Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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S E C O N D   C H R O N I C L E S

CHAP. V.

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The temple being built and furnished for God, we have here,

I. Possession given to him, by bringing in the dedicated things

(ver. 1),

but especially the ark, the token of his presence,

ver. 2-10.

II. Possession taken by him, in a cloud,

ver. 11-14.

For if any man open the door of his heart to God he will come in,

Rev. iii. 20.

The Ark Placed in the Temple.	B. C. 1004.

     

1 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD

was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David

his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all

the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

  2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the

heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of

Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of

the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

  3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the

king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

  4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up

the ark.

  5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the

congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the

tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

  6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that

were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and

oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

  7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the

LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most

holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

  8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place

of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves

thereof above.

  9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of

the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they

were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

  10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which

Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant

with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

     

This agrees with what we had

1 Kings viii. 2,

&c., where an account was given

of the solemn introduction of the ark into the new-erected temple.

1. There needed no great solemnity for the bringing in of the dedicated

things,

v. 1.

They added to the wealth, and perhaps were so disposed as to add to the

beauty of it; but they could not add to the holiness, for it was the

temple that sanctified the gold,
Matt. xxiii. 17.

See how just Solomon was both to God and to his father. Whatever David

had dedicated to God, however much he might have liked it himself, he

would by no means alienate it, but put it among the treasures of the

temple. Those children that would inherit their godly parents’

blessing must religiously pursue their pious intentions and not defeat

them. When Solomon had made all the vessels of the temple in abundance

(ch. iv. 18),

many of the materials were left, which he would not convert to any

other use, but laid up in the treasury for a time of need. Dedicated

things must not be alienated. It is sacrilege to do it.

2. But it was fit that the ark should be brought in with great

solemnity; and so it was. All the other vessels were made new, and

larger, in proportion to the house, than they had been in the

tabernacle. But the ark, with the mercy-seat and the cherubim, was the

same; for the presence and the grace of God are the same in little

assemblies that they are in large ones, in the poor condition of the

church that they are in its prosperous estate. Wherever two or three

are gathered together in Christ’s name there is he as truly present

with them as if there were 2000 or 3000. The ark was brought in

attended by a very great assembly of the elders of Israel, who came to

grace and solemnity; and a very sumptuous appearance no doubt they

made,

v. 2-4.

It was carried by the priests

(v. 7),

brought into the most holy place, and put under the wings of the great

cherubim which Solomon had set up there,

v. 7, 8.

There they are unto this day

(v. 9),

not the day when this book was written after the captivity, but when

that was written out of which this story was transcribed. Or they were

there (so it might be read) unto this day, the day of Jerusalem’s

desolations, that fatal day,

Ps. cxxxvii. 7.

The ark was a type of Christ, and, as such, a token of the presence of

God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the

end of the world, does in effect bring the ark into our religious

assemblies if we by faith and prayer put that promise in suit; and this

we should be most solicitous and earnest for. Lord, if thy presence

go not up with us, wherefore should we go up? The temple itself, if

Christ leave it, is a desolate place,

Matt. xxiii. 38.

3. With the ark they brought up the tabernacle and all the holy

vessels that were in the tabernacle,
v. 5.

Those were not alienated, because they had been dedicated to God, were

not altered or melted down for the new work, though there was no need

of them; but they were carefully laid up as monuments of antiquity, and

probably as many of the vessels as were fit for use were still used.

4. This was done with great joy. They kept a holy feast upon the

occasion

(v. 3),

and sacrificed sheep and oxen without number,
v. 6.

Note,

(1.) The establishment of the public worship of God according to his

institution, and with the tokens of his presence, is, and ought to be,

matter of great joy to any people.

(2.) When Christ is formed in a soul, the law written in the heart, the

ark of the covenant settled there, so that it becomes the temple of the

Holy Ghost, there is true satisfaction in that soul.

(3.) Whatever we have the comfort of we must, by the sacrifice of

praise, give God the glory of, and not be straitened therein; for

with such sacrifices God is well pleased. If God favour us with his

presence, we must honour him with our services, the best we have.

The Temple Filled with Glory.	B. C. 1004.

     

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the

holy place: (for all the priests that were present were

sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

  12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of

Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren,

being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and

harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an

hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

  13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were

as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking

the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets

and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD,

saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever:

that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house

of the LORD;

  14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of

the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

     

Solomon, and the elders of Israel, had done what they could to grace

the solemnity of the introduction of the ark; but God, by testifying

his acceptance of what they did, put the greatest honour upon it. The

cloud of glory that filled the house beautified it more than all the

gold with which it was overlaid or the precious stones with which it

was garnished; and yet that was no glory in comparison with the glory

of the gospel dispensation,

2 Cor. iii. 8-10.

Observe,

     

I. How God took possession of the temple: He filled it with a

cloud,
v. 13.

1. Thus he signified his acceptance of this temple to be the same to

him that the tabernacle of Moses was, and assured them that he would be

the same in it; for it was by a cloud that he made his public entry

into that,

Exod. xl. 34.

2. Thus he considered the weakness and infirmity of those to whom he

manifested himself, who could not bear the dazzling lustre of the

divine light: it would have overpowered them; he therefore spread

his cloud upon it,
Job xxvi. 9.

Christ revealed things unto his disciples as they were able to bear

them, and in parables, which wrapped up divine things as in a cloud.

3. Thus he would affect all that worshipped in his courts with holy

reverence and fear. Christ’s disciples were afraid when they entered

into a cloud,

Luke ix. 34.

4. Thus he would intimate the darkness of that dispensation, by reason

of which they could not stedfastly look to the end of those things

which were now abolished,

2 Cor. iii. 13.

     

II. When he took possession of it.

1. When the priests had come out of the holy place,
v. 11.

This is the way of giving possession. All must come out, that the

rightful owner may come in. Would we have God dwell in our hearts? We

must leave room for him; let every thing else give way. We are here

told that upon this occasion the whole family of the priests attended,

and not any one particular course: All the priests that were present

were sanctified

(v. 11),

because there was work enough for them all, when such a multitude of

sacrifices were to be offered, and because it was fit that they should

all be eye-witnesses of this solemnity and receive the impressions of

it.

2. When the singers and musicians praised God, then the house was

filled with a cloud. This is very observable; it was not when they

offered sacrifices, but when they sang the praises of

God, that God gave them this token of his favour; for the sacrifice

of praise pleaseth the Lord better than that of an ox or

bullock,
Ps. lxix. 31.

All the singers and musicians were employed, those of all the three

families; and, to complete the concert, 120 priests, with their

trumpets, joined with them, all standing at the east end of the altar,

on that side of the court which lay outmost towards the people,

v. 12.

And, when this part of the service began, the glory of God appeared.

Observe,

(1.) It was when they were unanimous, when they were as one, to make

one sound. The Holy God descended on the apostles when they met with

one accord,

Acts ii. 1-4.

Where unity is the Lord commands the blessing.

(2.) It was when they were lively and hearty, and lifted up their

voice to praise the Lord. Then we serve God acceptably when we are

fervent in spirit serving him.

(3.) It was when they were, in their praises, celebrating the

everlasting mercy and goodness of God. As there is one saying oftener

repeated in scripture than this, his mercy endureth for ever

(twenty-six times in one psalm,

Ps. cxxxvi.,

and often elsewhere), so there is none more signally owned from heaven;

for it was not the expression of some rapturous flights that the

priests were singing when the glory of God appeared, but this plain

song, He is good, and his mercy endureth for ever. God’s

goodness is his glory, and he is pleased when we give him the glory of

it.

     

III. What was the effect of it. The priests themselves could not

stand to minister, by reason of the cloud

(v. 14),

which, as it was an evidence that the law made men priests that had

infirmity, so (as bishop Patrick observes) it was a plain intimation

that the Levitical priesthood should cease, and stand no longer to

minister, when the Messiah should come, in whom the fulness of the

godhead should dwell bodily. In him the glory of God dwelt among

us, but covered with a cloud. The Word was made flesh; and when he

comes to his temple, like a refiner’s fire, who may abide the day of

his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth?
Mal. iii. 1, 2.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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