Bible Guys Classics: 2 Chronicles 7:11–15

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Good morning. Good morning. We talked the whole night through. Good morning. Good morning to you and you. Man, how great was that? I picked up the tempo. It's been weeks since I've been able to witness that. Oh, well, then you weren't listening on, you weren't watching The Bible Guys. In person. Yeah. Yes. It's so much more glorious. I wish everybody, all of our listeners could be sitting here in this moment. What a privilege to sit next to the own song. That is incredible. Yes. But hey, good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Bible, guys. I am Chris. And I'm Jeff. And we're here today to talk about what in the middle of a series we're in called Dangerous Prayers. And today, this week is Intercessory Prayers. Yeah. To intercede on others' behalf. And anyway, before we get into that, we have a sort of a different kind of segment. Yeah. Okay. We've only done this a couple of times. I know. So this is a fill in the blank. Yes. So I'm going to start a sentence and then you have to complete it in an unexpected way. Yeah. Which is very interesting. Yeah. So let me think. So let's get it. Oh, I know. Driving in today. I saw something. Okay. So I'm going to start the sentence. You have to finish it. Yes. Go ahead. The one thing Bigfoot refuses to talk about at his family reunion is. How. Sorry about that. That's a hard one. Well, there's a lot of silence on this podcast. I was going to say how poop sticks to his fur. Oh, no. Now you're in trouble. You know that, right? Sorry, Liz. Then I hesitated. But then I said, you know what? I'm going to say it. Restraint. I'm going to say it. Yes. Okay. Because it's not that bad. Okay. Come on. I mean, we all had, you know, anybody with animals like dogs, like, come on. And fur. Yeah, fur. Yes. There it is. Okay. And by the way, I could have gone on and done a more lengthy thing. Yeah. But I was holding back because it's a, it's, anyway. Yes. Yes. That was a quick one. No, I was driving in today, and just as I was pulling into the parking lot, there was a Subaru in front of me. Yes. It had a great big foot sticker on the back of the car. Oh, that's funny. All right, come up with another one. Think of another one? Let's do another one. Okay. That was so quick. We're only two minutes into the podcast. If pirates ever hijacked the Bible Guys podcast, they would replace me with, they'd replace Jeff with, Why? And they would replace me with Johnny Depp. Oh, really? Okay. Why? Well, because.. Why would that make for a more compelling podcast? Well, it wouldn't. Because who could be more compelling than the original Bible guys? Well, there you go. Okay. But the scenario was, if they hijacked the Bible guys, who would they replace them with? And I'm just picking... With two people. Blackbeard and Johnny Depp. Yeah, Blackbeard. Actually, I've read a lot about Blackbeard. And he was this big, huge guy who nobody could defeat. So I gave you a pretty big compliment. Okay, wow. And Johnny Depp is more along the lines of like a fake pirate. A Hollywood guy. A handsome guy. Well, yeah, he definitely is handsome. So that lines up. Okay, sure, sure. Okay. That all lines up. So I saw a thing that said that it was a black beard that used to put gunpowder in his beard. Yes. Yes, that was him. He's kind of a crazy guy. Yeah, he's sort of crazy. Okay. Well, hey, there's two of them, pirates and a Bigfoot. Yeah, well, we might have time for one more. Oh, gee, I don't have another one. Just start anything, any sentence at all. Go. Okay. Any sentence. It could be normal. The reason I look like this is... Am I speaking on behalf? Speaking about you. Oh. Yeah, yeah. I started your sentence. Okay. So say it again. So the reason I look like this is. I had the blessing of my parents' awesome genetics. Oh, is that it? Yes. Is that it? Well, what else am I going to say about me? You set me up to say something. I got to say something like that. Okay. Okay. Well, it's the humility, Chris. It's your humility that just makes everybody love you. Well, I don't know if you've heard, but nobody is as good as humility as me. Yeah, yeah. You're just about the best. I'm the most humble. The humblest. Yes. Yeah. Well, speaking of things we need to repent of. Oh, wow. Wow. I'm not sure we've ever had a transition like that. It's like a transition slam. No, no. So today we are in 2 Chronicles 2. six and seven. And these are some of my favorite passages. Oh, stop, stop. That's going to become a running joke now. Chris accuses me every time we read a passage that I always say, this is my favorite passage. And I mentioned this before. And I think, did I say this on stage? I didn't say this on the podcast. I said this on stage, didn't I? So Jeff and I taught recently on stage and he had said, Oh, this is one of my favorite verses. And I said, okay, Or no, I did say this on the podcast. It doesn't matter. But I said, I started to take note. Every time you thought, hey, this is my favorite passage. Oh, okay. Well, I need to remember that this is Jeff's favorite passage. Yeah. And then you would say it again. I'm like, oh, he likes these two things. And then you said it again. I'm like, oh, these are his three favorite. Yeah. And now it's like every Bible verse that is in the Bible is your favorite. They are. I love the word. I love the Bible. So I'm like, okay, this is now a meaningless comment, right? It's not meaningless. I love it. That's like saying, do you ever see... Jingle All the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Yes. Where he goes, remember, you're my number one customer. And he says it to everybody. And then he got off the phone with his wife and he says, remember, you're my number one customer. And she's like, aw. Yeah. That's so funny. So this segment here, 2 Chronicles, the early chapters of 2 Chronicles, Solomon has built the temple. Put that cookie down. That's another good quote. That's a good quote. Yeah. It doesn't happen in this passage. No. It's still on the movie. Yeah. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Have we moved on? Yeah, I moved into where Solomon has built the temple. So sorry. Solomon has built the temple is what he just said. And so the first permanent temple in Jerusalem. Yeah. And by the way, can I just interject and say, I sort of was reminded when we went through David member. Yes. We went through the old Testament and, uh, and David wanted to build the temple, but God said, your hands are too bloody. Remember? Yes. And he said, you know, you're a warrior who is, you know, your assignment was to take care of all the enemies that blasphemed against me. And so we're going to let Solomon do it because his hands aren't bloody. And so Solomon was given this responsibility by God. Right. Anyway, sorry, go ahead. So, uh, I'm asking ChatGBT how expensive was Solomon's temple. Oh my word. Are you kidding me? It was billions. It had to be in the billions and billions. I mean, didn't Solomon just give a billion of his own money? It was over a billion dollars just of his own money. Yeah. So it says that it took seven years to complete, involved tens of thousands of workers, was covered with enormous amounts of gold, silver, cedar, and precious stones. It mentions.. 100,000 talents of gold and a million talents of silver, plus bronze, iron, timber, stone, and abundance. A talent is about 75 pounds. So it's about 7.5 million pounds of gold. Oh, my word. Which would, in today's gold prices, that's over $ 290 billion worth of gold. Oh, my word. And a million talents of silver at 75 million pounds of silver. It would be about $ 35 billion worth of silver. So... Some would suggest that Solomon's Temple would have cost $ 300 to $ 500 billion in today's money. And some estimates push it over a trillion dollars. It's the most expensive building ever created. Ever created in the history of the world. Yeah. Right. And by the way... That's NASA-level budget expensive. Yeah. No kidding. That's what it says. That's what it says? Yeah. That's so funny. So it may have been the most expensive building project in human history. Yeah. It's no wonder. Excuse me. When we go to Israel, and you've been there at the Western Wall. Yes. So the Western Wall is the only remnant of the entire temple. Is that correct? That's right. We have the Temple Mount is where Al-Aqsa Mosque sits. Okay. But the Western Wall is the. Only remaining piece of the temple that the Israelites are able to touch. Was that Solomon's Temple, the Western Wall? Or was that Herod's Temple? The Western Wall is Solomon's temple, the bottom stones, and then Herod built on top. That's what it was. Yeah. Okay. So anyway, all I was going to say is it's no wonder why that temple was pillaged. Oh, sure. It's no wonder why it was stripped bare. Yes. Right? I mean, $ 290 billion just in gold. Right. That is crazy. Magnificent. So when we describe... Solomon being one of the wealthiest people to have ever lived. Correct. Which is this weekend, by the way. Yeah. And just incredible. So this space is amazing. And Solomon gave billions upon billions upon billions of his own wealth. And David gave billions of his own wealth. And then the people gave billions of their own wealth. And they said, we want to make a permanent home for God. And so they build this temple. And then Solomon prays. And he says, listen, I know you are everywhere. And you don't have to confine yourself to one place. But this is where we are saying we are honoring you in this place. And so then in chapter 5, I love this. It says, the trumpeters were singing and the singers were performing together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. All of. The Levites who were dressed in fine linen robes and they stood at the EC altar, they were playing cymbals and lyres and harps and they were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. This is quite the orchestra. Yeah. And they're going nuts and the singers are praising and they raise their voices and praise the Lord with these words, He is good enough. His faithful love endures forever. And then the Bible says, at that moment, a thick cloud filled the temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple of God. So for a guy who thinks in movies, can you imagine? Yes. That's so powerful. Another translation says the priests actually all fell to their knees. They couldn't continue to stand in the presence of God. So you have that. Then Solomon comes out. There's a big platform there. and that he built in the temple, the outer court of the temple. And he gets up on that platform and he bows down on his knees. Here's the most powerful king in the world at the time, bows down on his knees and he begins to pray. And he says, God, we're dedicating this to you and we are thrilled to do so. And would you honor our prayers when we turn to you in this place, would you honor our prayers? And then he acknowledges, sometimes we're gonna sin. At one point he says, and who doesn't sin? He says that in here, right? So at points we're gonna sin and your judgment is gonna come And when we repent and we turn back to you, God, would you hear our prayers? Would you, right? Would you hear us? And so then if you look in chapter six, verse 20, what is it? 24. 24. He says, if your people, Israel, are defeated by their enemies because they've sinned against you, and if they turn their back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people, Israel, and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors. If the skies are shut up, There's no rain because your people have sinned against you. And if they pray toward this temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, then hear from heaven and forgive their sins of your servants, your people Israel, and teach them to follow the right path and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession. And if there's a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people's enemies are in the land besieging their towns, whatever disaster disease there is, and if your people Israel pray about their troubles and sorrows, raising their hands toward this temple. Then hear from heaven where you live and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve. For you alone know each human heart. And then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to their ancestors. Is that where we end on that one? Yes, yep, through 31, yeah. And then we're skipping over to 2 Chronicles. 7, 11 through 15. So then he continues praying like that. If we sin against you, God, would you hear our prayers? And then when he finishes, the Bible says in 7 verse 1, it says, when Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrificed the glorious presence of the Lord, filled the temple. How cool. This is quite the event. Yeah, quite the event. Here's the most expensive building ever built in human history. Yeah. And God's showing up. Yes. Right? So they're in the glory of the Lord, the presence of the Lord filled the temple. And when all the people of Israel... saw the fire coming down, the glorious presence of the Lord filling the temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, He is good. His faithful love endures forever. Then they do a bunch of sacrifices, thousands and thousands of sacrifices. And so the Bible says in verse 11 of chapter 7, So Solomon finished the temple of the Lord as well as the royal palace, and he completed everything he'd planned to do in the construction of the temple and the palace. And then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, I have heard your prayer and have chosen this temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times, I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls or command grasshoppers to devour your crops or send plagues among you. And he's talking about because of the sins that Solomon admitted. They'll probably commit. Right. He says, then, so if this judgment is coming, then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this temple and set it apart to be holy, a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it for it is dear to my heart. Wow. It's amazing. Yeah. It's amazing. So I want to go back to Solomon's original prayer. Let's talk about chapter six first, right? Yeah. So Solomon is praying, and just like you said, he's admitting all of these things. There's a note in my Bible, the Transformation Study Bible, and it actually says this. It says, in his dedicatory prayer? Yes. Wow. Solomon mentioned seven circumstances that he knew would arise and might cause offense to God. He asked God to hear from heaven and respond with mercy to those who approached him at the temple if they, colon, and then it lists the seven things. if they, number one, had wronged another person, verses 22 and 23, if they had suffered defeat from enemies, if they had experienced drought, if they had been struck by their own natural disasters, or they were sincere seekers of other nations, if they were preparing for war, or if they had sinned against God in any way that had led to captivity. It says, then this fact causing him to turn away in shame and guilt, it ought to cause us to run toward God with hope and mercy. Solomon anticipated the words of the, of the writer of Hebrews. I don't know if that's true, but, but it's same concept, I guess. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. Then we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4, 16. So I don't know. That's pretty, pretty cool. Yeah. Well, I think it's interesting, verse 36 in chapter 6, he says, if they sin against you, and who has never sinned? That's what he says. Yeah. You might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to foreign land far away. But he said, in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, we've sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly. And if they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward you, to the land you gave their ancestors, then... hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live and uphold your cause for your people who have sinned against you. I love that, right? So this is his prayer is, God, listen, we're going to mess up. And it takes a certain amount of humility for a king this powerful to admit, hey, we're likely to mess up. He's not saying it's okay that we're messing up. God, if you have to bring judgment against us because we've sinned so deeply, we understand. And then Just hear us. And he starts saying, so be it. When you finally get our attention and we turn to you, don't turn your back on us, right? And we're going to trust you that you're going to hear from us and that you're going to hear us and that you're going to forgive us. And then God says, listen, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, right? And he says, and I will forgive your sins and restore your land. And I think about that a lot. I think, you know, this idea of praying on behalf of our nation, I think is really important. Yeah, you just mentioned it, that verse on Sunday. Yeah. Yeah, last Sunday. And so sometimes we can get frustrated thinking, you know, the answer to solving all the problems in our nation is to get bad people to be better people, right? If we could get the enemies of God to be good people. And God says, listen, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves. So it first requires those who claim to be followers of God That we have to humble ourselves and we have to confess our sins and we have to decide we're going to turn from our wicked ways. Instead of always pointing fingers at everybody else and all the things that everybody else needs to change, like the Pharisee did when he was praying and the tax collector was standing next to him. He was willing to point out that other guy's sins because he feels like he's pretty good. At least I'm not as bad as that guy. Right. Right. And God says, don't be like that. Instead, my people can get my attention when they humble themselves and they pray. And he says, that's what I'm going to hear from heaven. I'm going to forgive your sins and I'll heal your land. That's the beginning of healing for our nation is when God's people begin the repentance. Yeah. And there's a note here that talks about this in my Bible as well for this section. It says, as he had done at Gibeon in chapter one, God appeared to Solomon and spoke the word that he needed to hear. He assured the king that he had heard his prayer and that he would answer it. God's eyes would be on the house of Solomon and the house that he built and dedicated and his ears would be alert to hear the prayers of his people. The people and their king had dedicated the temple to the Lord, but now God would sanctify it and make it his own. God's name was on the temple, and God's eyes were watching, and his ears were listening. It was indeed the house of the Lord. That is not the note that I intended to read. I was like, not sure where you're going, buddy. The note that I intended to read, I'm not even going to look for it now because I obviously don't know where it is. But the note that I intended to read said, it was about that one verse that we just read, if my people who are called by my name. Yeah. It said that God has only made a covenant with Israel. That's right. But, and not with us. Right. But however, because we are in Christ and we are in God's family, we too are called the people of God in the New Testament. Right. So therefore, because we are God's people, we too can claim that promise for us, right? So God is speaking obviously to Israel, his chosen people who he had made a covenant with when he says, if my people who are called by my name. But since Jesus Christ, since God died on the cross, or sent Jesus to die on the cross for us, through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are also God's people, right? That's what it was saying. That's what the note was trying to say that I can't seem to find. Well, I'm glad you brought it up because I was going to mention something similar, and that is we want to always be careful not to take verses out of context. The context of this is these are promises between God and the people of Israel through Solomon. That's right. Very specific. That's the context. Right. But the principle is... when God's people choose to humble themselves and seek his face and confess their sin and turn from their wicked ways, the principle is God also responds. He's the same God yesterday, today, and forever, right? And so God never changes. And so we can see how he deals with the people. This is why both the book of Acts and Peter tell us that God gave us all of these things in the Old Testament for our example, right? So it's not that every promise is a promise to us, but the principle of how God behaves in the Old Testament when he offers forgiveness and when we repent is the same principle that we can apply in our own lives during this time. Because God doesn't change. That's right. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Right. So how God responds to people is the same. God's judgment of sin is different than the Old Testament and New Testament at times. Because of Jesus. Right. But God's view of sin is the same. God's response to sin is the same. I mean, God doesn't change his stance on sin. Right? Right. All of that is the same. The only difference is that we are under the blood of Jesus Christ who has paid for our sin. Whereas sin, they didn't have Jesus back then. So sin played out in judgment in far more disastrous ways. Yeah. They didn't know. Who Jesus was. They were looking forward to the Messiah. Right. But yeah, it's, it was a difficult thing for people because they were going through the religious side of things, not knowing, having a relationship with Jesus himself. Right. And now we, we have the full picture of it. Right. So we're looking back. They were looking ahead. We're able to look back. We were able to see it and experience it a little bit different. Yeah. But, but, but, but it rings true that Jesus or God is saying, if you turn from your wicked ways, I will hear your prayers. It's the same. That's the same. Everything is the same. God's response to us when we go to him always was and always will be that. Yeah. That's great. It's exciting. It's exciting to know that our prayers matter, that God's paying close attention to our heart. His eyes are open and the ears are attentive to every prayer. Yeah. Right? That's his promise. That's awesome. Well, hey, that is our time. So hopefully we will see you tomorrow on The Bible Guys.