2Ch 7 | EE | STEP | When Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven. It burnt up the sacrifices by fire and the other sacrifices. And the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

2 Chronicles 7

The glory of the LORD fills the temple

1 When Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven. It burnt up the sacrifices by fire and the other sacrifices. And the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not go into the LORD‘s house because the LORD‘s glory had filled the LORD‘s house. 3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire came down. And they saw the glory of the LORD over the temple. Then they went down on their knees on the flat stones. And they put their noses to the ground, on the path. They worshipped the LORD and they thanked him. They said, ‘He is good, and his kind love will have no end.’

The king and the people give sacrifices to the LORD

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices in front of the LORD. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cows and 120,000 sheep and goats. That is how the king and all the people made God’s house right for him to use. 6 The priests and the Levites stood in their places. And the Levites took the things that they used to make music to the LORD. King David had made those things to thank the LORD when he said, ‘His kind love has no end.’ The priests stood and they were looking towards the Levites. And they made a loud noise with their trumpets. All the Israelites were standing.

7 The bronze altar that Solomon had made could not contain all the offerings of animals and grains and the fat. So Solomon made the middle of the yard that was in front of the LORD‘s house holy for the LORD. Then he gave sacrifices by fire and he burnt the fat of friendship-offerings there.

8 So Solomon obeyed the rules of the feast for 7 days at that time. And a large crowd of Israelites were with him. They came from everywhere from Lebo-Hamath to the valley near the border of Egypt. 9 On the 8th day, they met together for an important meeting. For 7 days, they had made the altar holy for God. And for 7 days, they had obeyed the rules of the feast. 10 Solomon sent the people to their homes on the 23rd day of the 7th month. The LORD had done many good things for David, for Solomon and for his people, the Israelites. So all the people were very happy when they went to their homes. ^{▼▼7:10 Verse 8 tells us that people came to the temple from everywhere In Israel. They came from everywhere from the far north of Israel to the far south. Lebo Hamath was in the far north of Israel. The Valley of Egypt was in the far south of Israel.}

The LORD appears to Solomon

11 Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house. He was able to do everything that he had wanted to do for the house of the LORD. And he was able to do everything that he had wanted to do for his own house. 12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night. He said to Solomon, ‘I have heard your prayer and I have chosen this place. It will be a place where people can give sacrifices to me.

13 I might cause there to be no rain or I might send insects to eat your food plants. Or I might send bad illnesses to my people. 14 Then my people who are called by my name should be sorry. They should be humble and they should pray. They should try to find me. And they should stop doing the wrong things that they have done. Then I will hear them from heaven and I will forgive their sin. And I will make their country better. 15 Now I will be watching this place and I will be listening to the prayers from here. 16 I have now chosen this temple for me to use and I have made it holy. So my name can be here for all time. I will always be watching it. And it will always be special to me.’

Solomon must obey the LORD

17 ‘But you must live carefully. You must remember that I am watching you. That is what your father David did. You must obey everything that I have said to you. And you must obey my rules and my laws. 18 If you do that, I will make your descendants kings of Israel for all time. That is what I promised to your father David. I said, “A man among your descendants will always be the ruler of Israel.”

19 But that will not happen if you turn away from me. You may stop obeying the rules and the laws that I have given to you. You might go off to become servants of other gods and you might worship them. 20 I have given my country to the Israelites. But if they do those things, I will take them from my country. And I will leave this house that I have made holy for my name to be there. I will make it a thing that the people in other nations think is worth nothing. And the people in all the nations will be talking about that. 21 This temple is now very beautiful. But then all the people who walk past it will be surprised. They will almost feel ill. And they will say, “Why has the LORD done this to this country and to this temple?” 22 Men will answer, “It is because they have left the LORD, the God of their ancestors. He brought them out of the country called Egypt. But they have changed to worship and to be servants of other gods. That is why he has caused them all this trouble.”’