Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20070204.htm

1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part III: Gaining Direction From God's Work In The Reign Of Solomon, 2 Chronicles 1-9
D. Learning To Gain God's RICH Approval In Meekly Submitting To God's Will
(2 Chronicles 6:1-7:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. There is no greater achievement a human being can know in this life than to have God demonstrate in a tangible way His richest approval of that person's heart and service activity for the Lord.
    2. Solomon saw this occur in his life when he exhibited meek submission to God before the onlooking people of Israel, and the passage that details this wonderful event is 2 Chronicles 6:1-7:3 (as follows):
  2. Learning To Gain God's RICH Approval In Meekly Submitting To God's Will, 2 Chronicles 6:1-7:3.
    1. As we learned in our last lesson, the Lord revealed that He approved of the temple Solomon had built by filling it with His cloud so thickly that the priests could not serve there (2 Chronicles 5:1, 13b-14).
    2. Solomon responded to this initial divine approval of his work by seeking to impress the people of God to honor and obey Him by his own example of MEEK SUBMISSION to the Lord, 2 Chronicles 6:1-42:
      1. Sensing God's approval of his workmanship, Solomon turned to address the people of Israel who were gathered for the dedication of the temple, and reported he had accomplished his calling to build the temple in fulfillment of God's will as revealed through his father David's ministry, 1 Chron. 6:1-11.
      2. Then, in front of the nation, Solomon physically exampled MEEK SUBMISSION to God, 6:12-13:
        1. Solomon had built a platform approximately 7 feet square by 4 feet high upon which he could be readily visible to all the people of Israel who were gathered around him, 2 Chronicles 6:13a.
        2. On that platform, Solomon kneeled before God, spreading his hands toward heaven as God's meek subject so that the people could see he was humbling himself by his posture before God, 6:13b!
      3. In this posture, Solomon prayed in MEEK SUBMISSION to God, 2 Chronicles 6:14-42:
        1. First, Solomon addressed God as Lord of heaven and earth Who faithfully keeps His covenant and shows loyal love to His servants who walk before Him with all their hearts, 2 Chronicles 6:14.
        2. Second, Solomon asked God to keep His covenant with his father, David to keep a king of his line forever ruling on Israel's throne, 2 Chronicles 6:15-17.
        3. Third, Solomon used most of his prayer to ask God to show mercy unto His people in aiding them in their coming times of need and forgiving their sin when they repented toward the temple, 6:18-39.
        4. Finally, Solomon asked God to bless the nation by keeping His gracious covenant with David his father to bless and not to fail to keep His commitment to Israel, 2 Chronicles 6:40-42.
    3. God responded to Solomon's meek submission to Him by tangibly demonstrating His RICH approval:
      1. When Solomon finished this prayer of meek submission to the Lord before the people, an event occurred that has happened rarely in history: God sent fire down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the sacrifices, 2 Chronicles 7:1a,b in view of 1 Kings 18:36-38 and Leviticus 9:22-24:
        1. Moses and Aaron first inaugurated the priestly service at the tabernacle in the wilderness, and God had sent fire from His Holiest of Holies to consume the sacrifice on the altar, Leviticus 9:22-24.
        2. Elijah later called fire down from heaven to demonstrate to Israel in Ahab's time that God was the true God over the false Baal god, 1 Kings 18:36-38.
        3. Thus what the Old Testament's two greatest prophets, Moses and Elijah saw occur in their works, Solomon also witnessed due to his prayer of meek submission to God before Israel, 2 Chron. 7:1a.b.
      2. However, in addition to even this rare divine demonstration of approval, God's glory filled the temple where the cloud hovered so that the priests could not stay due to its brilliance, and the people reacted by bowing their heads, worshiping and praising God for His goodness and mercy, 2 Chronicles 7:1c-3!
Lesson: As Solomon used his influence as king to EXAMPLE MEEK SUBMISSION to the LORD before the gathered people of Israel, the Lord exhibited RARE, ABUNDANT RICH APPROVAL in the form of fire from heaven to ignite the sacrifice and also filled the temple with His brilliant glory!

Application: To gain God's RICH APPROVAL, the loftiest achievement any human being can know, may we (1) HEED His Word by trusting in Christ as Savior (Acts 17:30; John 3:16) and (2) MEEKLY SUBMIT to His will in private as well as in public life, all to the glory of God!