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Day 226 – Thru the Bible
Today we start Second Chronicles. Here is the Chronicles video again to refresh your memory.
Video – Read Scripture: Chronicles
2 Chronicles 1 – Solomon’s request for wisdom and knowledge is world famous, and we may be tempted to attribute Solomon’s early success to the way in which he responded to the Lord’s question in verse 7, “Ask what I shall give you.” But consider the context. Before Solomon was given the opportunity to make such a request, the Lord was with him and the Lord had made him great (v. 1). Additionally, the Lord appeared to Solomon, and Solomon (v. 7) recognized that his kingship stemmed from the steadfast love of the Lord shown to his father’s house (v. 8). Thus, Solomon’s request for wisdom and knowledge was not an attempt to curry favor with the Lord. Rather, it was a sanctified response to the abundant grace already poured out into his life.
This same reality appears in the New Testament, when Believers are united to Jesus through faith, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
How does it feel to know that you have access to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?
2 Chronicles 2 – Solomon understood that the temple of God must reflect God’s greatness, and that no human being had the capacity to build such a structure for the Creator of the universe (Acts 17:25). Thus, like the tabernacle before it (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5–6), the temple built by Solomon was designed to point beyond itself to an even greater reality. Ultimately, nothing in this creation or the next could possibly contain and communicate the greatness of our God, except God himself. That is why there is no temple in the new earth: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22).
Remember, what we read in these Old Testament passages, or what we see here now on this earth, all point beyond themselves to the ultimate reality (2 Corinthians 4:6). Whether it is the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple in Jerusalem, or the Lamb in the new Jerusalem, all of this points to God’s unwavering commitment to restore and sustain fellowship with His people, something secured eternally by the blood of His Son.
How does it feel to know you future is secure in Jesus?
2 Chronicles 3 & 4 – The location of the temple, described briefly in chapter 3, is of singular importance. First, the location in Jerusalem is identified as Mount Moriah. The only other instance in the Bible where this biblical place name appears is Genesis 22:2, where it is named as the mountain on which Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his “only son” but was provided a substitute. Second, this is the plot of ground acquired by David from Ornan the Jebusite—the place where the Lord had stopped pouring out His wrath on Israel (precipitated by David’s census in 1 Chronicles 21).
By describing the location of the temple in these ways, the author of Chronicles is weaving together a tapestry of events that ultimately points forward to the person and work of Jesus—who, being the “only son” of God, comes as our substitute in order to prevent our complete destruction from the wrath of God through sacrifice. This single verse helps us to comprehend the real significance of the Old Testament sacrificial system, and to understand why that system was temporary (Hebrews 9:6; 10:12).
How does this help you see that the entire Bible is pointing us to Jesus?
What other thoughts or questions does today’s reading bring up?
Some of these notes are from the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible study notes. We highly recommend this study Bible.
Videos produced by www.TheGospelProject.com.
All links you need to be a part of this are here – Thru the Bible in 2018.