Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Chronicles 7:2

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Construction of the temple (2:1-7:22)

With the help of King Hiram of Tyre, Solomon prepared materials and arranged a workforce to build the planned temple (2:1-18; see notes on 1 Kings 5:1-18). Construction went on for seven years, until the temple, its furniture, its courtyard, and all other articles and decorations connected with it were completed according to plan (3:1-5:1; see notes on 1 Kings 6:1-51). The temple was then dedicated to God (5:2-7:22; see notes on 1 Kings 8:1-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

FIRE FROM HEAVEN; THE GREAT FEAST;
GOD WARNS SOLOMON; THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN

"Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. And the priests could not enter the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah filled Jehovah's house. And all the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah was upon the house; and they bowed themselves down with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and gave thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth forever."

Other Biblical accounts of fire coming down from heaven to consume sacrifices are: (1) at the Mosaic tabernacle (Leviticus 9:24), (2) before Manoah (Judges 13:20), and (3) at the Davidic altar on Mount Moriah (1 Chronicles 21:26). Curtis (Madsen) believed that the Chronicler "invented" this;International Critical Commentary, Chronicles, p. 347. but the mystery to this writer is not the the fire from heaven, which is not any more wonderful than a hundred other things recorded in the O.T., but, WHY WOULD ANY SCHOLAR WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE WHAT IS WRITTEN, WASTE A LIFETIME OF STUDY ON WHAT HE THINKS IS A FALSEHOOD? The attention that unbelievers bestow upon the sacred text is a tacit confession that they do believe it. If they think the Bible is false, why do they bother themselves about it? As Shakespeare stated it, "Methinks (he) dost protest too much."William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Sc. 2, Line 149.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 7

And when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 ).

It's a reminder of the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness where the fire of God came down and kindled the coals upon the altar and consumed the sacrifices. And the glory of God filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. And now the same thing happened as God's glory fills the temple.

And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and they worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And then the people for seven days offered sacrifices unto the LORD. They sacrificed twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So all of the people in the kingdom dedicated the house ( 2 Chronicles 7:2-5 ).

What a barbecue they had!

And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music to the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all of Israel stood. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the fat ( 2 Chronicles 7:6-7 ).

And so they just made a place out to do it in the yard there.

Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people ( 2 Chronicles 7:8-10 ).

So that should be the way people leave the fellowship. Glad and merry in heart for the goodness of God.

And Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. Now the LORD appeared ( 2 Chronicles 7:11-12 )

After the whole celebration and the thing had died down, the Lord then appeared.

to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. And if I shut up heaven that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land ( 2 Chronicles 7:12-14 ).

This promise of God is an answer to Solomon's prayer. As Solomon foresaw the calamities that might befall the nation in their sinning against God, and if they turn and repent and pray, then hear Thou from Thy dwelling place in heaven. God is now answering the prayer of Solomon saying, "If these things come, and if my people who are called by my name will just humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land."

I believe that this scripture today is perhaps one of the most important scriptures to be brought before the people of our nation. The people who have been called by His name. United States has been considered as a Christian nation. I didn't say it was a Christian nation. I said it's been considered as a Christian nation. But how far we have moved from true Christianity. How far we have moved from God in our national life, in our local life. And we see the plague that Solomon could foresee. The judgments of God. It is time for God's people to humble themselves and pray and to seek His face and to turn from their wicked ways, because God will hear. God will forgive. And God will heal the land. That's His promise.

Now my eyes will be open, my ears will be attentive unto the prayers that are made in this place. For I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments; then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and you shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it to be a proverb and a byword among the nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them ( 2 Chronicles 7:15-22 ).

Now God's warning to Solomon. The warning is... It is, first of all, a promise. "Solomon, if you just walk in my ways, I'll keep the covenant of David and I'll prosper you on the throne. But if you forsake Me, Solomon, then I'm going to forsake you. You're going to be cut off and these calamities are going to come. This beautiful house that you've built is going to be ruined. People are going to say, 'How in the world did God allow such desolation to come?' And people will say, 'Because they forsook God.'"

Now many times when God warns us of something, possible danger, we say, "Oh, come, that's all right. I'll never be troubled there, Lord. You know, why don't You save Your breath, God? That's a situation I would never forsake You, Lord." Now the Lord is warning Solomon about forsaking Him.

I have learned to heed every warning God gives, because I have found that I have never fallen but what I wasn't warned of God beforehand. And many times when the warning came, I felt that they were totally unnecessary. I thought, That's an area where I could never trip or be tripped up. But in the scriptures, it is interesting that God seemed to warn people of the very thing that later became their stumbling block. Of the very thing that later on happened. And here is Solomon now still fresh with this glorious experience of the power of God demonstrated. The fire of God kindling the altar and the sacrifice. The glory of God filling the house, the cloud of God and all of this glorious experience and God is saying, "Now, Solomon, don't forsake Me." And I'm sure Solomon in his heart was saying, "Oh God, I could never forsake You. I could never worship other gods. There is no God like unto Thee who keeps covenants and who shows mercy. Lord, I could never forsake You."

But what happened to Solomon? He forsook the Lord and began to worship and serve other gods. Tragic. The very thing that God warned him about was the very thing that he did. And that is so often true. Thus, we need to take heed to every warning that God gives us. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

4. The celebration of the people 7:1-10

This celebration consisted of a seven-day dedication of the bronze altar, followed by the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. The very large number of sacrifices Solomon offered seems incredible, but there are records of other large sacrifices such as this one that scholars have discovered from ancient times (cf. 1 Kings 8:63). [Note: Edward Curtis and Albert Madsen, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Chronicles, p. 348.]

"The double attestation of the temple, in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 and 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 a, reminds one of the twofold divine endorsement of Jesus, with a voice from heaven at his baptism and a voice from the cloud of glory at his transfiguration (Mark 1:11; Mark 9:7)." [Note: Leslie C. Allen, 1, 2 Chronicles, p. 236.]

This record of the dedication of the temple emphasizes both the importance of the temple and the character of Israel’s God who indwelt it. Solomon reunited the ark, the symbol of God’s grace, and the altar, the symbol of human sacrificial response to that grace. It was now possible for Israel to fulfill the purpose for which God had created her as never before in her history. The temple was the key to this possibility. That is one reason the temple was so important in the national life of Israel.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord,.... They went in to carry the ark thither, but not being able to stand to minister, they came out, and could not reenter:

because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house; both the holy place, and the holy of holies, see 1 Kings 8:10.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.   2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.   3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.   4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.   5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.   6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.   7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.   8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.   9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.   10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.   11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

      Here is, I. The gracious answer which God immediately made to Solomon's prayer: The fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice,2 Chronicles 7:1; 2 Chronicles 7:1. In this way God testified his acceptance of Moses (Leviticus 9:24), of Gideon (Judges 6:21), of David (1 Chronicles 21:26), of Elijah (1 Kings 18:38); and, in general, to accept the burnt-sacrifice is, in the Hebrew phrase, to turn it to ashes, Psalms 20:3. The fire came down here, not upon the killing of the sacrifices, but the praying of the prayer.

      1. This fire intimated that God was, (1.) Glorious in himself; for our God is a consuming fire, terrible even in his holy places. This fire, breaking forth (as it is probable) out of the thick darkness, made it the more terrible, as on Mount Sinai, Exodus 24:16; Exodus 24:17. The sinners in Sion had reason to be afraid at that sight, and to say, Who among us shall dwell near this devouring fire?Isaiah 33:14. And yet, (2.) Gracious to Israel; for this fire, which might justly have consumed them, fastened upon the sacrifice which was offered in their stead, and consumed that, by which God signified to them that he accepted their offerings and that his anger was turned away from them.

      2. Let us apply this, (1.) To the suffering of Christ. When it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief, in that he showed his good-will to men, having laid on him the iniquity of us all. His death was our life, and he was made sin and a curse that we might inherit righteousness and a blessing. That sacrifice was consumed that we might escape. Here am I, let these go their way. (2.) To the sanctification of the Spirit, who descends like fire, burning up our lusts and corruptions, those beasts that must be sacrificed or we are undone, and kindling in our souls a holy fire of pious and devout affections, always to be kept burning on the altar of the heart. The surest evidence of God's acceptance of our prayers is the descent of the holy fire upon us. Did not our hearts burn within us?Luke 24:32. As a further evidence that God accepted Solomon's prayer, still the glory of the Lord filled the house. The heart that is thus filled with a holy awe and reverence of the divine glory, the heart to which God manifests himself in his greatness, and (which is no less his glory) in his goodness, is thereby owned as a living temple.

      II. The grateful return made to God for this gracious token of his favour.

      1. The people worshipped and praised God,2 Chronicles 7:3; 2 Chronicles 7:3. When they saw the fire of God come down from heaven thus they did not run away affrighted, but kept their ground in the courts of the Lord, and took occasion from it, (1.) With reverence to adore the glory of God: They bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped, thus expressing their awful dread of the divine majesty, their cheerful submission to the divine authority, and the sense they had of their unworthiness to come into God's presence and their inability to stand before the power of his wrath. (2.) With thankfulness to acknowledge the goodness of God; even when the fire of the Lord came down they praised him, saying, He is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. This is a song never out of season, and for which our hearts and tongues should be never out of tune. However it be, yet God is good. When he manifests himself as a consuming fire to sinners, his people can rejoice in him as their light. Nay, they had reason to say that in this God was good. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, but the sacrifice in our stead, for which we are bound to be very thankful."

      2. The king and all the people offered sacrifices in abundance, 2 Chronicles 7:4; 2 Chronicles 7:5. With these they feasted this holy fire, and bade it welcome to the altar. They had offered sacrifices before, but now they increased them. Note, The tokens of God's favour to us should enlarge our hearts in his service, and make us to abound therein more and more. The king's example stirred up the people. Good work is then likely to go on when the leaders of a people lead in it. The sacrifices were so numerous that the altar could not contain them all; but, rather than any of them should be turned back (though we may suppose the blood of them all was sprinkled upon the altar), the flesh of the burnt-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings were burnt in the midst of the court (2 Chronicles 7:7; 2 Chronicles 7:7), which Solomon either hallowed for that service or hallowed by it. In case of necessity the pavement might be an altar.

      3. The priests did their part; they waited on their offices, and the singers and musicians on theirs (2 Chronicles 7:6; 2 Chronicles 7:6), with the instruments that David made, and the hymn that David had put into their hand, as some think it may be read (meaning that 1 Chronicles 16:7), or, as we read it, when David praised by their ministry. He employed, directed, and encouraged them in this work of praising God; and therefore their performances were accepted as his act, and he is said to praise by their ministry.

      4. The whole congregation expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction imaginable. They kept the feast of the dedication of the altar seven days, from the second to the ninth; the tenth day was the day of atonement, when they were to afflict their souls for sin, and that was not unseasonable in the midst of their rejoicings; on the fifteenth day began the feast of tabernacles, which continued to the twenty-second, and they did not separate till the twenty-third. We must never grudge the time that we spend in the worship of God and communion with him, nor think it long, or grow weary of it.

      5. Solomon went on in his work, and prosperously effected all he designed for the adorning both of God's house and his own, 2 Chronicles 7:11; 2 Chronicles 7:11. Those that begin with the service of God are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. It was Solomon's praise that what he undertook he went through with, and it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it.