Deeper Commentary
2Ch 5:1 Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of Yahweh
was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had
dedicated, even the silver and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them
in the treasuries of the house of God-
There is much stress upon all the "work" done (:40,51). Solomon had
quite missed the lessons learned by his father David [and his mother
Bathsheba], that God wants broken, contrite hearts more than works and
sacrifices.
These vessels were those taken in 2 Sam. 8:10. They were devoted to God's service by David and then Solomon dedicated them to the temple. The same phrase "of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass" is used of the vessels taken from Egypt and dedicated to the tabernacle (Ex. 11:2; 12:35; Josh. 6:19; 2 Sam. 8:10; 1 Kings 7:51). The generosity of others in Biblical history, their right perspective on the wealth taken from this world, was to inspire other believers in later history. And this is how the body of Christ should function today, with members inspiring others to spirituality.
The promises God makes involve a solemn commitment by Him to us- the
serious, binding nature of His oath to us is easy to forget. God swore to
David “by my holiness” (Ps. 89:35). The Hebrew for “holiness” is the very
same word translated “dedication”. David’s response to God’s dedication to
him was to dedicate [s.w.] all the silver and gold which he had won from
this world, to the service of God’s house (1 Chron. 26:26; 2 Chron. 5:1).
Our response to God’s dedication to us should be a like dedication of what
we have to Him. Covenant relationship with God requires much of both Him
and us. The case of David is a nice illustration of the meaning of grace.
David wanted to do something for God- build Him a house, spending
his wealth to do so. God replied that no, He wanted to build David
a house. And He started to, in the promises He gave David. And David’s
response to that grace is to still do something- to dedicate his
wealth to God’s house, as God had dedicated Himself to David’s house. This
is just how grace and works should be related in our experience.
Ex. 40:33 is perhaps the clearest basis for the words of Jn. 17:4. This describes how Moses "reared up" the tabernacle, representing us (2 Cor. 6:16); "So Moses finished the work" God had given him to do. Dt. 31:24 likewise speaks of Moses finishing the work. The Hebrew for "reared up" is also used in the context of resurrection and glorification / exaltation. As our Lord sensed His final, ultimate achievement of the Father's glory in His own character, He could look ahead to our resurrection and glorification. He adopted God's timeless perspective, and died with the vision of our certain glorification in the Kingdom. This fits in with the way Psalms 22 and 69 (which evidently portray the thoughts of our dying Lord) conclude with visions of Christ's "seed" being glorified in the Kingdom. There are a number of passages which also speak of the temple (also representative of the ecclesia) being a work which was finished (e.g. 2 Chron. 5:1). In His moment of agonized triumph as He died, the Lord Jesus saw us as if we were perfect.
2Ch 5:2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of
the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of
Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of
the city of David, which is Zion-
Solomon imitated David's bringing up of the ark to Zion (2 Sam. 6:2). He lived out his father's faith and devotion, but only on
an external level. He in due course was to turn away from Yahweh to idols,
and descend into the nihilism of Ecclesiastes.
2Ch 5:3 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the
feast, which was in the seventh month-
This would have been the feast of tabernacles, which began on the
15th day of the seventh month and lasted seven days (Lev. 23:34). The
building finished in the eighth month of Solomon's 11th year of reigning
(1 Kings 6:37), so he waited almost a year before this ceremony of
dedication. Perhaps for some reason he wanted to combine it specifically
with the feast of tabernacles.
2Ch 5:4 All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark-
2 Chron. 5:4 says that the Levites took up the ark, whereas 1 Kings
8:3 says that the priests did. Both were true; for Levites weren't allowed
into the most holy place (Num. 4:20). So the Levites did carry it,
according to the law; but the priests carried it into the most holy place.
Here we see how an apparent discrepancy on a surface level reveals a deep
evidence of the way the records do not contradict but dovetail perfectly,
as we would expect of a Divinely inspired writing. But this is only
apparent to those who respectfully search the entire scriptures, rather
than bandying around a surface level contradiction with an eagerness which
speaks more of their own fears the Bible is inspired than of deep factual
persuasion.
2Ch 5:5 and they brought up the ark, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the
holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the priests the Levites brought
up-
The priests took these things on the final part of their journey,
into the most holy place; as the Levites were forbidden from doing so
(Num. 4:20). But the Levites took them the first part of their journey;
see on :4.
2Ch 5:6 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were
assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that
could not be counted nor numbered for multitude-
He offered huge numbers of sacrifices when the ark was brought into the
temple (1 Kings 8:63), just as David had sacrificed as the ark was brought
to Zion (2 Sam. 6:13). Yet he failed to feel and know the
truth of David’s conclusion that God doesn’t essentially want sacrifice
(Ps. 40:6). David had been forced to learn that lesson through the shame
of his sin with Bathsheba- Solomon was so sure of his own righteousness
that he never was driven to see the inadequacy of animal sacrifice in
itself, and the need in the end for the direct receipt of God’s grace.
Solomon offered sacrifices “that could not be told nor numbered for
multitude”. This is evidently to be connected with the
language of the promises to Abraham about the multiplication of the seed
of Israel. It could be that Solomon thought that his generosity in giving
of his wealth was what had brought about the fulfilment of these promises-
he almost forced God to fulfil them, at least in his own mind, by his
generosity.
2Ch 5:7 The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its
place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under
the wings of the cherubim-
See on :5,8.
2Ch 5:8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the
ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles-
In the tabernacle the wings were "spread out on high" (Ex. 25:20;
27:9), but here their wings touch each other. Although Solomon claims he
built everything according to Divine revelation, we wonder whether in fact
he felt free to liberally reinterpret the tabernacle features. And he
changes wings uplifted to God's glory to wings which are closed in upon
each other; the mercy seat, or cover of the ark, is no longer exposed to
Heaven, as it were, but now closed over.
2Ch 5:9 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from
the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen outside-
This may reflect a design fault in the lengths of the staves.
Although we are assured that a person looking from the outer sanctuary
would not have seen them even when the entrance to the holy place was
open. This kind of design fault would not have been present if indeed, as
Solomon claimed, the specifications were given by God. I suggest this was
just his claim, and he built the temple according to his own desire to
have a go at architecture and building- which he admits in Ecclesiastes
had been his passion and obsession, for a time. See on :64 for another
possible design fault.
It is there to this day-
This indicates that this record was written some time before the
exile ["to this day"]. But other parts of the history suggest it was
written after the exile. This means that some parts were rewritten or
edited, under Divine inspiration, but others weren't.
2Ch 5:10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which
Moses put in it at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of
Israel when they came out of Egypt-
Inside the ark was intended to be "the golden pot that had manna, and
Aaron’s rod that budded" (Heb. 9:4; Ex. 16:34; Num. 17:10). They had
apparently been lost; so although they remained with the symbols of the
covenant, they were lacking in the things which spoke of new spiritual
life and the resurrection.
2Ch 5:11 The priests came out of the holy place, (for all the priests who
were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions-
These divisions are the courses of the priests (1 Chron. 24). but the
work was so great, as there were so many sacrifices, that the division on
duty that day or week couldn't cope, so all the priestly divisions
sanctified themselves and did the work. This may be a hint that David's
careful plans had some design faults within them, as noted on :9. Because
they were all of man and not God.
2Ch 5:12 also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even
Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine
linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east
end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with
trumpets)-
Clearly in imitation of David's praise when the ark was brought to
Zion in 2 Sam. 6:5. As noted on :2, Solomon lived out his father's faith
and devotion, but only on an external level. He in due course was to turn
away from Yahweh to idols, and descend into the nihilism of Ecclesiastes.
For personal faith is not the same as living out parental expectation.
It could be argued that standing "at" the east end may mean facing
toward the east. In this case they were looking toward Solomon to impress
him, and turning their backs on the sanctuary, which is the huge sin of
Ez. 8:16.
2Ch 5:13 The trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be
heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and they lifted up their voice with
the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh,
saying, For He is good; for His loving kindness endures forever! Then the
house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yahweh-
Ex. 40:34,35 uses the same terms for God's acceptance of and dwelling
in the tabernacle. For all the pagan undertones in the temple, and
Solomon's unspirituality, God was eager to still dwell within this
structure; even though it was not what He wanted. Just as He had used the
human kingship, when it was deeply offensive to Him.
2Ch 5:14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the
cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled God’s house-
This was as at the erection of the tabernacle. The idea was that
Yahweh's glory was far above the mere religion of the temple system.