likened to the kingdom of heaven where those who are in Christ will enter into His kingdom while the rest will be tossed in the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:47-50). Jesus is calling us to become pillars in His house where He will establish us and become our strength forever and ever amen.
PRAYER
Lord You are our Righteousness and Peace, we rely on You in all things. May You establish in Your strength and truth. You name is a strong tower Lord Jesus, the righteous run to it and that are safe. We run to You Lord that You have hold us together in Your peace. We run to You Jehovah that You may establish us in faith and help us to abide in You as You are in us. We run to You Jesus that You may help us to abide in You and Your word. Lord You have said in Your word that he who overcomes, You will make him a pillar in Your temple, and You will write on him the name of God and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, Your new name. We thank You Jesus and exult Your name for choosing us and making us Your children. May You make possible for Your revival to reach all nations and all people. May Your gift of salvation permeate through our homes, workplaces, societies, governments, churches and nations. May You bless us all with Your eternal blessings. May You grant our leaders wisdom, righteousness and truth, that they may only follow Your divine will. May You grant our nation justice and prosperity for all people. May You bless all the street families and set them free from their troubles. You are highly exulted Lord Jesus above all the peoples, angels, saints and the twenty four elders. You are God alone and none can be compared to You. We thank You and praise Your name now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Revelation 3:12
2 Chronicles 3:16 NKJV
“He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork.”
INSIGHT
-Pomegranates are sweet, tart fruits with thick, red skin which are commonly found in the nation of Israel. It’s outer skin is not edible, and holds hundreds of juicy seeds that can be eat plain or sprinkle on salads, oatmeal, hummus, and other dishes. Pomegranates are vivid symbols of prosperity and posterity which was modeled on the bronze pillars that stood outside the temple and in the inner sanctuary. After being established in strength and faith in Jesus Christ, prosperity will no longer remain dim but success is imminent (2 Chronicles 20:20).
SUMMARY
The Book of second Chronicles chapter three discloses a very interesting dogma on how Solomon executed the work of building God’s temple. It is factual that the work he did was exemplary and contributed to making his kingdom great. Built upon Mount Moriah was this magnificent structure, which had great semblance as Abraham was instructed to sacrifice his son this mountain, it was the place of Jesus’ crucifixion. Like Abraham and Jesus who were faithful to their calling, king Solomon also obeyed God’s instructions to build the temple as he was a man of integrity just like his father David. God reminds us to follow after His own heart and be obedient to His word and instructions. The measurements were with great precision and best skills were employed. It was a collective responsibility of the people involved to ensure the temple stood firm, and establish a place of worship. King Hiram of Tyre was also involved in providing skilled labor, food items and assorted timber to ensure the construction work was done to precision. The Lord calls us to be united and agree in whatever project we undertake, and all that we decide to do will not be hindered from us. The temple also attracted many visitors for far and wide. After seven years of construction, Solomon completed the structure and the Israelites now had a somehow permanent place of worship as it were, unlike the tabernacle used during the time of Moses. The temple had three chambers, including the outer court with a front porch which was used for gathering the multitudes, cleansing and sacrificial place of offering. The holy place had five lamp stands with seven heads on each side of the temple, the altar of incense, and the show bread. The holy of holies was only accessed by the high priest on the day of the atonement only. Holy place was a more sacred place where the presence of the Lord dwelt. The holy of holies was overlaid with gold. The articles used in temple were also made of gold, which were vessels of honor. We are reminded to submit to the Lord and His authority, and be sanctified by the blood of Jesus for His good work as vessels of honor. Outside the temple were two bronze pillars named Jachin meaning God shall establish and Boaz meaning in strength. These are symbolic pillars that should constantly remind us that the Lord is our strength and He establishes us in His kingdom when we believe in Jesus Christ. Upon the bronze pillars and in the sanctuary were models of pomegranates which is a signs of prosperity and posterity. When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and helps us to overcome all temptations and achieve the unachievable for we are His temples. The redeemed of the Lord have hope of eternal life in Jesus and remain secure in His salvation, and have the assurance of abundant life now and forever more.
PRAYER
Dear Almighty Father, we praise You and worship You for You are great and wonderful. Dear Lord we thank You for all You have done for us and for who You are. We thank You for Your blood Lord Jesus, that You shed for us and till today there has been no other powerful blood but only the blood of Jesus. Thank You Lord for the great work of redemption that You did for us and made a new covenant of Sonship for us to be joined into. We bless Your name and exalt You oh Lord for there is none like You and there shall never be. Oh Lord we pray that You will sanctify us and cleanse us by Your precious blood. May You mound us to be honorable vessels to be used by You in Your kingdom. Jesus You are the Vine and we are the branches, we cannot bear fruit without You. We surrender ourselves to You and pray that You will mould us to be who You want us to be and bless us. Oh Lord may You remember our families and heal, strengthen and deliver all that are sick by Your precious powerful blood. May You provide for those that have any kind of lack from Your riches in glory. Oh Yahweh You deserve all our praise and honor. We invite You in our lives and families and nation, may You intervene in all situations that all glory shall come back to You. May You provide water to every drought-stricken area in Kenya. May You provide us with food security and endow our leadership with the wisdom required to solve every challenge facing our nation. We come against every plan of the enemy opposing our prosperity and fruitful. May You fight for us and stand with us in all situations for You are able and mighty. Lord we thank You for we know You have heard us and will do so according to Your everlasting love and mercies that are new every morning. May You bless us Lord and keep us. May You make Your face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. May You lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8