Second Chronicles 4 Commentary
The temple was designed to function like any other normal house. The room where the LORD resided was called the Most Holy Place. And within the Most Holy Place, the LORD would be found within a much smaller box called the Ark of the Covenant.
If you were foolish enough to want to look at the LORD, you had to open the box. But guarding this box were the cherubim. No one bypassed the cherubim and lived to tell what they saw. We know from the design that the box contained the Law. The LORD was actually the Law or the Word. Hence: “in the beginning was the Word.”
The presence of the cherubim by the Ark reminds the reader of the cherubim that the LORD placed to guard the way to the tree of life.
Away from the Most Holy place would be the Holy place with its components. The basic requirements for existence are placed here: light, as represented by the lampstand; food, as represented by the table; and worship, as represented by the table of incense. Everything here was made of pure gold. The house workers would be busy working and maintaining the house from here.
The temple was a holy house and so the workers needed to be clean before venturing inside. Tools for a body wash and other tools used by workers were made of bronze. We can see a clear emphasis on quality and value as we scan the temple system.
Nothing has changed. The saint fits the description of the house worker or the priest at the temple. The saint can look at the temple components like the lampstand and remind themselves of the LORD’s creation: “Let there be light.” The thought that the saint is the light of the world – as recorded in Matthew 5 verses 14 to 16, can be connected here. The lampstand was meant to provide light continuously.
The water tank and the washing rituals would remind the saint of the need to repent and stay clean in the presence of the LORD.
In this chapter, Solomon has built the house and is providing the required finishes. The LORD is yet to be brought in. Tomorrow, the LORD will be brought to His official residence. But today we are content with the preparations so far: the house is ready; the workers are clean, and the tools are all in place. It speaks to us on the need to keep our hearts clean and our intentions pure. Then the saint can expect the LORD to take residence within.
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