SEEING DEEP
with Denise Pass
BIBLE READING PLAN
Being a Living Testament
Sometimes we really want to do something for God or accomplish something in our life but we can’t seem to get it done or just keep failing. Maybe we are striving in our own strength or maybe it was not God’s will for us to do it in the first place. But when we seek to do God’s will for our lives and honor God in all we do, others will notice. We are being a living testament of God’s grace when we don’t compromise and are faithful to God, whether or not our plans ever come to fruition.
Bible Reading of the Day: 2 Chronicles 6-10
It is an exciting moment in the history of God’s people in today’s reading. The temple that David had wanted to build but could not was finally built by his son, Solomon, fulfilling a promise God spoke. Solomon dedicated the temple to God and prayed to God in front of all the people. His actions and words were being a living testament to God’s people for generations, now memorialized in God’s word.
2 Chronicles 6:14-15, “14 He said:
“Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth, who keeps his gracious covenant with your servants who walk before you with all their heart. 15 You have kept what you promised to your servant, my father David. You spoke directly to him, and you fulfilled your promise by your power, as it is today.”
Being a Living Testament—Surrendering to God’s Way
There are several things we can learn from Solomon and how he went about building the Temple.
Followed. First, he did so under the leadership of God. He did it God’s way and followed God, not his own ideas.
Acknowledged. Second, he acknowledged God in the process and in the dedication. In fact, it was all about God.
Humility. Third, He was humble. Sometimes when we see the accomplishment of things, we can pat ourselves on the back, but Solomon gives God all the credit.
Worship. Fourth, Solomon gave God all the glory and he worshiped God.
The prayers Solomon uttered were not rote. They were not tacked on. They came from a sincere heart that sought after God.
The Temple was a place where God’s people could interact with God. Solomon details different scenarios where God’s people would come and pray at the temple and God would hear and answer.
Being a Living Testament—Being a Living Temple
A little about the Temple on gotquestions.org:
“This new, stationary temple would replace the portable tabernacle constructed during the wilderness wandering. If Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 BC, then he began building the temple in 966 BC. A very interesting fact concerning the building of the temple was there was no noise of the construction. The material was prepared before it was brought to the building site. The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor ax nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built (1 Kings 6:7). The Bible’s description of Solomon’s temple suggests that the inside ceiling was 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet high. The highest point on the temple that King Solomon built was actually 120 cubits tall (about 20 stories or about 207 feet). First Kings 6:1–38 and chapters 7—8 describe the construction and dedication of Solomon’s temple.”
“Until the first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians some four hundred years later, in 586 BC, sacrifice was the predominant mode of divine service there. Seventy years later, a second temple was completed on the same site, and sacrifices again resumed. The book of Ezra chronicles the building of the second temple. During the first century, Herod greatly enlarged and expanded this temple, which became known as Herod’s temple. It was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, during the siege of Jerusalem. Only a small portion of the retaining wall remains to this day, known as “The Wailing Wall.”
Being a Living Testament—Walking in Wisdom
In 2 Chronicles 9, the Queen of Sheba came to question Solomon. She came because she had heard about Solomon’s wisdom and how God had blessed Solomon.
What do people hear about us? Is there evidence of God in our lives? Does the work of our hands bring Him glory and cause people to marvel at God?
The work of God in our lives is not for our glory, but so people can look at us as displays of God’s grace. When we are being a living testament of God’s grace in our lives, people have an opportunity to know Jesus through seeing our relationship with God.
After so many wonderful things that we read about Solomon’s reign, chapter 10 is an abrupt about-face.
Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, did not seek God or listen to the elders and sought to make his rule harsher than his dad’s. Consequently, Israel and Judah were divided and Rehoboam ruled only over Judah.
According to the Easy English Bible Commentary,
“Solomon and Rehoboam must share the blame for the fact that the *kingdom became two kingdoms. Solomon had forced the Israelites to do hard labour. And he had not been loyal to the *LORD. He began to *worship other gods. Rehoboam was to blame because he would not follow the wise advice. He made matters worse by his answer to the people. And he had not asked the *LORD for his advice.”
Scripture of the Day: 2 Chronicles 7:14-15
“14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.”
Application
- If we order our lives after God’s will and word, we will be blessed. But if we don’t, we will reap from that choice.
- God’s disposition toward us is to retore and to redeem. If we will just cry out to Him, He will hear and answer.
- We are a living temple of the Holy Spirit.
- Being a living testament means we exemplify Christ to the world around us.
7-Fold One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Day #268: 2 Chronicles 6-10
Scripture of the Day: 2 Chronicles 7:14-15
Listen: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/2Chr.6
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