How much less this temple which I have built! (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Solomons Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple. This was not a blanket request for blessing on every military adventure. A. Solomon's prayer place. No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. SOLOMON BEGINS HIS PRAYER WITH PRAISE. 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. If there are, why are they so few? 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they And this is really the heart of what all dedications to God are all about. 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. 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? No greater indication of the need for a place of atonement and forgiveness could be given. (Selman). 2 Chronicles 6 - Solomon's Prayer of Dedication A. Solomon blesses God. Many times people want their pastor to come and pray a prayer of dedication for their new home or their place of business. 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. It's praying until we know we have laid hold of God. It was the Lord who fulfilled all the good promises he had given through his servant Moses. The overseer of all is Solomon! Click on the different category headings to find out more. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. What does it mean to dedicate a building, or a child or a home? This lesson is an adaptation from the Gospel Project lesson on this Scripture passage. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. 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. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me. And now, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.. (1-2) Acknowledgement of God's presence in the cloud. 8:1-66 The account of the Temple's dedication ceremony is organized concentrically: Solomon gathers the assembly (), blesses it (vv. He is here following an example clearly taught us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the perfect prayer. 14-21), utters a long dedicatory prayer (vv. Solomon mentions the fact that God has been faithful to the promise which He made to his father David. 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. Israel's God does make covenant. 9:2629; Neh. With Him hearing is forgiving and forgiving is hearing. This type of praying produced some marvelous results. He had kept covenant with His people, and promised mercy to those who would walk in obedience ( 6:14 ). Hanukkah, (Hebrew: "Dedication") also spelled anukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days. Israel did not have a Nile river which made the whole land fruitful. All these prayers were offered at a time of challenge for the person praying, where the only one who could provide . 25Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (G)You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me. 26(H)And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father. Can a murderer, if he repents, be saved? Solomon faces the Temple raises his hands toward heaven and begins to pray his prayer of dedication. B. V. 20-21 A Place For Cares - As Solomon prays, he asks the Lord to here the supplications of God's people. It collapses economies and replaces peace with terror. i. Love C.S. V.22a ""Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel." This was a public prayer. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The ruler is on his knees before One who is the great Ruler of the universe (2 Chronicles 6:13)! Create a "special and holy" place in your classroom where children can pray and talk about how holy and special God is. i. You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. And let Your saints rejoice in goodness. So this was a long-term project. 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. Otherwise the child dedication has no meaning. And they took away all those beautiful items that adorned the temple. 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. Let us then stand in awe, and sin not. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. How much less this temple which I have built! The Prayer of Solomon is a prayer by King Solomon described in 1 Kings 8:22-53 and 2 Chronicles 6:12-42.This prayer is said to have occurred at the dedication of the temple of Solomon, which also became known as the First Temple.The wording and thinking of the prayer have much in common with the language of Deuteronomy.. A shorter prayer of Solomon is also found in some Latin Bibles at the end . 1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple A. day of May, 1846. 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. PASTOR: Having been prospered by the good hand of our God, and enabled by his grace and power to complete this house of worship to be used for the glory of his name, we will now in his holy presence dedicate this sanctuary to him. 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. Forgiveness of sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. i. The holy place and Most Holy Place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest. God having given testimony to Solomon's prayer by fire from heaven, 2. and glory in the temple, the people worship him 4. 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. This was to be a beautiful temple built for Gods glory. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.. 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 . How would this be possible? A couple will come to me and want me to dedicate their child to the Lord, and yet they are not living for the Lord themselves. All of the most skilled craftsmen in Israel are required for the construction. 27But (I)will God indeed dwell on the earth? This is Solomon's prayer. a. Let's pray that in whatever we do, that the Lord always gets the glory and ask that it will always shine through. 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. b. Solomon intercedes. a. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website. (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. 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. Known as an ambitious builder of public works, Solomon's crowning achievement was the building of the Temple. This splendid edifice is now completed, and will be dedicated to the Most High God on Friday, the 1st. Thats the first part of Solomons prayer: thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. b. Lord, render to every man according to all his ways. In an age when this is frequently misunderstood, it provides a valuable resource. 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. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. Those who begin with the service of God, are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. Will God dwell on the earth? 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 . What kind of a son will now succeed him to rule over this great people? 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. Alas, Solomon didn't stay on this height of commitment to God. 62-66).To this account is appended an appearance of the Lord to Solomon that balances the divine word to Solomon in the . Solomon's solemn sacrifice 8. God sent the promise on purpose to be used. How ecumenical! They were defeated because they had sinned against God! 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. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. V. 22b Verse 54 tells us that he knelt on his knees: "when Solomon had finished praying all This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. This is a unique prayer from the Old Testament. Blasting refers to the singeing of the grain by the dry hot wind blowing from the desert. He does not say what manner of sin it is because that is immaterial to what he has in mind. i. God will then judge the one who has committed the sin and the taint of sin which exists as long as the real sinner is not known will be removed from the whole people. Solomon here prays for the faithfulness of all of his own posterity. 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. Skilled workers were employed. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 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. This was the greatest answer to prayer Israel could expect from God. Original German (Salomo II): Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart 7 (2004) 803-804. Click here to return to the Sermons page. 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. Return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, then hear from heaven: Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of a defeated, yet humble and penitent Israel. However, if they pray "toward," not at this place or in this place, but in their homes with their faces toward Jerusalem, may the Lord forgive the sins of the king and of the people and send rain so that they may again be able to live in the land the Lord has given them. I have surely built You an exalted house, Solomon's prayer is covers important points for the people and the nation. Solomon prosperously effected all he designed, for adorning both God's house and his own. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place where Gods word is honored and proclaimed. 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. 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. With the aid of a simple acronym (ACTS), we should never forget "The Purpose Of Prayer". But then Solomon goes on to pray this second prayer of dedication in verses 54-63. Rather than information alone, Solomon . All rights reserved. The many difficulties which arise out of this state of affairs are, of course, well known. This is a more general prayer of dedication and well-suited to the dedication of any home, building or business to the Lord. That is his privilege and his duty. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place of worship. Religion Past & Present XII (2012) 141. 31-32). In this prayer, there is plenty of evidence that Solomon understood God's purpose for Israel. 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. b. 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. (v. 1-2) Solomon blesses all of Israel. 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. Solomon prayed his prayer of dedication, and then the king and all the Israelites officially dedicated the temple to the Lord. He adds, "for there is no man that sinneth not.". From the study of Solomon's prayer after the completion of the temple, the students will discover that God keeps all His promises. 58May he turn our hearts(BK) to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 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. 26:34, 44; Deut. This is the second part of Solomons prayer: a prayer for Gods continued presence and direction. One land would often invade the other, besiege its cities and take the inhabitants captive. He referred to God's name Yahweh 14 times, showing his concern for the reputation of Israel's God. 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 . As Solomon comes before the Lord with a . 6:36; Ps. 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. Prayer for Gods name to be known among the nations (59-60). False (True or False) Solomon carried out David's instructions concerning his enemies, establishing his kingdom in his hand. 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. We can only truly dedicate things to God when we have first dedicated ourselves. 25Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises(E) you made to him when you said, You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done. 26And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised(F) your servant David my father come true. 10. on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month --This was the last day of the feast of tabernacles. 30:9]; Ezra 7:6; Ps. The temple is dedicated and let God now arise to His dwelling place! The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple. 28Yet give attention to your servants prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. a. Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, fulfilled with his hands) really means that Gods actions have confirmed his words it is as if Gods unseen hands were active in all the human hands who contributed to the construction work (cf. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . 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. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Solomon mentions locust and caterpillar, grasshoppers and other creatures which denude the fields of all vegetation. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. 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. 28:36, 64; 2 Kin.