2 CHRONICLES 9 (FROM CAC'S NOTES)
2 CHRONICLES 9 (FROM CAC’S NOTES)
The Spirit of God directs our attention to superlative excellence in this section, both with regard to what is brought to Christ and with regard to His sufficiency. For “the throne where he judged” (1 Kings 7: 7) would set forth His appraisement of things; it is the last thing mentioned as being made by Solomon; “there was not the like made in any kingdom”. Before we have the throne we have the thought of surpassing excellence in what was brought to Solomon: “Neither was there any such spice as that which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon”, and of the sandal-wood brought by the servants of Huram and used by Solomon it is said, there was “none such seen before in the land of Judah”. It is of deep interest to see that Solomon calls forth the very best that can be rendered from human hearts. The spices carry our minds back to the ingredients of the holy anointing oil in Exodus 30, myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet myrtle and cassia. They represent holy features such as can only be found in the Spirit (Colossians 3: 12 and Galatians 5: 22). The quantity is noticed in Kings and the quality in Chronicles.
The sandal-wood was used for stairs and for harps and lutes. It provided material suitable for ascending movements and for instruments to accompany song. There never was such ascent or such music Godward as there is today. “Such as the heavenly one, such also the heavenly ones”, 1 Corinthians 15: 48. There were never any such before, nor in the same sense will there ever be such again. We are made alive by the last Adam, and He is the heavenly One.
[p. 385] In that sense we have come from a far-off clime: as made alive by the One in heaven we spiritually lend ourselves to upward movements. The spices come out in their fragrance down here, but the sandal-wood shows its quality by enabling saints to move upward. The patriarchs sought a heavenly country but they were not made alive by a Man in heaven. They wanted a heavenly place but we have it as our native land. So the saints move upward from Romans to Colossians and then to Ephesians.
We get the house of the forest of Lebanon mentioned in verse 20. It is well to note the three houses (1 Kings 7: 1 - 8): the house of the daughter of Pharaoh, Solomon’s house, and that of the forest of Lebanon. The first is a house in relation to God; the second in relation to Christ and the third is viewed as in the defensive position indicated by the shields and targets. “I am set for the defence of the glad tidings” (Philippians 1: 16), and “In the defence and confirmation of the glad tidings ye are all participators in my grace”, Philippians 1: 7. Sometimes the great service is to stand in defence of what is of God. This is really a greater matter than getting people converted. To hold the glad tidings in their purity and fulness, as Paul did, is the true testimony of God.
Then the “great throne of ivory” refers, I believe, to the position which Christ occupies as in supreme oversight of all things, but especially in the kingdom. Everything is going to be tested by what is due to Christ — His supremacy.