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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.
Bible Chapter Studies
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THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES
II CHRONICLES Chapter 1
I Chronicles 10:1-II Chronicles 36:21 HISTORY (UP TO THE
CAPTIVITY.) (Division.)
11:1-II Chronicles 36:21 THE HOUSE OF David ESTABLISHED.
(Division.)
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* For the division of the Chronicles into two Books, see note on the Structure of the two Books of Samuel as a whole..
Title, First. Again, see the notes on page 366 of Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible. But, suffice it to say, that, Chronicles: The Hebrew name, Dibrēi hayyāmīm=if we translate this instead of transliterating it, we would it mean: “words of the days.” The Greek name, Paraleipomena=things ommitted. Latin name, Chronicon from whence comes English title Chronicles. These books belong to quite another part of the Old Testament, and do not follow in sequence the Books of Kings. See Appendix 1. They are, according to the Hebrew Cannon the conclusion of the Old Testament; and the genealogies here lead up to that of Matthew 1:1, and the commencement of the New Testament. They end with the ending of the kingdom; and the question of Cyrus, “Who is there?” II Chronicles 36:23, is followed by the answer, “Where is He?” Matthew 2:2, and the proclamation of the kingdom by the rightful King and His forerunner. It begins with the first Adam eth ha-aw-dawmי, in other words, “The man Adam;”—found in Genesis 2:7—or, the seedline through which Father will be born in the flesh as His Only Begotten Son: Jesus Christ, and leads on to the “last Adam,” Who was and indeed is: our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the relation of the Chronicles to the Kings, the two Books of the Kings should have been merged with the The Books of Samuel: both are recorded history from a “man’s perspective;” whereas, the Books of the Chronicles are recorded history from “Father’s perspective,” and if you really want to get down to the facts of things, it is all from Father’s perspective; as, it is “His Story.” For parallel passages in Samuel and Kings, see Appendix 56. The former Books: Samuel and Kings are “as man ruled the kingdoms and history;” whereas, Chronicles is, “as Father overruled it.” Compare the two: Saul’s death as recorded in I Samuel 31:6, to I Chronicles 10:13-14; also; in Kings; three verses are given to Hezekiah’s reformation; but, in Chronicles, three Chapters are devoted to it..
Chronicles deals with the kingdom of Judah because, our Lord Jesus Christ was proclaimed the successor of David..
Chronicles refers to other Books:—Kings (II Chronicles 16:11; 27:7; 33:18); Prophets (I Chronicles 29:29; II Chronicles 9:29; II Chronicles 12:15; 13:22; 20:34; 26:22; 32:32). It gives the histories from the Divine Standpoint, pointing the moral, and giving the reason of both the Judgments and the Mercies (compare I Chronicles 10:13; II Chronicles 12:12; 25:20; 27:6).
Our last Chapter, I Chronicles 29, which also happened to be the last Chapter of The First Book of the Chronicles, opened with the House of Israel’s second man-king, king David—Israel’s greatest king, of whom it was said: “a man after God’s own heart.” The man whom all the other kings of Israel would be judged in comparison; the man whose lineage would continue as kings to rule and reign even to this very day, and whose lineage would bring forth our Father in the flesh as His Only Begotten Son: Jesus Christ, Who Will at His return for His Second Advent, Rule as KING of kings and LORD of Lords for all eternity—gathering all the princes, all the military, and all the people together, in order to complete the transition from himself to his son Solomon. He relayed to everybody that he had gathered almost all the requisite materials necessary to build the Temple for Father. He told them that, because Father had Blessed him with so much—i.e., the kingdom, all the victories over all Israel’s enemies, the wealth Israel enjoyed etc.—he was therefore donating much of his own personal wealth to Father’s Temple; therefore, as they too enjoyed all these Blessings, they too should willingly offer up much of their own personal wealth. David then offered up a beautiful Prayer to Father asking that He Bless his son as he took the reins of the Nation, that He instill in Solomon a perfect, or, undivided heart so that, Solomon never strays from Honoring, Serving and Worshipping Father; and that the People continue to Serve Father and He in return Bless the People of the Nation of the House of Israel. The Chapter Closed with David passing and returning Home to Father; the People of Israel anointing and setting Solomon as the new king, the Nations only third, but also, the Nations final man-king.
This then, brings us to the year 980B.C. where we find the Solomon begins his reign and rule over Father’s People: Israel. Solomon is a very young man of 19 years in age—I don’t know about you brethren, but at the age of 19, I wasn’t ready to reign and rule over anything, heck, I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do with my own life—unlike his father who first began to rule as a king, at the age of 30 years old. Solomon will be fortunate as, Father will come to him in a dream and ask him what he desires, he’ll reply that, he would like to have the knowledge and wisdom to rule and judge Father’s People. Father likes his answer so much that, He’ll indeed Bless Solomon with more wisdom than any other man, He’ll also bestow upon Solomon, all the other things which Solomon did not ask for: i.e., riches, wealth and honor, “such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”.
With that introduction being said, let’s go to Father and ask Him for His Blessings on our Study of His Word: “Father, we come to you right now to thank you for inviting us to Your table in order that we might be able to partake of and receive Your Spiritual Meat, and Father, as we prepare to dine on the sustenance which sustains our inner man, we ask that You Oh LORD open our ears and eyes, that we might be able to hear and see your Truths, open our hearts and minds and prepare us in order that we may receive Your Truth. We Pray for Your Understanding of Your Word, we seek Your Knowledge in Your Word, and most importantly Father, we Pray for and desire Your Wisdom from Your Word, in Jesus’ Precious name we Pray, thank You Father, Amen.”
II Chronicles 1:1-10:16 THE KINGDOM. UNITED.
II Chronicles 1:1-9:31 SOLOMON. (Introversion and Alternation.)
1:1 Introduction.
1:1-17 Appearance of YHVH Personal details. Events.
1:1-17 APPEARANCE OF YHVH (Introversion.)
1:1 Magnificence of Solomon’s kingdom.
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II Chronicles 1:1 And Solomon (peaceful; and, peaceful) (shel-o-moי) the son of David (loving; and, well-beloved) (Daw-veedי) was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. —> Father is fulfilling the request by David that He be with his young son and Bless him. No other king, not even Solomon’s father king David, had bestowed upon him by Father, the honor, the majesty, the power, wealth and wisdom which Father is about bestow upon Solomon.
…was strengthened…=This is stated this way because, this assumes we know and understand the events which transpired in I Kings 1:1 and I Kings 2, and I Chronicles 28 and I Chronicles 29.
The LORD=This Title of Father as used here in this verse, is Father in His Role of יְהֹוָה, YHVH—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: YHVH, YAHVEH, or YEHOVAH—the sacred and personal name of Father. While Elohim is God as the Creator of all things, YEHOVAH is the same God in covenant relation to those whom He has created (compare II Chronicles 18:31). YEHOVAH means the Eternal, the Immutable One, He Who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME. The Divine definition is given in Genesis 21:33. He is especially, therefore, the God of Israel; and the God of those who are redeemed, and are thus now “in Christ”. We can say “My God,” but not “My YEHOVAH,” for YEHOVAH is “MY God.”.
God=As used in this verse, this is אלהים, ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices,: ELOHIM—the genus God, in other words, Father in His role of Creator of all things. From Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible, Appendix 4: “ELOHIM occurs 2,700 times. Its first occurrence connects it with creation, and gives it its essential meaning as the Creator. It indicates His relation to mankind as His creatures (see note on II Chronicles 18:31, where it stands in contrast with YEHOVAH as indicating covenant relationship). ELOHIM is God the Son, the living “WORD” with creature form to create (John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-17; Revelation 3:14); and later, with human form to redeem (John 1:14). “Begotten of His Father before all worlds; born of His mother, in the world.” In this creature form He appeared to the Patriarchs, a form not temporarily assumed.”. Dr. Bullinger further notes in his Companion notes to this verse, that “(with Art.) = the [true] God.”.
Solomon=For a detailed description of Solomon, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
David=For a detailed description of David, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1:2-6 Journey to Gibeon
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II Chronicles 1:2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel (he will rule as YAH; or, the prince that prevails with YAH) (Yis-raw-aleי) (secondary map), the chief of the fathers. —> …Solomon spake unto all Israel=In this we see that Solomon is beginning his reign and rule exactly as his father had closed his, by gathering the entire Nation—the Military, the Levites, the princes or heads of each Tribe, and all the people—together to talk with them and let them know that whet he plans to do is very important. What is he going to do? Let’s continue reading and we’ll find out.
Israel=For a detailed description of Israel, including his birth, his and the Nation’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
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II Chronicles 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon (hilly; or, hill city) (ghib-ohnי); for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses (Drawing out [of the water], that is, rescued; or, “drawn,” i.e. from the water) (mo-shehי) the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. —> The city of Gibeon was a part of the territory which had initially been allotted to the Tribe of Benjamin and then later given to the Levitical Priests. It was where Zadok, one of the two High Priests was at—Abiathar being the other, was in Jerusalem—as was the Mosiac Tabernacle—the fabric tent which Father had commanded Moses to build for Him to tabernacle with man—and the Altar of Burnt Offering.
Those of us familiar with Father’s Word, know that the “high places” were unauthorized places of worship; however, Gibeon was at this point in time, an authorized place to Worship Father YHVH. With that being said, there is good and righteousness in this verse as well as negative and or unrighteousness. What I mean to say is, we read in the parallel to this verse: I Kings 1:3 that, when Solomon went to Gibeon, he not only offered sacrifices to Father YHVH, he also burnt incense while he was there. In his burning of the incense to Father, he did sadly, worship Father in ways which were illegal, in other words, in ways which were not prescribed by Father. This burning of incense in the high places was so ingrained in our forefathers, that it was still taking place even through the reigns of kings Asa and Hezekiah. It will be a young king Josiah who finally puts a stop to it, some 350 years from this point in time.
But, anyway, the reason Solomon has come to Gibeon to Worship Father, is because he is seeking a Divine Blessing from Father over his reign and rule of Father’s People Israel.
Gibeon
Gibeon=At the mention of the city\town\name Gibeon, the hair on the back should immediately rise. Why? Because there is much, much history between our forefathers and the Gibeonites. The first mention of the city\town\name is found in Joshua 9:22, where we read that the Gibeonites—also known as the Hivites—had deceitfully come to Joshua and our forefathers “claiming” they came to them from far away, so far away, that: their clothes were falling off their backs; their shoes were worn-out; and their food was moldy etc.. The reality was that, they were from the city next to where Joshua and our forefathers were. Why did they claim so? Because as we read in Joshua 9, (1) they didn’t want to be killed by our forefathers and (2) they falsely claimed they wanted to Honor, Love, Serve, and Worship Father YHVH. † We read in the very next Chapter, Joshua 10, the adverse effects of Joshua and the elders covenant which they made with the Gibeonites: they now had to fight with them against those who Father had told our forefathers to utterly destroy. Wait you say, they were doing what Father wanted them to do, utterly destroy the Amorites and such, oh yeah, I concur but, they were fighting on the side of the Gibeonites who they were also supposed to utterly destroy; and why was it that they were fighting with them? Because the Amorites were angry with the Gibeonites for making a compact with our forefathers and saving themselves; plus, with the Gibeonites joining unto Israel, that left the Canaanites with a major fighting force being gone and thus they woudn’t be able to defeat the Israelites—not that they would have been able to anyway as, with Father one your side, you have the victory. † Later in time, Gibeon was given to the Tribe of Benjamin as part of their inheritance, and then even later still it was given to the Levites. † As we read in II Samuel 2, it was at the pool of Gibeon that the armies of Saul and David met and under the guidance of Abner and Joab, Commanding Generals of their respective armies, met and played the mock war which ended badly as, the twenty-four men who me on the simulated battlefield each grabbed each other by the beard and stabbed each other thru with their swords leaving all twenty-four men dead. † It was also in Gibeon that Father appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what it was that his heart desired. † There are several more accounts of things which happened with our forefathers at Gibeon but, I’ll move on to the etymology now. † For the etymology of the name Gibeon, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The name Gibeon comes from the root גבע and is probably related to the noun גבעה (gibeah), meaning hill: The ון (waw nun) upon which our name ends is a common way to quantify the core idea of a root into a unit that acts out the verb. The name Gibeon literally means Hill Town New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List or High Hill Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary does not offer an interpretation of the name Gibeon but does list it under the root גבע.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1391, - גִּבְעוֹן, - gib‛ôn, pronounced - ghib-ohnי, and means: From the same as H1387; hilly; Gibon, a place in Palestine: - Gibeon. Total KJV occurrences: 37.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “ hill city. One of the four, cities of the Hivites, the inhabitants of which made a league with Joshua Joshua 9:3-15, and thus escaped the fate of Jericho and Ai. Compare Joshua 11:19. Gibeon lay within the territory of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, and with its “suburbs” was allotted to the priests Joshua 21:17, of whom it became afterwards a principal station. It retains its ancient name almost intact, el-Jib. Its distance from Jerusalem by the main road is about 6 1/2 miles; but there is a more direct road reducing it to five miles.”.
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II Chronicles 1:4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim (city of forests, or city of towns; and, city of forests) ((keer-yathי) yeh-aw-reemי) to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem (founded peaceful; or, the habitation of peace) (Yer-oo-shaw-lahי-im). —> Let’s understand this entire scenario brethren. Why had Father’s Ark been in Kirjath-jearim to begin with? We have to go all the way back to I Samuel 4, to a time before there was even a man-king ruling over Israel. The High Priest Eli was the ruler and Judge over Israel. Eli—a descendant of Aaron’s son Ithamar, not Eleazar—had put his sons of belial and other things above Father YHVH, in other words, though he was the High Priest, he had forsaken Father; and as the old saying goes, as the leaders go, there go the people, they too had forsaken Father. Israel was at war with their arch enemy the Philistines, and since they had forsaken Father, he likewise also forsook them and allowed the Philistines to get the better of them. Let’s turn to I Samuel 4 and read for ourselves just what transpired, we’ll pick it up in verse I Samuel 4:2: I Samuel 4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. —> Sadly, like as many times before, when our forefathers are about to do something, they forget to first seek Father and His judgment as to whether He wants them to do that thing. In this case, it’s going to war with the Philistines; and not only have they decided to leave Father out of the equation, but with Eli—the Spiritual Leader and Judge—not properly leading the House of Israel, and also allowing his sons to commit the abominations that they have been committing against Father and the people, and the people now abhorring Father and His ways — we read of the result: four thousand men of war lost their lives. Do you think Father is done chastising them yet? Me thinks not. [4:3] And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” —> Losing four thousand men is never an acceptable loss, and news like this travels fast; it didn’t take long for it to get back to the camp — to the elders and the people. Had it not been for the sins of Eli and his sons, the people most likely would still be worshipping Father right there at the temple. So, now with the news of the losses suffered at the hands of the Philistines, what do the people and elders do? They blame Father for their losses rather than look inward at themselves, had they not forsook Father, He would have given them the victory. But now, by their blaming Him—wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day—they show that they still are not right with Him, however, they incorrectly figure that they can go and take the Ark of the Covenant up to the front lines, thereby taking Father with them, and for that He’ll automatically give them the victory. What about you brethren? Do you ever blame Father for your errors in judgment when it was you who have left Him out of your problems in the first place? Do you blame Father for the low points in your life when you have acted on your own without seeking what He would have you do? Then when things don’t go according to your plan, do you blame Father for your own foolishness? That is what Eli, the priests and elders of Israel have done here. So they in turn compound their stupidity with another foolish act. Remember that in Exodus 25, Father ordered that His Ark of the Covenant to remain in the tabernacle, hid by a veil from the people, and remain in the seclusion of the Holiest of Holies. The Ark of the Covenant was the binding object of the Promise which Father made with His Children, and now these wicked elders and the people want to defy Father and use His Holiest of items in their fight against the Philistines. Can you see anything wrong with the thinking of these elders and the people? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us=These elders of the church are not the High priest; therefore, it is not their right to see or even touch Father’s Ark. that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies=Their use of Father’s Ark was for evil purposes, they were putting their trust in an object — the Ark of the Covenant, and not in Father for their victory. They have completely left Father out of their plans, while at the same time defied the use of His special Holy place, as well as His Ark which was set up to make the connection between He and them. Who is our Savior who is supposed to save us? Our Father is supposed to save us. But the Elders of Israel have broken Father’s Commandment by making a religion out of the Ark of the Covenant. They are no worse than their enemies, or those at the Tower of Babel for that matter, because they are basically saying — bring this religious thing to the battle with us; and it will save us. At no time did they say that they should put their trust in Father and He will save us. Stop and think about those things that you rely upon to do your saving, those which you have placed between you and Father, and use this chapter as an ensample in your life to learn from the mistakes these Israelites have made. If you want to be successful and Blessed by Father; do not repeat the mistakes that these foolish men have done, for it will cost not only the lives of thousands of more soldiers, but also the Israelites their freedom. These elders failed in their duties to know the Word of God and follow it in detail, and did not do their duty. They did not consult with Father before they went into battle. Let’s review the “Ark of the Covenant” for a moment: As written of in Exodus 25, Father told Moses to make it of shittim wood. Father ordered that certain items be placed in the Ark as a reminder for them. The Ark of the Covenant and the items which were within it, were a testimony of Father’s love and protection for his people in bringing them up out of the land of Egypt, through the forty years in the wilderness, and their entering into the Promise Land. The manna was to remind them of Father’s provision given them in the wilderness,; while the budded rod of Aaron’s was to remind them of His faithfulness in delivering them from the Pharaoh’s hand. The word “ark” in the Strong’s Concordance, is Hebrew word number H727, - אָרוֹן or אָרֹן, - 'ârôn or 'ârôn, pronounced - aw-roneי or aw-roneי, and means: From H717; (in the sense of gathering), a box: - ark, chest, coffin. Total KJV occurrences: 202.. So in other words, this tells us that this box or chest was to be used as, “a place of gathering” for the people to meet and talk with Father. The Ark’s description, as I said, is given in Exodus 25, and each detail built into the Ark represented another reminder from Father to the Israelites. Then, after the Ark had been built, Father demanded that a veil be placed between the people and the Ark, and it was kept in the Holiest of Holies or sanctuary within the tabernacle. Father established the family of Aaron, which is the Levitical priesthood, to be consecrated before Him, and only the man placed in the duty of the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies. It was in this Holy Place before the Father YHVH that he would offer the annual sacrifice to Father. The High Priest must be dressed in the prescribed attire, and with the breast place on, with the bells on, and a cord tied around his leg, and the Urim and Thummim were placed in the bag of the breastplate, that were used as Father’s direction to the Priest. If the sacrifice was not acceptable by Father, He would strike him dead. I give all this in order to call to your attention to the fact of the handling of the “Ark of the Covenant’ was a serious thing to Father, He did not take lightly any other use of His special reminder — this sign of His Covenant between He and them — His people — the seed line through which He Himself would be born in the flesh. It was so special to Him, that He didn’t let just anybody come near unto it, only Aaron and his sons were allowed to handle the individual pieces, then the tribe of the Kohath was to bear the Ark itself when moving from camp to camp. Sadly, here in I Samuel 4, we read that Eli’s sons used the Ark in the same fashion that a sorcerer would use the tools of their trade. [4:4] So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. —> and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God=And as I stated above, it was their responsibility and job to watch over and protect Father’s Ark. No man—beside their father and they—was to look upon It, and only the Kohathites were allowed to touch it to carry it. Remember also, these same two sons of Eli, Father called sons of belial, because as we read in I Samuel 3:15, made themselves vile, or as the original Septuagint reads: “they cursed God.” So they had no respect for Father and His things or ways; therefore, they weren’t worried about the people coming and taking the Ark with them. Of all the stupid acts though, these elders send the people back to Hophni and Phinehas—the very two who were raping the women and stealing from the people, so much so, that Father and His Ways and His Things became an abomination to the people—to have them bring the very Ark of God to the front-lines and assist them. They didn’t seek Father or His advice, they didn’t ask Father if this was acceptable or if it was His will, they just took it upon themselves and went and did it, or “took it.” Do you think He’ll be pleased with their decision? Think He’ll be pleased that these two sons of belial are there on the front-lines representing Him? [4:5] And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. —> Yeah, the people were happy that this “religious artifact” was in their camp — on their side. Oh yes, they love Father; however, they haven’t been taught by these two knuckleheads who were ripping-off the people and raping the women, how to properly worship Him. Much like it is in the kurch houses today, the people love Father however, since they are not taught that satan will come to this Age in his role of pretend to be jesus — before the True Groom, sadly, they’ll think the first to arrive, is the true, and therefore, will take him to husband. In other words, they’ll wed the wrong husband, and when the True returns for His Second Advent, He’ll tell them which now realize their error — get away from me, I never knew you. Here, sadly, these people are worshipping an idol — the Ark of God, relying on it to give them the victory and not Father — their strength, shield and power. [4:6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. —> When Father gave our forefathers all their victories when He brought them up out of Egypt and moved them into the Promised Land, every body in all the surrounding areas saw and knew that it was He Who gave them the victory, we can read of their knowledge concerning these victories in Numbers 14:13, which reads: Numbers 14:13 And Moses said unto the LORD, “Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this People in Thy might from among them;) [14:14] And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that Thou LORD art among this people, that Thou LORD art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. —> again in Joshua 2:9, which reads: Joshua 2:9 And she (this is Rehab speaking) said unto the men, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. [2:10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. [2:11] And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. —> and lastly in Joshua 9:9, which reads: Joshua 9:9 And they (the Hivites who came into the Israelite camp deceiving Joshua and the elders) said unto him, “From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt, —> So, like all these others who have heard how great Father and His strength are, and how He fights for Israel; the Philistines also knew what the Ark of the Covenant was, and what it meant. They had seen in the past the victories which Father had given to our forefathers. [4:7] And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God is come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. —> These Philistines were afraid of Father YHVH, and rightfully so; for they knew that, with Father YHVH on your side—when He fights for you—you get the victory. What they didn’t know was that, His People—our forefathers, the Israelites—had rejected Him and He therefore wasn’t going to be fighting for them but against them. [4:8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. —> The Philistines and all the other nations around Egypt heard—and a lot of them even saw—the ten plagues Father brought upon the Egyptians. They knew that no flesh man could defeat Father or stop what He brought upon them. You can hear the fear in their voices, and when a mob, whether it’s in the form of an army or a crowd; when they let their minds wander, panic sets in because, there is no discipline in their ranks. However, these Philistines are much different than our forefathers; they have one leader who they allowed to speak, and they listened to him. Notice the difference between these two armies? The Israelites are putting their trust in the Ark of the Covenant — as if it could save them, while the Philistines know that it isn’t the Ark, it’s Father YHVH — the One Who sits upon the Ark. [4:9] Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.” —> quit=This word as used in both places here in this verse, is sort of funny because, as the word “was” is rendered in Genesis 1:2, it is actually “hayah” in the Hebrew, and means became or become. So, in Hebrew this reads “Be Strong and become yourselves like men, and fight” and that is exactly what this Philistine general is telling his men — to stand up and act like men and fight. In other words, get a backbone and quit worrying about what’s before them; use your head and prepare for battle. This is the same message that Father gave Job after he had been listening to those three idiots rambling on for thirty eight chapters, and not putting the blame squarely where it needed to be placed — on satan. Father told Job to stand up and act like a man, and this general, is telling his men the exact same thing. This very same message is directed right at you brethren—and yes, me also—during our rough times today; let the Spirit of Father come over you and assist in reasoning and planning. Don’t ever allow the enemy to see whatever fear that you may have in your mind. Think your actions through clearly before you talk and act. This is exactly what the Philistines did. …that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you=This phrase goes back to the oppression that the Philistines had been putting on our forefathers in the Book of Judges; Judges 3 and 10; and during the time of Samson — Judges 13; 14; 15 and 16. [4:10] And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. —> This is why I said above, if Father is on your side and fighting for you, yes they are His People, and yes He normally would have been fighting for them however; since they turned their back on Him, He has some more chastising to do on them, and this time, thirty thousand men returned Home to Him — a very steep price to pay for the Israelite Army. This then, brings to total — thirty four thousand soldiers, which is about two thirds of the number of soldiers that we lost during the Viet Nam war; and for Samuel’s day, that was a very great slaughter. It’s obvious that there is no one in all Israel that is taking the time to stop and think as to what the Philistines have done — the victory they just had over the Israelites. The only thing our forefathers did, was to take two malefactors who were wearing robes and claiming to be priests, while parading around with the Ark of the Covenant — and they thought they would have the victory of their enemy. Just wait and see what happens to Father’s Ark. If Israel thinks they can get away with taking something that is precious to Father, and making It into a symbolic form of sorcery; they have another thought, and still another loss coming. [4:11] And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. —> Father told Eli in I Samuel 2:27-36 that, He was going to take these two Home to Him in one day, and He reaffirmed it to Samuel in I Samuel 3; so the death of Eli’s two sons really should have been of no surprise to Eli or anyone else. Father always keeps His Word, and He had told Samuel what was to be; now his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas were killed for their stupid act of parading on the battle field. Father planned it, and placed it in the young man — Samuel’s visions many nights before, and it all came to pass. Father used the enemy of His people — the Philistines, to fulfill His promises. You may think that those rip-off preachers, i.e., those who teach Father’s Word falsely, are getting away with their thieving ways; but Father will not let them get away with anything, He has no patience with thieves in priest’s robes claiming to be servants of Him or His. As for His Ark Father—in His time—will bring it back to the Israelites. He is showing them what fools they were for (1) not consulting with Him as to whether they should go to war or how to fight and (2) not seeking Him in their taking His Ark to the frontlines on the battlefield.
So, in summary, we see that, Father allowed the Philistines to capture His Ark all because of the actions—or in action(s)—of His High Priest — Eli. Eli forsook Him; he allowed his sons to rape the women who came to offer sacrifice to Father; he allowed his sons to steal from the people who came to offer sacrifice to Father, which in turn caused them to forsake Father; he allowed their forsaking of Father. This should be a stern warning to all those pastors who don’t strictly follow teaching Father’s Word Verse–by–Verse, Chapter–by–Chapter, and Book–by–Book; but instead, chase after false doctrines, man’s traditions, dogma and denominationalism.
So the Philistines had Father’s Ark. What did they do with It when they had It? First-off, we read in I Samuel 5, that they put It into the house of their false god — dagon, the “fish-god.” They quickly found out that, dagon—especially being dagon wasn’t a god—was no match for Father ELOHIM as, the very first night they put His Ark in with dagon, when the Philistines came into the house of dagon the next morning, dagon had fallen over onto his face. The Philistines set dagon in his place, and then the next morning they found dagon had not only fallen over but, this time “Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him..” Father then smote the Philistines of Ashdod with an extreme case of emerods—hemorrhoids—the Philistines knew and understood that it was Father Who brought this calamity upon them, therefore they gave His Ark to their fellow Philistines in Gath. He brought upon the Gathites the same calamity, so they gave It to their fellow Philistines of Ekron. We further read in I Samuel 5 and I Samuel 6, that not only did Father bring upon all the Philistines the emerods but, He also slew some of them and He brought about a plague of mice upon their cities. The Philistines had finally had enough and decided that Father’s Ark needed to go back to our forefathers, so they made trespass offerings of golden emerods and mice, placed them in the Ark, set the Ark on a new cart and returned It via cows. When our forefathers saw the cows pulling Father’s Ark, they fetched it and called for those of Kirjath-jearim who retrieved It and took It to the House of Abinadab where It sat for 20 years. Finally, after that 20 year period, David went to bring It to Jerusalem, only there was a problem. The problem was that nobody knew—remembered, nor did they seek Father, nor consult His Word—for the correct, proper way to transport His Ark, we read how It was to be transported in Exodus 25: Exodus 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. [25:14] And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. [25:15] The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.. They too suffered a great consequence for this as, as they were transporting It, the wheel of the cart hit a bump in the road and almost spilled Father’s Ark onto the ground. A man named Uzzah reached out his hand to steady Father’s Ark and Father killed him on the spot. David and the Israelites then left Father’s Ark at the house Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim until they sought counsel on the correct procedures for transporting Father’s Ark.
Ark of the covenant=Note the different titles used of Father’s Ark in His Word, especially in the Books of the Chronicles: It’s The Ark — fifteen times, The Ark of GOD — twelve times, The Ark of The LORD — four times, The Ark of The Covenant of The LORD — eleven times, The Ark of The Covenant of GOD — once, The Ark of Thy Strength — once, The Holy Ark — once, and The Ark of our GOD — once, for a total of forty-six uses. Now, let’s compare the title here, with those of Exodus 25:22 which Dr. Bullinger declares the other seven titles: Ark of the Testimony, Ark of The Covenant of YHVH, Ark of Adonai YHVH, Ark of YHVH, Ark of ELOHIM, The Holy Ark, and The Ark of Thy Strength.
Kirjath
Kirjath-jearim=Kirjath-jearim was one of the four chief cities of the Gibeonites—the mention of the name Gibeonites should start to raise the hair on the back of your neck brethren—if you know anything of father’s Word that is. We first read of Kirjath-jearim in Joshua 9 when the Gibeonites worked wilily against our forefathers and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks and wine bottles, and they allowed their bread to get moldy, and rubbed dirt all over their clothes and shoes in order to make themselves appear as if they had come from a far-off land in order to serve and worship Father YHVH. In reality, their city was less than 3 days travel away. They did all this in order to deceive our forefathers so as they would disobey Father and not kill them. Joshua and the elders—without first consulting with Father—believed their lies and invited them into their camp, making a covenant with them that they would not kill them. When it was found out 3 days later that they had been lied to, Joshua and the elders knew they had been had, but they now couldn’t kill them because of their promise not to. Therefore, they made them servants—later known as “nethinims” or temple servants—having them draw water and hew wood for Father’s Altar. Eventually, the city of Kirjath-jearim was given to the Tribe of Judah, and it was one of the places which lie on the boarder between Judah and Benjamin. It was obviously situated at the north or north-western border of Judah because it also served as a marker for the territory of the tribe of Benjamin as we read in Joshua 18:14. In the time of the judges, a band of six-hundred Danites came from the north looking for better lands and camped near Kiriath-jearim on their way to sack Laish, and called it Mahaneh-dan, but that name doesn’t seem to have stuck. Much later, when the Philistines delivered the Ark of the Covenant back to our forefathers after having captured it during the time of Eli, it ended up in the house of Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim as we read in I Samuel 7:1, from which David retrieved it when he became king of the Nation of the House of Israel II Samuel 6 and I Chronicles 13. † For the etymology of the name Kirjath-jearim, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The name Kirjath-jearim obviously consists of two elements. The first part is the same as the name Kiriath, which is identical to an older variant of the Biblical noun קריה (qiryah), meaning city. It derives of the verb קרה (qara), meaning to meet or get together: The second part of our name is a regular plural form of the noun יער (yaיar), meaning forest, from the unused root יער: For a meaning of the name Kiriath-jearim, both New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary read City Of Forests. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes City Of Woods, and adds: “i.e. full of woods or trees”.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H7157, - קרית יערים or קרית ערים, - qiryath ye‛ârı̂ym or qiryath ‛ârı̂ym, pronounced - (keer-yathי) yeh-aw-reemי or (keer-yathי) aw-reemי, and means: Used in Jer_26:20 with the article interposed, or in Jos_18:28 using simply the former part of the word, from H7151 and the plural of H3293 or H5892; city of forests, or city of towns; Kirjath Jearim or Kirjath Arim, a place in Palestine: - Kirjath, Kirjath-jearim, Kirjath-arim. Total KJV occurrences: 20.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “ City of forests. First mentioned as one of the four cities of the Gibeonites Joshua 9:17, it next occurs as one of the landmarks of the northern boundary of Judah Joshua 15:9, and as the point at which the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin coincided Joshua 18:14,15, and in the last two passages we find that it bore another, perhaps earlier, name —that of the great Canaanite deity Baal, namely BAALAH and KIRJATH-BAAL. At this place the ark remained for twenty years I Samuel 7:2. At the close of that time Kirjath-jearim lost its sacred treasure, on its removal by David to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite I Chronicles 13:5,6; II Chronicles 1:4; 6:2, etc. To Eusebius and Jerome it appears to have been well known. They describe it as a village at the ninth mile between Jerusalem and Diospolis (Lydda). These requirements are exactly fulfilled in the small modern village of Kuriet-el-Enab —now usually known as Abu Gosh, from the robber chief whose headquarters it was —on the road from Jaffa and Jerusalem.”.
Jerusalem=For a detailed description of Jerusalem, including the Nations history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1A5
II Chronicles 1:5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel (in (the) shadow (that is, protection) of YAH; and, in the shadow of YAH) (bets-al-aleי) the son of Uri (fiery; and, fiery) (oo-reeי), the son of Hur (noble man; and, noble) (khoor), had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. —> brasen altar=This altar is the Altar of the Burnt Offering, which was to be set-up before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation as we read in Exodus 40:6. Father had given the instructions on how to craft this altar to Bezaleel back in Exodus 31.
Bezaleel=As we can read in Exodus 31, Father had brought forth this one Bezaleel at His Appointed Time, in order for Him to “fill him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office, And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do..” Did you catch all that brethren? It was Father Who gave Bezaleel his wisdom and knowledge and workmanship to craft, fashon and manufacture all His items which were to go into His Tabernacle, when He led our forefathers up out of their bondage to the Egyptians. † For the etymology of the name Bezaleel, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The name Bezaleel is considered a combination that starts with the common Hebrew particle ב (be), meaning in, at or by: and ends with the word אל (EL), the common abbreviation of ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: ELOHIM—the genus God. EL is essentially the Almighty, though the word is never so rendered. EL is ELOHIM in all His strength and power. It is rendered “God” as ELOHIM is, but EL is God the Omnipotent. ELOHIM is God the Creator putting His omnipotence into operation.. And in between the beth and EL there would be a derivation of the not so positive root group צלל (sll): This way the whole name may mean any combination of the above, but favored is In The Shadow Of God. This term is subsequently explained to mean In The Protection Of God, but that’s a rather curious take since in the Bible only the light of God protects and darkness signifies an absence (or receptivity) of light. Still, Bezalel’s darkness coincides marvelously with the name of Bezalel’s colleague Oholiab, whose name has a secondary meaning of Father’s Shine. The fun, however, continues: The fragment בצל (basal) means to strip off and yields the identical derivation onion! Hence the name Bezalel also means God’s Onion: And if that wasn’t enough, the fragment בץ (bos) means mire, as used in Jeremiah 38:22. Hence, combined with the particle ל (le), meaning to or towards, the name means Swamp To The Lord. For a meaning of the name Bezalel, Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names all read In The Shadow (Protection) of EL/GOD.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1212, - בְּצַלְאֵל, - betsal'êl, pronounced - bets-al-aleי, and means: Probably from H6738 and H410 with prepositional prefix; in (the) shadow (that is, protection) of God; Betsalel; the name of two Israelites: - Bezaleel. Total KJV occurrences: 9.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “ In the shadow of YAH. The son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah and one of the architects of the tabernacle Exodus 31:1-6. His charge was chiefly in all works of metal, wood and stone.”.
1A6
II Chronicles 1:6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. —> …a thousand burnt offerings…=One thousand in Biblical numerics denotes Divine Perfection and the Glory of YHVH.
1:7-12 Appearance of YHVH.
1:7-12 APPEARANCE OF YHVH. (Introversion.)
1:7 YHVH. Appearance and offer.
1A7
II Chronicles 1:7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, “Ask what I shall give thee.” —> …The LORD appeared…in a dream by night…=We can read of this in the parallel Chapter I Kings 3:6-9, which reads: I Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, “Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. —> There are 20 recorded instances in Father’s Word where He—Father YHVH; God of the Covenant, or Promise, Father ELOHIM; Creator of all things—appeared to someone in a dream. Here in this verse, is the first of two such visits to Solomon. Think about this brethren, here we have Father, the Creator, Maker and Owner of all things, coming to Solomon and asking him to name what it is that he desires Father give to him. What about you brethren, what would you ask Father ELOHIM for? Solomon could have easily asked for any and all things—some greedy men just might have indeed asked for such. But, what does Solomon ask for? We’ll read of it in these next few verses. Brethren we do all ask Father for things when we Pray to Him; whether it be for Blessings on somebody—including ourselves—a healing for somebody, for safety whether while we’re driving somewhere, through the night or through a storm. The important thing to remember is that we should always ask that Father’s Will be done and close our Prayer “in Jesus’ name.’ Remember, Father knows our hearts and He knows what we need and what’s best for us, and He’ll ensure we have those things. Have you ever wondered—when you thought—why Father hasn’t answered one of your Prayers because you didn’t see what you asked for come to pass? Maybe He had answered your Prayer, and it wasn’t the answer you were looking for; but, was an answer just the same and His answer was either “no,” or that He wasn’t going to give you what you asked for because, He knew you might get hurt or hurt yourself if He gave it to you. [3:7] And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. —> Remember, Solomon is dreaming right now while Father is appearing to him; therefore, he said, or is saying this “in his sleep.” Father did give David a son to sit on his throne, why? Because, as Solomon is pointing out here, David always loved Father, serving Him and worshiping Him only. Yes, David erred in his adultery with Bath-sheba, and in his murder of Bath-sheba’s husband Uriah the Hittite; but, though he committed fleshly adultery, he still never committed adultery on Father, in other words, he never served other false gods or idols. When the child was born to Bath-sheba which was conceived in that adulterous affair, Father called it Home to Him. He caused Bath-sheba to conceive again when David went in to comfort her, and this son, when he was born, David named Solomon; however, if you’ll recall from II Samuel 12:25, Father named him Jedidiah: “Beloved of YAH.” Also, in this, we see that Father gave David something: i.e., a son to sit on his throne; but, He also gave Solomon the answer to his Prayer here, I Kings 3:3-5, as He gave the answer to Adam’s Prayer in Genesis 2:21-22;to Abraham’s Prayer in Genesis 15:12-13; to Jacob’s Prayer in Genesis 28:10-15; and to Samuel’s Prayer in I Samuel 3:3-4. …I am but a little child…=I’m sure with Solomon being a young man of only 19 or 20 years of age at this time, that he did indeed feel almost overwhelmed in trying to lead such a great and numerous People; however, his father David didn’t feel that way, as a matter of fact, David already thought his son a wise man as evidenced by his saying so in I Kings 2:6-10. …How to go out or come in…=Obviously Solomon is old enough, and he knows how to go out and come in; therefore, we can see that this is a Hebraism, or figure of speech, which means that he is unsure of himself, and whether he is adequately prepared for this undertaking. So, what does he do? When Father appears to him in his dream, he asks Father to assist him in leading His—Father’s—People. In this, we see that Solomon is wise enough to know that Israel is Father YHVH’S Chosen People; and as we’re about to read, he thusly seeks His wisdom to help him do so. What about you brethren, do you ask for Father’s assistance in your life? What about when you read and Study His Word? Do you ask His help to come to His understanding of it? Though I am not a fan of, and very much dislike using “one verse” passages to make a point, there are a few instances where we can do so. Father provides us 2 key passages in the New Testament: Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [7:8] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. —> Do you want to understand His Word? Here is how to come to His understanding of it: notice I say His understanding of His Word, not our own understanding of it. There is only one True interpretation of His Word: His, and we MUST come to His Interpretation, not our own, not man’s, but, Father’s; now let’s turn to the second: Luke 24:45, which reads: Luke 24:45 Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, —> Jesus had already been crucified before He opened His apostle’s understanding. He had been with them for 3 years teaching them day after day; but, it was still not until after He had been crucified, that He gave them the understanding. We too can only come to His understanding when He opens our ears and eyes. [3:8] And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy People which Thou hast chosen, a great People, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. —> Do you hear Solomon humble himself before Father? “Thy servant…Thy People,” Solomon is correct in that, Father is fulfilling His Promise to Abram just before He changed his name to Abraham. We read in Genesis 15:5, that Father Promised Abram that his children would be as numerous as the stars of the sky. Solomon was born in the year 940B.C., so even though at this time, they were exceedingly numerous, their number then cannot compare to the number Israel is today—and I don’t mean those people in the tiny Nation of Israel, nor do I mean those who claim to be “jews” as, the True House of Israel consists of a whole lot more people than that: the Lost Tribes of Israel. [3:9] Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy People, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a People?” —> …an understanding heart…=As I stated earlier, young Solomon begins his reign by asking Father for wisdom in order that he be able to properly serve Father and reign over His People. Let’s look at these two words—“understanding” and “heart”—in the Strong’s concordance, “understanding” is Hebrew word number H8085, - שׁמע, - shama‛, pronounced - shaw-mahי, and means: A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.): - X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear (-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim (-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever [heareth], witness. Total KJV occurrences: 1158..Whereas, “heart” is Hebrew word number H3820, - לב, - lêb, pronounced - , and means: A form of H3824; heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything: - + care for, comfortably, consent, X considered, courag [-eous], friend [-ly], ([broken-], [hard-], [merry-], [stiff-], [stout-], double) heart ([-ed]), X heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind (-ed), X regard ([-ed)], X themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly, wisdom. Total KJV occurrences: 598.. So, we see Solomon is asking for a mind which can both hear and understand the needs of his people, and therefore make the correct judgments. Solomon wanted to be a good judge over Father’s People. This is the purpose of any king, to judge the people and defend the faith. Remember back in I Samuel, where the priests—the sons of both Eli—Hophni and Phinehas—and Samuel—Joel and Abiah—had violated their trust with the people by laying with the women and ripping them off with their big three pronged hooks? They became greedy in their judgments to the point that, Father separated the duties of the priests, from that of the judges. The priests no longer were the ones to judge, that duty fell on the monarchy, and there became a “separation of church and state.” Here now, Solomon knows that his duty is that of the judge for all the land, and he wants to be fair in all his judgments. He wants to be able to see through the lies and deceptions that people might pull on him, he wants to be able to discern the good from the bad. He isn’t asking for something for himself, but for Father’s People. When Solomon is judging fairly, then the People will have gained from his wisdom. Solomon is asking to be a good leader. He put his father David, his people, and Father’s Will before himself. Contrast Solomon’s beginning with that of his son Rehoboam who’ll reign after him. Rehoboam will begin his reign by seeking and asking counsel of man, not of Father. He’ll receive good counsel from the elders; however, from his peers, they’ll counsel that he should be a hard ruler over the People.
1:8 Solomon. Acknowledgement.
1A8
II Chronicles 1:8 And Solomon said unto God, “Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. —> It was Father Who Chose Solomon—just as it was Father Who chose Saul and then David, Saul as a bad example and David as a good example—just as it was Father Who chose the name Jedidiah—beloved of YAH—for Solomon.
…mercy…=Mercy as used here by Solomon means: loving-kindness, favor or Grace.
1:9 Solomon. Acknowledgement.
1A9
II Chronicles 1:9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for Thou hast made me king over a People like the dust of the earth in multitude. —> At the end of David’s reign—and at the end of Solomon’s as well—the Nation of the House of Israel rivaled any and all nations which surrounded them in both number and militarily.
1:10 Solomon. Choice.
1:10 Solomon Prays for Wisdom and knowledge.
1A10
II Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this People: for who can judge this Thy People, that is so great?” —> Wisdom=Let’s look at this word in the Strong’s Concordance brethren, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H2451, - חָכְמָה, - chokmâh, pronounced - khok-mawי, and means: From H2449; wisdom (in a good sense): - skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit. Total KJV occurrences: 149..Now let’s continue tracing it back to H2449, and we find that it is: חָכַם, - châkam, pronounced - khaw-kamי, and means: A primitive root. To be wise (in mind, word or act): - X exceeding, teach wisdom, be (make self, shew self) wise, deal (never so) wisely, make wiser. Total KJV occurrences: 27.. So, what we see here is that, Solomon was asking Father for His assistance in making him intelligent in order to be able to correctly and properly do right by Father’s People. Dr. Bullinger notes in his Companion Bible that, as used here, wisdom means “knowledge gained by study.”
Knowledge=Let’s check this word out in our Strong’s Concordance too brethren, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H4093, - מַדָּע or מַדַּע, - maddâ‛ or madda‛, pronounced - mad-dawי or mad-dahי, and means: From H3045; intelligence or consciousness: - knowledge, science, thought. Total KJV occurrences: 6.. Only used six times, so as we see, this is a rare, seldom used word in Father’s Word. maddâ‛ is used three times here in II Chronicles 1 — in this and the next 2 verses. Here in this verse, Solomon asks Father for both wisdom and knowledge. In verse v1:1, Father acknowledges Solomon’s request and in verse v1:2, Father grants; gifts and imparts unto Solomon both and so much more. What about you brethren? When you Pray and ask Father for gifts; what do you ask Him for? What about when you pick up His Word to Study it? No boasting but; if you read my Prayer at the beginning of my Studies; you’ll read that I ask Him for: “His Understanding of His Word, His Knowledge in His Word, and His Wisdom from His Word,” and I always close it: “in Jesus’ Precious name.”maddâ‛ is also used in Ecclesiastes 10:12—“thought”—Daniel 1:4—“science”—and 1:17—“knowledge”).
Again, as we read when we read I Kings 3:9 above, Solomon didn’t ask for the knowledge and wisdom just so he could be an intelligent man and lord it over his people, no, he asked Father for these gifts in order to be able to righteously Judge Father’s People and also to be able to discern between good and bad while doing so. What was Father’s reaction?
1:11 YHVH. Reason and gift.
1A11
II Chronicles 1:11 And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My People, over whom I have made thee king: —> We read in I Kings 3:10 that, Solomon’s request Pleased Father: I Kings 3:10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing..
1:12 YHVH. Reason and gift.
1A12
II Chronicles 1:12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.” —> What a Blessing! Let’s again turn to I Kings 3:12 and read how this reads: I Kings 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. —> I have done…I have given thee=Father just told Solomon that it pleased Him to grant and fulfill Solomon’s request. In the phrase None like before thee=So in other words, no other king—and this wasn’t restricted to the kings of Israel; but, all kings, including the kings of other nations and time—has Father ever Blessed with such an understanding heart. No other man-king has ever been, or ever will, be as Blessed as Solomon was by Father in wisdom; however, there is One Who was and IS so Blessed, and that of course is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This, then brethren, is why it is so important that we read and understand the wisdom of Solomon as he wrote to us in The Proverbs, The Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. But again, Father is talking about man in the flesh, and not comparing him to Christ, for Jesus Christ IS Father incarnate in the flesh. Father isn’t through yet, He continues… [3:13] And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. —> In addition to the wisdom that Father has given Solomon, He is also going to Bless Solomon with the things he didn’t seek in selfishness. Brethren, when you please Father, do His work and earn it first; then, He will repay you beyond what you have earned. Many don’t like the word “works” mentioned when speaking of Father as, they say—and yes, Father’s Word also declares—that, we just need to have Faith however; your works are very important in this life. Why? Because, your “works” are the only thing that can be taken with you out of this life and be rewarded for in the life here-after. It is our Works which will make up our fine linens in heaven, as declared in Revelation 19:8 and also in Revelation 14:13, which reads: Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them.’ ”. With this being said, I am not speaking of salvation, for, salvation is the saving of your soul, the eternal condition and right standing before Father. Salvation, as Jesus tells us in John 3:16, is based on your faith in Jesus Christ, and your repentive heart and mind before Father. However, Works have to do with the rewards which your eternal soul will receive throughout eternity. When you pass-on, your soul leaves this dispensation, and returns Home to be with The Father Who sent it at your conception in your mother’s womb. The only thing that you can take from this Flesh Age is the record of your labor done for the Lord while you lived in this Dispensational Age in your flesh body. The good things that you did in the name of the Lord, will determine your rewards which will stay with you throughout all eternity. During Jesus’ teaching during His “Sermon on the mount,” of which we can read in Matthew 5:1-7:29. Near the end of Matthew 6, there are several passages wherein He states to take no thought for yourselves, let’s turn there and read it: Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. —> mammon= Mammon is an Aramaic word which means “riches, by ill-gotten gains.”So, in other words, if you are the richest person in the world, and you earned it by doing the things which Father prescribes, then that is not mammon; but, Father’s Blessings. However, if your gains have come through cheating the public, and robbing from the poor, then that is mammon, and are not Father’s Blessings. Father does bless His own, and you can expect to be Blessed, when you support His work, tithe, and direct your life in accordance with His Word. Your riches then become your “badge of honor.” Don’t allow people put you on a guilt trip because of the Blessings which Father has bestowed upon you. The message that Jesus is giving us here is, that, when we obtain riches, we cannot be of service to both Father and the money. One will take priority. If you serve Father, then the money will become secondary, but that money must still be used wisely. [6:25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? —> We are not to concern ourselves, or be over anxious with, the cares of this Age; not even our own bodies as, when we do Father’s Work, then He will ensure we have everything we need while in these flesh bodies. Listen to how—by using birds—Jesus describes how much Father looks after our needs, when we do His Works. [6:26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? —> His birds don’t plant the seeds, no, seeds are a delicacy to the birds; so if He gave them the seeds to plant, they’d eat the seeds and never plant them in order to eat the fruits of their labors. Nor do they reap what has been sown, His creation — the birds, do none of these things, yet, He ensures they have all their needs met; and, if He cares this much for His birds, just think how much He cares for us who were created in His image—no, we do not look like He looks, but, we have the same physical appearance: i.e., a head, two arms, two legs and a trunk. [6:27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? —> None of us can. [6:28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: —> The lilies are another of Father’s Creation, it doesn’t concern itself with working, you don’t ever see one plant uproot itself, walk out of it’s planted spot to go and search for the things it needs. Nope, it just springs up in Spring, looks pretty, and Father ensures all its needs are met. This next verse is why we came here. Remember, we are to consider all these things so as to learn from them. [6:29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. —> Father Blessed Solomon with more wisdom, knowledge and understanding than any other man in the flesh—again, save Himself—yet, even Solomon was not arrayed—read that, clothed—like Father’s natural earthly Creation. There is though, a raiment we in fact do need to concern ourselves with, and that is the gospel Armor of Ephesians 6. [6:30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? —> …O ye of little faith…=Check out this word “faith” in your Strong’s Concordance, and you’ll find that it is Greek word number G3640, - ὀλιγόπιστος, - oligopistos, pronounced - ol-ig-op’-is-tos, and means: From G3641 and G4102; incredulous, that is, lacking confidence (in Christ): - of little faith. Total KJV occurrences: 5..The word “faith”—G3640 oligopistos, G3641 oligos, G3641 pistis—is used, mentioned or stated in 229 verses with 245 matches in the New Testament, of those 229 verses with 245 matches, only five are with this word oligopistos, four of which are here in the Gospel of Matthew: here in Matthew 6:30 where Jesus is rebuking “care”—take no thought, care or concern for the things of this Age—in Matthew 8:26 where He is rebuking “fear;” in Matthew 14:31 when He rebukes “doubt;” and in Matthew 16:8 where He rebukes “reasoning.” [6:31] Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ [6:32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. —> Those who do the things of Father, never have to worry about any of these things; but, those who do not the things of Father, worry themselves sick over how they’ll get these things, how they look in them, and how fashionable they are. What does Jesus end this with? [6:33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. [6:34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. —> When we truly want Father’s Blessings and His Kingdom, then it becomes paramount that we first seek His Ways, His Will and His Kingdom. What we do and say, are all directed towards the adding to the kingdom of Father, the KING of that Kingdom is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His dominion is obtained through following His Will. His Will is written in His Word, the Holy Written Scriptures, what we call “The Bible.” When His Will becomes our focus, then will Father bestow upon us, all the things necessary for this life. Father loves to Bless His children for those things they do in His name. Don’t ever complain that your Prayers are not answered, but try to understand that He answers Prayers according to His Will. He knows what is best for us, and He gives according to what we can take care of. Be mature in your Prayers as Solomon is being here, and Pray that His Will be done. Sadly, the problem with many Christians, is that they simply do not know what the Will of Father is. Their Prayers are full of “gimme gimme, gimme’s,” with very little Thanks and considerations of others. [3:14] And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.” —> What did David do that so pleased Father? We can read the answer to this question in I Kings 15:5, which reads: I Kings 15:5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. —> What was the thing that Father Commanded David? The same thing He commands Solomon—and us—here in this verse: “To walk in His Ways, keeping His Commandments, His Judgments, His Laws, His Ordinances and His Statutes.” If we meet this condition, then will Father Bless us as He Blessed David. Sadly, for Solomon, he didn’t take heed to the condition that Father placed at the beginning of His statement to Solomon. Yes, Solomon loves Father as we’ll read; however, he never comes around to loving Him only, he whores after other false gods and idols his entire life and reign. Remember brethren, Solomon reigned only forty years like his father, also like his father David, he reigned until his death, and if he took over the kingdom when he was 19, that means he died when he was only 59 years old, 11 years sooner than his father.
1:13 Return to Jerusalem.
1A13
II Chronicles 1:13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel. —> Again, let’s read this in it’s parallel, I Kings 3:15, which reads: I Kings 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. —> After receiving The Promise from Father, Solomon awakes the next morning, and the first thing he does is mount his horse for the ride to Jerusalem. Remember, at this time, he was in Gibeon where Father’s Tabernacle was, now, he goes to Jerusalem to where Father’s Ark of the Covenant is. There he offers—H6213; asah in the Hebrew, meaning he prepared—burnt and peace offerings to Father. This shows us brethren, that the Ceremonial Law was in written form before the days of Solomon, not after, as some assume and assert.
Beginning with the next verse is where the two Books differ and separate. In :I Kings 3, the wisdom of Solomon is immediately put to the test, it’s a story we’re all familiar with, i.e., like the story of David and Goliath, though, this one involves two women, both who had recently given birth, and one, who while sleeping, rolled over onto her infant, smothering the infant. That woman, replaced her dead child with the other woman’s child, then claimed it was she who rolled onto her child and smothered it, which she vehemently denied. The next morning they both came to Solomon desiring he decide who’s child was who’s. Here in II Chronicles 1 though, we’ll read of Solomon taking a different course of action.
1:14-17 Magnificence of Solomon’s kingdom.
1A14
II Chronicles 1:14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. —> Chariots=Let’s go back to our Strong’s Concordance brethren and check out this word chariots, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H7393, - רֶכֶב, - rekeb, pronounced - rehי-keb, and means: From H7392; a vehicle; by implication a team; by extension cavalry; by analogy a rider, that is, the upper millstone: - chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude [from the margin], wagon. Total KJV occurrences: 119..So, what this verse is saying, is that, Solomon had initially inherited many horses from his father David from which he formed a large cavalry. He placed this 12,000 strong cavalry throughout the 12 territorial allotments of land in defense of Israel.
Solomon’s reign begins and ends with almost the exact same words. We’ll read these words and actions by Solomon again when we come to II Chronicles 9:25-28, we also read them when we read I Kings 10:26-29.What did Father command Moses concerning returning to Egypt for horses? We read in Deuteronomy 17:16, that He commanded that Israel never return to Egypt to gather horses, which we’re about to read that Solomon will do. Why would Father command this? Because, having a large army and cavalry means that you’re now putting your trust in yourself and your own might and not in Father.
1A15
II Chronicles 1:15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance. —> the king made silver and gold as plenteous as stones…=Who did this brethren? Father did! He told Solomon in verse v1:12 above, that He would give Solomon “riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”. Think of this brethren, silver and gold were so abundant that they were as stones laying on the ground. Go out and take a stroll and as you do so, look down at the ground and notice all the rocks and little stones that lay on the ground; and then picture all those rocks and stones in your mind as being silver and gold. How nice would it be to be picking all that wealth up that easily? But remember, if it’s that accessible, that also means that it loses it’s value as it did in Israel at this time.
cedar trees=We read in II Samuel 7:2 and I Chronicles 17:1 that David’s palace was made of cedar, in other words, it was quite extravagant. Cedar as most of us know is excellent for repelling moths and other bugs.
sycomore trees=Dr. Bullinger notes in his Companion Notes to this verse in I Kings 10:27 that, “These were not the English, but the Eastern; a king of Fig or Mulberry.”.
1A16
II Chronicles 1:16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. —> linen yarn=Sadly brethren, our King James 1611 Translators didn’t do this phrase any justice and erred here. Let’s turn once again to our strong’s Concordance to find out what this phrase is in the Hebrew, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H4723, - מִקְוֶהss or מִקְוֵהss or מִּקְוֵא, - miqveh or miqvêh or miqvê', pronounced - mik-vehי, mik-vayי, or mik-vayי, and means: From H6960; something waited for, that is, confidence (objectively or subjectively); also a collection, that is, (of water) a pond, or (of men and horses) a caravan or drove: - abiding, gathering together, hope, linen yarn, plenty [of water], pool. Total KJV occurrences: 12..Now let’s read this as it should read: “And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt in droves, and the king’s merchants received the droves of horses at a price.”. So in other words, the amount of horses was so abundant that they drove them in droves, or large caravans, and had to tie them together in order to prevent from losing any.
1A17
II Chronicles 1:17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites (Patronymic from H2845 Heth [a son of Canaan]; and, descendants of Heth) (khit-teeי), and for the kings of Syria (From the same as H758 the highland; Aram; and, elevated; to be high) (arawmי), by their means. —> chariot=The word chariot as used here in this verse is different from that used in verse v 1:14 above. As used here in this verse, in the Strong’s Concordance, it is Hebrew word number: H4818, - מֶרְכָּבָה, - merkâbâh, pronounced - mer-kaw-bawי, and means: Feminine of H4817; a chariot: - chariot. See also H1024. Total KJV occurrences: 44..So, these were actual chariots, like the ones the Egyptians chased after our forefathers with when Father brought them up, out of Egypt.
…a chariot for six hundred shekels…=What this is saying, is that, if Solomon would have had to pay for the chariots—which came with a team of two to three horses—it would have cost him six hundred shekels of silver each, to put it another way, six hundred shekels of silver bought a chariot which included the team of horses to pull the chariot.
The Chariot and horse teams cost 600 shekels; however, the horses by themselves cost 150 shekels; and Solomon used the kings of the Hittites and Syria to bring them and the chariots up from Egypt.
…kings of the Hittites…=We can compare this with both >I Samuel 26:6, which reads I Samuel 26:6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with thee.”, and >II Kings 7:6, which reads: II Kings 7:6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.. Dr. Bullinger notes in his Companion Bible at I Kings 10:29, the following: “These passages are alleged to be “unhistoric!;” however, they are confirmed by the discoveries made in 1874 throughout Asia Minor and North Syria, which identify them with the “sons of Heth” Genesis 23:3,5,7; 25:10; 27:46; and 49:32, the Khatta of the Accadian and the Kheta of the Egyptian Records. They contended on equal terms with Assyria and Egypt. Crushed by Sargon II in 717B.C., Chief Centres, Carchemish on the Euphrates and Kadesh on the Upper Orontes.”.
This in I Kings 10:29, is close to being the end of Solomon’s reign; but, here in II Chronicles 1, it is the beginning of his reign and rule.
Oct 2019
This Bible Study was written by Scott Reis and is provided in order to be used as a private Bible Study Tool. Therefore, it may be copied in whole or in part and shared for private Bible Study; however, it may not be reproduced and published as an original work.
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