“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, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
“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; 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’; 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; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.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; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
“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. 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.”
There are moments of supreme inspiration in our lives, high points that only come once. Solomon is moving under the leading of the Holy Spirit, and his prayer is both a petition and a prophecy. Here are two more prophecies that were fulfilled well after Solomon’s death.
- “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them” This prophecy came true several times, even in the days of wicked King Ahab. (1 Kings 20)
- “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; 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’; 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; “ The prophet Daniel, while in exile prayed on behalf of all his people. God heard Daniel’s prayers and eventually moved Cyrus, King of Persia, to call for volunteers to return to Jerusalem to build the temple. It was Daniel’s practice to pray facing the direction of Jerusalem five times a day, and it was this practice that allowed Daniel’s enemies to manipulate the king so that Daniel wound up in the lion’s den. Ezra and Nehemiah both prayed prayers of repentance as they led groups back to Jerusalem.
- “Cause their captors to show them mercy…” In fact, this prayer also came true. Daniel was particularly shown favor and mercy, as were Mordecai and Esther.
- “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. 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.” Many believe that this prophetic prayer is still being fulfilled. The rise of Israel after World War II has been little short of miraculous. The survival of Israel under multiple attacks continues to amaze those who are aware of the constant bombardment. There are miracle stories of deliverance coming out of the Six Day War in June 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of October 1973. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 was particularly notable because at the beginning, many Israeli soldiers were not at post but at home with their families celebrating the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Despite multiple handicaps, Israel wound up in control of territory four times its previous size! (https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/yom-kippur-war)
APPLICATION: We cannot depend on mountaintop experiences to carry us through our daily lives; however, we should also take care to live in the light of what God shows us on the mountaintop. Solomon’s prayers on behalf of his people are masterful, but they are also bittersweet. For after building the temple and inspiring all of Israel, Solomon himself wanders away from God. Although God has promised Solomon wisdom and wealth, He has never said anything about Solomon having innumerable wives and concubines. It is the demonic religions of these women that eventually entice Solomon away from God. And Solomon never writes out a copy of the Laws of Moses, nor does he even study someone else’s copy as God has ordered in Deuteronomy 17. Demons transfer through sex, and it is a sad mistake to ignore this fact!
Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple is a literary masterpiece. This prayer has been copied and re – echoed during the dedication of many church buildings. Parts of this prayer have found their way into popular praise songs. If only Solomon would remain as enthusiastic and as steadfast for the rest of his life!
One of the challenges of growing older is maintaining a vibrant spiritual life. These days we have all kinds of entertainment available to us. While much of this entertainment is not bad, we must not allow it to take the place of prayer and Bible study. My mother used to say that as we become older, we become more of what we always were, only more so. Let us be careful so that as we age, our passion for God and the things of God increases, rather than dwindling into useless frivolities. The high point of Solomon’s spiritual life came early on, and from then on, it was all downhill. May God help us so that our spiritual lives will always be moving upward and not downward!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen for Your voice and to love You more each day than we did the day before. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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