This is the Bible Book Club, the book of Second Chronicles.

Welcome to the club.

Last episode in chapter six and seven of Second Chronicles,

Solomon addressed the people and spoke of the promises that had been

fulfilled. Then Solomon dedicated the temple with prayer and petitions for the people. God responded

with fire and glory filled the temple with the cloud of his presence. God appeared to Solomon for the

second and last time, reiterating the promises if the Israelites are faithful and obedient,

and then warning of consequences if they're not.

Recall that the chronicler is telling the exiles the story of their past so they can have hope for their future.

In chapter 8, the chronicler reports Solomon's faithfulness in building the temple and also using his wealth

to fortify the nation. Scene 1. A summary of Solomon's other activities. Second Chronicles chapter 8.

At the end of 20 years during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,

Solomon rebuilt the villages

that Hiram had given him and settled Israelites in them. Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and

captured it. He also built up Tadmore in the desert and all the store cities he had built in

Hamith. He rebuilt Upper Beth Horan and Lower Beth Horan as fortified cities

with walls and with gates and bars, as well as Bealath and all his store cities and all the

cities for his chariots and for his horses, whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon,

and throughout the territory he ruled.

Solomon had a successful construction company. Whatever he desired, he built, including

rebuilding the cities he had given to King Heeram in return for the cedar and gold to build

the temple. Now, there's kind of a story behind that. First Kings 9 explains that Heeram was not pleased

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