Click on the different category headings to find out more. 1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple A. Standing there at the altar, he cried out for God to have mercy on His people . >> When you pray with others in corporate prayer, make sure your heart, mind, and soul are echoing the words that are spoken. Many times people want their pastor to come and pray a prayer of dedication for their new home or their place of business. We are glad that Solomon said this. The "man after God's own heart" had left the scene. Im so glad that our church has such a strong commitment to missions and to the spread of the gospel to all the nations. Jerusalem: The End of the Road or Just the Beginning? King David himself gathered the raw materials to build the temple and, evidently, God provided the building plans for that holy structure. 2 Chronicles 6:12-40 records the great prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. Also when the whole people of Israel come to this place to offer their prayers, Lord hear them. Nevertheless, it also reminds us of the principle in prayer of praying in the name of Jesus, the ultimate Anointed One. Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, What does it mean to dedicate a building, or a child or a home? 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. This is Solomon's prayer. This wisdom is soon revealed when a mother comes to him with another woman, each claiming the same child as her own. 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. Solomon having kept the feasts of tabernacles and dedication, dismisses the people 12. 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. i. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. a. This lesson was prepared for older elementary students and can be adapted for . He must there confess his sin so that the sin does not rest on the whole people! i. Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. 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. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56 Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Just because God promises does not mean that we possess. When we gather for worship, the Lord meets with us, and we If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.. 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. Known as an ambitious builder of public works, Solomon's crowning achievement was the building of the Temple. The heavens, even the . In the last petition Solomon deals with the worst situation which can befall a people. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Finally, Solomon prayed and anticipated the final judgment' war and national collapse.' War within is the ultimate destroyer of life, property and freedom. When the Old Testament speaks of the "foreigner" it does not always refer to the same kind of people. 9:5, [2 Chr. This was the greatest answer to prayer Israel could expect from God. How ecumenical! God is able to send rain and He is able to withhold it. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.(Q). That is his privilege and his duty. Out of the land of Egypt: Solomon presses the remembrance of the Exodus. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. - Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained in any temple. Rather than information alone, Solomon . In the early years of the Israelite kingdom, the Ark of the Covenant was periodically moved about among several sanctuaries, especially those of Shechem and Shiloh. PASTOR: Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity; three Persons and one God: CONGREGATION: To you we dedicate this house. And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with the children of Israel.. That all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name! Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You: Solomon asked God to hear the prayer of the foreigner out of a missionary impulse. 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. 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. We gather to worship God in the beauty of his presence. 46When they sin against You (AC)(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 (AD)to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47(AE)yet when they [d]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, (AF)saying, We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness; 48and when they (AG)return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and (AH)pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 49then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [e]cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and (AI)grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(for (AJ)they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, (AK)out of the iron furnace), 52(AL)that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. b. When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them: Solomon prayed with the idea that God should answer the prayers for victory made in foreign lands towards the temple, but only when they battle as God sent them. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. After placing the ark in its new home, a praise service broke out with instruments sounding out beautifully and voices raised . day of May, 1846. Solomon declares that he's built a house for God. In this prayer, there is plenty of evidence that Solomon understood God's purpose for Israel. (True or False) Graciously, Solomon first allowed Adonijah to go free. B. Solomon's prayer posture. You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. B. V. 20-21 A Place For Cares - As Solomon prays, he asks the Lord to here the supplications of God's people. This was the early part of the reign of Solomon - his wise period . b. Outline Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple? He now assumes a posture in prayer of which we have not read earlier in the Biblical account. Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. Will God dwell on the earth? Solomon's prayer acknowledged the greatness of the LORD, and that there was none other God like Him. III. a. The priests could not enter into the house of the . Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. V. 22b Verse 54 tells us that he knelt on his knees: "when Solomon had finished praying all The temple was completed the 8 th month of 11 th year of reign. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:34 9.4MB) King Solomon . 10. on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month --This was the last day of the feast of tabernacles. (1-2) Acknowledgement of God's presence in the cloud. True Solomon: Begins by praising the God who keeps his promises. 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. This beautiful prayer must be applied to his heart as well as to the hearts of all who read this prayer. Recalls God's dynastic promises to David through the prophet Nathan. This is a unique prayer from the Old Testament. The temple was one of the most beautiful structures of ancient times. Solomon intercedes. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. As Solomon was involved in doing God's work, he could expect God's blessing on his efforts. 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. 28:21, 22, 27, 38, 42, 52, [1 Sam. What a wonderful prayer to pray! It was the Lord who provided all that they needed to complete the project. However, He has promised that His name would dwell there. 14-21), utters a long dedicatory prayer (vv. This is a God who enters into communion with His people. He becomes acquainted with the ways of the Israelites and with their history and he also finds out about the greatness of Israel's God. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . Solomon does not attribute the lack of rain to mere natural phenomena, but to the sins of the people. 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.". 33-34). And a place for You to dwell in forever.. (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. And that is where we are today. 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. That is a wonderful response, and I would affirm anyone who is seeking Gods blessing on their marriage. "Solomon's Prayer of Dedication" . However, before one petition is uttered he extols the greatness of the God to Whom he is praying. 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?) Gods good response to our repentance comes from His grace, not from justice. 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. Famine came upon the land of Canaan several times during the course of sacred history despite the fact that this land was to be the land "flowing with milk and honey." When the building is now finished there is a great celebration of dedication and Solomon utters a prayer which has become a classic. As king himself, Solomon remembered and spoke those truths at the dedication of the temple in his prayer and benediction. 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. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. It is our "faith" with its own connotation. 2 Chronicles Chapter 6. The substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us. I. Solomon's Prayer of _____ of God (1 Kings 8:22-29) 41Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your names sake 42(for they will hear of Your great name and Your (Z)strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, (AA)that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and (AB)fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name. David and Solomon were human instruments, but the work was Gods. It took seven years for King Solomon to actually build the temple. 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. Solomon's Temple is an example of how God used ancient Israel to point to greater realities. When the temple was complete Solomon praised God before His people reminding them of His promises. One land would often invade the other, besiege its cities and take the inhabitants captive. 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. ), 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. (AO), 44When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray(AP) to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. 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. The first prayer is a longer prayer which is recorded for us in verses 1 Kings 8:22-53. God honors a praying people, because a praying people honors God! If they are taken out of their land because of their sin! The many difficulties which arise out of this state of affairs are, of course, well known. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. He was the first king to follow his father as a hereditary monarch. 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. Solomon extols the faithfulness of God and exhorts the people to continue in the path of covenant obedience. 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. The we come to Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple. 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.