2 Chronicles 1:1-17
1:1 Solomon inherited the responsibility of a blessed, prosperous kingdom. So do we step into life with purpose and responsibility. If that overwhelms you, it overwhelmed Solomon, too. This chapter outlines how he responded.
1:2-6 Solomon makes a special sacrifice to God at the high place in Gibeon. This location represented the longevity of God's relationship with this people. It was a reminder of Moses' leadership of the tribes out of slavery in Egypt. Solomon had the same hopes Moses had: to lead these tribes, now a kingdom, into deliverance by God's direction. (How mind-blowing that the same God leads us now!)
1:7 That night, God presented Himself to Solomon and asked Solomon what He could do for him. God wants to help His children succeed; throughout the Bible, He reminds us that He has the capability (not just the willingness) to do so. For instance, James 4:2-3 and John 16:24 which respectively say:
Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.And
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Therefore ask Him! God's children's hopes and dreams are in alignment with righteousness and with His will. If what your heart hopes for grows you, assists others, promotes justice, or contributes at all to your well-being and humanity, the answer is yes. We should never underestimate the power of simply asking God...and not just for things or people or opportunities, but for His counsel, presence and will.
1:8 Early in his reign, Solomon still marveled at the wonder of the kingdom and the impossibility of it becoming his to shepherd. In the beginning of his answer to God, he simply takes time to marvel at God's generosity in positioning him as king.
1:9 A comprehensive prayer takes into consideration the past, and present, not only the future. Where we want to be is more readily achieved when we are conscious of the steps we have taken in obedience to God and the steps we are currently taking. Solomon took stock of his situation, but also of his father's situation. Despite inexperience, David somehow grew a nation and Solomon recognized that that somehow was God. First and foremost in his request, Solomon requests God's presence (and the direction, propulsion and provision that come with it).
1:10 The heart of Solomon's request is for the wisdom and knowledge to handle such a responsibility. This was the most humble and raw moment of Solomon's life: he acknowledged his inadequacy juxtaposed the blessed responsibility of his purpose. The kingdom of Israel belonged very much to God. His presence and authority within and over it was evident. Solomon considered the contrast between such a mighty power and himself, a humble man.
Much of the beauty of our relationship with God is our ability to be honest with Him and ourselves about our deficiencies (and yet feel wholeheartedly loved not only despite them but because of them). Paul states that when we are at our weakest point, we are actually at our strongest, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. We are strongest in these moments of honest weakness because in those moments, we make a genuine request to God to supplement what we never could. We ask Him to do His incredible work in impossible situations; Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
1:11 God was fascinated with Solomon's request because of the depth of its selflessness. It is wise for us to make the same request to God with our own lives: to ask not for anything necessarily additional, but to ask for the wisdom and resourcefulness to use what He has already provided us to do a purpose He has already anointed us for.
1:12 That night, Solomon's request was immediately granted by God. It is God's pleasure to bless His children, Luke 12:32. Jesus explained to us in Matthew 6:33 that when our full focus and intention is on the kingdom of God (i.e making selfless requests for the benefit of the people around us) all things shall be added to us. Solomon did not ask for anything additional and yet God added onto his request!
God delights in surprising us with abundance; but that element of surprise can only happen when we are fully focused on His kingdom. Think about this in the context of your own life: it is so much more fulfilling (for both giver and receiver) to give to someone who does not expect anything and already appreciates what they have. God wants us to have the best equipment we need to do specialized-righteous work here on earth; but we do not need that equipment until we undergo the work.
1:13 The sentence is simple but the work was not: Solomon reigned over Israel. Solomon underwent his God-given work and purpose. He accepted and absorbed and took ownership of a massive responsibility! God trusts us with His children. Although He has every reason to be dubious about our ability, He trusts us to take care of what matters most to Him.
He is like a parent leaving their beloved young child with a first-time babysitter; the parent provides everything the babysitter and child will need to not only survive but to enjoy their night. Pizza money. Movie rental money. A schedule. Tips and tricks to help the child sleep or eat or be soothed. Whatever we need, He has already thought to provide it*. Solomon stepped into the kingdom like the babysitter steps into the house: nervous but willing to work hard, inexperienced but willing to learn and with the best intentions.
Our work on earth is supplemented by God as if we were climbing a mountain. He provides the gear we need to be safe and successful. But you do not need that gear if you have not begun to climb the mountain! We are going to observe so much during that hike (during our journey on earth) and He helps us to log it, analyze it, learn and grow from it. He helps us to reach the top because there is perspective there that we have never had before.
Our work on earth is supplemented by God as if we were climbing a mountain. He provides the gear we need to be safe and successful. But you do not need that gear if you have not begun to climb the mountain! We are going to observe so much during that hike (during our journey on earth) and He helps us to log it, analyze it, learn and grow from it. He helps us to reach the top because there is perspective there that we have never had before.
* Much of God's advice to us is written throughout the Bible. Through story and metaphor and parable, simile and example and history, God has provided instruction. The Bible hosts a wealth of information but is not merely a reference guide. We are meant to delve deeply into scripture, to dive into it so much that we are covered in the dust of the dried and parted red sea; so much that our cheeks are wet with David's tears of relief; so much that we are marked by Jesus' wounds; so much that we burst with joy at Hannah's prayer answered in the birth Samuel; so much that we feel overcome by the relief of Jesus rising. Scripture is alive and dynamic; it molds itself to the individual and the specific season said individual is presently in.
We also have a personal connection with the Holy Spirit, John 14:26, which dwells within us. This is a quiet and intimate voice, emphatically nudging us toward blessing and holding us back from fear. Knowing the Bible gives God ample material to reach us with; and that in combination with a personal relationship, tethers us nearer and nearer to God and the comfort and instruction we need to enjoy life.
The nutrition profile of a mother's breast milk is specific to the needs of the infant and even changes in response to the dynamic requirements of her growing baby as he adapts to his environment. Similarly are we nourished spiritually by scripture. It is inexplicable, incredible and yet can be experienced and realized personally when one endeavors to dive deeply into scripture and remain there. Our creator is detail-oriented! If we are reading and listening carefully, God meticulously ensures that we extract precisely what we need (from life and scripture) to handle what we are responsible for and even thrive.
1:14-17 Solomon is not yet finished as an example to us. As wealth increased around him, his faith decreased. The New Testament cautioned us: we cannot serve both God and money, Luke 16:13. We are either servant of God or a slave to desire. Choose God as your master and adhere to His words, Solomon stepped away... incrementally, and wandered very far from God's path and presence.* As our lives increase with abundance, so must our faith increase with marvel and gratitude to God. We must remain conscious of the nature of the character that led us into blessing in order to keep blessing in us.
* Solomon began his reign with the intention of serving God. Eventually, he began to serve his desires instead. Desire commanded that he acquire horses and wives and jewels (all of which corrupted his goodness and humble nature). Previously, selflessness encouraged his obedience to God and led him to take care of God's children (and Solomon was in turn taken care of).
God tells us not to serve our desire because desire does not have our best interest at heart. Desire is a bottomless, insatiable and merciless void. It strips us of our good character and turns us into a desperate and unsatisfied shell. Desires rips perspective from our minds and understanding from our hearts. Desire mutes our ability to empathize and act on compassion. God's "No's" are rigid and emphatic with reason: He can see the desolation at the end of desire's path, and it pains Him to see us in the midst of it, starving for the breath He once breathed into our lungs.
Obedience to God is not a master-slave relationship, it is a Father-son/daughter relationship. Our service to Him initiates His service to us.
* Solomon began his reign with the intention of serving God. Eventually, he began to serve his desires instead. Desire commanded that he acquire horses and wives and jewels (all of which corrupted his goodness and humble nature). Previously, selflessness encouraged his obedience to God and led him to take care of God's children (and Solomon was in turn taken care of).
God tells us not to serve our desire because desire does not have our best interest at heart. Desire is a bottomless, insatiable and merciless void. It strips us of our good character and turns us into a desperate and unsatisfied shell. Desires rips perspective from our minds and understanding from our hearts. Desire mutes our ability to empathize and act on compassion. God's "No's" are rigid and emphatic with reason: He can see the desolation at the end of desire's path, and it pains Him to see us in the midst of it, starving for the breath He once breathed into our lungs.
Obedience to God is not a master-slave relationship, it is a Father-son/daughter relationship. Our service to Him initiates His service to us.
