(1 Kings 8:54-56). The temple is dedicated and let God now arise to His dwelling place! We should look beyond ourselves and pray for Gods name to be known among the nations. I. Solomon's Prayer of _____ of God (1 Kings 8:22-29) Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, b. We are glad that Solomon said this. c. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple: Though Solomon built the temple and not David, we are reminded of the extensive preparations David made for the temple. No greater indication of the need for a place of atonement and forgiveness could be given. (Selman). And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. 1. Solomon took time to contemplate the God he was praying to. 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. 14-21), utters a long dedicatory prayer (vv. It was even worse when the defeat was because they had sinned against the LORD Himself. Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead? This king does priestly work without violating the office of the priest as Uzziah later did. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Are there more ecumenical passages in the Old Testament? Give them victory! Yes! Solomon then prayed two prayers of dedication. With the aid of a simple acronym (ACTS), we should never forget "The Purpose Of Prayer". The work on this sanctuary is long completed. This "fear of God" is a concept which we find frequently in the Old Testament. Let us pray. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. 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. Solomon prosperously effected all he designed, for adorning both God's house and his own. We cannot dedicate things to the Lord if we have not dedicated ourselves to the Lord first. (1-2) Acknowledgement of God's presence in the cloud. Lev. That is his privilege and his duty. The Temple stood as a testimony of the fulfilment of God's promise to his father David. The "man after God's own heart" had left the scene. 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. 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. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org. Sign up for daily inspiration today!>. It would have been easy for Solomon and the people to take the credit for the work that had just been accomplished. Many modern people close their eyes, bow their heads, and fold their hands as they pray, but the Old Testament tradition was to spread out the hands toward heaven in a gesture of surrender, openness, and ready reception. This is a God who enters into communion with His people. Solomon then prayed two prayers of dedication. 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. 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. a. Solomon's prayer. 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. 1 Chronicles 29:16). (Selman). He is famous for building the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem. 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). 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. 1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple A. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple. Read the Scripture: 2 Chronicles 6:12-40. And so I ask them: How can you stand up in front of the church and promise to raise your child in the Lord when you arent following God yourself? It is a wonderful thing to want to dedicate your child to the Lord, but God wants you to dedicate yourself to him first. But, if anyone or if the whole people turn to God in repentance, may He forgive. If there was no rain, there was no food. Thanks for visiting! Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. The substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us. "Solomon's Prayer of Dedication" . 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.". b. How much less this temple which I have built! 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they 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?) (Read 1 Kings 8:54-63 and pray.). Israel's God does make covenant. He knew that when God mercifully answered the prayers of foreigners, it drew those from other nations to the God of all nations. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 25-30). But understand that such a prayer of dedication only has meaning if you yourself are personally committed to the Lord. Solomon mentions the fact that God has been faithful to the promise which He made to his father David. A. Solomon's prayer place. 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." The Bible contains the record of many wonderful prayers. a. Previously there was not an indication of a complete captivity of His people, but that is considered in this petition. - Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained in any temple. King Solomon's Prayer Of Dedication Outlines The Importance Of The Temple The Jewish people do not believe in the spiritual Temple which is Jesus Christ. The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. This is a more general prayer of dedication and well-suited to the dedication of any home, building or business to the Lord. From prior statements, such as his statement in 2 Chronicles 6:1-2, we might have thought that Solomon drifted towards a superstitious idea that God actually lived in the temple to the exclusion of other places. It is an immense undertaking for that day to build such a building as the temple. If the rains do not come because the people have sinned the livelihood of the majority of the people will be affected at once. i. This sentence has been explained in various ways. This kind of prayer lays hold of Gods promise. 17:10]; Acts 1:24, 2 Chr. Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. When the Old Testament speaks of the "foreigner" it does not always refer to the same kind of people. Adoration; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication 32:11, 12; Deut. 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. When Solomon's construction was completed, the temple was dedicated. And then we not only pray for Gods continued presence but also for his direction. When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven: Solomon doesnt take it for granted that God would forgive and hear His repentant people. If God's people only repent! Solomon's prayer acknowledged the greatness of the LORD, and that there was none other God like Him. By Ray Fowler. 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. So shall sin be done away and the righteous will not suffer for the unrighteous. But oh my friend, do try and use Gods promises; nothing pleases God better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, LORD, do as thou hast said. And let me tell you that it glorifies God to use his promises. (Spurgeon). Also when the whole people of Israel come to this place to offer their prayers, Lord hear them. Click on the different category headings to find out more. God answered this prayer of Solomon, and He forgave and restored His defeated people when they came in humble repentance. Forgiveness of sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Solomons Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple. 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.. God appearing to Solomon, gives him promises upon condition Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with the children of Israel.. 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.. He now assumes a posture in prayer of which we have not read earlier in the Biblical account. This was to be a beautiful temple built for Gods glory. Even though men cannot prove the sin which has been committed by this "someone," God does know. 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. Recalls God's dynastic promises to David through the prophet Nathan. (1-2) All of Israel assembles at Jerusalem. He prays best in public who prays most in private. 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. The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud: The cloud of Gods glory has a long association with His presence. Solomon mentions locust and caterpillar, grasshoppers and other creatures which denude the fields of all vegetation. Mildew was another disease of the grains. Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, Im so glad that we are committed to missions right here at home in Broward County and beyond. 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. God sent the promise on purpose to be used. 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. (BC), 52May your eyes be open(BD) to your servants plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. He asks God to provide for each days need why? 30Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray(M) toward this place. 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. i. 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. 6:36; Ps. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. All rights reserved worldwide. There are so many people who would love to come to church with you if you would just ask them. Solomon's solemn sacrifice 8. day of May, 1846. And in the midst of a phenomenal celebratory service; the King of Israel prays a dedicatory prayer like none have ever heard before. Living together outside of marriage is direct disobedience to Gods commands, and God cannot bless disobedience. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. After sacrificing a seemingly endless number of animals ( 1 Kings 8:5 ), Solomon blessed the Lord for His covenantal faithfulness (vv.12-21). 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. (v. 1-2) Solomon blesses all of Israel. Though it happened 500 years before, it was just as important and real for Israel as the day it happened. This is Solomon's prayer. Solomon here prays for Gods daily provision and sustenance, but he does so for a very specific purpose. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. He was the son of King David and Bathsheba. 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. Next Solomon prays for Gods name to be known among the nations. 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. 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. Solomon intercedes. This is the great secret to power in prayer to take Gods promises to heart in faith, and then boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfill the promises. 1:6; Ps. 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. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know(AM) your name and fear(AN) you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. True (True or False) Because he recognized that Solomon was given the kingdom by the Lord, Adonijah gave up his ambition to be king. (1 Kings 7:13) Only the best materials were used. God's House must ever be known as a place of prayer and His people as a people of prayer. 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. 59And 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, 60so that all the peoples(BL) of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. This glorious Temple built under the direction of King Solomon had as one of it's purposes to be a witness to the world in that day. He speaks of a situation in which a man has sinned but the sin cannot be proved. 27But (I)will God indeed dwell on the earth? How then shall this house which Solomon has built house Him? Solomon having kept the feasts of tabernacles and dedication, dismisses the people 12. Solomon pleads with the Lord that the temple would be a place of prayer and that all prayers directed toward it would be heard of the Lord and answered. a. Let God now hear Solomon. New King James Version (NKJV). How does Solomon overcome the difficulty of doing priestly work and not sinning by doing so? Click here to return to the Sermons page. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! The king is here not referring to the stranger who makes his home in Israel, but to the foreigner who comes and goes. And we do also give ourselves individually and unreservedly to you. David prepared for the temple in every way he could short of actually building it, and he was happy for the credit and honor for building it to go to his son Solomon. 9:5, [2 Chr. King David himself gathered the raw materials to build the temple and, evidently, God provided the building plans for that holy structure. Let us then stand in awe, and sin not. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. b. His concern for foreigners (vv. 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. Although we gather as a church to worship Christ, we must always be thinking of those outside the church who still need Christ. 55He stood and blessed(BG) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest(BH) to his people Israel just as he promised. You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. (1 Kings 8:62-63). Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. Behold, heaven and the (J)heaven of heavens cannot contain You. 31-32). Solomon has no basis upon which to request anything except God's beloved mercy. The violation of this principle made Jesus angry. 28:9; Jer. Gods good response to our repentance comes from His grace, not from justice. 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. Now therefore, Changes will take effect once you reload the page. O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; In this way he would be visible to all the people and they would all be able to hear him. b. The mention of Gods hands (lit. Create a "special and holy" place in your classroom where children can pray and talk about how holy and special God is. Though only Jesus is God incarnate, the temple was a clear sign that God in all his being was committed to living among his people. (Selman), Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. How would this be possible? And this is really the heart of what all dedications to God are all about. This recognized that the God of the temple could answer prayers made away from the temple. True And so we pray for God to turn our hearts that we may walk in all his ways and be obedient to his commands. And then the fourth and final part of Solomons prayer is a prayer for Gods people to remain fully committed to him. (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. A church that loses its outward focus has lost its way. B. V. 20-21 A Place For Cares - As Solomon prays, he asks the Lord to here the supplications of God's people. You have kept what You promised: Solomon first thanked and praised God for His past fulfillment of promises. He referred to God's name Yahweh 14 times, showing his concern for the reputation of Israel's God. Otherwise the child dedication has no meaning. The prayers of Hannah (1 Samuel 1), Hezekiah (Isaiah 37), Daniel (Daniel 9) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1) spring readily to mind. God having given testimony to Solomon's prayer by fire from heaven, 2. and glory in the temple, the people worship him 4. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. 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. Solomon here prays for the faithfulness of all of his own posterity. When such a person prays toward this place, may God hear him too. 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. This wisdom is soon revealed when a mother comes to him with another woman, each claiming the same child as her own. This is the second part of Solomons prayer: a prayer for Gods continued presence and direction. In the last petition Solomon deals with the worst situation which can befall a people. Acknowledges that God is bigger than the temple. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 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). Dedication of the Temple - Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. So yes, we want the gospel to go to all the nations, but we also want the gospel to go to our friends and neighbors. 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 . 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. He ruled Israel for forty years, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity for his people.