Neville Turley

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

King Solomon succeeded to the throne at the tender age of 12 years. Following the detailed plans David had left him, he began building the temple on Mount Moriah. 

Twenty years into his reign, the building of the Temple in all of its magnificent splendour, as well as his palace, was completed to Solomon’s satisfaction.  It was then that the Lord appeared to him with the divine promise that is our verse for today. 

However it was coupled with a warning.  If Solomon turned away and forsook the decrees and commands God had given him, God would uproot Israel from the land and the temple would become a heap of rubble. (2 Chronicles 7 19-21)

Solomon’s reign was the golden era of the Jewish kingdom, but it carried within it the seeds of its own destruction.

Solomon’s many foreign wives had a negative influence on his faith.  “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (1 Kings 11:4)

Solomon’s wealth was unsurpassed, yet his subjects were heavily taxed.  When his son, Rehoboam, succeeded he harshly increased their tax burden.

Israel rebelled. Ten of the 12 tribes rejected Rehoboam as their king. (1 Kings 12:16)  They chose Jeroboam who worshiped idols as their king.

Four-hundred years after the temple was built, a vulnerable Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. The town was devastated and looted of all its riches.  Many people were killed and others taken into slavery. Solomon’s temple was reduced to rubble. 

There is a lesson here for all of us.  Our God is not to be trifled with. If we are to claim his divine promises we must never neglect to follow his instructions. The Holy Spirit shows us how.

Prayer: Heavenly father, forgive us our many sins and cultivate within us a spirit of obedience. For Jesus Sake.  Amen