2 Chronicles 6:1-11
“Then Solomon said, ‘The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.” (1) Solomon recalled how God showed up to Moses on Mount Sinai and His appearance here was an approval of Solomon’s building of a dwelling place for God among his people. Being before God’s presence and acknowledging Him, he turned and “…blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.” (3b) This blessing did not a pronouncement of good things to Israel, but an awareness of God by praising Him for speaking to them and fulfilled His word. Our greatest blessing is an awareness of Who God is, what He has said, and what He has done for our benefit. When we lose sight of these truths, we will drift into inappropriate living. Solomon revisits key activities of the Lord on Israel’s behalf. Those who received the blessing were those who assembled for the celebration. It was not those who stayed home to rest and heard about it later, but those who made the effort to show up. Today we often want the blessing of God without an awareness of Who He is, what He said, or what He has done for us. Some even are unwilling to assemble for celebration. However, for those who embrace these truths, they received a blessing!