1 Kings 8:33 says, When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: Solomon began to speak about times when Israel would turn away from God and return asking His forgiveness in the Temple. When we stray away from God's will as Christians, we need to return to Him and ask His forgiveness, but we don't have to go to a particular place to do so. Verse thirty-four adds, Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers. Solomon asked God to forgive the people when they came and asked forgiveness and to restore them to the land He gave their fathers. When we come to God for forgiveness as Christians, He will always restore us to a right relationship with Him, but we never lose our heavenly home if we have sincerely accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Verse thirty-five continues, When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: Solomon then spoke about times when God would withhold the rain because of the sins of the people of Israel and they then repented. We need to realize that our sins are going to bring at least spiritual if not physical consequences and that if we want the spiritual consequences removed, we need to repent and ask God's forgiveness. Verse thirty-six concludes, Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. Solomon asked God to forgive them in this case also and to bring the rain again and to teach the people how to walk in His way. When God forgives us from straying away after we ask His forgiveness, we need to pray that He will teach us how to better follow His way. Verse thirty-seven states, If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; Solomon then expanded his request to include several physical calamities that might befall the people of Israel. If we as Christians begin to turn away from God, we can be certain that He will move His protection from us, and we will need to ask His forgiveness to be restored. We do not lose our salvation, but we do lose the earthly benefits of salvation if we are out of God's will. Verse thirty-eight adds, What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Solomon then made the request that this request apply to individuals as well as to the nation collectively if they all repented. We know that forgiveness comes from each individual asking for forgiveness personally, but if as a nation all of God's people begin to repent and ask God's forgiveness, the whole nation will be affected. Verse thirty-nine continues, Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) Solomon then asked that God forgive them individually, which is really the only way to have God's forgiveness. We cannot bring about forgiveness for anyone but ourself. Verse forty concludes, That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. Solomon asked God to forgive His people when they repented in the Temple and restore them to Himself. Again, though we must individually repent to find forgiveness, we don't have to go to a particular place to do so. Verse forty-one says, Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; Solomon had been speaking about the people of Israel but then began to speak about the strangers who came to the Temple asking forgiveness from God and for His sake or glory. This would include anyone not born as an Israelite. Verse forty-two adds, (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Solomon said that these strangers would come because they had heard about God's greatness. If strangers to God are going to come to Him today, we as followers of Christ must share the gospel with them so that they can understand the greatness of God in His providing the free gift of salvation. Verse forty-three continues, Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name. Solomon asked God to hear these strangers so that the whole earth would know about Him. The Jewish people who lived at the time Jesus was on the earth and shortly after His death, burial, and resurrection should not have been surprised that the gospel was being preached to the Gentiles, because even Solomon knew that God was reaching out to all people and not just the people of Israel. We must still reach out to all people with the gospel today as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment