2 Chronicles 8 – Mishkan Daviyd

2 Chronicles 8 is 20 years into Solomon’s reign. There was relative peace during this time and a massive building program.

2 Chronicles 8:1

¹ And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Yehovah, and his own house,

Halfway through Solomon’s reign, he had completed the Temple and his own house.

2 Chronicles 8:2

² That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

Huram is an alternate spelling for Chiram or Hiram in 1 Kings 5:1.

¹ And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

2 Chronicles 8:3-6

³ And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. ⁴ And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath. ⁵ Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars; ⁶ And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

It seems as if, there is no end to Solomon’s building program.
By the time Rehoboam takes the throne, the people are tired of the burden, 1 Kings 12:4

⁴ Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

2 Chronicles 8:7-8

⁷ As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel, ⁸ But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

These are the very tribes that Yehovah had told the Israelites to destroy.
It was not time to for tribute.
It was time to finally eliminate these people.

2 Chronicles 8:9-10

⁹ But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen. ¹⁰ And these were the chief of king Solomon’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

Although the children of Israel were not servants, there was still plenty for them to do.
In the end, many would have rather been home than serving Solomon’s programs.

2 Chronicles 8:11

¹¹ And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of Yehovah has come.

It seems as if Solomon showed some respect by not allowing Pharaoh’s daughter to live in the house of David.
However, this is not enough.
Again, Solomon is allowing something to happen that should have never occurred.
We are never to marry outside the household of faith.
Even worse, Solomon built a house for this Egyptian woman.
The very people who enslaved the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 8:12-13

¹² Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto Yehovah on the altar of Yehovah, which he had built before the porch, ¹³ Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

It seems that Solomon was careful to observe the required offerings.
On the sabbath days, new moons and festival days.
Three times a year he appeared before Yehovah as specified in Deuteronomy 16:16.

¹⁶ Three times in a year shall all you males appear before Yehovah your God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Yehovah empty:

2 Chronicles 8:14-15

¹⁴ And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded. ¹⁵ And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

Solomon made sure that all that David had set up prior was accomplished.
Solomon ensured that they were well funded.

2 Chronicles 8:16

¹⁶ Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Yehovah, and until it was finished. So the house of Yehovah was perfected.

It appears that Solomon did everything he could for the Temple.
He ensured that it was built with splendor.
He ensured that it was funded to keep running properly.
There is probably nothing Solomon would not do for the maintenance and operation of the temple.

The only problem was Solomon’s heart was turned.
He did the rituals, but allowed alliances with the heathens.
Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines many of which were from foreign lands.
All of Solomon’s works for the Temple did not excuse his lack of observance of God’s Torah.
He was the Shepard of Israel, He was the wisest man to live, he knew better. There is no excuse for his behavior.
We should learn that the heart condition is more important that all the works we do.

2 Chronicles 8:17-18

¹⁷ Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom. ¹⁸ And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Solomon had quite the navy
It brought back wealth from other lands.

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