In this refrain he speaks of the riches of the experience of faith. (BM) 61And may your hearts(BN) be fully committed(BO) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.. Finally the king does not distinguish between the various evils which may come but sums them up by speaking of whatsoever plague or sickness there be. Do we take the credit for it? 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. Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. For less than $5/mo. (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. Sign up for daily inspiration today!>. 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). A. Solomon's prayer place. And this applies to all dedications. 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. 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. Only if they are faithful will they rule. 2 Chronicles 2:1. Solomon's Temple is an example of how God used ancient Israel to point to greater realities. Acknowledges that God is bigger than the temple. The prayers of Hannah (1 Samuel 1), Hezekiah (Isaiah 37), Daniel (Daniel 9) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1) spring readily to mind. 37When famine(Z) or plague(AA) comes to the land, or blight(AB) or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers,(AC) or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israelbeing aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands(AD) toward this temple 39then hear(AE) from heaven, your dwelling place. How much less this temple I have built! Here they are about to dedicate this beautiful temple to the Lord and Solomon says: But may your hearts be fully committed to God. I dont know if youre familiar with the rest of the history of the Israelites and the temple, but when Gods people eventually turned away from the Lord, God took the temple away from them. It is our "faith" with its own connotation. When we gather to worship, this is what we seek first and foremost. Are there more ecumenical passages in the Old Testament? After sacrificing a seemingly endless number of animals ( 1 Kings 8:5 ), Solomon blessed the Lord for His covenantal faithfulness (vv.12-21). 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. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.". Solomon intercedes. Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. c. There is no God in heaven or on earth like You: Solomon recognized that God was completely unique. Let's pray that in whatever we do, that the Lord always gets the glory and ask that it will always shine through. Not one word has failed of all the good promises(BI) he gave through his servant Moses. How then shall this house which Solomon has built house Him? Verse Concepts. And so we must always keep our outward focus as a church. Recalls God's dynastic promises to David through the prophet Nathan. III. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. You can check these in your browser security settings. 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. He keeps His promises and shows lovingkindness. He wished the temple always to be to Israel the token that Gods memorial is that he hears prayer. (Spurgeon), Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then hear from 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.. The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. Lord, render to every man according to all his ways. 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. The temple was a beautiful place that God instructed Solomon to build to represent the holiness of his presence. Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. God is the one who gave you the talents, the time, the opportunity and the strength to do whatever it is you have done. This is Solomon's prayer. The work on this sanctuary is long completed. Hanukkah, (Hebrew: "Dedication") also spelled anukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days. No! that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gayest unto our fathers. When He came to the temple and found the outer courts the only place where the Gentile nations could come and pray more like a swap meet than a house of prayer, He drove out the moneychangers and the merchants (Matthew 21:13). Solomon does not attribute the lack of rain to mere natural phenomena, but to the sins of the people. If there be famine, often the result of drought, or if there be pestilence, blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar, siege by an enemy or any other plague or sickness if they repent and ask for forgiveness, may the Lord hear them. But we must always remember why we exist as a church. Solomon made supplication at dedication of the temple - 1 Kin 8:28-29; Jesus made supplication as He was crucified; Stephen also, as he was being stoned - Lk 23:34; Ac 7:59-60; CONCLUSION. Our church began back in 1948 when a small group of people had a vision for a church in the newly developing community of Plantation, Florida. 31When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take (O)an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 32then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, (P)condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. 54-61), and dismisses it (vv. God answered this prayer of Solomon, and He forgave and restored His defeated people when they came in humble repentance. 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. We cannot dedicate things to the Lord if we have not dedicated ourselves to the Lord first. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits . with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people . In an age when this is frequently misunderstood, it provides a valuable resource. 9:5, [2 Chr. What a wonderful prayer to pray! As Solomon comes before the Lord with a . You can also change some of your preferences. There I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD: The chief glory of the temple was that it was the resting place for the ark of the covenant, a representation of Gods covenantal presence with His people. It is worthy of remark concerning this prayer that it is as full and comprehensive as if it were meant to be the summary of all future prayers offered in the temple. (Spurgeon), ii. And spread out his hands: This was the most common posture of prayer in the Old Testament. They dont attend church; they dont spend regular time with God in the Bible and prayer; they dont seek Gods will in all their decisions. 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. i. (1 Kings 8:59-60). a. We ask that he would be with us as he was with our fathers, and we pray that he may never leave nor forsake us. which revealed itself in boils. And a place for You to dwell in forever.. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. God appearing to Solomon, gives him promises upon condition Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Solomon faces the Temple raises his hands toward heaven and begins to pray his prayer of dedication. Prayer for Gods people to remain fully committed to him (61-63). Religion Past & Present XII (2012) 141. Let God now hear Solomon. THE ARK BROUGHT TO THE TEMPLE (1 Kings 8:1-11) The Assembling of the Men of Israel (1 Kings 8:1-2) Those assembled by Solomon (1 Kings 8:1) The Temple stood as a testimony of the fulfilment of God's promise to his father David. God honors a praying people, because a praying people honors God! Outline Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple? a. Let the penitent be spared. In this prayer, there is plenty of evidence that Solomon understood God's purpose for Israel. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Solomon: Begins by praising the God who keeps his promises. 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. He is famous for building the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and . If there was no rain, there was no food. At the end of the prayer, we begin chapter 7, and it states, "As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. Solomon intercedes. 2 Chronicles 6:12-40 records the great prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. Click here for more messages from the book of 1 Kings. Eight years ago this sanctuary was completed and we began worshiping here but we never had a dedication service, because we didnt actually own the building yet. Though the temple was a house for Jehovah, Solomon realized that "the heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, themselves" could not contain Him. 46When they sin against You (AC)(for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive (AD)to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47(AE)yet when they [d]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, (AF)saying, We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness; 48and when they (AG)return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and (AH)pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 49then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [e]cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and (AI)grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(for (AJ)they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, (AK)out of the iron furnace), 52(AL)that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. Forgiveness of sins that had brought on drought (vv. 2 Chronicles Chapter 6. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Solomons Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple. This referred to interpersonal disputes. 27But will God really dwell(G) on earth? The greatness of Israel's God is seen in the facts that He has made all things and that He keeps covenant! Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.(Q). Look at verse 61: But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time. (1 Kings 8:61). i. Well, yes, of course Solomon and the people all played their parts in making the temple come together, but Solomon in his wisdom recognizes that it was only possible because of the Lord. day of May, 1846. 17:6, 18; 25:21, Ezra 9:6, 7; Neh. Teach(W) them the right way(X) to live, and send rain(Y) on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. 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. 10. on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month --This was the last day of the feast of tabernacles. (True or False) Graciously, Solomon first allowed Adonijah to go free. 28:36, 64; 2 Kin. He prays for God to meet the daily needs of the people not for their own sake but so that Gods name may be known among the nations. B. Solomon's prayer posture. Solomon prayed his prayer of dedication, and then the king and all the Israelites officially dedicated the temple to the Lord. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Rather than information alone, Solomon . It is necessary to add these words because Israel may well be over-confident at the time when it is the strongest notion in that part of the world. That is a wonderful response, and I would affirm anyone who is seeking Gods blessing on their marriage. But, perhaps his wisdom is nowhere shown more clearly than in the building and dedication of the temple of God. Remember the kindness of David, Thy servant (2 Chron.6:42). They were defeated because they had sinned against God! And that is all part of this third portion of Solomons prayer here in 1 Kings 8: a prayer for Gods name to be known among the nations. 28:21, 22, 27, 38, 42, 52, [1 Sam. When the king mentions pestilence he is referring to a very contagious disease of that day (such as the black plague of the middle ages?) This is a God who enters into communion with His people. The substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us. 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. Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed: Solomon probably meant this in reference to himself because he was the anointed king of Israel. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. 7:20; [Rom. this temple for God, so did His represented presence in the form of the Ark of the Covenant (see 2 Chronicles 5:2-10). c. When You hear, forgive: Solomon knew that the most important thing Israel needed was forgiveness. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. a. i. How does Solomon overcome the difficulty of doing priestly work and not sinning by doing so? (1 Kings 8:62-63). There is no God to be found anywhere who may be compared to the God of Israel. What is especially notable is that foreigners could know and fear God like your people Israel. This hope of equality in worship was rarely expressed in the Old Testament (e.g. But that Temple has been destroyed for over 1900 years. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . I. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has done (54-56). This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. When the Old Testament speaks of the "foreigner" it does not always refer to the same kind of people. ACT OF DEDICATION (Adapted from the Dedicatory Service at The Moody Church November 8, 1925). Solomon used the phrasing of that passage to emphasize that the ark of the covenant and the symbol of Gods presence would wander no more and had finally come to its final resting place. Now therefore, Oh, let God now hear the prayer of His servant! King Solomon built a structure for God's presence to occupy in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), but Solomon's prayer points toward God's people's being the dwelling place of God. "Solomon's Prayer of Dedication" . Famine came upon the land of Canaan several times during the course of sacred history despite the fact that this land was to be the land "flowing with milk and honey." V. 22b Verse 54 tells us that he knelt on his knees: "when Solomon had finished praying all 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they So shall sin be done away and the righteous will not suffer for the unrighteous. This is instructive to us. Solomon II. I. Solomon's Prayer of _____ of God (1 Kings 8:22-29) Solomon prosperously effected all he designed, for adorning both God's house and his own. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. From the study of Solomon's prayer after the completion of the temple, the students will discover that God keeps all His promises. But, if anyone or if the whole people turn to God in repentance, may He forgive. The sense that sin is all-pervading dominates, epitomised in one of the clearest biblical statements about sins universality (there is no one who does not sin, 2 Chronicles 6:36). If there are, why are they so few? 1. The pretended gods of the nations could not compare to Him in any way. It is an immense undertaking for that day to build such a building as the temple. Solomon mentions the fact that God has been faithful to the promise which He made to his father David. Click on the different category headings to find out more. 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. The old Puritan commentator John Trapp could not resist mentioning a fulfillment of this principle in his own day: Anne Averies, who, forswearing herself, a. D. 1575, February 11, at a shop of Wood Street in London, praying God she might sink where she stood if she had not paid for the wares she took, fell down presently speechless, and with horrible stink died., Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.. 27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. a. i. The hearts determine their actions. But then Solomon goes on to pray this second prayer of dedication in verses 54-63. And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. There are so many people who would love to come to church with you if you would just ask them. And in the midst of a phenomenal celebratory service; the King of Israel prays a dedicatory prayer like none have ever heard before. Look at verses 59-60: And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each days need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. He is here following an example clearly taught us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the perfect prayer. 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10], Lev. 58May he turn our hearts(BK) to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. Prayer for Gods name to be known among the nations (59-60). Now, 11 months later, Solomon stands before the people, spread Through believing prayer like this, God promises and we appropriate. How many people have you told about Jesus lately? Create a "special and holy" place in your classroom where children can pray and talk about how holy and special God is. You have kept what You promised: Solomon first thanked and praised God for His past fulfillment of promises.