2 Chronicles 6:39
then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You.
then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place
This phrase emphasizes the transcendence and sovereignty of God, who resides in heaven, a place of ultimate authority and holiness. The concept of God’s dwelling in heaven is consistent throughout Scripture, highlighting His separation from the sinfulness of the world (Isaiah 66:1). Solomon acknowledges that although the temple is a place for God's name, His true dwelling is in heaven, reinforcing the idea that God is not confined to earthly structures (1 Kings 8:27).

their prayer and pleas
The mention of "prayer and pleas" indicates a heartfelt and earnest communication with God. In the context of 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon is interceding on behalf of the Israelites, recognizing the importance of sincere repentance and supplication. This reflects the biblical principle that God desires a contrite heart and genuine repentance (Psalm 51:17). The dual mention of prayer and pleas underscores the intensity and urgency of the requests being made.

and may You uphold their cause
This phrase suggests a plea for divine justice and intervention. Solomon is asking God to act on behalf of His people, to support and vindicate them in their times of need. This reflects the biblical theme of God as a righteous judge who defends the oppressed and upholds justice (Psalm 9:4). It also implies a trust in God's wisdom and fairness in dealing with human affairs.

May You forgive Your people who sinned against You
Forgiveness is a central theme in the Bible, and this phrase highlights the need for divine mercy. Solomon acknowledges the inevitability of sin among the people and the necessity of seeking God's forgiveness. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where repentance leads to restoration (2 Chronicles 7:14). The plea for forgiveness also foreshadows the ultimate forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ, who provides atonement for sin (Ephesians 1:7).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
The king of Israel who is offering this prayer during the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. He is seeking God's favor and forgiveness for the people of Israel.

2. The Temple in Jerusalem
The newly built house of worship where Solomon is dedicating the nation to God and asking for His continued presence and blessing.

3. The Israelites
God's chosen people, who are the recipients of Solomon's intercessory prayer, seeking forgiveness and restoration.

4. Heaven
Described as God's dwelling place, from where He hears and responds to the prayers of His people.

5. God
The central figure to whom the prayer is directed, emphasizing His role as a forgiving and just deity.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Intercessory Prayer
Solomon's prayer is a powerful example of interceding on behalf of others. We are called to pray not only for ourselves but also for our communities and nations.

God's Dwelling Place and His Accessibility
While God is in heaven, He is accessible to us through prayer. This emphasizes His omnipresence and willingness to engage with His creation.

The Necessity of Repentance
Solomon's prayer underscores the need for repentance. True prayer involves acknowledging our sins and seeking God's forgiveness.

God's Justice and Mercy
The prayer highlights God's dual nature of justice and mercy. He is just in His dealings but also merciful to forgive those who genuinely repent.

The Role of Leaders in Spiritual Guidance
As Solomon leads the nation in prayer, it reminds us of the responsibility of leaders to guide others spiritually and seek God's will for their people.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Solomon's prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:39 reflect the importance of intercessory prayer in your own life?

2. In what ways can you make your prayers more aligned with seeking God's forgiveness and mercy, as demonstrated by Solomon?

3. How does understanding God's dwelling place in heaven influence your perception of His accessibility and presence in your daily life?

4. What role does repentance play in your personal prayer life, and how can you incorporate it more fully?

5. How can you, in your sphere of influence, act as a spiritual leader like Solomon, guiding others towards prayer and repentance?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 8:30
This verse parallels Solomon's prayer in 2 Chronicles, emphasizing the importance of God hearing prayers from His dwelling place in heaven.

Psalm 130:2
This Psalm echoes the plea for God to hear the voice of supplication, highlighting the theme of seeking divine forgiveness.

Daniel 9:19
Daniel's prayer for God to hear and forgive reflects a similar heart of repentance and desire for God's intervention.

Matthew 6:12
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches about seeking forgiveness, connecting to the theme of divine pardon found in Solomon's prayer.
The Sevenfold IllustrationT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 6:22-39
Departure and ReturnW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 6:36-39
People
David, Solomon
Places
Egypt, Holy Place, Jerusalem
Topics
Answering, Cause, Cry, Dwelling, Dwelling-place, Ear, Forgive, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Hast, Heaven, Heavens, Living-place, Maintain, Maintained, Petitions, Pleas, Prayer, Settled, Sin, Sinned, Supplications, Uphold, Wrong
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 6:39

     5340   house

2 Chronicles 6:34-39

     7241   Jerusalem, significance

2 Chronicles 6:36-39

     6029   sin, forgiveness
     6624   confession, of sin

2 Chronicles 6:38-39

     6628   conversion, God's demand

Library
December the Eighth Judged by Our Aspirations
"Thou didst well, it was in thine heart." --2 CHRONICLES vi. 1-15. And this was a purpose which the man was not permitted to realize. It was a temple built in the substance of dreams, but never established in wood and stone. And God took the shadowy structure and esteemed it as a perfected pile. The sacred intention was regarded as a finished work. The will to build a temple was regarded as a temple built. And hence I discern the preciousness of all hallowed purpose and desire, even though it
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Eleventh Lesson. Believe that Ye have Received;'
Believe that ye have received;' Or, The Faith that Takes. Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them.'--Mark xi. 24 WHAT a promise! so large, so Divine, that our little hearts cannot take it in, and in every possible way seek to limit it to what we think safe or probable; instead of allowing it, in its quickening power and energy, just as He gave it, to enter in, and to enlarge our hearts to the measure of what
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Sanctification.
VI. Objections answered. I will consider those passages of scripture which are by some supposed to contradict the doctrine we have been considering. 1 Kings viii. 46: "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near," etc. On this passage, I remark:-- 1. That this sentiment in nearly the same language, is repeated in 2 Chron. vi. 26, and in Eccl.
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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