sermon20220501 Solomon, the King with Everything and Nothing 2 Chronicles 1-9 part 3
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Before we look at the last twelve prophetic books of the Old Testament: Chronicles
First Chronicles provides a priestly view of David’s reign.
Second Chronicles continues this “divine editorial” by focusing on David’s descendants, the kings who ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah.
Kings whose names were briefly mentioned in 2 Kings receive more extensive space in 2 Chronicles, and for good reason.
Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah, and Jotham led reforms that helped to restore righteousness and postpone judgment for decades. They made a difference in their generation because they walked with God and used their God-given influence for good.
Notice how the chronicler highlights both the what of their reign and the why behind their success: “The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him” ( 2 Chronicles 17:3 ).
“As long as [Uzziah] sought the LORD, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:5 ).
“Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 27:6 ).
Sadly, the influence of these godly kings is largely blunted by the cumulative effect of many more ungodly kings. The spiral is clearly downward, and time is running out for Judah.
Chronicles: The need to look at the history of Israel from the perspective of the priests of Israel, the spiritual and religious leaders of God’s chosen people, the Jews.
Why has God given us history?
All of history points to the sovereignty of God and the fulfillment of God’s purposes and plans.
All of history points to the sinfulness of all men and women and the holy supremacy of a God who intervenes, who steps into the lives of men and women throughout all of time and guides them, judges them, but most importantly, transforms them.
The history of the Bible shows us, and this is in no way and exhaustive list:
That God is all powerful
That God’s promises will be fulfilled.
That good men can make bad decisions
That bad men can make good decisions
That good men can evil children
That evil men can have good children
That women can be just as evil and wicked and murderous as men
That evil is not something external, it is something resident in the hearts of all men and women
9. That apart from the common grace and particular grace of God, all men and women are spiritually dead and under the certain wrath of God.
In 2 Chronicles we see:
That no mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily breaks them in thought, word, and deed. - we say “mere” man because the Lord Jesus was the God Man. No man, not Abraham, not Moses, not Joshua, not David, not Solomon, not Hezekiah, not any king.
That every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
That we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, along with the diligent use of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s table, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.
Two Histories
The times during which the events took place.
The time of the writing relative to the time of the events (500 BC versus 1000-500 BC) - the return of the people from Exile and they are back in the land. What is the purpose? What is driving the writer?
They’ve returned from Exile and their is disappointment and opposition.
The writer gives a theological history. He is teaching about God.
Kings deals with Israel and Judah
Chronicles deals almost exclusively with Judah
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
But Babylon interrupted the throne - so what is the forever of the promise.
The Chronicler made the kings look like they may be the promised king - but they failed.
Failure after failure - kings, prophets, priests - all failed. But Jesus is the better prophet, priest, and king.
Jesus is the Son of David who will reign forever.
Is this the Son of David?
John Piper’s definition of sin.
It is the glory of God not honoured; the holiness of God not reverenced; the greatness of God not admired; the power of God not praised; the truth of God not sought; the wisdom of God not esteemed; the beauty of God not treasured; the goodness of God not savored; the faithfulness of God not trusted; the promises of God not believed; the commandments of God not obeyed; the justice of God not respected; the wrath of God not feared; the grace of God not cherished; the presence of God not prized; the person of God not loved.
Selective writing for a purpose - simply not including men’s failures in order to show God’s faithfulness.
Jesus is the one greater than Solomon -
42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
As we read this first chapter - it’s not about Solomon - it’s about God
1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. 2 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. 3 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. 4 (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.) 5 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 it out. 6 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 on it. 7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 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.” 13 So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel. 14 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 16 And Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s traders would buy them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
v1 - God was with him and made him exceedingly great
23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”
v7 - God appears to Solomon and offers Solomon what he does not have - this is the faithfulness of God
v12 - the unlimited grace of God based on personal faithfulness -
It’s not you, it’s God - God’s faithfulness
It’s not God, it’s you - your faithfulness
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
v15 - a glimpse of God’s forever kingdom
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
This is the faithfulness of God!
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Are you striving to receive the faithfulness of Jesus, the righteousness of Jesus, the wisdom of Jesus?