2 CHRONICLES LESSON 2


     We will begin this lesson in II Chronicles 2:1 "And Solomon
determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house
for his kingdom."

     Solomon is just like a brand new Christian, here. He is
determined to do a fabulous work for the glory of the LORD. I like the
word determined, because it means he would not be easily discouraged.
He would drive on to accomplish the job God gave him to do. He had his
priorities straight, because the house for the name of the LORD was
mentioned first, and then his own house.

     II Chronicles 2:2 "And Solomon told out threescore and ten
thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the
mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them."

     This is saying, that Solomon set 70,000 men aside for the task of
carrying burdens. He set 80,000 men to cut the timber and shape it for
the buildings. There were 3,600 men to oversee all of this work.
Solomon would build a complex, along with building the temple.

     II Chronicles 2:3  "And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre,
saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him
cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, [even so deal with
me]."

     Huram is the same as Hiram. He had sent cedar for the home of
David, and sent workers who were skilled in building with cedar.
Solomon was sure that he would deal the same with him, as he did with
his father David. David had sent grain to help them. It was not an
exchange, but each sent the other a gift. Grain was plentiful in
Israel, and Solomon would do the same.

     II Chronicles 2:4 "Behold, I build an house to the name of the
LORD my God, to dedicate [it] to him, [and] to burn before him sweet
incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings
morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the
solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This [is an ordinance] for ever to
Israel."

     The burning of sweet incense symbolizes the prayers of the
saints. The smoke and sweet smell rises to heaven like the prayers
rise to heaven. The continual shewbread is speaking of the twelve
loaves that were always in the temple before the LORD. This bread is
symbolic of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Bread. This
also is symbolic of that bread that fell from heaven to feed the
Israelites. Twelve is a representative number of the whole. The body
of Jesus took care of all of us. He gave His body {Bread} on the
cross, that all men might be saved. Every one of the offerings and
sacrifices represent that one great sacrifice that Jesus made for us
all. He fulfilled all of the law in that one act. The list of the
times are special observances they made.
     II Chronicles 2:5 "And the house which I build [is] great: for
great [is] our God above all gods."

     This is another way of saying, "Our God is God". II Samuel 7:22
"Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none like thee,
neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have
heard with our ears."

     II Chronicles 2:6 "But who is able to build him an house, seeing
the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who [am] I then,
that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before
him?"

     The temple Solomon built to the LORD was the most magnificent
house in the whole world at the time it was built. Even that was not
enough to think that God would dwell there, because the world, and
everything in it, belongs to God. Even all the world could not contain
God. The temple, then, was built for man. It was a way man could try
to convey his love for God. This was a point of contact for mortal man
with his God. God is "omnipresent". He is everywhere all at the same
time.

     II Chronicles 2:7 "Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in
gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and
crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men
that [are] with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did
provide."

     He needs a man like Bezaleel, that God sent to Moses. He is
really speaking of a superviser, who can direct all of the work that
must be done. There are men already provided to do the actual work,
but this would have to be someone highly skilled, to see the work is
perfect.

     II Chronicles 2:8 "Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum
trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut
timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants [shall be] with thy
servants,"

     Solomon was aware that Hiram's men were more skilled at working
with their native woods, than his men were. He would send men to do
much of the menial labor, but the men of Hiram would have to do things
that were not known by Solomon's men.

     II Chronicles 2:9 "Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for
the house which I am about to build [shall be] wonderful great."

     There would be a vast amount of timber needed to build the
temple, the palace, and all of the buildings associated with them.
There would not only have to be vast amounts, but huge individual
trees, as well.  The temple that Solomon was attempting to build was
far beyond anything that any of them had ever worked on before.

     II Chronicles 2:10 "And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the
hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and
twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine,
and twenty thousand baths of oil."

     This would be very good news to the land of Hiram. They could not
grow enough grain to feed their people. There had been a great
shortage of this type of food in their land. Each measure of grain
would be 32 pecks. The beaten wheat was wheat to make bread with.
20,000 measures would be 640,000 pecks of beaten wheat. The barley
would, also, be 640,000 pecks. A bath is 7 gallons. This means they
would give them 140,000 gallons of wine and 140,000 gallons of oil.
The wine would be from the many vineyards in Israel, and the oil would
be of the olive trees.

     II Chronicles 2:11  "Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in
writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his
people, he hath made thee king over them."

     This is a very complimentary letter to Solomon. It appears, from
this, that Huram knew of the God of Israel. This would be the nicest
thing a king could hear. When we live right, it sends a message to the
unsaved around us. This was what Solomon had done here. Huram realized
this was, because God had blessed Israel.

     II Chronicles 2:12 "Huram said moreover, Blessed [be] the LORD
God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the
king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might
build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom."

     Huram, or Hiram, as he was better known, had been a close friend
of king David. He was pleased to know that God had sent a son to David
to carry out the building of the temple, which David had so greatly
desired to do. Again, it was the LORD God of Israel who brought this
all about. Solomon would do the work that David had in his heart to
do.  Huram was pleased with Solomon's desire to accomplish this.

     II Chronicles 2:13 "And now I have sent a cunning man, endued
with understanding, of Huram my father's," II Chronicles 2:14 "The son
of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father [was] a man of
Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in
stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in
crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every
device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the
cunning men of my lord David thy father."

     It appears, that this very skilled worker was of a father of Tyre
and a mother, who was of the tribe of Dan. It was not unusual for
these marriages between the Hebrews and other nations to take place.
There was quite a bit of exchange between them, in fact. He was,
probably, an engraver, who worked with all of these things. Tyre was
well known for the beautiful handwork they did in all of these things.
If he was the best in their land, then he was very skilled.

     II Chronicles 2:15 "Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the
oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his
servants:"

     Probably, the need for the food was immediate in their land. He
was asking Solomon to go ahead and send it. He would immediately start
on the work Solomon had asked them to do, as well.

     II Chronicles 2:16 "And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much
as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to
Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem."

     Even today, logs are moved by letting them float in water to
their destination. Joppa was a well-known port. It was known for its
beautiful groves. The logs would be floated to Joppa, and the
Israelites would be responsible for carrying them overland to
Jerusalem, which was about 34 miles. There were thousands of men
responsible for bearing burdens, in fact 70,000 men. This would be no
problem then, if they could get the logs to Joppa.

     II Chronicles 2:17  "And Solomon numbered all the strangers that
[were] in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his
father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty
thousand and three thousand and six hundred."

     These strangers were there working on the building projects.
There were 153,600 strangers in the land. They were mostly from Tyre.
Many of them were engravers and those who carved wood.

     II Chronicles 2:18 "And he set threescore and ten thousand of
them [to be] bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand [to be] hewers
in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set
the people a work."

     This is a repetition of the first verses of this lesson. There
were 70,000 burden bearers. There were 80,000 men cutting wood in the
mountains. The 3,600 men were overseers.


















                      2 Chronicles 2 Questions


1.  What had Solomon determined to do?
2.  How many men would be burden bearers?
3.  How many men would cut timber?
4.  How many overseers would there be?
5.  Huram is the same as ________.
6.  What had Hiram done for David?
7.  What had David done to help Hiram?
8.  What did Solomon say was the purpose for the house built to the
    name of the LORD?
9.  What does the burning of sweet incense symbolize?
10. The continual shewbread is speaking of what?
11. Twelve is a ___________ number of the whole.
12. Who was the true Bread?
13. What were some of the special observances?
14. Verse 5 is another way of saying what?
15. Quote 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 22.
16. Why could the temple Solomon built not hold God?
17. In verse 7, Solomon is asking for what type of man?
18. Why would they need so vast a supply of timber?
19. How much beaten wheat would Solomon send in return?
20. How large is a measure?
21. How many pecks of wheat was sent then?
22. How much barley was sent?
23. A bath is ______ gallons.
24. How many gallons of wine did Solomon send them?
25. How much oil did he send them?
26. How did Huram answer Solomon's offer?
27. Quote 2 Chronicles chapter 2 verse 12.
28. Who was the mother of the cunning man, that Hiram sent to Solomon?
29. Why did Hiram ask Solomon to go ahead and send the food?
30. How are large logs moved from place to place?
31. How many strangers were in the land, when Solomon numbered them?