CONSEQUENCES OF NOT OBEYING INSTRUCTION
Monday, 15th August 2016
2 Chronicles 7:1-22 (NKJV)
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.
3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.
7 Furthermore Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.
8 At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
9 And on the eighth day they held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.
12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
14 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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. …
Solomon’s faithful obedience to the detailed instructions given for building the temple of the Lord for worship attracted the glory of the Lord which filled the temple at its dedication, to an extent that the priests couldn’t enter (v. 2).This was God’s way of authenticating Solomon and showing His pleasure in his obedience. It also testified that Solomon’s prayer received an answer from God. If such incidence happens in any church in this our present generation of miracle-seeking Christianity, the priest or pastor will become the talk of the town instead of Jesus.
The sycophancy of people helps to blow the ego of the priest, and pride soon follows suit. That is why God quickly appeared to Solomon in v. 12 to ensure his continued obedience to God’s instruction. God promised that if they kept themselves humble and always willingly came to Him in repentance whenever they offended, He would forgive and heal their land. However, He also sounded a clear warning of the consequences of disobedience.
We should also be conscious of the fact that even as children of God in Christ, disobedience has its consequences, not least because God as a loving Father, will always discipline His erring children (Heb. 12: 5-11).The first glory does not guarantee the second; every step has a distinct instruction that follows:
Prayer: We need Your help, O Lord, as we walk with You. Give us grace to consciously obey Your instructions, in Jesus Name. Amen.