Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Solomon's Prayer
“Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.” ~1 Kings 8:23
Verse 27 continues, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”
When Solomon is humbled even further by the inevitable sins yet to be committed, he asks for the people, "When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk.” (verse 36)
He then turns attention towards those outsiders who will look upon the blessed nation Israel in relationship with their Mighty God. “When [the foreigner] comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel and that they may know…that this temple which I have built, is called by Your name.” * (v. 42-43)
Finally, when Solomon was closing his prayer, he stood from his kneeling before the altar, and he offered a blessing upon the assembly in a loud voice, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses…” (v. 55-56)
Verse 57: “May the Lord our God be with us, v. 58 …that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, v. 59…that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, v. 60 …that all peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God, there is no other. Verse 61: Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
How is it that this wise man did turn from God further along in history? Scary, isn’t it? We might be sealed but should we get comfy in that knowledge? Israel, the nation, was to be blessed. Israel, the Church, is to be blessed too. But the visible Israel, and the visible church, are in shambles to the point where any blessing from God will not be noted by any “foreigner”, that they may know. This is why we are focusing in on the remnant. God has not forsaken His faithful who continue to pray Solomon’s prayer.
*As Christians, it is understood from New Testament writings, we become His temple, called by His name, when we invite Christ to dwell in our hearts.
Verse 27 continues, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”
When Solomon is humbled even further by the inevitable sins yet to be committed, he asks for the people, "When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk.” (verse 36)
He then turns attention towards those outsiders who will look upon the blessed nation Israel in relationship with their Mighty God. “When [the foreigner] comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel and that they may know…that this temple which I have built, is called by Your name.” * (v. 42-43)
Finally, when Solomon was closing his prayer, he stood from his kneeling before the altar, and he offered a blessing upon the assembly in a loud voice, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses…” (v. 55-56)
Verse 57: “May the Lord our God be with us, v. 58 …that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, v. 59…that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, v. 60 …that all peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God, there is no other. Verse 61: Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
How is it that this wise man did turn from God further along in history? Scary, isn’t it? We might be sealed but should we get comfy in that knowledge? Israel, the nation, was to be blessed. Israel, the Church, is to be blessed too. But the visible Israel, and the visible church, are in shambles to the point where any blessing from God will not be noted by any “foreigner”, that they may know. This is why we are focusing in on the remnant. God has not forsaken His faithful who continue to pray Solomon’s prayer.
*As Christians, it is understood from New Testament writings, we become His temple, called by His name, when we invite Christ to dwell in our hearts.
