Solomon felt his own inadequacy. What does it mean to dedicate a building, or a child or a home? There is suffering in every part of life. 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. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 1 Kings 8:22-61 Wednesday, 17 March 2021 "And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true." -1 Kings 8:26 Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple at Jerusalem is at the centre of our reading today. Are there more ecumenical passages in the Old Testament? The first prayer is a longer prayer which is recorded for us in verses 1 Kings 8:22-53. 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. Solomon II. As Solomon comes before the Lord with a . Though the temple was a house for Jehovah, Solomon realized that "the heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, themselves" could not contain Him. Lord, render to every man according to all his ways. 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. New International Version (NIV). 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. b. We can only truly dedicate things to God when we have first dedicated ourselves. For less than $5/mo. 24You 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. Here are 3 key lessons from Solomon's prayer for wisdom that can give us spiritual wisdom, as well: 1. If there are, why are they so few? Also when the whole people of Israel come to this place to offer their prayers, Lord hear them. True (True or False) Because he recognized that Solomon was given the kingdom by the Lord, Adonijah gave up his ambition to be king. Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. 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?) Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! Otherwise the child dedication has no meaning. There will be seven distinct petitions in this prayer of Solomon. Solomons final request is that Gods people would remain fully committed to him at all times. He keeps His promises and shows lovingkindness. 1:10; [Rom. IV. Now is introduced the refrain which we will hear throughout this prayer: hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place; and when Thou hearest, forgive. He referred to God's name Yahweh 14 times, showing his concern for the reputation of Israel's God. That is a wonderful response, and I would affirm anyone who is seeking Gods blessing on their marriage. For this reason, the only way they can receive forgiveness of sins is through the physical Temple. 35, 46-49). Solomon's prayer of dedication of the Temple. 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. God appearing to Solomon, gives him promises upon condition Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place where Gods word is honored and proclaimed. Solomon faces the Temple raises his hands toward heaven and begins to pray his prayer of dedication. Paul's Reference This "fear of God" is a concept which we find frequently in the Old Testament. Let's pray that in whatever we do, that the Lord always gets the glory and ask that it will always shine through. 9:2629; Neh. Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? The violation of this principle made Jesus angry. There is room for petitions, but first we are to realize to Whom we come and we must also realize our own limitations. When Solomon's construction was completed, the temple was dedicated. When such a person prays toward this place, may God hear him too. Solomon then prayed two prayers of dedication. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. The holy place and Most Holy Place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest. Now keep what You promised Your servant David. let Your word come true: Solomon called upon God to keep the promises that He made. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 1. God having given testimony to Solomon's prayer by fire from heaven, 2. and glory in the temple, the people worship him 4. (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.. 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. a. It was Solomon's praise, that what he undertook, he went through with; it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it. Finally, Solomon prayed and anticipated the final judgment' war and national collapse.' War within is the ultimate destroyer of life, property and freedom. For this reason, many observant Jews still pray facing the direction of the site of the temple in Jerusalem. This recognized that the God of the temple could answer prayers made away from the temple. Dedication of the Temple of God in the city of Nauvoo. 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. with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people . 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. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. This was the early part of the reign of Solomon - his wise period . I. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has done (54-56). Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. It is an immense undertaking for that day to build such a building as the temple. This referred to interpersonal disputes. He was the son of King David and Bathsheba. 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. God's presence and protection (vv. Solomon's prayer acknowledged the greatness of the LORD, and that there was none other God like Him. 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. With Him hearing is forgiving and forgiving is hearing. Amen. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. 2 CHRONICLES 6:12-42 -- SOLOMON'S PRAYER OF DEDICATION Biblical Background: Temple construction began 2 nd month of the 4 th year of reign, 480 years after Israel came out of Egypt. Bible Stories - 1 Kings 8:22-66: Solomon's Prayer of DedicationThen Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spre. The hearts determine their actions. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org. Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. Previously there was not an indication of a complete captivity of His people, but that is considered in this petition. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out . He prays best in public who prays most in private. If the rains do not come because the people have sinned the livelihood of the majority of the people will be affected at once. One land would often invade the other, besiege its cities and take the inhabitants captive. The Temple was incomparable - just like the God who it was built for. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. 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. Solomon having kept the feasts of tabernacles and dedication, dismisses the people 12. True 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10], Lev. After sacrificing a seemingly endless number of animals ( 1 Kings 8:5 ), Solomon blessed the Lord for His covenantal faithfulness (vv.12-21). Otherwise they could not be defeated in this "theocracy"! (v. 6) 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. You can also change some of your preferences. 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. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Let the penitent be spared. For this occasion Solomon has had a platform built which was five cubits wide and five cubits long and three cubits high. At the dedication ceremony, Solomon acknowledged the feebleness of his efforts compared to an infinite God: "Will God really dwell on earth with humans? He must there confess his sin so that the sin does not rest on the whole people! 28:36, 64; 2 Kin. 3. It is a beautiful prayer which relates more specifically to the temple itself and its unique place in the history of Israel and the world. 22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said: "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. 41As for the foreigner(AJ) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name 42for they will hear(AK) of your great name and your mighty hand(AL) and your outstretched armwhen they come and pray toward this temple, 43then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. How would this be possible? 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. b. All of the most skilled craftsmen in Israel are required for the construction. This is such an important prayer because it reminds us that we do not exist for ourselves but rather for Gods glory and the spreading of Gods name throughout our community and throughout the nations. The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever." Lev. 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. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. And they took away all those beautiful items that adorned the temple. We cannot dedicate things to the Lord if we have not dedicated ourselves to the Lord first. PASTOR: Having been prospered by the good hand of our God, and enabled by his grace and power to complete this house of worship to be used for the glory of his name, we will now in his holy presence dedicate this sanctuary to him. Only if they are faithful will they rule. 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). Although we gather as a church to worship Christ, we must always be thinking of those outside the church who still need Christ. THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 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. Before we try and answer that question, it is helpful to get a little background on this temple that Solomon was dedicating. When we gather to worship, this is what we seek first and foremost. Though it happened 500 years before, it was just as important and real for Israel as the day it happened. Solomon's prayer reminded his people that all of them had sinned against God (vv. 62-66).To this account is appended an appearance of the Lord to Solomon that balances the divine word to Solomon in the . In this refrain he speaks of the riches of the experience of faith. And spread out his hands: This was the most common posture of prayer in the Old Testament. 57May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake(BJ) us. (Read 1 Kings 8:54-63 and pray.). 1 Kings 8. Now therefore, 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. Besides war and drought, there are various other calamities which may come upon a land. a. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! By 1994 we had outgrown the older sanctuary, and so we began plans for a new sanctuary. But, who is Solomon and what is it which he has built that he should think that Jehovah, the God of Israel, will dwell with men?
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