Standing there at the altar, he cried out for God to have mercy on His people . Nevertheless, it also reminds us of the principle in prayer of praying in the name of Jesus, the ultimate Anointed One. 2 Chronicles Chapter 6. But then as we talk further, and I learn that they are living together before marriage, I get confused. Solomon then prayed two prayers of dedication. Solomon extols the faithfulness of God and exhorts the people to continue in the path of covenant obedience. Temple of Jerusalem, either of two temples that were the centre of worship and national identity in ancient Israel. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and . b. What a wonderful prayer to pray! I. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has done (54-56). c. There is no God in heaven or on earth like You: Solomon recognized that God was completely unique. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. The many difficulties which arise out of this state of affairs are, of course, well known. 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). God is able to send rain and He is able to withhold it. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. The violation of this principle made Jesus angry. The holy place and Most Holy Place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest. 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. And this applies to all dedications. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! This was the early part of the reign of Solomon - his wise period . 20:9; Eccl. EVERYONE: We dedicate this sanctuary now to the glory of God the Father, to the honor of Jesus Christ his Son, and to the praise of the Holy Spirit. It's praying until we know we have laid hold of God. Though the temple was a house for Jehovah, Solomon realized that "the heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, themselves" could not contain Him. No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. (1 Kings 8:62-63). Otherwise they could not be defeated in this "theocracy"! which revealed itself in boils. Now therefore, 2 Chron 6:12. How much less this temple which I have built! Solomon mentions locust and caterpillar, grasshoppers and other creatures which denude the fields of all vegetation. God's House must ever be known as a place of prayer and His people as a people of prayer. 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. So yes, we pray for our needs as a church, and we ask God to meet those daily needs. In the second petition the king pleads with his God concerning his people when they are defeated by enemies. Click here to return to the Sermons page. He prays best in public who prays most in private. And so this message suddenly got real hard for some of us because Solomons prayer suddenly got real hard. Nehemiah Chapter 12. The "man after God's own heart" had left the scene. A few short years after Solomon's prayer, God destroyed Israel as a nation. 1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple A. The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. Otherwise the child dedication has no meaning. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. Israel did not have a Nile river which made the whole land fruitful. 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. 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. Dedication of the Temple - Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. Im so glad that we are committed to missions right here at home in Broward County and beyond. But, when a segment of the people then turn to the temple and seek the name of God and ask forgiveness, may He bring each one back to the land he has received in his family inheritance. How does Solomon overcome the difficulty of doing priestly work and not sinning by doing so? Though it happened 500 years before, it was just as important and real for Israel as the day it happened. 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.". Its location, Mount Moriah, was where God appeared to David, and also where Abraham . 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. a. 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). 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. Nor was the interest merely temporary or local. 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. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a light in this community proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. 7:20; [Rom. 54-61), and dismisses it (vv. No place, now, under the gospel, can add to the prayers made in or towards it. 58 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. A church that loses its outward focus has lost its way. Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 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. 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) There is suffering in every part of life. The temple was one of the most beautiful structures of ancient times. That is his privilege and his duty. After placing the ark in its new home, a praise service broke out with instruments sounding out beautifully and voices raised . Religion Past & Present XII (2012) 141. It was important to recognize that though God had a special presence in the temple, He was far too great to be restricted to the temple. For this reason, many observant Jews still pray facing the direction of the site of the temple in Jerusalem. He adds, "for there is no man that sinneth not.". And they took away all those beautiful items that adorned the temple. 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?) The king is here not referring to the stranger who makes his home in Israel, but to the foreigner who comes and goes. It was the Lord who gave Israel rest from their enemies so they could focus on the building of the temple at that time. He knows exactly who he is praying to. If I see a Bank of England note, it is a promise for a certain amount of money, and I take it and use it. 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. We should pray for Gods continued presence and direction. He referred to God's name Yahweh 14 times, showing his concern for the reputation of Israel's God. 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. 35(T)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, 36then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may (U)teach them (V)the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. I cant think of two more important requests of God for us as a church as we seek to fulfill Gods purposes in this community. 9:5, [2 Chr. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. (True or False) Graciously, Solomon first allowed Adonijah to go free. 17:10]; Acts 1:24, 2 Chr. We may request cookies to be set on your device. 1:6; Ps. 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. They were defeated because they had sinned against God! EVERYONE: By Ray Fowler. The apex of joy is realized in the dedication sacrifices and celebratory feast associated with this climactic moment in Jewish history. IV. He will then not lack a son to sit upon his throne. i. God is the one who gave you the talents, the time, the opportunity and the strength to do whatever it is you have done. 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. One land would often invade the other, besiege its cities and take the inhabitants captive. 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. The heavens, Hebrew heaven of heavens, because this language has no comparative or superlative degree cannot contain Him! All rights reserved. In the last petition Solomon deals with the worst situation which can befall a people. He kneels as he prays and spreads out his hands to the heavens. Solomon's prayer. 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. 6:36; Ps. 14-21), utters a long dedicatory prayer (vv. This is instructive to us. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple. 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). The priests could not enter into the house of the . "Solomon's Prayer of Dedication" . And in the midst of a phenomenal celebratory service; the King of Israel prays a dedicatory prayer like none have ever heard before.