2 Chronicles 3:1: “Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

September 20th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah, the summit of the mountain where Abraham willingly went to sacrifice his son Isaac approximately 1000 years before (Genesis 22). And it is where God’s Son, the Messiah, was sacrificed approximately 1000 years later. From the New Testament we are told that all these things were planned out “before the foundation of the world.” We know God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. And it’s easy to agree with this statement when we like the plan, but often God’s plan turns out to be different from what we were thinking it would be.

In Jeremiah 29, we read how in the year 597 BC, God judged the nation of Judah because of their unfaithfulness. The Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and took 3000 prisoners back to Babylon, including the king, the court officials, and the craftsmen. The Jews were saying, “This wasn’t supposed to happen to us! We’re the chosen people! We’re the apple of God’s eye! What is going on?” God spoke words of grace and peace to His people in their captivity, and they still ring true for us today: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

God’s plan is always the best. Even if we don’t understand it at the time, and even if it’s something we never would have chosen for ourselves. So when the plan goes differently, when trials and difficulties come, how do we remain focused and steady? We must stay in God’s word. Nothing has changed about God since Abraham, Solomon, Jeremiah, or Jesus. God still wants to give you and me a future and a hope.

“LORD, help us to remain in the center of Your will and love this day.”

=============================================================

2 Chronicles 3 KJV

¹ Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. ² And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. ³ Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.  ⁴ And the porch that was in the front of the house , the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold. ⁵ And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains. ⁶ And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.  ⁷ He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls. ⁸ And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. ⁹ And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. ¹⁰ And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. ¹² And onewing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also , joining to the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. ¹⁴ And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon. ¹⁵ Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.  ¹⁶ And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. ¹⁷And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.