When was the last time you invited someone to go to church? Seeing God always forgives upon His people's repentance, can this forgiveness become rather common place to us? "Solomon's Prayer of Dedication" . First we ask for Gods presence to be among us. He does not say what manner of sin it is because that is immaterial to what he has in mind. 6:36; Ps. Forgiveness of sins that had brought on drought (vv. i. 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. 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). 57May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake(BJ) us. 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. 106:6; Dan. Solomon The Dedication Of The Temple - LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD 30(N)And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. 1 Kings 8. 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. 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. Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 19:24-25; Zechariah 8:20-22), and even Jesus closest disciples found its fulfillment hard to take (Acts 10:1-11:18). (Selman), When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. God's House must ever be known as a place of prayer and His people as a people of prayer. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place of worship. 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. It would be inappropriate for him to do so because he was a king and not a priest. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. All of the most skilled craftsmen in Israel are required for the construction. a. I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised: Solomon recognized that his succession of David on the throne of Israel was a significant thing. But then as we talk further, and I learn that they are living together before marriage, I get confused. 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. 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.. Solomon is praying to the creator of the universe, who already owns all and knows all. But I think we all need to do a better job in personal evangelism as well. But understand that such a prayer of dedication only has meaning if you yourself are personally committed to the Lord. In this prayer, there is plenty of evidence that Solomon understood God's purpose for Israel. 30Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray(M) toward this place. 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. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. The overseer of all is Solomon! This kind of prayer lays hold of Gods promise. He knows exactly who he is praying to. It collapses economies and replaces peace with terror. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. 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. 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). In Solomon's prayer at the temple inauguration he referred to Jehovah as the God above all, a God of loving-kindness and loyalty, the Fulfiller of his promises. This is a more general prayer of dedication and well-suited to the dedication of any home, building or business to the Lord. 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. It was the Lord who fulfilled all the good promises he had given through his servant Moses. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. 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. This is Solomon's prayer. If there are, why are they so few? By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. He is here following an example clearly taught us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the perfect prayer. Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, Here are 3 key lessons from Solomon's prayer for wisdom that can give us spiritual wisdom, as well: 1. 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. that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gayest unto our fathers. 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.". Surely, he does not mean it as an excuse. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a light in this community proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. 29May your eyes be open(J) toward(K) this temple night and day, this place of which you said, My Name(L) shall be there, so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear(N) from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. The Bible contains the record of many wonderful prayers. We should look beyond ourselves and pray for Gods name to be known among the nations. Skilled workers were employed. And we should pray for Gods people to remain fully committed to him. 32-33) shows that he realized that Israel was to reach out and share the knowledge and blessings of God with Gentiles. Solomon here prays for Gods daily provision and sustenance, but he does so for a very specific purpose. Give them victory! We may request cookies to be set on your device. 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. 106:46; Acts 7:10, Ex. He adds, "for there is no man that sinneth not.". (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. You can check these in your browser security settings. Prayer's Frontiers | 2 Chron 6:12-40 | RayStedman.org (v. 4) Solomon reiterates that God has never asked for a city or a house or a ruler until now. Alas, Solomon didn't stay on this height of commitment to God. Love C.S. 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. II. When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin): This is a succinct Old Testament statement of the principle most clearly stated in Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The king is here not referring to the stranger who makes his home in Israel, but to the foreigner who comes and goes. And so we pray for God to turn our hearts that we may walk in all his ways and be obedient to his commands. All these prayers were offered at a time of challenge for the person praying, where the only one who could provide . The prayers of Hannah (1 Samuel 1), Hezekiah (Isaiah 37), Daniel (Daniel 9) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1) spring readily to mind. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Solomon felt his own inadequacy. 9:5, [2 Chr. i. Click here for more messages from the book of 1 Kings. Was that a major accomplishment? How then shall this house which Solomon has built house Him? 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. 27But (I)will God indeed dwell on the earth? How can we dedicate something to Gods glory if we are not seeking to glorify him with our lives? Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.. Lord, render to every man according to all his ways. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 31-32). He sent the Babylonians and they came and ransacked the temple and burned it to the ground. 32:11, 12; Deut. Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits . 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. (O), 31When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath(P) before your altar in this temple, 32then hear from heaven and act. 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. Was it God's desire for Israel to worship Him in a temple in Jerusalem Amen. If you are going in one direction, and God wants you to go in a different direction, then you need God to turn you around. Where Was Solomon's Temple in the Bible - 7 Interesting Facts Why, or, why not? Not one word has failed of all the good promises(BI) he gave through his servant Moses. When they sin against You (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 to a land far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org. (1 Kings 6:37-38) Of course his father, King David, had spent many years prior to that making preparations and gathering supplies. New International Version (NIV). This is a God who enters into communion with His people. a. Bible Lesson: Solomon Builds Temple and Prays (1 Kings 8:1-13) Solomon faces the Temple raises his hands toward heaven and begins to pray his prayer of dedication. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they And so your first thought should always be thanksgiving and praise to God for what he has done. So yes, we pray for our needs as a church, and we ask God to meet those daily needs. 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. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. 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. 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. The ruler of the people is going to lead the whole nation in prayer! No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. Solomon's Prayer -He Reads Truth He ruled Israel for forty years, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity for his people. 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? Out of the land of Egypt: Solomon presses the remembrance of the Exodus. Dedicated to God and His Glory | Ray Fowler .org Solomon begins his prayer with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. As we just read in verse 61: Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands.. Prayer of Solomon - Wikipedia Can a murderer, if he repents, be saved? The first prayer is a longer prayer which is recorded for us in verses 1 Kings 8:22-53. (1 Kings 7:13) Only the best materials were used. The services of the dedication will continue for three days in succession, commencing on each day at 11:00 o'clock a.m. Tickets may be had at the watch house near the .