2 Chronicles Chapter 1
Introduction to 2 Chronicles
Bible Notes in Your Standard
The Book of Second Chronicles continues the historical narrative that began in First Chronicles. It was written to remind the post-exilic community of Judah of their covenant identity and their responsibilities before the Lord. While Samuel and Kings highlight the political and prophetic history of both Israel and Judah, Chronicles is focused primarily on the Southern Kingdom. Its purpose is not merely to record events but to interpret them theologically, showing how obedience brings blessing and rebellion brings judgment according to the covenant established in the Law of Moses.
Second Chronicles opens with the reign of Solomon, beginning with his coronation and the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem. The Chronicler emphasizes the centrality of worship, the temple, and the priesthood because these were the pillars of Israel’s national and spiritual life. The returning exiles needed to remember that their future depended on faithfulness to God and genuine devotion to His Word. Solomon’s rise, wisdom, wealth, and construction of the temple are presented as the high point of the kingdom under David’s heir. The temple dedication and Solomon’s prayer reveal the heart of biblical worship in the Old Testament, teaching the people to seek the Lord, confess sin, and trust in His covenant mercy.
The narrative then follows the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah. Unlike Kings, which covers both kingdoms, Chronicles concentrates entirely on the Davidic line. The Chronicler evaluates each king not by military success or political strategy but by his faithfulness to the law of the Lord and his support or neglect of temple worship. Kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah are presented as models of reform and renewal. Their reforms are highlighted because the Chronicler wanted the post-exile generation to imitate these examples. Yet the failures of men like Ahaz, Manasseh, and Zedekiah are also recorded, showing how idolatry and compromise bring ruin upon the nation.
A major theological theme in Second Chronicles is the principle that if the people will humble themselves, pray, seek the Lord, and turn from their wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. This reflects the covenant promise and the righteous character of God. The Chronicler teaches that the Lord is faithful to His Word. He blesses those who seek Him and resists those who forsake Him. The final chapters recount the collapse of Judah due to generations of rebellion, the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, and the seventy year exile that followed. Yet the book closes with hope when Cyrus the king of Persia issues a decree allowing the people to return and rebuild the house of the Lord.
Second Chronicles therefore provides more than history. It is a theological call to faithfulness. It teaches God’s people to honor the authority of Scripture, to preserve pure worship, to reject idolatry, and to remain loyal to the covenant. It reinforces the importance of spiritual leadership, the necessity of repentance, and the certainty that God will keep His promises to His people. For the believer today it provides timeless lessons on the character of God, the consequences of sin, and the blessings that come to those who walk in obedience.
Solomon Seeks God
A. Solomon meets God at Gibeon
2 Chronicles 1:1-4
Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. And Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers. So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath jearim to the place which David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
Solomon began his reign with unusual strength because the Lord Himself established him. The Scripture plainly says that the Lord was with him and magnified him exceedingly, showing that Solomon’s stability did not come from political maneuvering but from divine favor. David had handed him a united kingdom, wealth beyond measure, and a faithful priesthood and military structure. Solomon addressed all Israel, from the captains of thousands to the judges and the heads of the fathers’ houses. This shows that the early days of his reign were marked by unity and order under God’s blessing.
Solomon and the entire assembly went to Gibeon, because the tabernacle of the congregation was still located there. Moses had made this tabernacle in the wilderness under the direct instruction of God, therefore it remained a sacred place for meeting with the Lord. The ark, however, had been moved by David to Jerusalem where he pitched a tent for it. This produced a unique situation where the ark was in Jerusalem, but the original Mosaic tabernacle and its bronze altar were still in Gibeon.
Solomon offered sacrifices at Gibeon because it was the place God had designated in earlier generations. The Chronicler emphasizes the tabernacle because this was the place where the people met with God. This meeting was not a meeting of people with each other, it was a meeting of the nation with the Holy One. The history of the ark and the tabernacle highlights the long story of Israel’s worship. Joshua placed both at Shiloh. In the days of Eli the ark was captured and the tabernacle was devastated. The ark returned to Kirjath jearim. Saul restored the tabernacle at Nob, then moved it to Gibeon. David brought the ark to Jerusalem and placed it in a temporary tent. The reasons David did not move the tabernacle to Jerusalem likely include his desire to keep Israel focused on the coming temple, the fact that the tabernacle had historically been moved only when necessary, and David’s intention to build the permanent house of the Lord rather than perpetuate the temporary tent.
2 Chronicles 1:5-6
Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.
The bronze altar used at Gibeon was the same one crafted by Bezaleel in the wilderness according to Exodus thirty eight. This altar was centuries old, having received sacrifices through Israel’s years in the desert, through the era of Joshua, the judges, Saul, and David. It stood as a physical reminder of God’s covenant mercy and the necessity of atonement.
Solomon and the congregation sought the Lord at this altar because sacrifice was the God appointed way to approach Him. Under the Old Covenant, to seek God rightly required a burnt offering, the shedding of blood, and a substitutionary sacrifice. For the believer today this corresponds to approaching God through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon’s actions marked the ceremonial beginning of his reign. He was publicly demonstrating that he would rule as a king who sought God first and who would lead the nation in reverent worship.
Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. This enormous number reveals both the vast wealth left to him by David and the heart of Solomon to honor God with that wealth. It was extravagant worship, meant to declare that the new king was committed to God above all else. This sets the stage for what happens next when God appears to Solomon at night and invites him to ask what he desires.
Solomon’s Request
2 Chronicles 1:7-10
In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established, for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this thy people that is so great.
God appeared to Solomon during the night and spoke directly to him. First Kings chapter three verse five clarifies that this divine visit happened in a dream. This was one of the most important dreams ever recorded in Scripture because God Himself initiated the conversation and invited Solomon to petition Him freely. The Lord had already demonstrated that His presence was not bound to external objects. Although the ark was in Jerusalem and the tabernacle with its ancient altar was at Gibeon, God met with Solomon in a way that transcended location and ritual. God was making it clear that His presence is not restricted to a physical object or a building. The Lord communes with those who seek Him sincerely.
The Lord then gave Solomon a remarkable invitation by saying, Ask what I shall give thee. This was not a casual statement. It was an open offer from the sovereign God of heaven. Solomon had offered great sacrifices, but the invitation came because his heart was inclined toward God. God was drawing Solomon into a moment that would shape his entire reign, because the request would reveal the condition of his heart. The natural instinct when reading this is to wish that such an opportunity were given to us. Yet the Scripture teaches that believers do possess similar promises. The Lord Jesus Christ said, Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you in Matthew chapter seven verse seven. He also said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you in John chapter fifteen verse seven. The Apostle John wrote, And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us in First John chapter five verse fourteen. The issue for many Christians is not whether God will answer prayer but whether they will ask in faith with a heart aligned to His will.
Solomon responded by acknowledging the mercy God had shown to David and now to himself. Before asking anything, he recognized the faithfulness of God. He recalled that God had kept His promises to David and had graciously placed Solomon upon the throne. Gratitude was the ground of his request. He desired the establishment of the covenant promise God had made to David, the promise that his throne would be upheld. Solomon understood that ruling over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth was a task overwhelming for any man. Therefore he asked God to grant him wisdom and knowledge.
Solomon sought not mere intellectual information but true wisdom, the ability to perceive and judge rightly with a heart directed by God. First Kings chapter three reveals that Solomon asked for understanding in his heart, meaning he wanted wisdom that governed his entire character and decision making, not abstract learning. He wanted the ability to lead well, to discern justice, and to shepherd the nation faithfully under God.
He asked for wisdom so that he might go out and come in before the people. This Hebrew phrase refers to carrying out the responsibilities of leadership. It originally referred to military command but came to represent the full duties of governing. Solomon recognized that no ordinary man is capable of ruling such a great people without divine wisdom. His humility is evident. He did not presume on his lineage, his wealth, or his power. He requested from God the one essential qualification for ruling a covenant people, which is a heart filled with divine wisdom.
B. God answers Solomon’s request
Solomon receives wisdom and blessings from God
2 Chronicles 1:11-12
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king. Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
God responded to Solomon by revealing that He saw directly into Solomon’s heart. The Lord declared that He was pleased not only with what Solomon asked but with what he refused to ask. Solomon did not request riches or wealth or honor. He did not seek vengeance against his enemies. He did not even ask for long life. Instead he asked for wisdom and knowledge in order to judge the Lord’s people rightly. Solomon recognized that the throne was not his by natural inheritance but by the appointment of God, for the Lord said, over whom I have made thee king. This reveals that Solomon’s heart, at this stage in his life, was shaped by humility and a desire to serve well.
God affirmed that this request pleased Him. First Kings chapter three verse ten states plainly that Solomon’s request pleased the Lord. Yet there is also an important reflection found in the biblical record. We must ask whether Solomon requested the highest gift that a man of God could pursue. His father David longed for deep communion with the Lord, a heart saturated with worship, repentance, and devotion. Solomon asked for wisdom to rule, which was good, but his later life reveals that he lacked the depth of spiritual devotion that characterized David. David was a man after God’s own heart. Solomon in his later years became a man divided in his heart because of compromise with idolatry. His request was wise, but it was not the supreme request of a soul thirsting for God Himself.
God then declared that He would give Solomon what he asked for and far more. The Lord said, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour. This is an example of the overflowing generosity of God. The Lord rewards right priorities. Solomon asked for spiritual capacity, therefore God added temporal blessings as well. This follows the principle later taught by Jesus Christ, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, in Matthew chapter six verse thirty three.
Solomon received wisdom, wealth, power, and honor to a degree unprecedented among the kings of Israel. His reign became marked by prosperity and global influence. The Queen of Sheba travelled to test him with hard questions and was astonished by his wisdom. Nations came to hear his insight. Israel experienced a golden age under his leadership. However, Scripture also teaches that his end was not consistent with his beginning. First Kings chapter eleven records that Solomon’s foreign wives turned his heart after other gods. He became entangled in idolatry, which revealed that he did not guard the wisdom God had given him with a steadfast heart.
The tragic reality is that Solomon wasted a significant portion of the blessings God placed in his hands. He achieved much, but his disobedience prevented him from accomplishing what he could have accomplished had he remained faithful. His idolatry was not a mere intellectual mistake. It was moral blindness. It was the grossest form of folly for a man granted surpassing wisdom by God. As Adam Clarke observed, Solomon received much, but he would have received much more had he remained faithful to the grace given. His life stands as both encouragement and warning. God is generous toward those who ask rightly, yet men must guard their hearts to remain steadfast in the blessings God grants.
The Great Wealth of King Solomon
2 Chronicles 1:13-17
So Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn, the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty, and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria by their means.
Solomon returned from Gibeon to Jerusalem and began to reign over Israel with the wisdom God had granted him. The early days of his reign were marked by the demonstration recorded in First Kings chapter three verses sixteen through twenty eight when Solomon judged wisely between two mothers who claimed the same infant. That story stands as an emblem of the kind of discernment God had placed in his heart. This passage now turns from Solomon’s supernatural wisdom to the visible splendor of his kingdom, a kingdom elevated to extraordinary prosperity.
Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen and built an impressive cavalry force. He constructed chariot cities as fortified bases where his military assets were maintained. This demonstrated political strength and defensive readiness. However, this detail also reveals a shadow underneath the gold. The Lord had spoken through Moses in Deuteronomy chapter seventeen verse sixteen that future kings of Israel must not multiply horses for themselves. This command was meant to prevent Israelite kings from placing their confidence in military power rather than in the Lord. By accumulating horses and chariots Solomon was already beginning to drift from the simplicity of obedience.
The kingdom prospered greatly under Solomon. Scripture says the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones. Wealth became so abundant that it lost its exceptional nature. Cedar trees, normally valuable, were made as abundant as the sycomores of the lowlands. God had promised Solomon riches when Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth, and God fulfilled that promise. Yet Solomon himself later testified in Ecclesiastes that riches without a right heart are vanity. His own experience confirmed that no amount of wealth brings lasting satisfaction to the human soul. The Chronicler expects his readers to remember Deuteronomy chapter seventeen verse seventeen which warned kings not to multiply silver and gold for themselves. Solomon took the blessings of God but failed to restrain himself according to the commandments of God. Prosperity is a subtle danger and often becomes more destructive to faith than adversity.
Furthermore Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Keveh. This was serious disobedience. Deuteronomy chapter seventeen verse sixteen not only commanded that kings must not multiply horses but specifically commanded that they must not cause the nation to return to Egypt for the purpose of acquiring horses. Egypt represented bondage and the old way of life. To return there for military strength was to contradict the spiritual calling of Israel. Keveh, known historically as Cilicia in southern Turkey, was an ancient supplier of horses and confirmed that Solomon had entered into an international trade system oriented around military might rather than covenant trust in the Lord.
The Chronicler ends with a revealing explanation. Solomon’s merchants not only imported horses from Egypt but also exported them to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. This may have begun as a commercial venture under the justification that Solomon was not importing horses for himself but for other nations. From such rationalizations major compromises are born. The path of Solomon’s downfall can be traced in a sequence. He multiplied horses and chariots in disobedience. His trade connections with Egypt opened the way for political alliances. He then married Pharaoh’s daughter. After marrying the Egyptian princess he married many other foreign women who possessed foreign gods. To satisfy them he built temples for their idols. Because their idols stood near him he eventually worshipped them himself.
Thus the great wealth of Solomon stands both as testimony to the faithfulness of God and as a sober warning of the danger of unrestrained prosperity. God blessed Solomon richly, yet Solomon’s heart drifted because he neglected full obedience to the Word of God.
