It confirms that Davids disqualification was not due to sin, but because the concept of Gods rest must be regarded as the unique and final stage in building the temple. (Selman), So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. Religion Past & Present XII (2012) 141. And so this message suddenly got real hard for some of us because Solomons prayer suddenly got real hard. The work on this sanctuary is long completed. Here Solomon acknowledges Gods work for their fathers in the past, and he seeks Gods continued presence and direction for his people in the present. It was the Lord who provided all that they needed to complete the project. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. If His people go to battle against their enemies, whether at home or in other countries, when they pray toward this place, may God hear them and maintain their cause. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. There are so many people who would love to come to church with you if you would just ask them. What a wonderful prayer to pray! After many particulars, Solomon concludes with the general request, that God would hearken to his praying people. The mention of Gods hands (lit. But that Temple has been destroyed for over 1900 years. (v. 4) Solomon reiterates that God has never asked for a city or a house or a ruler until now. (BE) 53For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance,(BF) just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.. As long as this did not slip into a superstitious misunderstanding, it was good to recognize a special place to come and meet with God. There will be seven distinct petitions in this prayer of Solomon. Thanks for visiting! Look at verses 57-58: May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. And we should pray for Gods people to remain fully committed to him. It took seven years for King Solomon to actually build the temple. He adds, "for there is no man that sinneth not.". V.22a ""Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel." This was a public prayer. When we gather for worship, the Lord meets with us, and we He kneels as he prays and spreads out his hands to the heavens. Jesus promised his disciples: For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:20) And so when we gather to worship God in Jesus name, we can be assured that Christ is with us, that he is present with us and brings us into Gods glorious presence as we lift up the name of Jesus and worship God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 11:28, 29], NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word. This type of praying produced some marvelous results. The temple is dedicated and let God now arise to His dwelling place! 33-34). True Sign up for daily inspiration today!>. When King Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem in all its glorious splendor, he stood before the altar of the Lord and prayed a very long prayer. Amen. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place where Gods word is honored and proclaimed. He knew that when God mercifully answered the prayers of foreigners, it drew those from other nations to the God of all nations. At the dedication ceremony, Solomon acknowledged the feebleness of his efforts compared to an infinite God: "Will God really dwell on earth with humans? With Him hearing is forgiving and forgiving is hearing. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Why, or, why not? The overseer of all is Solomon! 106:46; Acts 7:10, Ex. day of May, 1846. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. It is an immense undertaking for that day to build such a building as the temple. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 - "Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I am always happy to do that. i. Who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David: Solomon recognized that the temple was the fulfillment of Gods plan, not Davids or Solomons. And comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple: The temple grounds were used as a place to verify and authorize oaths. So yes, we pray for our needs as a church, and we ask God to meet those daily needs. Solomon urges God to enter into an agreement with Israel that when the people pray to God, whether to relieve a famine, or to give them victory in combat against an approaching enemy, or to grant them forgiveness from their sins against God and against one another, that God would grant their request. a. However, before one petition is uttered he extols the greatness of the God to Whom he is praying. They were defeated because they had sinned against God! that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gayest unto our fathers. 25-30). fulfilled with his hands) really means that Gods actions have confirmed his words it is as if Gods unseen hands were active in all the human hands who contributed to the construction work (cf. 26:34, 44; Deut. Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. The heavens, even the highest heaven,(H) cannot contain(I) you. It is not therefore to be wondered at that, when Solomon dedicated to the Lord the temple which he had built, his great petition was that God would hear every prayer that should be uttered in that place or toward that place. But then Solomon goes on to pray this second prayer of dedication in verses 54-63. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Because really, what good does it do to commit a temple or a sanctuary or really anything to the Lord if you are not personally committed to the Lord yourself? Disobedience, Pride, Self-Deception, Rejection, The Sanctity of Human Life in the Womb - Psalm 139, Caring for Each Other in the Body of Christ, Determining the Dates for Easter and Passover, The Magic Dresser (A Poem for Mother's Day), The Fruit of the Spirit and 1 Corinthians 13, Click here for more messages from the book of. B. V. 20-21 A Place For Cares - As Solomon prays, he asks the Lord to here the supplications of God's people. Surely, he does not mean it as an excuse. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. This Sunday's lectionary reading from the Old Testament contains a portion of King Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:22-53). But the LORD said to my father David, Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. All rights reserved. 1. 25Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises(E) you made to him when you said, You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done. 26And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised(F) your servant David my father come true. What does it mean to dedicate a building, or a child or a home? Yes! So what does it mean to dedicate something to the Lord? And this is really the heart of what all dedications to God are all about. Finally, Solomon prayed and anticipated the final judgment' war and national collapse.' War within is the ultimate destroyer of life, property and freedom. Such an individual must then come to the altar of God. The many difficulties which arise out of this state of affairs are, of course, well known. The second part of his prayer was for Gods continued presence and direction. c. When You hear, forgive: Solomon knew that the most important thing Israel needed was forgiveness. PASTOR: Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; our Father which art in heaven: PASTOR: Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, head of the body which is the church; head over all things to the church; Prophet, Priest and King; whose glorious appearing shall be to all people: PASTOR: Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Counselor, guide and friend: PASTOR: For comfort to those who mourn; for strength to those who are tempted; for the instruction and training of children and youth; for the sending forth of the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth: CONGREGATION: To you we dedicate this house. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 41Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your names sake 42(for they will hear of Your great name and Your (Z)strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, (AA)that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and (AB)fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name. Didnt they make the plans, gather the materials, and oversee the building of the temple? b. By Gods grace it has now been paid off in full as God has worked through his people to finish the work we started so long ago. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. (AQ), 46When they sin against youfor there is no one who does not sin(AR)and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive(AS) to their own lands, far away or near; 47and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead(AT) with you in the land of their captors and say, We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly;(AU) 48and if they turn back(AV) to you with all their heart(AW) and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray(AX) to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple(AY) I have built for your Name;(AZ) 49then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. Love C.S. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. b. Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. In summary: - Solomon describes the reason for the Temple, that it was in David's heart to build it, but God decided that his son should build it instead. To God be the glory forever! God's presence and protection (vv. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:34 9.4MB) King Solomon . We cannot dedicate things to the Lord if we have not dedicated ourselves to the Lord first. How dreadful to pray a prayer of dedication for a new business if you are not going to run that business according to godly principles. Traffic and Tears on the Road to Jerusalem. b. I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever: Solomon rightly sensed that the presence of the cloud meant that God dwelt in the temple in a special way. How does Solomon overcome the difficulty of doing priestly work and not sinning by doing so? 22Then Solomon stood before (B)the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and (C)spread out his hands toward heaven; 23and he said: Lord God of Israel, (D)there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, (E)who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who (F)walk before You with all their hearts. Hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants: Solomon asked the God who can see what man cant who knows the hidden heart of man to enforce from heaven the oaths made at the temple. Solomon II. When was the last time? 22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands(B) toward heaven 23and said: Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like(C) you in heaven above or on earth belowyou who keep your covenant of love(D) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 53For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, (AM)as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.. The greatness of Israel's God is seen in the facts that He has made all things and that He keeps covenant! King David himself gathered the raw materials to build the temple and, evidently, God provided the building plans for that holy structure. V. 22b Verse 54 tells us that he knelt on his knees: "when Solomon had finished praying all False (True or False) Solomon carried out David's instructions concerning his enemies, establishing his kingdom in his hand. And let Your saints rejoice in goodness. The we come to Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple. Solomon extols the faithfulness of God and exhorts the people to continue in the path of covenant obedience. 12. the Lord appeared to Solomon by The dedication of the temple must have been an occasion of intense national interest to Solomon and his subjects. Nevertheless, it also reminds us of the principle in prayer of praying in the name of Jesus, the ultimate Anointed One. i. In this way he would be visible to all the people and they would all be able to hear him. Does the enormity of the sin have anything to do with the possibility of forgiveness? a. In their fasting and prayer, the people of Judah claimed the promises God had made in his covenant with Solomon at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8. (True or False) Graciously, Solomon first allowed Adonijah to go free. 2 Chronicles 2:1. And spread out his hands: This was the most common posture of prayer in the Old Testament. b. The "man after God's own heart" had left the scene. this temple for God, so did His represented presence in the form of the Ark of the Covenant (see 2 Chronicles 5:2-10). Because Solomon also prayed here: May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. (1 Kings 8:58) Notice this is primarily a prayer for God to turn you. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Their attitude was: Nothing will happen to us because we have the temple! But God said, No! i. November 2020 Series on Thanksgiving - for more information and an outline see here.. Used by permission. And in the midst of a phenomenal celebratory service; the King of Israel prays a dedicatory prayer like none have ever heard before. One land would often invade the other, besiege its cities and take the inhabitants captive. I. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has done (54-56). This was to be a beautiful temple built for Gods glory. One is struck, moreover, with the fact that the language is far from new, and is full of quotations from the Pentateuch, some of which are almost word for word, while the sense of the whole may be found in those memorable passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. (Spurgeon). When all the work for the temple was finished, the last step was bringing the Ark of the Covenant and placing it in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, putting it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 14-21), utters a long dedicatory prayer (vv. It's actually three prayers and what I find most interesting about them is the balance of what is said. ACT OF DEDICATION (Adapted from the Dedicatory Service at The Moody Church November 8, 1925). Known as an ambitious builder of public works, Solomon's crowning achievement was the building of the Temple. He ruled Israel for forty years, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity for his people. Jesus told his disciples: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they 6:36; Ps. a. Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength: This conclusion of prayer has Numbers 10:35-36 in mind, when Israel moved the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, and the whole camp of Israel from place to place through the wilderness during the exodus. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. When a couple comes and asks me to marry them in the church, I always ask them why they want to get married by a pastor in the church rather than, say, a judge at the courthouse. 28:36, 64; 2 Kin. Since God will not live in temples made by hands but only in temples that He constructs Himself, we that are saved have this same purpose, to be a witness of the glory of God to this world we live in! We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. 35When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(U) because your people have sinned(V) against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; He is too great to be limited to any created place. The pretended gods of the nations could not compare to Him in any way. We can only truly dedicate things to God when we have first dedicated ourselves. But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Forgive(AF) and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know(AG) their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40so that they will fear(AH) you all the time they live in the land(AI) you gave our ancestors. Prayer for Gods name to be known among the nations (59-60). In the second petition the king pleads with his God concerning his people when they are defeated by enemies. God's House must ever be known as a place of prayer and His people as a people of prayer. 33When your people Israel have been defeated(R) by an enemy because they have sinned(S) against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,(T) 34then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors. Solomon prosperously effected all he designed, for adorning both God's house and his own. Lev. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. b. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. i. He asks God to provide for each days need why? He must there confess his sin so that the sin does not rest on the whole people! The first prayer is a longer prayer which is recorded for us in verses 1 Kings 8:22-53. Many times people want their pastor to come and pray a prayer of dedication for their new home or their place of business. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, 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; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. God honors a praying people, because a praying people honors God! 26:16, 25, 26; Deut. This splendid edifice is now completed, and will be dedicated to the Most High God on Friday, the 1st. 28Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: 29that Your eyes may be open toward this [a]temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, (K)My name shall be (L)there, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (M)toward this place. I have built thee an exalted house, a place for thee to dwell in for ever." Then the king faced . 4. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. So shall sin be done away and the righteous will not suffer for the unrighteous. As Solomon comes before the Lord with a . The ruler is on his knees before One who is the great Ruler of the universe (2 Chronicles 6:13)! Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. Look at verses 54-56: When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place of worship. He was the first king to follow his father as a hereditary monarch. Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead? From the study of Solomon's prayer after the completion of the temple, the students will discover that God keeps all His promises. That is part of the outward focus that we are to maintain as the church of Jesus Christ. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. Blasting refers to the singeing of the grain by the dry hot wind blowing from the desert. God knows what is in their hearts. Crafts: Draw or paint self-portraits and write out 1 Corinthians 3:16 on the picture. Otherwise they could not be defeated in this "theocracy"! a. King Solomon mentions several of them. In this prayer, there is plenty of evidence that Solomon understood God's purpose for Israel. Adoration; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. Lewis? And God did help them! If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. I sometimes run into this with baby dedications. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Forgiveness of sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. You can check these in your browser security settings. Jesus taught: Matthew 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." Solomon's God was no dud. Do we take the credit for it? (1 Kings 7:13) Only the best materials were used. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. A few short years after Solomon's prayer, God destroyed Israel as a nation. b. 50And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;(BA) 51for they are your people and your inheritance,(BB) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. Praying in the True Temple. His concern for foreigners (vv. That all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name! 32:11, 12; Deut. Seeing God always forgives upon His people's repentance, can this forgiveness become rather common place to us? We dedicate this sanctuary to be a house of prayer. Solomon begins his prayer with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. The apex of joy is realized in the dedication sacrifices and celebratory feast associated with this climactic moment in Jewish history. No place, now, under the gospel, can add to the prayers made in or towards it. I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever." a. This king does priestly work without violating the office of the priest as Uzziah later did. There are four parts to this prayer, and all four are easily applicable to the dedication of our sanctuary to God and his glory today. New King James Version (NKJV). Oh, let God now hear the prayer of His servant! It collapses economies and replaces peace with terror. 25Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (G)You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me. 26(H)And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father. Israel had prospered and had been victorious under the reign of David. The temple was one of the most beautiful structures of ancient times. i. However, He has promised that His name would dwell there. A strong church was planted here in Plantation that has been faithful in preaching Gods word and has given millions of dollars to missions around the world. When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.. This recognized that the God of the temple could answer prayers made away from the temple. He speaks of a situation in which a man has sinned but the sin cannot be proved. He knows exactly who he is praying to. And when the priests withdrew from the Holy Place where they put the ark, the glory of the Lord filled the temple and all the people worshiped God. 24You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled itas it is today. The temple was a beautiful place that God instructed Solomon to build to represent the holiness of his presence. Nor was the interest merely temporary or local. The substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us. Solomon then prayed two prayers of dedication. In his prayer do not reject your anointed one, the king now meant himself, though in subsequent usage it would express Israels hope in the coming Messiah. (Payne), (c) 2021 TheEnduring WordBible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. Skilled workers were employed. 22-53), blesses the assembly again (vv. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. When the temple was complete Solomon praised God before His people reminding them of His promises. 37(W)When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their [b]cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; 38whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (X)know the hearts of all the sons of men), 40(Y)that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. 31-32). So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. Solomons prayer has a global focus. Online 2013. 62-66).To this account is appended an appearance of the Lord to Solomon that balances the divine word to Solomon in the . This is a unique prayer from the Old Testament. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. I have surely built You an exalted house, 2 Chron 6:12. 1st Kings 8:22-53: Solomon's prayer at the dedication of God's people-temple. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me. And now, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.. Solomon's dedicatory prayer makes repeated mention of praying "toward this place," a clear intimation that the temple was to become the center of a world religionthat is, the true religion God gave was to become worldwide. Solomon felt his own inadequacy. 2.F orgiveness of trespasses (vv. If the rains do not come because the people have sinned the livelihood of the majority of the people will be affected at once.
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