The presence of God’s glory in the temple and the coming of fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices assured Solomon that his prayer had been heard and was accepted by the Lord. But there would not always be that same splendor of glory in the temple, nor would fire from heaven consume every sacrifice; so the Lord spoke His Word to Solomon, for “the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).
Promise (vv. 1–3; 2 Chron. 7:11–16). As He had done at Gibeon (3:4–5), the Lord appeared to Solomon and spoke the word that he needed to hear. He assured the king that He had heard his prayer and would answer it. His eyes would be on the house Solomon had built and dedicated, and His ears would be alert to hear the prayers of His people. The people and their king had dedicated the house to the Lord, but now He would sanctify the house and make it His own. God’s name was on the house, God’s eyes were watching, and His ears listening. It was indeed the house of the Lord.
The text in 2 Chronicles 7:11–16 mentions some of the specific requests that Solomon had made in his prayer, and the Lord promised to answer every request. He was willing to forgive His people when they sinned if only they would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their sins. God has never made a covenant with any other nation but Israel, but since Christian believers today are God’s people and called by His name, they can claim this promise.
Obedience (vv. 4–5; 2 Chron. 7:17–18). The Lord made the matter very personal and spoke specifically to Solomon, referring to the covenant God had made with his father, David (2 Sam. 7). The Lord reaffirmed the terms of the covenant and assured Solomon that David would always have a king on the throne so long as his descendants obeyed the law and walked in the fear of the Lord. Solomon couldn’t expect God’s blessing just because David was his father and he had obeyed David and built the temple. Solomon had to be a man like his father, a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), a man of integrity (Ps. 78:72). It’s interesting that the Lord said nothing about David’s adultery, deception, and plot to murder Uriah. These had been serious transgressions for which David had paid dearly, but David had confessed them and the Lord had forgiven him.
Warning (vv. 6–9; 2 Chron. 7:19–22). God had given the Jewish people His Word, and He expected them to obey it, and the king had to practice the law and set the example for others. It’s tragic that after the death of Solomon the nation divided and both kingdoms gradually declined until they were destroyed. The Lord in these words was only rehearsing the terms of the covenant found in Leviticus 26 and Deuternomy 28—30, a covenant that the Jewish people knew well. The kingdom of Judah did turn to idols, disobey the Lord, and invite His chastening. The Babylonian army devastated the land, destroyed Jerusalem, and robbed and burned the temple Solomon had dedicated. Instead of being a blessing to all the nations of the earth, the ruined city and temple would shock visitors from other nations and move them to ridicule.
Before we pass judgment on David’s royal line, let’s consider how many local churches, schools, denominational agencies, and other Christian ministries have abandoned the true faith and ceased to bring glory to the Lord. We could honestly write “Ichabod—the glory has departed” on many an edifice in which Christ was once honored and from which the gospel of Jesus Christ was sent out to a lost world.
From Solomon’s death in 931 until the reign of Zedekiah (597–586), the Davidic dynasty would continue for God would keep His promise to David. But the only Jew alive today who qualifies to sit on David’s throne and can prove it from the genealogies, is Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, Son of God. One day He will reign from David’s throne and “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2: nkjv).