HEAR THE SUPPLICATION OF YOUR SERVANT
1King 8:22-53
Key Verse 30
“Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”
Read verses 22-30. What did Solomon confess about God in his prayer? (22-24) What did he ask God in his prayer? (25, 26) What kind of place must the temple be for the people and for God? (27-30)
Read verses 31-40. What did Solomon ask God to do when anyone would wrong their neighbor? (31-32) What did he ask God to do when the Israelites sinned and their enemies defeated them? (33-34) What did he ask God to do in regard to the lack of rain and other disasters? (35-40)
Read verses 41-53. What did Solomon pray for the foreigners who would know God’s name? (41-43) What did he pray about going to war? (44-45) What did he pray for those who were enslaved by an enemy nation? (46-53) What can we learn from his faith in God and his shepherd heart for the people?
Attachment:
LA UBF Bible Study Materials
Copyright © 2024 LA UBF. All Rights Reserved.
HEAR THE SUPPLICATION OF YOUR SERVANT
1King 8:22-53
Key Verse 30
“Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”
Introduction
After the ark was brought into the temple inner sanctuary, Solomon prayed as a representative prayer servant. But he was not a priest and he was not cut out to be entering into the holy place called priest court. However we can learn from his heart moving prayer topics on behalf of the Israelites. May the Lord help us to learn of his priesthood prayer spirit and offer unceasing prayer for America until we may see God’s glory!
Read verses 22-30. What did Solomon confess about God in his prayer? (22-24) What did he ask God in his prayer? (25, 26) What kind of place must the temple be for the people and for God? (27-30)
1-1, Read verses 22-30.
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises 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.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 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. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
1-2, What did Solomon confess about God in his prayer? (22-24)
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
First, he did not enter the temple proper because he was not allowed to do so according to the laws of God. He spread out the hands toward heaven, posturing in a surrender, openness, and ready to listen to God.
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
Solomon called God as “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below.” He confessed that God is unique compared to other gods that other nations worshiped.
“You who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way” The first and foremost characteristic of the God of Israel is to keep His covenant of love with His servants if they continue wholeheartedly in His way.
“You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand have fulfilled it-as it is today.” Solomon gave all the credit to the Lord God from A to Z although he labored a lot to build the temple for more than 7 years. He admitted that it stemmed from God and was fulfilled according to His will and strength.
Above all he gave thanks to the Lord, God who faithfully kept His promise to his father David!
1-3, What did he ask God in his prayer? (25, 26)
“Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises 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.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
Solomon called upon God to keep the promises that He made. This is the great secret to power in prayer – to take God’s promises to heart in faith, and then to boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfill the promises.
He recalled what his father had told him based on what God had promised him on 2 Samuel 7. Nothing is more important than remembering God’s words of promise in prayer rather than manufacturing and demanding God with what we want.
1-4, What kind of place must the temple be for the people and for God? (27-30)
“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 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. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of the king and the people when they prayed toward the temple. For this reason, many observant Jews still pray toward the temple in Jerusalem.
Solomon knew that the most important thing Israel needed was forgiveness. This was the greatest answer to prayer that Israel could expect from God.
The temple was too small for God to dwell in it only. But it is the house of prayer for all nations. Especially it is the place where all people from all nations may come in God’s prescribed way to be sin forgiven and prayed before Him.
Solomon prayed that the purpose of the temple may be accomplished through prayer. All people may restore their relationship with God. Then he prayed further in great detail in the following verses.
Read verses 31-40. What did Solomon ask God to do when anyone would wrong their neighbor? (31-32) What did he ask God to do when the Israelites sinned and their enemies defeated them? (33-34) What did he ask God to do in regard to the lack of rain and other disasters? (35-40)
2-1, Read verses 31-40.
31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. 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.
33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned 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, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.
2-2, What did Solomon ask God to do when anyone would wrong their neighbor? (31-32)
31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. 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.
The inner court of the temple was used as a place to verify and authorize oaths. Solomon asked that the temple (before the altar of the temple) would be a place to properly swear by.
Hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants: Solomon asked the God who can see what man can’t (the hidden heart and motive of man) to enforce from heaven the oaths made at the temple.
2-3, What did he ask God to do when the Israelites sinned and their enemies defeated them? (33-34)
“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
Many times in their history, Israel suffered defeat and could only cry out to God. It was even worse when the defeat was because they had sinned against the LORD Himself.
“When they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in the temple, then hear in heaven.”
Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of a defeated, yet humble and repentant Israel. God answered this prayer of Solomon, and He forgives and restores His defeated people when they come in humble repentance.
This prayer might have been fulfilled after Babylonian exile and the Israelites came back to the promised land to rebuild the temple as well as the wall.
2-4, What did he ask God to do in regard to the lack of rain and other disasters? (35-40)
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned 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, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
Drought was a serious threat for the agriculturally-based economy of Israel. If there was no rain, there was no food. Israel relied on spring and fall rains.
When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven: Solomon doesn’t take it for granted that God would forgive and hear His repentant people.
37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.
Solomon recognized that some plagues are easily seen, but other plagues come from our own hearts and it is not easy to know it.
Many are cursed by a plague that no one else can see, but Solomon asks God to answer such a plague-stricken man when he humbly pleads at the temple.
A man did not have to be sinless or righteous to have his prayer answered at the temple. He could be a guilty man, stricken by the plague of his own heart, and still find a gracious God when He came in humble repentance.
Read verses 41-53. What did Solomon pray for the foreigners who would know God’s name? (41-43) What did he pray about going to war? (44-45) What did he pray for those who were enslaved by an enemy nation? (46-53) What can we learn from his faith in God and his shepherd heart for the people?
3-1, Read verses 41-53.
41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple,43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And 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; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. 52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
3-2, What did Solomon pray for the foreigners who would know God’s name? (41-43)
41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple,43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
The temple was in Israel, but it was always intended to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). God wanted the court of the Gentiles to be a place where the nations could come and pray.
Jesus was angry when the gentile court of the temple was filled with merchants and their money change table. (John 2, Matthew 21)
Hear in 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 sense of mission. He knew that when God mercifully answered the prayers of foreigners, it drew those from other nations to the God of all nations. Amen!
It may remind us of Jesus’ high priesthood prayer in John 17. May the Lord help us to grow in the same spirit and pray with a world mission mind.
3-3, What did he pray about going to war? (44-45)
44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
Solomon prayed with the idea that God should answer the prayers for victory made in foreign lands towards the temple, but only when they battled as God sent them. This was not a blanket request for blessing on every military adventure.
3-4, What did he pray for those who were enslaved by an enemy nation? (46-53)
46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And 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; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. 52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
When they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive: Solomon also asked God to hear Israel’s prayer from captivity in a foreign land.
This recognized that the God of the Temple could answer prayers although they were made away from the temple.
3-5, What can we learn from his faith in God and his shepherd heart for the people?
“No one who does not sin” reminds us of Romans 3 that everyone has fallen short of God’s glory. Solomon knew how weak the people were like himself. He asked God’s mercy and forgiveness in each and every prayer topic.
Likewise he shows his shepherd heart for the people and his personal faith in God. May the Lord help us to pray in the same way.
All 7 prayer topics are very practical and realistic prayer topics for the people of Israel and foreigners and war slaves and so on.
Conclusion
This passage reminds me of 1 Timothy 1:15-17, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” May the Lord help us to grow as warriors of prayer to serve all nations as a kingdom of priests!
One word: When you hear, please forgive us!
Attachment:
LA UBF Bible Study Materials
Copyright © 2024 LA UBF. All Rights Reserved.
Hear the supplication of your servant
1 Kings 8:22-53
Key verse 8:30
“Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”
A long time ago, we had one woman in our ministry. If I am correct, she was a Chinese from Taiwan. She came to America as an immigrant. She was about thirties or early forties. She did not have her husband, but she had one son. Life in America as an immigrant must have been tough for her. She came to our church and shared her stories. I was not good at listening to her because she talks about one or two hears easily and all her talk is small talks about her life. There is no meaningful in her talk. So usually I did not make any effort to listen to her. In fact, I tried to avoid her a little. But msn Isaac was different. He listened to her one or two hours many times although he was busy working at the bank on full time. One day she came to our church and talked to Msn Isaac. M. Isaac told me she talked to him 5 hours straight.
I was surprised to hear that because she had still so much to say even after all these talking to M. Isaac. During the 5 hours of straight talk to M. Isaac, she shed many tears, and then finally she left. And that was her last time we saw her. We found that she had to move to a other state. On that day, I believe, it is a Saturday, by the mercy of God, she had someone who can hear all of her stories again 5 hour straight. And she was able to leave with great peace and joy because she was heard.
Come to think of it, M. Isaac represented to the Lord, the God of Israel in today’s passage who hears. He reveals our God, Jesus Christ, the most because he heard all her stories in great mercy and love. She could tell M. Isaac all she wanted. And then she was ready to leave and go to other state. Now what M. Isaac did truly represents the mercy and love of the Lord, the God of Israel, in today’s passage who hears all their prayers, pleas, and supplications to the full. I truly believe that M. Isaac, on that Saturday, when he needed to write his Sunday message, revealed the mercy of the Lord, spending 5 straight hours by hearing all she had to say. Surely he repented the Lord, our God, who hears all our prayers, pleas, and supplications all the time without any time limit. He is God who hears. Today we would like to know him through today’s message.
My message has two parts.
Part I. You who keep your covenant of love (v.22-26)
Part II. Hear from heaven and act (v.27-53)
Part I. You who keep your covenant of love (v.22-26)
Look at verses 22-26
“22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises 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.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
Solomon began to pray before the altar of the Lord. He was not standing in front of the Holy Place, main body of the temple. But he was standing before the altar of the Lord. The altar is the place where people bring their sacrifices and blood will be shed.
Solomon mentioned about the faithful character of the Lord first. There is no God like the God of Israel who is faithful to his covenant of love. “The covenant of love” is for those who continue in God’s way wholeheartedly. Then as the example of the Lord’s faithfulness, Solomon mentioned about the Lord’s fulfillment of his promise given to his father David and himself in 25 and 26. The completion of the temple is the evidence of the Lord’s faithfulness to his father David.
Look at verses 25-26. “25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises 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.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
Solomon asked the Lord to keep his promises given to his father David regarding the dynasty. It is a great concern for Solomon because he will be the second king of the dynasty. If the dynasty does not continue, the promise of the Lord to David would not be fulfilled. So Solomon prays based on God’s faithfulness that the Lord would keep his promise. But there was one condition on the promise of the dynasty. It is to walk in obedience to the Lord. 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.’ This is what the Lord has said to David in chapter 2 of 1 kings, and David gave the message to Solomon as the time drew near for him to die. “and that the Lord may keep his promise to me, “If you descendants watch how they live and walk before me faithfully with all their hearts and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” (1 Kings 2:4)
Acknowledging the Lord’s faithfulness first in our prayers is a good practice. It is because we believe the Lord’s answer for our prayers based on his faithfulness in his promises. We have a promise from Jesus Christ. He said in John 14:13-14. “13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” It is based on the covenant of love, the blood covenant which he shed for all believers.
Part II. Hear from heaven and act (v.27-53)
Verses 27-30 27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 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. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
These verses are like the introduction before Solomon offers specific prayer topics. God cannot dwell on earth. He is not limited by any visible or invisible things because he transcends everything. So the only thing Solomon’s temple has is the promise “My Name shall be there.” The temple is not the actual place of the Lord’s dwelling, but it is the place where “the Name of the Lord” is there. Since the temple has the name of the Lord, praying toward the place of the temple is accepted as the prayer to the Lord, the God of Israel.
In today’s passage, before the Lord, Solomon called himself as ‘your servant.” He called the Israelites, “your servants.” It is fitting because he and his people Israel were the servants of the Lord. Then Solomon asked God to pay attention to his prayer toward the temple at that day. (v.28)
In verse 30, he asks the Lord, the God of Israel to hear the supplication of himself and the Israelites when they pray toward the temple from heaven, his dwelling place. Then Solomon asks the Lord to forgive them after hearing their prayers. “And when you hear forgive.”
Forgiveness comes from hearing. When the Lord hears their supplication and repentance, he forgives.
From verse 31, Solomon offered seven specific prayer topics one by one. They are:
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
We can notice one thing from his seven prayer topics. It is four prayer topics are related to war. So I made a mark *. It shows the main prayer topic and the main concern for Solomon is the war. Why is this so? Probably it is because war is the time for people to suffer the most. As we learned from the last Sunday message, the glory of the Lord is the suffering glory. It is because he is with his people who suffer. Indeed the bible reveals the Lord, the God of Israel, also went to exile where his people were suffering. To be with his suffering people is the demonstration of the Lord’s mercy and love.
Now let us look at the seven prayer topic one by one.
Now the first one. (1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
First one is about doing wrong to one’s neighbor. Look at verses 31-32. “31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. 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.”
This is a difficult case. The event involves without any witness or visible evidence. It is like the case of “he says” “she says.” In those cases, they would be brought in front of the altar and swear an oath. Solomon prays that the Lord, the God of Israel, would establish justice, by condemning the guilty and vindicating the innocent. If Solomon did not make a wise decision about two prostitutes, the case belongs to this category.
Justice is so important, but we know it is so challenging to establish justice. It is hard to know which is justice. But the Lord knows. So Solomon prays that the Lord would establish justice between neighbors.
The second prayer is about being defeated by an enemy.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Verses 33-34. 33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
The Israelites were defeated by their enemies because of their sin against the Lord, the God of Israel. But not all people became exiles. Some who were left prayed at the temple, and the Lord would forgive them and bring them back to their home land again. It seems to me this is a case where not all people went for exiles because there were people who prayed at the temple. But both group of people would repent in this case. When we look at Israel’s history, there are many years of gap between people were taken to foreign lands due to their sin. The captivity of people in the foreign land happened several times. So if the Israelites who had remained in their home land had repented together with the exiles, the Lord would bring the exiles back.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Third, it is about drought. Verses 35-36. 35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned 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, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
The drought, no rain, was caused by their sin against the Lord. After suffering they repent and pray toward the temple and give praise to God’s name. Giving praise to God’s name means they repent and restore their faith in the Lord. When they turn from their sin, Solomon asks the Lord to forgiven them and send the rain on the promised land.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Fourth, it is about personal deliverance during the time of disaster or disease. Verses 37-40.
37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.
It is about individual’s prayer during the time of disaster or diseases. Here “an enemy besieges them in any of other cities” probably refers to the temporary and partial siege of any cities, and it probably does not refer to full blown up war.
If anyone of them prays or offers supplication to the Lord, he will answer accordingly. The Lord knows the heart of everyone. So he can bring justice to everyone according to what they do. Only the Lord knows everyone’s heart. Therefore only the Lord can bring true justice for each one of them. These verses teaches us that there is no way for us to deceive God, and indeed God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
So even when we face natural disasters or diseases which are out of our control we do not need to fear for any disaster or diseases as long as we live before the Lord. The Lord will bring about justice according to what we do and our heart. The Lord knows our hearts and he will respond according to our hearts.
The response of the Lord for each one of us individually in the time of disaster and diseases reminds us of Psalm.
Psalm 18:25-27
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
The faithful people will experience that the Lord is faithful to them. The blameless people will know the Lord is blameless. The pure will experience the pure Lord. But the devious will know the Lord is shrewd. The Lord will not be deceived by them. The Lord saves the humble and brings down the proud. As the Lord said, “with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
When the people saw how much the Lord can bring his justice without fail they will begin to fear the Lord. It will help them to live in the promised land with fear of the Lord as long as they live.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Fifth. It is about the foreigner. Verses 41-43. “41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
Foreigners, especially those who lived near Israel, would hear the name of the Lord, the God of Israel because of the mighty hand of the Lord. Some of them would come to the temple. When the foreigners come and pray toward the temple, Solomon asks the Lord to do whatever the foreigner asks of the Lord. The purpose of doing this is for other foreigners and eventually all the peoples of the earth. Solomon prays that all the peoples of the earth may know the name of the Lord and fear him together with the Lord’s people Israel.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Sixth, it is about war without their sin. Verses 44-45. 44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
Verse 44b, “Wherever you send them” shows this war is different from the wars caused by their sin against the Lord. So probably the war is started by other nations, and it is the war where the Lord can use his people as his instrument. The Israelites do not sin, and still there can be war, and the Lord can send them wherever he wants. Then they can pray toward the temple, and the Lord can uphold their cause.
(1) When anyone wrongs their neighbor
(2) When Israel have been defeated by an enemy*
(3) When there is no rain
(4) When disaster or disease may come*
(5) When the foreigner has come
(6) When the Israel go to war without sin*
(7) When they sin and become captives in a foreign land*
Seventh, it is about exile due to their sin. Verses 46-51. 46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And 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; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
The Israelites become captives of the war and exiles in a foreign land because they sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. In the land of their captors, they can repent and ask God’s forgiveness, praying toward the temple. Then the Lord would hear them and forgive them and uphold their cause. It is by the way of causing their captors to show them mercy.
Mentioning about war or battle is mentioned 4 times in today’s prayer. Partial invasion of a city, partial exiles, just war, and exiles due to their sin. So prayer for war is a major concern of Solomon’s prayer. From the very beginning, the Lord, the God of Israel, made it very clear that if they sin they would become prisoners of wars and will be led to other foreign land.
But if they repent, they will have a chance to be restored to their home land again. The Lord, the God of Israel suffers together with his people who are in exiles. His mercy and love is expressed in his forgiveness and bring them back to their home land.
What the Lord does shows the Lord, the God of Israel, is the God of Hope. There is always hope in the Lord as long as we repent. When we repent, the Lord hears us and forgives and uphold our cause. So indeed there is always a second chance and hope in the Lord.
Verses 52-53 is like a recap like the verses 27-30.
52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
Here, Solomon again asks the Lord to open his eyes toward the temple and hear their prayers, pleas and supplications of his people as he did in the beginning of his prayer. Israel became God’s people by the choice of the Sovereign Lord. They did not choose to become God’s people or his inheritance. The Sovereign Lord chose them as Moses brought them out of Egypt.
Jesus also said that for his disciples. You did not choose me but I chose you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. In Jesus Christ we become God’s people, and we have such privilege to pray to the Lord God in Jesus’ name. And Jesus said, “Ask whatever in my name and I will do it.”
Jesus became our temple, and our body became the temple of the Holy Spirit. We do not need to pray toward the temple. Through Jesus we can pray and offer our supplication whenever and wherever we need, and we can experience of the mercy and love of Lord our God who hears, forgives and acts.
Now we learned about Solomon’s prayer. I want to ask you one question. What is the most important thing about prayer? It is to pray itself. So let us come to the Lord and offer our prayer every morning and evening and whenever we have time.
One word: hear the supplication of your servant.
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