2 Chronicles 6:18–42

Read the passage.

Solomon prayer continues by acknowledging God’s transcendance. God condescends to make this temple His dwelling place, even though all of heaven and earth cannot contain Him. The cloud of the Lord’s glory fills the temple, but He is also outside of it everywhere at once. Because the Lord has shown His people such favor, Solomon asks that He maintain that favor by listening to the prayers of the people as they pray towards the Lord in His temple.

Solomon gives several examples of situations where people would pray and ask for the Lord to help or forgive them. In all of them, the Israelites would be praying towards the temple, but the Lord would hear the prayer in heaven. Even though the temple would be the physical focus, it is known that the Lord would be the one to hear the prayer and act on it, even from as far away as heaven.

I think it is telling that the first thing Solomon asks the Lord to do when He hears the prayers is to forgive. (v. 21) Solomon asks for the Lord to judge when neighbors bring one another before the altar in a court case. The one who has sinned against his neighbor should be judged and punished by the Lord. Next, Israel might be defeated in battle specifically because of their sin, so if they repent and ask to the Lord, Solomon asks Him to forgive them. Again, if no rain falls because Israel sinned, the Lord is asked to relent when they repent, so that they may follow the good way.

In verse 28, the context shifts. Disaster may strike, and no reason is given, but the Lord is still asked to grant relief to His people when they plea for it. Many different trials and afflictions are listed, so Solomon is speaking in broad and generic terms here. Even the prayers the people may ask for aren’t listed out, though we can assume they want the bad times to end. However, Solomon still asks the Lord to forgive His people (v. 30), because He knows what is in their hearts and minds.

Interestingly, non-Israelites are given attention in Solomon’s dedication. Today, we often think of the Pharisaical racism against the Gentiles during the first century, but the mission of God’s people has always been to be a blessing to the whole world by showing to them the revelation of the Living God. Many verses in the Law of Moses talk favorably about the treatment of foreigners in the land of Israel. Likewise, Solomon assumes there will be people from far countries coming to worship Yahweh, and their supplications should be heard just as much as the Lord’s chosen people’s.

Finally, Solomon makes the bold statement that “there is no one who does not sin.” (v. 36) He describes the ultimate punishement of exile for God’s people and their repentance and return, which would be very poignant for the people who just went through it. He ends with a supplication that the Lord’s goodness would be manifest among His people and His promises would be remembered.

We rejoice in Your goodness, and You have forgiven all of our unrighteousness.