Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 68
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IMMERSE
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CHRONICLES
2C
| 5:13–6:14
sons and b rothers—were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the
east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined
by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. The trumpeters and singers
performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their
voices and praised the Lord with these words:
“He is good!
His faithful love endures forever!”
At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests
could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious
presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.
Then Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in
a thick cloud of darkness. Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a
place where you can live forever!”
Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing
before him and gave this blessing: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who
has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father,
‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never
chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple
should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my
people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name
to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”
Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to
honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord told him,
‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is
good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build
the Temple to honor me.’
“And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just
as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the
Lord, the God of Israel. There I have placed the Ark, which contains the
covenant that the Lord made with the people of Israel.”
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire
community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer. Now Solomon had
made a bronze platform 71/2 feet long, 71/2 feet wide, and 41/2 feet high and
had placed it at the center of the Temple’s outer courtyard. He stood on
the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel
and lifted his hands toward heaven. He prayed,
“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and
earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk
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