Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion. b. When Solomon's construction was completed, the temple was dedicated. The heathen may think that their deities will be able to help them in certain situations, but their hopes are futile. 1:6; Ps. This is Solomon's prayer. 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. Or lets talk about marriage for a moment. And this is really the heart of what all dedications to God are all about. He now assumes a posture in prayer of which we have not read earlier in the Biblical account. He speaks of a situation in which a man has sinned but the sin cannot be proved. 26:34, 44; Deut. Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits . For this occasion Solomon has had a platform built which was five cubits wide and five cubits long and three cubits high. b. 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. Even though men cannot prove the sin which has been committed by this "someone," God does know. 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). 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. The overseer of all is Solomon! Jerusalem: The End of the Road or Just the Beginning? 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. Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. It is our "faith" with its own connotation. 28:21, 22, 27, 38, 42, 52, [1 Sam. Wasnt it the donations of the people that made the building possible? King David himself gathered the raw materials to build the temple and, evidently, God provided the building plans for that holy structure. Please include the following statement on any distributed copies: The first petition which Solomon utters is rather difficult to understand. Stood before the altar of the LORD: Solomon did not dedicate the temple from within the temple. Finally, Solomon prayed and anticipated the final judgment' war and national collapse.' War within is the ultimate destroyer of life, property and freedom. The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud: The cloud of Gods glory has a long association with His presence. 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. And a place for You to dwell in forever.. They were defeated because they had sinned against God! 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. We are glad that Solomon said this. (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. It was a prayer of such detail and texture that it offered a good match for the stunning architecture and ornamentation of the temple itself. Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord or the dedication means nothing.. 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." Living together outside of marriage is direct disobedience to Gods commands, and God cannot bless disobedience. And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. 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? 20:9; Eccl. No other God ever makes a covenant with the people whom he rules. 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 always begin with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. 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 . And then we not only pray for Gods continued presence but also for his direction. Since God will not live in temples made by hands but only in temples that He constructs Himself, we that are saved have this same purpose, to be a witness of the glory of God to this world we live in! He keeps His promises and shows lovingkindness. He had kept covenant with His people, and promised mercy to those who would walk in obedience ( 6:14 ). This referred to interpersonal disputes. 1 Chronicles 29:16). (Selman). 10. on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month --This was the last day of the feast of tabernacles. 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. 26:16, 25, 26; Deut. Why, or, why not? So what does it mean to dedicate something to the Lord? 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) i. Prayer for Gods continued presence and direction (57-58). Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. This was made of either brass or copper and Solomon took his position on this platform. 24You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled itas it is today. 16:7; 1 Chr. For this reason, many observant Jews still pray facing the direction of the site of the temple in Jerusalem. 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. When was the last time you invited someone to go to church? How ecumenical! Religion Past & Present XII (2012) 141. 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. 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. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. 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. Here they are about to dedicate this beautiful temple to the Lord and Solomon says: But may your hearts be fully committed to God. I dont know if youre familiar with the rest of the history of the Israelites and the temple, but when Gods people eventually turned away from the Lord, God took the temple away from them. If they are taken out of their land because of their sin! Gods good response to our repentance comes from His grace, not from justice. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website. 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. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Solomon's prayer acknowledged the greatness of the LORD, and that there was none other God like Him. After seven years the Temple is completed and the magnificence of it is stunning. How would this be possible? Original German (Salomo II): Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart 7 (2004) 803-804. 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. 41As for the foreigner(AJ) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name 42for they will hear(AK) of your great name and your mighty hand(AL) and your outstretched armwhen they come and pray toward this temple, 43then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. 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.. 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. The Ark has been brought in. Amen. 50And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;(BA) 51for they are your people and your inheritance,(BB) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. Im so glad that we are committed to missions right here at home in Broward County and beyond. a. When we gather to worship, this is what we seek first and foremost. I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever." a. As we just read in verse 61: Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands.. This "fear of God" is a concept which we find frequently in the Old Testament. Prayer for Gods name to be known among the nations (59-60). Let us pray. 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. (READ VERSES 23-24) SOLOMON IS PRAISING BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL b. The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. 35-36). Alas, Solomon didn't stay on this height of commitment to God. 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. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. He was the first king to follow his father as a hereditary monarch. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 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. New International Version (NIV). Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, 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. 27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. i. Crafts: Draw or paint self-portraits and write out 1 Corinthians 3:16 on the picture. No greater indication of the need for a place of atonement and forgiveness could be given. (Selman). King Solomon built a structure for God's presence to occupy in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), but Solomon's prayer points toward God's people's being the dwelling place of God. 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. Forgiveness of sins that had brought on drought (vv. And we should pray for Gods people to remain fully committed to him. The temple is dedicated and let God now arise to His dwelling place! God's presence and protection (vv. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. 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. 28:9; Jer. 24 You have kept 29May your eyes be open(J) toward(K) this temple night and day, this place of which you said, My Name(L) shall be there, so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Last year through some generous estate gifts and through the sacrificial giving of Gods people, we were able to pay off the mortgage twelve years early. As king himself, Solomon remembered and spoke those truths at the dedication of the temple in his prayer and benediction. 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. He wished the temple always to be to Israel the token that Gods memorial is that he hears prayer. (Spurgeon), Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then 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, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.. One is struck, moreover, with the fact that the language is far from new, and is full of quotations from the Pentateuch, some of which are almost word for word, while the sense of the whole may be found in those memorable passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. (Spurgeon). It was the Lord who gave Israel rest from their enemies so they could focus on the building of the temple at that time. - Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained in any temple. Seeing God always forgives upon His people's repentance, can this forgiveness become rather common place to us? Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.. You and the ark of Your strength. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place of worship. 25-30). The king is here not referring to the stranger who makes his home in Israel, but to the foreigner who comes and goes. That is his privilege and his duty. 27But (I)will God indeed dwell on the earth? All rights reserved worldwide. All of the most skilled craftsmen in Israel are required for the construction. 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. 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. 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. Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinners religion. Solomon used the phrasing of that passage to emphasize that the ark of the covenant and the symbol of Gods presence would wander no more and had finally come to its final resting place. The speaker speaks of each experiencing the plague of his own heart his sin. God sent the promise on purpose to be used. Out of the land of Egypt: Solomon presses the remembrance of the Exodus. 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). 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. 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. However, He has promised that His name would dwell there. 62-66).To this account is appended an appearance of the Lord to Solomon that balances the divine word to Solomon in the . Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. 35When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(U) because your people have sinned(V) against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. But, perhaps his wisdom is nowhere shown more clearly than in the building and dedication of the temple of God. Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. 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 was the greatest answer to prayer Israel could expect from God. And this applies to all dedications. 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. Oh, let God now hear the prayer of His servant! THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 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. 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. 35, 46-49). And God did help them! What a sight! So this was a long-term project. 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. How much less this temple which I have built! And in the midst of a phenomenal celebratory service; the King of Israel prays a dedicatory prayer like none have ever heard before. Now therefore, 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. 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. 7:20; [Rom. Solomon's prayer reminded his people that all of them had sinned against God (vv. The pretended gods of the nations could not compare to Him in any way. Now, 11 months later, Solomon stands before the people, spread It confirms that Davids disqualification was not due to sin, but because the concept of Gods rest must be regarded as the unique and final stage in building the temple. (Selman), So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. All rights reserved. God's House must ever be known as a place of prayer and His people as a people of prayer. We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place where Gods word is honored and proclaimed. (BM) 61And may your hearts(BN) be fully committed(BO) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.. 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. Didnt they make the plans, gather the materials, and oversee the building of the temple? 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10], Lev. day of May, 1846. 31When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take (O)an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 32then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, (P)condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. Their attitude was: Nothing will happen to us because we have the temple! But God said, No! Solomon's prayer. 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). Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. (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.