After Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the Temple, God’s glory filled the Temple and fire fell from heaven to consume the sacrifices on the altar. Years later, God appeared to Solomon during the night, promising to bless the people if they kept His divine law. God sternly warned Solomon against the temptation of idolatry.

2 Chronicles 6 contains Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. He prayed that God’s blessings would fall on Israel so long as they were faithful to the Lord. He also prayed for future mercy in the event that his people fell into sin.

The Temple of the Lord is completed in Jerusalem. Solomon gathered all the people of Israel to celebrate its completion and to worship God during the momentous occasion of the Ark of the Covenant being placed within the Temple. Songs of praise and sacrifices were offered to God, and the cloud of God’s glory filled the sacred place. 

In 2 Chronicles 4, Solomon commissions the construction of the furniture which was to sit within the Temple grounds. The chapter briefly describes the altar of burnt offerings, the altar of incense, the bronze sea, the washing basins, the golden lampstands, and other furniture Solomon’s craftsmen designed for the magnificent temple in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 3 documents the construction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The building project took 7.5 years to complete, and the final design is described in chapter 6. The length, height, width, interior, and exterior of the Temple are detailed by the writer. It was a magnificent structure which was meant to honor God.

In 2 Chronicles 2, Solomon prepared for the construction of the Temple and his palace in Jerusalem by sending a message to Hiram, king of Tyre. Solomon agreed to send Hiram barley, wine, and oil, in exchange for timber and skilled workers. Hiram agreed to help, telling him he would send him all the timber he needed. He also sent Solomon a skilled craftsman named Huram-abi to assist with the project.

A Real Christian Will Offend People

The only type of Christian that will never say anything “offensive” is a fake Christian. Now, why do I say that?

There's a really bad idea that's become very popular, that what Jesus told His followers to do was to go out into the world and to love all people by accepting them, being tolerant of their lifestyles, and affirming them.

Solomon becomes king of Israel after the death of his father, David. While Solomon was offering sacrifices at the Tabernacle in Gibeon, God appeared to him and told him He would grant him a request. Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom to lead the nation. God granted Solomon wisdom superior to any man on earth.

The timeline of the Bible broken down into 3 basic sections.

1. Creation - Moses (4000 - 1500 B.C.). Book of Genesis and part of the Book of Exodus.

2. Moses - Jesus (1500 B.C. - 30 A.D.). Book of Exodus through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

3. Jesus - Present Day (30 A.D. - Present Day). Book of Acts through the Book of Revelation.

A lot of times, critics of Christianity will point to verses in the Bible, such as passages in the Book of Leviticus that talk about not eating shellfish or not wearing clothing made out of two different types of material. And they'll say, "look, Christians want to be sticklers about certain laws, and then other ones they just don't want to keep."

2 Kings 25 records the fate of Judah after years of disobedience to God. God allowed the Babylonian Empire, under the command of Nebuchadnezzar, to destroy Jerusalem and strip the Temple of almost everything that made it significant. Zedekiah and the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon, where they would remain for several decades of God-ordained exile.

Judah was in complete decline. King Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, leading to the conquest of Jerusalem. His son Jehoiachin inherited the throne, only to be exiled to Babylon with the rest of Jerusalem’s elite and skilled workers. Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah (Mattaniah) as a puppet king, but he later rebelled against his master.

2 Kings 23 documents King Josiah’s reforms in Judah and the former Kingdom of Israel. Josiah purged the land of all idolatry and destroyed the high places where people offered unauthorized sacrifices. He commanded all the people to keep the Passover Feast, which had been neglected during the time of the kings. The rest of the chapter records the reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, and how they were oppressed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt.

2 Kings 22 begins with Josiah becoming king of Judah at just 8 years old. In Josiah’s 18th year as king, he determined to renovate the Temple of God in Jerusalem. During the renovation process, Hilkiah found a book containing the laws God had given to Moses. Josiah was distraught over the people of Judah’s neglect for the law. He sent servants to the Huldah, the prophetess, to hear a word from the Lord. Huldah told Josiah that God would punish Judah, but He would delay the punishment until after Josiah’s death.

2 Kings 21 gives us details about the reign of 2 wicked kings of Judah. Manasseh, the son of righteous Hezekiah, departed from the example of his father and welcomed all forms of evil into Judah. He established places of idol worship, brought idols into the Jerusalem Temple, and sacrificed his children to pagan gods. God was so angry He foretold of a day when Judah would be conquered by the enemies and decimated. After Manasseh’s death, Amon became king. He continued the policies of Manasseh but was assassinated after just 2 years on the throne.

King Hezekiah of Judah fell sick and was at the point of death. While on his bed, he prayed to God to extend his life. God sent Isaiah to Hezekiah to tell him his life would be extended 15 years. The second part of the chapter documents how Hezekiah showed off all the treasures of Jerusalem to a Babylonian envoy. Isaiah, by the Spirit of God, prophesied that one day, all the precious things in Jerusalem would be carried away captive to Babylon.  

After the Rabshakeh of Assyria threatened King Hezekiah and Jerusalem, Hezekiah went to Isaiah the prophet for council. Isaiah prophesied that God would save the city and humble the king of Assyria for mocking the “Holy One of Israel.” God sent an angel into the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 men of the Assyrian army. Their humbled king returned to Nineveh, where he was assassinated by his sons while worshiping in a pagan temple.  

Hezekiah was a godly king, in fact, we are told he was the godliest king since David led the nation. 2 Kings 18 documents his early days on the throne, followed by his difficult days fighting with the king of Assyria. He tried to pay the king of Assyria to leave Jerusalem alone, but the Assyrians sent their army to the city. This chapter recounts how the Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official, mocked Judah and their God, and tried to scare them into surrendering.

2 Kings 17 is a very important chapter in the Old Testament because it tells us about the expulsion of the people of Israel from their land by the Assyrians during the days of king Hoshea. After decades of disregarding and disrespecting God’s commands, God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Israel and relocate most of the people to distant portions of the Assyrian Empire.

2 Kings 16 is about Ahaz, King of Judah. He was not a very godly king. He promoted idol worship and even sacrificed his own son to a pagan god. After the kings of Syria and Israel attacked Jerusalem, Ahaz sent an SOS to Tiglath-Pilesar of Assyria who eventually saved him by defeating the Syrians. The end of the chapter documents Ahaz’s new altar in the Jerusalem Temple. It was based on an altar he saw when in Damascus, and he replaced God’s bronze altar with his new altar without God’s permission. Ahaz ruled Judah 16 years. His son Hezekiah followed him on the throne.