Give Praise To An Awesome God

2 Chronicles 7:1-10

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. ⁶ And 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.


Our Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever.  If we don't plant this in our hearts and walk God's plan out for our lives, pain, discomfort, and anger will continue to consume us.  God wants to work His miracles in our lives today.  He wants to show us signs, wonders, and amazing things, our hearts can now only desire.  God asks that we be in one mind, one heart, and one spirit.  By not operating in the spirit of our Lord we bring to pass much disaster, confusion, and dismay in life.  Verse 4 says "Then the King and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord."  We are to read the word of God and implement the ordinances, statutes, and commands into our world today.  His word doesn't change, but we make all sorts of changes in our lives and world today, changes that don't give glory to the word of God.  A festival for the Lord was given by Solomon, music, drinking and dancing filled their hearts, but now we have turned all our music into edifying self.  We put all our happiness and sorrow into man, making millions of these songs and true happiness is never found.  Why?  God says whoever puts their trust in man is cursed.  We've made so many love songs over the years and there's more divorce today then ever.  Our words are our power, and if we don't align them to God's thinking, we will continue to keep shooting ourselves in the foot, denying this wonderful gift from God.  Joy, festivity, and abundant life is supposed to be in our midst today.  Give Praise to an awesome God.  (Matthew 5:16)  "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Blessings to all who serve our awesome God,

Vincent Young, Christian Analyst