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. We should always begin with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. All rights reserved worldwide. 130:3; Prov. David and Solomon were human instruments, but the work was Gods. Whenever you accomplish something, you are still to give God the glory for what he has done. 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. 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. The work on this sanctuary is long completed. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website. When the building is now finished there is a great celebration of dedication and Solomon utters a prayer which has become a classic. The temple was a beautiful place that God instructed Solomon to build to represent the holiness of his presence. Just because God promises does not mean that we possess. This lesson is an adaptation from the Gospel Project lesson on this Scripture passage. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Oh, let God now hear the prayer of His servant! 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. 1:10; [Rom. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. All these prayers were offered at a time of challenge for the person praying, where the only one who could provide . The pretended gods of the nations could not compare to Him in any way. Crafts: Draw or paint self-portraits and write out 1 Corinthians 3:16 on the picture. (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. Not one word has failed of all the good promises(BI) he gave through his servant Moses. 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. Lev. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. In the second petition the king pleads with his God concerning his people when they are defeated by enemies. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org God cannot be confined to a particular space, but He does meet with His people in particular spaces. Keep prayer at he center of all you do! b. Blasting refers to the singeing of the grain by the dry hot wind blowing from the desert. 106:6; Dan. That is his privilege and his duty. THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 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. 1 Chronicles 29:16). (Selman). 17:6, 18; 25:21, Ezra 9:6, 7; Neh. He will then not lack a son to sit upon his throne. When the Lord gave him a choice of various gifts he might have, he chose wisdom. 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. 8:1-66 The account of the Temple's dedication ceremony is organized concentrically: Solomon gathers the assembly (), blesses it (vv. I have surely built You an exalted house, This lesson was prepared for older elementary students and can be adapted for . This is a Bible study on prayer, focusing specifically on the prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:22-53; 2 Chronicles 6:12-42). Before we try and answer that question, it is helpful to get a little background on this temple that Solomon was dedicating. This sentence has been explained in various ways. Solomon intercedes. Thanks for visiting! i. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. 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. a. Recalls God's dynastic promises to David through the prophet Nathan. I sometimes run into this with baby dedications. 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. New International Version (NIV). How would this be possible? Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. They dont attend church; they dont spend regular time with God in the Bible and prayer; they dont seek Gods will in all their decisions. He keeps His promises and shows lovingkindness. The heathen may think that their deities will be able to help them in certain situations, but their hopes are futile. The holy place and Most Holy Place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest. So yes, we pray for our needs as a church, and we ask God to meet those daily needs. day of May, 1846. In this refrain he speaks of the riches of the experience of faith. Suddenly this great and beautiful temple becomes very small and insignificant in comparison with the One for Whom it is built. It was Solomon's praise, that what he undertook, he went through with; it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain: Drought was a constant threat for the agriculturally based economy of Israel. For less than $5/mo. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple. 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. a. (Read 1 Kings 8:54-63 and pray.). (v. 6) In an age when this is frequently misunderstood, it provides a valuable resource. 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. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Though it happened 500 years before, it was just as important and real for Israel as the day it happened. 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. 26:34, 44; Deut. 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! By 1994 we had outgrown the older sanctuary, and so we began plans for a new sanctuary. Living together outside of marriage is direct disobedience to Gods commands, and God cannot bless disobedience. It's praying until we know we have laid hold of God. We should look beyond ourselves and pray for Gods name to be known among the nations. Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. i. Out of the land of Egypt: Solomon presses the remembrance of the Exodus. Was that a major accomplishment? How can we dedicate something to Gods glory if we are not seeking to glorify him with our lives? We also notice why Solomon is praising God. 1st Kings 8:22-53: Solomon's prayer at the dedication of God's people-temple. When David died the people of Israel could look for a big change in the government of the land. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. In the last petition Solomon deals with the worst situation which can befall a people. But, perhaps his wisdom is nowhere shown more clearly than in the building and dedication of the temple of God. Known as an ambitious builder of public works, Solomon's crowning achievement was the building of the Temple. 2.F orgiveness of trespasses (vv. Stood before the altar of the LORD: Solomon did not dedicate the temple from within the temple. And so Solomon begins with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. The old Puritan commentator John Trapp could not resist mentioning a fulfillment of this principle in his own day: Anne Averies, who, forswearing herself, a. D. 1575, February 11, at a shop of Wood Street in London, praying God she might sink where she stood if she had not paid for the wares she took, fell down presently speechless, and with horrible stink died., Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20). Israel had prospered and had been victorious under the reign of David. Whenever a people is defeated, great suffering comes upon them. As the opening section of Solomon s prayer (14-20) is summarized in the closing words of the prayer, we will quote these in order to grasp its general outline: Jehovah, God, Thou must not turn back the face of Thine anointed. i. 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?) Lord, render to every man according to all his ways. His prayer contained nine requests: 1. They were defeated because they had sinned against God! This beautiful prayer must be applied to his heart as well as to the hearts of all who read this prayer. Forgiveness of sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord or the dedication means nothing.. He was the son of King David and Bathsheba. So this was a long-term project. which revealed itself in boils. Skilled workers were employed. Does the temple in Jerusalem have more significance than our church buildings? We dedicate this sanctuary to be a place of worship. EVERYONE: Solomon felt his own inadequacy. Solomons final request is that Gods people would remain fully committed to him at all times. If they are taken out of their land because of their sin! Solomon begins his prayer with thanksgiving and praise for what God has done. Solomon's prayer at the time of the dedication of the Jewish Temple is a remarkable piece of literature. Alas, Solomon didn't stay on this height of commitment to 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. When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven: Solomon doesnt take it for granted that God would forgive and hear His repentant people.