1Jakmile Šalomoun dokončil tuto modlitbu, z nebe sestoupil oheň a pohltil zápalnou oběť i ostatní oběti. Chrám naplnila sláva Hospodinova, 2takže kněží nemohli vstoupit do Hospodinova chrámu, protože Hospodinův chrám naplnila Hospodinova sláva. 3Všichni synové Izraele viděli, jak sestupuje oheň. Když spatřili Hospodinovu slávu nad chrámem, poklekli na dlažbu tváří k zemi, klaněli se a dobrořečili Hospodinu: „Je tak dobrý! Jeho láska trvá navěky!“ 4Král i všechen lid pak před Hospodinem slavili obětní hody. 5Král Šalomoun obětoval 22 000 býků a 120 000 ovcí. Takto král a všechen lid zasvětili Boží chrám. 6Kněží stáli na svých místech, naproti nim levité s hudebními nástroji, které k oslavě Hospodina zhotovil král David, a oslavovali Hospodina Davidovou písní: „Jeho láska trvá na věky!“ Kněží troubili naproti levitům před celým nastoupeným Izraelem. 7Šalomoun tehdy posvětil střed nádvoří před Hospodinovým chrámem. Tam totiž obětoval zápalnou oběť i tuk pokojných obětí, protože bronzový oltář, který Šalomoun zhotovil, nemohl pojmout všechny ty zápalné a moučné oběti a obětní tuk. 8Tak Šalomoun slavil sedmidenní slavnost a s ním všechen Izrael od Lebo-chamátu po Egyptský potok. Bylo to jedno veliké shromáždění. 9Slavnost zahájili osmého dne; sedm dní totiž zasvěcovali oltář a dalších sedm dní slavili. 10Třiadvacátého dne sedmého měsíce pak Šalomoun lid propustil. Vraceli se domů s veselím a radostí ze všeho dobrodiní, které Hospodin prokázal Davidovi, Šalomounovi a svému lidu Izraeli. 11Tak Šalomoun dokončil Hospodinův chrám i královský palác. Vše, co chtěl uskutečnit, ať už šlo o Hospodinův chrám nebo o jeho palác, se zdařilo. 12Tehdy se Šalomounovi v noci ukázal Hospodin a řekl mu: „Vyslyšel jsem tvou modlitbu. Vyvolil jsem si toto místo za dům oběti. 13Může se stát, že zavřu nebe, aby nepršelo; že přikážu kobylkám, aby sežraly zemi; že sešlu na svůj lid mor. 14Jestliže se pak můj lid, který se nazývá mým jménem, pokoří a bude se modlit, bude hledat mou tvář a odvrátí se od svých zlých cest, potom je vyslyším z nebe, odpustím jejich hřích a uzdravím jejich zem. 15Ano, mé oči budou otevřené a mé uši nakloněné k modlitbě z tohoto místa. 16Nyní jsem tento dům vyvolil a posvětil, aby v něm mé jméno zůstalo navěky. Mé oči i mé srdce tam zůstanou navždy. 17Budeš-li žít přede mnou jako tvůj otec David a konat vše, co jsem ti přikázal, a dodržovat má ustanovení i má pravidla, 18potvrdím trůn tvého království, jak jsem slíbil tvému otci Davidovi: ‚Izrael nikdy nebude bez vlády tvého potomka.‘ 19Pokud se však odvrátíte a opustíte ustanovení a přikázání, jež jsem vám svěřil, a půjdete sloužit cizím bohům a budete se jim klanět, 20potom vás vyrvu ze své země, kterou jsem vám dal, a z tohoto chrámu, který jsem posvětil pro své jméno. Vyženu Izrael ze své přítomnosti, takže bude mezi národy za pořekadlo a posměšek. 21A tento chrám, kdysi tak vznešený? Každý, kdo půjde kolem, strne a řekne: ‚Proč tak Hospodin naložil s tou zemí a s tím chrámem?‘ 22A dostanou odpověď: ‚To proto, že opustili Hospodina, Boha svých předků, který je vyvedl z Egypta, a přijali cizí bohy, jimž se klaněli a jimž sloužili – to proto na ně uvedl všechno to zlo!‘“
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Here is, I. The gracious answer which God immediately made to Solomon's prayer: The
fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, 2Chr 7:1. In this way God testified his acceptance of Moses (
Lev 9:24), of Gideon (
Judg 6:21), of David (
1Chr 21:26), of Elijah (
1Kgs 18:38); and, in general, to accept the burnt-sacrifice is, in the Hebrew phrase, to turn it to ashes,
Pss 20:3. The fire came down here, not upon the killing of the sacrifices, but the praying of the prayer.
1. This fire intimated that God was, (1.) Glorious in himself; for
our God is a consuming fire, terrible even in his holy places. This fire, breaking forth (as it is probable) out of the thick darkness, made it the more terrible, as on Mount Sinai,
Exod 24:16,
Exod 24:17.
The sinners in Sion had reason to be
afraid at that sight, and to say,
Who among us shall dwell near this devouring fire? Isa 33:14. And yet, (2.) Gracious to Israel; for this fire, which might justly have consumed them, fastened upon the sacrifice which was offered in their stead, and consumed that, by which God signified to them that he accepted their offerings and that his anger was turned away from them.
2. Let us apply this, (1.) To the suffering of Christ. When it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief, in that he showed his good-will to men, having laid on him the iniquity of us all. His death was our life, and he was made sin and a curse that we might inherit righteousness and a blessing. That sacrifice was consumed that we might escape.
Here am I, let these go their way. (2.) To the sanctification of the Spirit, who descends like fire, burning up our lusts and corruptions, those beasts that must be sacrificed or we are undone, and kindling in our souls a holy fire of pious and devout affections, always to be kept burning on the altar of the heart. The surest evidence of God's acceptance of our prayers is the descent of the holy fire upon us.
Did not our hearts burn within us? Luke 24:32. As a further evidence that God accepted Solomon's prayer, still
the glory of the Lord filled the house. The heart that is thus filled with a holy awe and reverence of the divine glory, the heart to which God manifests himself in his greatness, and (which is no less his glory) in his goodness, is thereby owned as a living temple.
II. The grateful return made to God for this gracious token of his favour.
1. The people
worshipped and praised God, 2Chr 7:3. When they saw the fire of God come down from heaven thus they did not run away affrighted, but kept their ground in the courts of the Lord, and took occasion from it, (1.) With reverence to adore the glory of God:
They bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped, thus expressing their awful dread of the divine majesty, their cheerful submission to the divine authority, and the sense they had of their unworthiness to come into God's presence and their inability to stand before the power of his wrath. (2.) With thankfulness to acknowledge the goodness of God; even when the fire of the Lord came down they praised him, saying,
He is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. This is a song never out of season, and for which our hearts and tongues should be never out of tune. However it be, yet God is good. When he manifests himself as a consuming fire to sinners, his people can rejoice in him as their light. Nay, they had reason to say that in this God was good.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, but the sacrifice in our stead, for which we are bound to be very thankful.
2. The king and all the people offered sacrifices in abundance,
2Chr 7:4,
2Chr 7:5. With these they feasted this holy fire, and bade it welcome to the altar. They had offered sacrifices before, but now they increased them. Note, The tokens of God's favour to us should enlarge our hearts in his service, and make us to abound therein more and more. The king's example stirred up the people. Good work is then likely to go on when the leaders of a people lead in it. The sacrifices were so numerous that the altar could not contain them all; but, rather than any of them should be turned back (though we may suppose the blood of them all was sprinkled upon the altar), the flesh of the burnt-offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings were burnt
in the midst of the court (
2Chr 7:7), which Solomon either hallowed for that service or hallowed by it. In case of necessity the pavement might be an altar.
3. The priests did their part; they waited on their offices, and the singers and musicians on theirs (
2Chr 7:6), with the instruments that David made, and the
hymn that David had put into their hand, as some think it may be read (meaning that
1Chr 16:7), or, as we read it,
when David praised by their ministry. He employed, directed, and encouraged them in this work of praising God; and therefore their performances were accepted as his act, and he is said
to praise by their ministry. 4. The whole congregation expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction imaginable. They kept the feast of the dedication of the altar seven days, from the second to the ninth; the tenth day was the day of atonement, when they were to afflict their souls for sin, and that was not unseasonable in the midst of their rejoicings; on the fifteenth day began the feast of tabernacles, which continued to the twenty-second, and they did not separate till the twenty-third. We must never grudge the time that we spend in the worship of God and communion with him, nor think it long, or grow weary of it.
5. Solomon went on in his work, and prosperously effected all he designed for the adorning both of God's house and his own,
2Chr 7:11. Those that begin with the service of God are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. It was Solomon's praise that what he undertook he went through with, and it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it.
12 That God accepted Solomon's prayer appeared by the fire from heaven. But a prayer may be accepted and yet not answered in the letter of it; and therefore God appeared to him in the night, as he did once before (
2Chr 1:7), and after a day of sacrifice too, as then, and gave him a peculiar answer to his prayer. We had the substance of it before, (1Kgs:9:2-9).
I. He promised to own this house for
a house of sacrifice to Israel and a
house of prayer for all people (
Isa 56:7):
My name shall be there for ever (
2Chr 7:12,
2Chr 7:16), that is, There will I make myself known, and there will I be called upon.
II. He promised to answer the prayers of his people that should at any time be made in that place, (2Chr:7:13-15). National judgments are here supposed (
2Chr 7:13), famine, and pestilence, and perhaps war, for by the locusts devouring the land meant enemies as greedy as locusts, and laying all waste. 2. National repentance, prayer, and reformation, are required,
2Chr 7:14. God expects that his people who are called by his name, if they have dishonoured his name by their iniquity, should honour it by accepting the punishment of their iniquity. They must be humble themselves under his hand, must pray for the removal of the judgment, must seek the face and favour of God; and yet all this will not do unless they turn from their wicked ways, and return to the God from whom they have revolted. 3. National mercy is then promised, that God will forgive their sin, which brought the judgment upon them, and then heal their land, redress all their grievances. Pardoning mercy makes ways for healing mercy,
Pss 103:3;
Matt 9:2.
III. He promised to perpetuate Solomon's kingdom, upon condition that he persevered in his duty,
2Chr 7:17,
2Chr 7:18. If he hoped for the benefit of God's covenant with David, he must imitate the example of David. But he set before him death as well as life, the curse as well as the blessing. 1. He supposed it possible that though they had this temple built to the honour of God, yet they might be drawn aside to worship other gods,
2Chr 7:19. He knew their proneness to backslide into that sin. 2. He threatened it as certain that, if they did so, it would certainly be the ruin of both church and state. (1.) It would be the ruin of their state,
2Chr 7:20. Though they have taken deep root, and taken root long, in this good land, yet I will pluck them up by the roots, extirpate the whole nation, pluck them up as men pluck up weeds out of their garden, which are thrown to the dunghill. (2.) It would be the ruin of their church. This sanctuary would be no sanctuary to them, to protect them from the judgment of God, as they imagined, saying,
The temple of the Lord are we, Jer 7:4. This house which is high, not only for the magnificence of its structure, but for the designed ends and uses of it, shall be an astonishment, it shall come down wonderfully (
Lam 1:9), to the amazement of all the neighbours.