“Solomon went up from there to the bronze altar before the Lord…

and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.”                2 Chr 1:6

We must not forget the primacy of worship. We must prioritize and personalize worship. God deserves it, and we can’t afford not to give it to Him. Sometimes it costs us dearly. Solomon knew this, so on this day he offered one thousand burnt offerings. Soon after, when he brought the ark back to the completed temple, he offered more sheep and oxen “that could not be counted or numbered for multitude” (5:6). Then at the dedication of the temple, the extravagance of his worship was on display for all generations to see: 22,000 bulls, and 120,000 sheep over a one week period.

Solomon learned this from David. When three of his mighty men risked their lives to get him a cup of water from the well in Bethlehem, he considered the cost of their lives and dared not drink the cup. So he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. Beloved, when we read the Psalms maybe we think David wrote them when he was sitting around watching the sheep. Some were, it’s true. But one of the things which stirs me about this man is that even when he was king over one of the most expansive empires in Israel’s history, he never stopped writing songs. As king (“the king will rejoice in God”, v.11) he penned words such as “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for you…” PS 63:1.

We often read the scriptures without really stopping to think about them. The setting, the culture, the fact that it was thousands of years ago, all inhibit us from really engaging with the text, and truly benefiting from it. If we thought there was gold in the ground beneath us, we would dig with abandon. David said that the law, statutes, and commandments of the Lord are more to be desired than gold. If we believe that, beloved, we ought to be digging!

So what is 2 Chr 1:6 speaking to us today? For context, Solomon was just beginning his reign as King. These were not required offerings, but were offered of his own free will, out of gratitude, and as a way of saying to God, “I am nothing apart from You. You are great, and hold all authority. I acknowledge you, I thank you, and I invoke Your name as I take on this solemn responsibility.” Then, he offered an average of one sheep or cow per minute for the next 17 hours. What expense! What dedication!

Worship Jesus. If you haven’t told Him you love Him today, take some moments and do it right now. God forbid that we relegate our worship to God to 40 minutes of singing on Sunday morning! Tell Him in prayer. Tell Him in a song. Tell Him in your service. He deserves it. You need it. Nothing else will truly satisfy the people we are called to reach. Yes, Lord, give us a revelation of those whom we are touching now will worship You for an eternity at our sides. Set aside some focused, undistracted time for your Lover. Yes, worship Jesus.