b. 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. 1 Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.. 2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.. 3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.. 4 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands . You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Thanks for visiting! This was the early part of the reign of Solomon - his wise period . 10. on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month --This was the last day of the feast of tabernacles. 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. 33-34). 2 Chronicles 2:1. The "man after God's own heart" had left the scene. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 . Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Construction of the Temple was begun in the _____ year following the Exodus., In return for cedar and fir from Lebanon, Solomon gave Hiram, king of Tyre:, The Temple required _____ years for construction. Solomon begins his prayer with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. King Solomon mentions several of them. Solomon prosperously effected all he designed, for adorning both God's house and his own. A few short years after Solomon's prayer, God destroyed Israel as a nation. I ask them: Why do you want Gods blessing on your marriage, but you dont want Gods blessing on your present relationship? Its not consistent. Prayer for Gods continued presence and direction (57-58). Solomons final request is that Gods people would remain fully committed to him at all times. 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). 26:34, 44; Deut. When was the last time? Moreover, concerning a foreigner: The temple was in Israel but it was always intended to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). 1:6; Ps. 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 this king will continue in this way, he may be sure that the Lord his God will remember His covenant and all the loving kindness which He had promised David. 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. Its the very first part of our purpose statement: The purpose of the Plantation Community Church is to make disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. We make disciples by winning people to Christ and then helping them to grow in him. And this is really the heart of what all dedications to God are all about. Solomon's dedicatory prayer makes repeated mention of praying "toward this place," a clear intimation that the temple was to become the center of a world religionthat is, the true religion God gave was to become worldwide. God answered this prayer of Solomon, and He forgave and restored His defeated people when they came in humble repentance. Its location, Mount Moriah, was where God appeared to David, and also where Abraham . get to know the Bible better! b. God knows what is in their hearts. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. This referred to interpersonal disputes. This is a unique prayer from the Old Testament. Dedication of the Temple of God in the city of Nauvoo. This king does priestly work without violating the office of the priest as Uzziah later did. 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. This is Solomon's prayer. That is a wonderful response, and I would affirm anyone who is seeking Gods blessing on their marriage. If we dont appropriate in faith, Gods promise is left unclaimed. 30:9]; Ezra 7:6; Ps. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Can a murderer, if he repents, be saved? Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? The Temple stood as a testimony of the fulfilment of God's promise to his father David. Next Solomon prays for Gods name to be known among the nations. At the dedication ceremony, Solomon acknowledged the feebleness of his efforts compared to an infinite God: "Will God really dwell on earth with humans? b. But that Temple has been destroyed for over 1900 years. After seven years the Temple is completed and the magnificence of it is stunning. All these prayers were offered at a time of challenge for the person praying, where the only one who could provide . (1 Kings 8:59-60). 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. But understand that such a prayer of dedication only has meaning if you yourself are personally committed to the Lord. 9:2629; Neh. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. He must there confess his sin so that the sin does not rest on the whole people! Will God dwell on the earth? This wisdom is soon revealed when a mother comes to him with another woman, each claiming the same child as her own. Look at verses 57-58: May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. He kneels as he prays and spreads out his hands to the heavens. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. 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. Just because God promises does not mean that we possess. 1 Chronicles 22:19. I sometimes run into this with baby dedications. The ruler of the people is going to lead the whole nation in prayer! Jerusalem: The End of the Road or Just the Beginning? Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Let's pray that in whatever we do, that the Lord always gets the glory and ask that it will always shine through. Lev. Many times people want their pastor to come and pray a prayer of dedication for their new home or their place of business. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); and he said: LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. 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). Otherwise the child dedication has no meaning. Those who begin with the service of God, are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. 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. i. Solomon faces the Temple raises his hands toward heaven and begins to pray his prayer of dedication. Wasnt it the donations of the people that made the building possible? But the LORD said to my father David, Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. Didnt they make the plans, gather the materials, and oversee the building of the temple? Israel had prospered and had been victorious under the reign of David. 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). If there was no rain, there was no food. This is the second part of Solomons prayer: a prayer for Gods continued presence and direction. 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. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. That is part of the outward focus that we are to maintain as the church of Jesus Christ. Besides war and drought, there are various other calamities which may come upon a land. 2 Chronicles Chapter 6. Why, or, why not? No! c. When they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive: Solomon also asked God to hear Israels prayer from captivity in a foreign land. Teach(W) them the right way(X) to live, and send rain(Y) on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. The temple is dedicated and let God now arise to His dwelling place! 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. Though the temple was a house for Jehovah, Solomon realized that "the heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, themselves" could not contain Him. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. 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. Solomon's Temple is an example of how God used ancient Israel to point to greater realities. a. 26:16, 25, 26; Deut. PASTOR: Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity; three Persons and one God: CONGREGATION: To you we dedicate this house. The two records of this prayer are too long to do them justice but the beauty of the prayer and the evidence of the deep spirituality of the one who is praying will become clear. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. ), 2Ch 2:6; Ps 139:7-16; Isa 66:1; Jer 23:24, ver 52; 2Ki 19:16; 2Ch 7:15; Ne 1:6; Ps 5:1; 31:2; 102:17; 130:2; Isa 37:17, ver 47; Lev 26:40; Ne 1:6; Jer 29:12; Da 9:4, Ps 5:8; 27:11; 107:7; Pr 11:5; Isa 45:13; Jer 6:16; 7:23; 31:21, ver 35; 1Ki 17:1; 18:1, 45; Jer 5:24; 10:3; 14:22; Zec 10:1, S Jos 22:22; S Ps 44:21; Jn 2:24; S Rev 2:23, Lev 26:33-39; S Dt 4:27; S 21:10; S 28:64; 2Ki 25:21, S ver 30; S Lev 5:5; Ezr 9:15; Ne 1:6; Jer 14:20, 1Ki 9:4; 11:4; 15:3, 14; 22:43; 2Ki 20:3; 1Ch 28:9; 29:19; 2Ch 16:9; 17:6; 25:2; Ps 119:80; Isa 38:3, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story. It was the Lord who gave Israel rest from their enemies so they could focus on the building of the temple at that time. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. All rights reserved. By 1994 we had outgrown the older sanctuary, and so we began plans for a new sanctuary. 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. When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.. In this article: 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they 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? What a wonderful prayer to pray! By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. All of the most skilled craftsmen in Israel are required for the construction. How were the kingly and priestly offices kept separate? b. It is not therefore to be wondered at that, when Solomon dedicated to the Lord the temple which he had built, his great petition was that God would hear every prayer that should be uttered in that place or toward that 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. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. (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.. He adds, "for there is no man that sinneth not.". Skilled workers were employed. 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. And then the fourth and final part of Solomons prayer is a prayer for Gods people to remain fully committed to him. CONCLUSION: Solomons fourfold prayer is a wonderful model to us as we dedicate anything to the Lord whether a child, a marriage, a business, a church or a home. Original German (Salomo II): Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart 7 (2004) 803-804. 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. The we come to Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple. It is an immense undertaking for that day to build such a building as the temple. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Praying in the True Temple. 1. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. "If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our . Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. 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. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Solomons Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple. The first petition which Solomon utters is rather difficult to understand. 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. November 2020 Series on Thanksgiving - for more information and an outline see here.. 11:28, 29], NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word. We can only truly dedicate things to God when we have first dedicated ourselves. Solomon: Begins by praising the God who keeps his promises. 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. 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. 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. When the Old Testament speaks of the "foreigner" it does not always refer to the same kind of people. And I am always happy to do that. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! We should pray for Gods continued presence and direction. 1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple A. i. Rather than information alone, Solomon . The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud: The cloud of Gods glory has a long association with His presence. (Read 1 Kings 8:54-63 and pray.). 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. Because really, what good does it do to commit a temple or a sanctuary or really anything to the Lord if you are not personally committed to the Lord yourself? Lewis? 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. II. How dreadful to pray a prayer of dedication over a house if you are not going to live a godly life for Jesus in that house. 54-61), and dismisses it (vv. 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. No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. Alas, Solomon didn't stay on this height of commitment to God. This was the greatest answer to prayer Israel could expect from God. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Yes! So yes, we pray for our needs as a church, and we ask God to meet those daily needs. Used by permission. 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. 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. 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. 31-32). He referred to God's name Yahweh 14 times, showing his concern for the reputation of Israel's God. As long as this did not slip into a superstitious misunderstanding, it was good to recognize a special place to come and meet with God. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! 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. 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a light in this community proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. 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. a. 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. By Gods grace it has now been paid off in full as God has worked through his people to finish the work we started so long ago. If God's people only repent! God is the one who gave you the talents, the time, the opportunity and the strength to do whatever it is you have done. The heavens, Hebrew heaven of heavens, because this language has no comparative or superlative degree cannot contain Him! And they took away all those beautiful items that adorned the temple. Known as an ambitious builder of public works, Solomon's crowning achievement was the building of the Temple. 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. 1:10; [Rom. Paul's Reference He is famous for building the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem.