2 Chronicles 6:41
Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness.
Now therefore, arise, O LORD God,
This phrase is a call for God to take action, reflecting the completion of the temple and the desire for God's presence to fill it. The invocation "arise" is reminiscent of the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, where the Ark of the Covenant would lead them (Numbers 10:35). It signifies a transition from a temporary dwelling to a permanent one, symbolizing God's readiness to dwell among His people.

and enter Your resting place,
The "resting place" refers to the newly built temple in Jerusalem, which Solomon dedicated as a permanent dwelling for God's presence. This concept of rest is significant in biblical theology, symbolizing peace and completion. It echoes the rest God took after creation (Genesis 2:2) and foreshadows the ultimate rest believers find in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-10).

You and the ark of Your might.
The Ark of the Covenant represents God's covenant with Israel and His mighty presence among them. It contained the tablets of the Law, Aaron's rod, and manna, symbolizing God's guidance, authority, and provision. The ark's presence in the temple signifies God's power and faithfulness to His promises, paralleling Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and the embodiment of God's presence (John 1:14).

May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation,
The clothing of priests with salvation suggests a divine empowerment and sanctification for their service. In the Old Testament, priests wore specific garments for their duties (Exodus 28), symbolizing purity and dedication. Salvation here implies deliverance and righteousness, pointing to the New Testament concept of believers being clothed in Christ's righteousness (Galatians 3:27).

and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness.
The "godly ones" refers to the faithful followers of God, often called saints. Their rejoicing in goodness highlights the joy and blessings that come from living in accordance with God's will. This joy is a recurring theme in Scripture, seen in the Psalms and the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). The goodness here can be seen as the blessings and favor of God, ultimately fulfilled in the goodness of Christ's redemptive work.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
The king of Israel who built the temple and is offering this prayer of dedication.

2. LORD God
The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is being invoked to dwell in the temple.

3. The Ark of Your Strength
Refers to the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence and power among His people.

4. Priests
The Levitical priests who serve in the temple, representing the people before God.

5. Godly Ones
The faithful followers of God, also known as the saints, who are called to rejoice in His goodness.
Teaching Points
God's Presence Among His People
The temple was a physical symbol of God's dwelling with Israel. Today, believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God dwells within us.

The Role of Priests
In the Old Testament, priests mediated between God and the people. As Christians, we are called to be a royal priesthood, interceding for others and living lives of holiness.

Rejoicing in God's Goodness
The godly ones are called to rejoice in God's goodness. This joy is rooted in the salvation and blessings we receive through Christ.

The Importance of Holiness
The priests being "clothed with salvation" signifies the importance of righteousness and holiness in serving God. We are called to live lives that reflect our salvation.

God's Faithfulness to His Promises
Solomon's prayer reflects confidence in God's promises. We can trust in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises to us.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of God dwelling among His people in the Old Testament temple relate to the New Testament understanding of believers as the temple of the Holy Spirit?

2. In what ways can we, as a royal priesthood, serve and intercede for others in our daily lives?

3. What are some practical ways we can rejoice in God's goodness, even amidst challenging circumstances?

4. How can we ensure that we are "clothed with salvation" in our daily walk with Christ?

5. Reflect on a promise of God that you are holding onto. How does Solomon's confidence in God's promises encourage you in your faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 132:8-9
This Psalm echoes Solomon's prayer, emphasizing God's presence and the righteousness of His priests.

Exodus 40:34-35
Describes the glory of the LORD filling the tabernacle, a precursor to the temple's dedication.

1 Peter 2:9
Connects the idea of a royal priesthood to believers, highlighting the spiritual priesthood of all Christians.

Hebrews 4:16
Encourages believers to approach God's throne of grace with confidence, reflecting the access to God that the temple symbolized.

Revelation 21:3
Speaks of God's dwelling with His people in the new creation, the ultimate fulfillment of His presence among us.
God in His TempleHomilist2 Chronicles 6:40-41
Solomon's Prayer At the Dedication of the TempleR. C. Dillon, A.M.2 Chronicles 6:40-41
Solomon's Prayer for the SanctuaryC. Gilbert.2 Chronicles 6:40-41
The Dedication of the TempleR. Watson.2 Chronicles 6:40-41
The Dedication of the TempleJ. Davies, D. D.2 Chronicles 6:40-41
The Divine Presence EntreatedJ. T. Broad, M.A.2 Chronicles 6:40-41
A Prayer for the Church of GodT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 6:40-42
People
David, Solomon
Places
Egypt, Holy Place, Jerusalem
Topics
Arise, Ark, Clothed, Elohim, Glad, Godly, Goodness, O, Ones, Priests, Rejoice, Rest, Resting, Resting-place, Rise, Saints, Salvation, Strength
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 6:41

     1105   God, power of
     7021   church, OT anticipations
     7155   saints
     7306   ark of the covenant
     8287   joy, experience

2 Chronicles 6:41-42

     1351   covenant, with David

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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