PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: 2 Chronicles 5-6
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.” (2 Chronicles 6:20)
Solomon knows that God cannot be bound by a man-made temple.
But he still asks God to be personally linked to the temple.
When people look to the temple for help, may God hear and respond.
For Solomon, the people need a physical, visible symbol to relate to.
Originally, God intended to be physical and visible among us, with us.
Recall how God comes to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7).
God willingly relates to us in a reduced form to experience life with us.
But sinful rebellion has ruined our direct fellowship with God.
Now we can’t see God, relate to God, or even properly understand God.
God in grace still comes to us in reduced form to rebuild our broken fellowship.
Solomon’s temple is one such reduction; God being bonded through a physical form.
But the temple is a building, not a person; God wants a personal relationship.
God becomes human again, this time to rescue of from our sin-cursed misery.
Now as Jesus followers, we pray to Jesus, not the temple… and God hears!
PRAYER
Lord, you are God with me, stooping to my weakness to set me back on my feet. I look to you, I pray to you, and I know that you hear me!
Lord thank you for keeping your promises, and help us pray like Solomon!
God keeps His covenant – God kept His promises to the patriarchs, to David – and established Jesus! Solomon even prayed for the outsiders: “Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you” – Solomon knew that Israel was to be a special nation that was to be a blessing for all nations. So I too, today, by believing am a ‘temple’ – Jesus’ gift to me of the HS resides within me and now I am to be a ‘temple’ of blessing to all those whom I may connect and interact with – I am to be a blessing to all – insiders and outsiders alike! Lord Jesus, help me to be a better and more faithful temple!
Once again I am reminded that all of my life is in His presence. All needs to be for Jesus. I am not my own but belong to Him and need live a life wholly unto Him. I need to hear His Word also for my life and live according to that word in His presence. That word is my driving force as I live this day in His presence.
1 Come into God’s presence singing
“Alleluia,
alleluia,
alleluia.”
2 Come into God’s presence singing
“Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is Lord.”
3 Praise the Lord together singing
“Worthy the Lamb,
worthy the Lamb,
worthy the Lamb.”
4 Praise the Lord together singing
“Glory to God,
glory to God,
glory to God.”