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2 Chronicles 1 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Solomon commanded the people to go to a high place of worship at Gibeon. This was the location of the tabernacle. It is the same tabernacle that the children of Israel built after wandering in the wilderness. Of course, Solomon was going to build a new permanent temple in Jerusalem, but for the time being, this was it. Solomon’s father, King David, moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, so the natural question would be, why didn’t he also move the tabernacle?
David knew a permanent temple was coming, so there was no reason to focus the attention and resources on the tabernacle. If he were to move the tabernacle, he would risk losing the support for a new temple because some people might have been satisfied to simply have a tabernacle in Jerusalem.
The High Place
Another characteristic of the tabernacle’s location was the fact that it was situated on a “high place.” What was the significance of a high place? There is evidence this term began as a sacred rite throughout the pagan world. It was seen as a location between heaven and earth where people could have a place of meeting. Going to a high place to sacrifice was routinely exemplified in pagan rituals by the Canaanites. This was true of animal sacrifice in general.
When God established His covenant with Israel, He took what was familiar to their culture and sanctified it. I can think of many examples where a high place shows up in both the Old and New Testaments. Two good examples would be Abraham and Isaac as well as The Transfiguration of Jesus. In other words, the pagans did not have ownership over the “high place.” The location was not inherently evil. Using the location for the worship of false gods, however, was evil. Although animal sacrifice and the “high place” was used with evil in mind, God repurposed it for His glory.
I remember going to the Ichthus music festival for several years in a row when I first got into ministry. It’s basically a Christian Woodstock. We would go and attend multiple concerts throughout the day from sunrise until 3 am the next day. The lineup included every genre of music. Country, rap, rock, screamo, techno, and death metal. If I’m honest, many of them sounded “evil.” Especially the artists who were screaming horrifically into the microphone.
However, when I heard those same artists talk after the show and give their personal testimony, it was apparent to me that the genre of music was not inherently evil. It was simply the delivery method for their heart’s intent. Although their music was not my personal style, it was glorifying God. Of course, the Holy Spirit’s discernment is always required in these situations as the Bible warns us of wolves in sheep’s clothing. However, we must be slow to cast judgment on particular practices with sweeping statements.
Good or Evil?
So, are Christmas trees, yoga, and acupuncture good or evil? This is why God has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word. We must search for the intention of our hearts while also taking into consideration the theological ramifications of our decisions. The point here in 2 Chronicles 1 is that though the high place originated from a blatantly anti-God perspective, it was used later to worship Him. Even though rock music has been considered evil by many Christians over the years, we know that it has been used by Christian artists to glorify God and draw others into worship.
This is not to say that everything is subjective and based only on intent. There are lines to be drawn between good and evil and the Bible makes that clear. But the caution here is that we would navigate these issues within our relationship with Jesus and not just based on how we feel about something. God has promised to give us everything we need to live a holy life! Seek Him on these issues!