This section of 2 Chronicles is a continuation of God’s covenant story with His chosen people Israel through the reign of King Solomon, King David’s son. Solomon’s reign of prosperity was initially grounded in faith with praise to God for all things. During the time Solomon and the people of Israel placed God first and worshipped no other gods, the nation of Israel was an example of faith to all nations and prospered.
When Solomon became king, his first public act was to lead the leaders and the entire assembly in worship where God’s Tabernacle was located. Solomon asked for the Lord’s guidance, worshipped Him, and sacrificed thousands of offerings to the Lord. When the Lord asked Solomon early in his reign what Solomon wanted, Solomon sought wisdom and knowledge from God to properly govern his people. This answer pleased the Lord because Solomon put the Lord first. As a result, the Lord gave him wisdom and knowledge but also blessed him with wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king before him has had nor in the future would ever have.
Solomon sought the Lord’s will first and honored the Lord God by building a Temple for God’s people to worship God and offer sacrifices. Solomon knew that God was bigger than the Temple but understood the people needed a place to worship and be reminded of God’s preeminence in their lives and the laws given through Moses. Solomon also recognized through wisdom from God that the Temple and Solomon’s prosperity witnessed to others God’s love and care for His people. King Hiram of Tyre, a neighboring country, praised the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. The Queen of Sheba also declared “praise to the Lord who delighted in Solomon and placed him on the throne as king to rule for the Lord.” (page 61)
God blessed the Temple upon its completion by filling it with His presence in a thick cloud and spiritually uplifting all onlookers, including Solomon who praised God as he stood before the people. Solomon’s words about God’s covenant with David and the future for God’s people reminded the people to put God first. “If their descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow God’s Law, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.”
On the other hand, if they did not follow the Lord and were punished, they could repent and be restored in their relationship with Him. They “…are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against God, and if they turn back and acknowledge God’s name and pray to God here in this Temple, then [God will] hear from heaven and forgive the sin of [the} people Israel and return them to this land…” (page57)
In the New Testament, Jesus always sought the will of God, the Father, first. His desire above all else was to do the will of the Father. Jesus knew his other needs would be met. Through Jesus, God was ushering into the world the Kingdom of God in a new covenant with us to place God and service to Him first. Jesus as our example for daily living demonstrated how to put God first in all aspects of our lives. Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:33 highlighted this principal for daily living to us: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (physical needs) shall be yours as well.”
In this time of sheltering in place with fewer distractions competing for our attention, let us continue to focus our attention on the Lord first. May the Lord and the Kingdom of God grow even stronger as our top priority when God delivers us from the COVID-19 pandemic.