◄ 2 Chronicles 6:24 ►
When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading before You in this temple,
Study Bible
When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy
This phrase reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience brings blessings and disobedience results in consequences, such as defeat by enemies. Historically, Israel faced numerous defeats, such as those by the Philistines and Babylonians, often attributed to their turning away from God. This concept is rooted in Deuteronomy 28, where blessings and curses are outlined based on Israel's faithfulness.

because they have sinned against You
Sin is seen as the primary reason for Israel's defeat. The Old Testament frequently links Israel's military losses to their spiritual failures, such as idolatry and injustice. This reflects the broader biblical theme that sin separates people from God, leading to negative consequences. The prophets, like Jeremiah and Isaiah, often called Israel to repentance to restore their relationship with God.

and they return to You
This phrase emphasizes repentance, a central theme in the Bible. Returning to God involves a change of heart and behavior, turning away from sin and back to God's commandments. The Hebrew concept of "teshuvah" (repentance) is about returning to the right path. This is echoed in the New Testament, where repentance is a key message of Jesus and the apostles.

and confess Your name
Confession involves acknowledging God's sovereignty and one's own sinfulness. In biblical times, confessing God's name was an act of worship and submission, recognizing His authority and holiness. This is seen in the practice of public confession in the Psalms and the New Testament, where believers confess their sins to one another and to God.

praying and pleading before You in this temple
The temple in Jerusalem was the central place of worship and sacrifice for Israel, symbolizing God's presence among His people. Praying and pleading in the temple signifies seeking God's mercy and forgiveness. Solomon's dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 highlights its role as a house of prayer for all nations. This foreshadows the New Testament understanding of Jesus as the ultimate temple, where believers can approach God directly through Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
The king of Israel who is offering this prayer during the dedication of the temple. He is seeking God's favor and forgiveness for the people of Israel.

2. Israel
The chosen people of God, who are the subject of Solomon's prayer. They are depicted as potentially being defeated due to their sins.

3. The Temple
The house of God in Jerusalem, which Solomon has built and is dedicating. It is the central place of worship and prayer for the Israelites.

4. Enemies
The adversaries of Israel who may defeat them as a consequence of Israel's sin.

5. God
The sovereign Lord to whom Solomon is praying, seeking mercy and forgiveness for the people of Israel.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
Sin can lead to defeat and hardship, both spiritually and physically. Recognizing the impact of sin is crucial for seeking restoration.

The Power of Repentance
Turning back to God and confessing His name is a powerful act of repentance that can lead to forgiveness and restoration.

The Role of the Temple
The temple serves as a central place for prayer and supplication, symbolizing the importance of communal worship and seeking God’s presence.

God’s Mercy and Forgiveness
God is merciful and willing to forgive when His people genuinely repent and seek Him, demonstrating His steadfast love and faithfulness.

The Importance of Prayer
Prayer is a vital component of repentance and restoration, serving as a means to communicate with God and seek His guidance and forgiveness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of defeat due to sin in 2 Chronicles 6:24 relate to the broader biblical theme of consequences for disobedience?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of turning back and confessing God’s name in our personal lives today?

3. How does the role of the temple in Solomon’s prayer inform our understanding of the importance of communal worship and prayer in the church?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that our prayers are genuine acts of repentance and not just routine rituals?

5. How can we encourage others in our community to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness when they face spiritual or personal defeats?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including defeat by enemies, which connects to the consequences of sin mentioned in 2 Chronicles 6:24.

1 Kings 8
This parallel account of Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication provides additional context and details about the prayer and its significance.

Psalm 51
David's prayer of repentance highlights the importance of confession and seeking God's mercy, similar to the call for repentance in 2 Chronicles 6:24.

James 5:16
This verse emphasizes the power of confession and prayer, aligning with the call for Israel to confess and pray in the temple.
Sermons
The Sevenfold IllustrationT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 6:22-39
God and the NationW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 6:24-28, 34, 35
People
David, Solomon
Places
Egypt, Holy Place, Jerusalem
Topics
Acknowledge, Confess, Confessed, Defeated, Enemy, Grace, Honouring, Making, Overcome, Prayed, Prayers, Praying, Requesting, Return, Sin, Sinned, Smitten, Struck, Supplication, Temple, Turn, War, Worse
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 6:24

     5290   defeat
     9210   judgment, God's

2 Chronicles 6:24-25

     8728   enemies, of Israel and Judah

2 Chronicles 6:24-27

     6624   confession, of sin

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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