2 CHRONICLES LESSON 5


     We will begin this lesson in II Chronicles 5:1 Thus all the work
that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon
brought in [all] the things that David his father had dedicated; and
the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the
treasures of the house of God.

     The temple, which began in the fourth year of the reign of
Solomon, took 7 years to construct. Verse 1, above, is re-capping the
fact that much of the materials to build the temple and the things
used in the services were given by king David before he died. We
remember, the value of the silver and gold ran into the billions of
dollars.

     II Chronicles 5:2  "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel,
and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the
children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the
covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion."

     The ark was in Jerusalem, where David had it carried. It was
housed in the tent that David had prepared for it. Now, it would be
moved into the temple and placed in the holy of holies. The ark would
be moved with the dignitaries of the land looking on. This is a very
important occasion in the lives of all Israel. This is why it was so
important for the elders and the heads of the tribes to witness the
moving. Notice, this Scripture explicitly calls the city of David,
Zion. This is still Jerusalem, but was where the threshingfloor had
been. This was the place God had chosen for the temple.

     II Chronicles 5:3 "Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled
themselves unto the king in the feast which [was] in the seventh
month."

     All, here, does not mean every individual male in Israel. This
means representatives of all of them came. The feast of Tabernacles
occured in the seventh month on the fifteenth day. The moving occurred
during the feast of Tabernacles, then.

     II Chronicles 5:4 "And all the elders of Israel came; and the
Levites took up the ark."

     David had learned a good lesson about who was to move the ark and
how it was to be moved. We may be assured that David had passed this
information on to Solomon. The Levites, who were chosen to serve God,
would be those to actually move the ark.

     II Chronicles 5:5 "And they brought up the ark, and the
tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were]
in the tabernacle, these did the priests [and] the Levites bring up."

     This makes it appear to be two different people, when it speaks
of the priests and the Levites. The priests are Levites, but they
alone of the Levitical tribe can handle the ark. Even they must not
touch the ark. The staves that go through the rings on the sides of
the ark for carrying purposes. The descendents of Aaron were the
priests.

     II Chronicles 5:6 "Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of
Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep
and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude."

     This means the priests sacrificed the animals that Solomon and
the congregation had offered for sacrifice. There were literally
thousands of animals offered.

     II Chronicles 5:7 "And the priests brought in the ark of the
covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into
the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims:"

     The cherubims were already in place, when the ark was placed
before them. We see, again, the place of the ark was the most holy
place. We remember from an earlier lesson, that the wings covered with
gold were so large they covered the entire back wall of the temple.

     II Chronicles 5:8 "For the cherubims spread forth [their] wings
over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the
staves thereof above."

     It appears from this Scripture, that the staves stayed in place
while the ark was in the most holy place.

     II Chronicles 5:9 "And they drew out the staves [of the ark],
that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle;
but they were not seen without.  And there it is unto this day."

     In this Scripture, they appear to have been removed and been left
somewhere in the room. It is our understanding that is not clear, not
an error in Scripture.

     II Chronicles 5:10  "[There was] nothing in the ark save the two
tables which Moses put [therein] at Horeb, when the LORD made [a
covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt."

     In the original ark, there were the two tables of stone with the
ten commandments on them, Aaron's rod that bloomed, and the golden pot
with the manna. Perhaps, the golden pot with the manna and Aaron's rod
that bloomed had been removed, when the ark had been in the hands of
the enemy. Mount Horeb was believed to be a lower peak of Mount Sinai.
This is the spot where God gave Moses the tables with the ten
commandments.

     II Chronicles 5:11  "And it came to pass, when the priests were
come out of the holy [place]: (for all the priests [that were] present
were sanctified, [and] did not [then] wait by course:"

     These priests took turns ministering in the temple. For this
great occasion, they were all there. They were all sanctified and
could watch this wonderful event for all of Israel.

     II Chronicles 5:12 "Also the Levites [which were] the singers,
all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their
brethren, [being] arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and
psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with
them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)"

     White linen symbolized righteousness. In an earlier lesson, we
learned that Asaph was the overseer of the praise and worship with
singing and musical instruments. All 24 of the choirs were there for
this very special occasion. The trumpets were being blown as a victory
sound. The ark was in the temple.

     II Chronicles 5:13 "It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and
singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and
thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the
trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD,
[saying], For [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: that
[then] the house was filled with a cloud, [even] the house of the
LORD;"

     God inhabits the praises of His people. This beautiful praising
in word, song, and music was in perfect harmony. Notice, the things
that were said of the LORD. He is good. His mercy endureth forever.
This was the presence of the LORD that was in the smoke that entered
the temple. God had accepted the temple and the people. This was shown
by His presence.

     II Chronicles 5:14 "So that the priests could not stand to
minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled
the house of God."

     This just means that the priests fell on their faces in worship
to their LORD. Their strength had all left them, and they fell before
the LORD. The LORD had moved into the temple that Solomon and all the
people had built for Him.
















                      2 Chronicles 5 Questions


1.  Who had dedicated much of the material and the vessels for the
    temple?
2.  When had Solomon begun the temple?
3.  How many years did it take to build the temple?
4.  Who did Solomon assemble?
5.  Where did he assemble them?
6.  Where was the ark located, at the time the temple was finished?
7.  What does verse 2 call the city of David?
8.  What is meant by all the men assembled themselves?
9.  When did they move the ark to the temple?
10. What feast was taking place at the time?
11. Who took up the ark?
12. What did he bring, besides the ark, to the temple?
13. The priests are __________.
14. How must the priests handle the ark?
15. How many animals were sacrificed?
16. Who sacrificed the animals?
17. How large were the wings of the cherubims?
18. Where were they positioned?
19. What did the ark contain, at the time it was moved to the temple?
20. What, besides this, had been in the ark before?
21. When does the author believe the other things might have been
    removed?
22. Which of the priests were in the temple for the moving of the ark?
23. White linen symbolizes _____________.
24. What instruments were they playing in the temple?
25. Who blew the trumpets?
26. What happened, as they were playing and singing praises to the
    LORD?
27. What did the smoke represent?
28. What effect did this have on the priests?