The Prayer of Solomon (1 Kings 8:22-53)
1 Kings 8:22-53 (READ: 1 Kings 8:22-30)
As we have studied through the Kings,
Most recently we have been in the middle of the life of Solomon.
We have seen his passion
We have seen his petition
We have seen his project
And then last week we saw the project pay off
God showed up!
The importance of such a thing can be overstated.
And this morning I want to show you why.
This morning we look at “The Prayer of Solomon”
It is his immediate response to the presence of the glory of God.
As Solomon prays, we learn why he considered God’s presence
To be such a valuable thing.
So let’s listen to Solomon’s prayer this morning.
#1 ADORATION
1 Kings 8:22-24
Solomon begins this prayer in perfect fashion.
Look at his posture.
(22) “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.”
And his words match his posture.
(23) “He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath”
SOLOMON BEGINS HIS PRAYER WITH PRAISE.
Jesus taught:
Matthew 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”
Solomon’s God was no dud.
Solomon took time to contemplate the God he was praying to.
We also notice why Solomon is praising God.
(READ VERSES 23-24)
SOLOMON IS PRAISING BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL
(23) “keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness”
(24)“ have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him;”
(24) “You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand”
God has done what He said He would do.
AND SOLOMON IS THRILLED!
Adoration
#2 SUPPLICATION
1 Kings 8:25-30
This is the heart of Solomon’s prayer.
Solomon just praised God for being faithful,
Now look at what he prays for.
(READ VERSES 25-26)
HE’S ASKING THE FAITHFUL GOD TO CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL
We are familiar with what God told Moses.
Exodus 3:13-14 “Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
That name of course speaks of God’s unchanging nature,
And consistent faithfulness.
God is not “I was”, God is not “I will be”
God is simply I AM
Do you want to know who God is? Then look at who He was.
Do you want to know who God will be? Then look at who He is.
Thomas Chisholm nailed it when he wrote:
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Though changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”
THIS IS ALL SOLOMON ASKS FOR.
He doesn’t want God to change, into something more appealing.
He simply wants God to be the God He has always been.
And then we move into the real heart of the prayer.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU ASKING FOR SOLOMON?
READ 1 KINGS 8:27-30
DID YOU PICK UP ON WHAT SOLOMON WANTS?
(He mentioned it 6 times)
(28) “have regard to the prayer”
(28) “listen to the cry and to the prayer”
(29) “listen to the prayer”
(30) “Listen to the supplication”
(30) “hear in heaven”
(30) “hear and forgive”
WHAT DID SOLOMON WANT?
He knew the temple couldn’t hold God,
ALL HE ASKED WAS FOR GOD TO HEAR HIS PRAYER.
I THINK WE TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED TODAY
We take it for granted that while we may not always have time for God,
He will always have time for us.
The reason we take it for granted is because it is true.
His word promises that He is always there.
BUT IT IS A SHAME THAT WE HAVE MADE SUCH A SMALL THING
OUT OF THAT AMAZING TRUTH.
Solomon didn’t.
Imagine what it would be like if God were too busy;
Or unwilling to hear our prayers.
Remember what God warned through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 18:17 “Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.'”
Remember what God warned through Amos
Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.”
SOLOMON’S PRAYER WAS THAT THIS FAITHFUL GOD
WOULD CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL AND TO BE NEAR.
Asaph said:
Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”
SOLOMON JUST WANTED GOD TO BE NEAR.
(and we see that clearly)
BUT WHY DID SOLOMON WANT THAT?
WHY WAS SOLOMON SO CONCERNED THAT GOD WOULD BE NEAR?
WHY IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD SO IMPORTANT?
The answer to that question is the main point of the sermon,
And the very thing Solomon is about to explain.
Adoration, Supplication
#3 EXPLANATION
1 Kings 8:31-53
Solomon explains to God why he wants His presence.
You see, there are benefits in life to having God near
That are simply not there if God is not present.
In fact, the nearness of God is the epitome of blessing.
Look at the beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” Why? “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are the pure in heart” Why? “For they shall see God.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers” Why? “For they shall be called sons of God.”
Certain attitudes bring blessing,
And that blessing is a person’s nearness to God.
LET ME SHOW YOU
In this prayer Solomon will explain to God 7 benefits
That he expects to receive from having God’s presence.
They are 7 things we would not have if God refused to dwell in our midst.
1) JUSTICE (31-32)
Basically, if a man wrongs another, and won’t fess up to it.
Instead he says to others, “I swear I didn’t do it”
And the offended says, “I swear, he did do it”
WHO WILL MAKE SURE THE WICKED GETS JUDGED AND THUS DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM EVIL?
That is why the wanted God to be present.
(READ VERSE 32)
Solomon wanted God’s presence for the purpose of justice.
DO YOU REALIZE THAT IF GOD WERE NOT PRESENT THERE WOULD BE NO JUSTICE?
That is why atheists so badly want to dismiss God as a myth.
If God is not real then neither are morals.
We can treat each other however we want
With absolutely no fear of retribution or punishment.
This is what many in Washington can’t seem to figure out.
You cannot have “liberty and justice for all”
If we are not “One nation under God”
THE PRESENCE OF GOD MEANS JUSTICE
Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
Solomon even wrote late in life:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
Solomon wanted God present, because the promise of His righteous judgment would be a deterrent to immorality.
This is why we need God present.
(Justice)
2) REDEMPTION (33-34)
I love the point Solomon makes here.
He gives a specific instance in which God’s people do something dumb
And reap the consequences of it.
“When Your people are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned”
HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
Can you name a time when you disobeyed God and your disobedience caused you to be in a bad situation?
We have all been in that boat before.
THAT IS WHY SOLOMON WANTED GOD TO BE NEAR.
When they repent and pray to you:
(34) “then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.”
He wanted God’s presence to break the power of sin in their lives,
And restore them to the place they had before they messed up.
That is called redemption.
One of the best illustrations in the Bible is when Hosea redeemed Gomer.
Hosea 3:1-3 “Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley. Then I said to her, “You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you.”
Although her own sin had landed her in this predicament,
Hosea had the power to undo it and redeem her.
Who has the power to deliver you from your mistakes in life?
Only God.
(Redemption)
3) PROVISION (35-36)
Once again we see the obvious implication of sin and repentance.
However Solomon uses a specific illustration.
(rain)
WHY RAIN?
Water is literally the life flow of the earth.
Without it, life cannot exist on this planet.
And that is unique, because only God can send it.
We are dependent upon God for our most necessary resource,
And therefore we need God near.
That is Solomon’s prayer.
Be close to us “And send rain on Your land which You have given Your people for an inheritance.”
• If God were to leave, who would provide for you?
• If God were to leave, who would provide for this church?
God is the only One who can.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
My mind is drawn to a hillside when 5,000 men showed up
And they were hungry. All they had were 5 loaves and 2 fish.
It sure was handy to have Jesus around.
(Provision)
4) DELIVERANCE (37-40)
WHAT DO ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON?
They are all things that oppress people.
PLEASE NOTICE THAT SOLOMON DOES NOT SAY
THAT THESE THINGS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF SIN.
It could happen because of sin, but not necessarily.
We live in a fallen sinful world,
And sometimes bad things just happen.
WHEN LIFE JUST GETS TOUGH, WHO DO YOU TURN TO?
• When your company down sizes…
• When the flu spreads through the community…
• When terrorists fly airplanes into your buildings…
• When the biopsy comes back malignant…
WHERE DO YOU GO?
To God.
We need God to be present to deliver us
Because sometimes things happen that are far too difficult for us.
My mind goes to a day when Jesus disciples were in a boat, and the waves were about to turn the boat over. Jesus said, “Peace be still”,
I’m guessing the disciples thought it was a good thing Jesus was there.
(Deliverance)
5) GLORY (41-43)
Solomon had built a great temple,
But people weren’t going to travel just to see a great temple.
Israel needed something greater than that, to draw the nations to them.
They needed God.
And should we ever learn this.
In a day when the Church is desperately seeking an angle
In which to entice the world to attend.
• The Church tries to use entertainment…
• The Church tries to use humanitarian aid…
• The Church tries to use mystical experience…
BUT WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR GOD.
Our power to attract is not found in fancy buildings
Or in eloquent speakers or state of the art special effects.
In those things we cannot compete.
But we have something the world will never have,
And that is the presence of God.
Jesus Himself said:
John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
(glory)
(6) VICTORY (44-45)
I suppose life would be easy if we were always the biggest,
The fastest, the smartest and the strongest.
BUT WE AREN’T.
At times we face giants that we just can’t seem to tackle.
WE NEED HELP
This help comes through the presence of God.
Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
Even Jesus said it:
Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
God’s presence gives us victory.
• How else did the walls of Jericho come down?
• How else would Goliath fall?
• How else will you get that co-worker to listen to you?
• How else will you overcome the language barrier in Ethiopia?
(victory)
7) MERCY (46-53)
In those moments, when life is going poorly.
We have blown it, and we are reaping the consequences.
Even then, be merciful to us, and make us objects of compassion.
BE NEAR TO BE MERCIFUL
And if you have missed it, this is really the main reason
Why Solomon want’s God’s presence.
(30) “hear and forgive”
(34) “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people”
(36) “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants”
(39) “then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive”
(50) “and forgive Your people”
Solomon knew that regardless of how hard they tried,
His people would mess up.
Remember verse 46, “When they sin against You, (for there is no man who does not sin)…”
Solomon knew that he and his people would occasionally blow it.
And so the primary reason Solomon wants God’s presence
Is for the blessing of forgiveness.
Isn’t it a blessing that any time you fail, you can go to God, repent of your sin, seek His forgiveness, and know that He will give it?
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What a blessing of His presence!
When we offend Him, He doesn’t cut off the lines of communication,
But He is right there, willing to listen, and willing to forgive.
WE HAVE MERCY BECAUSE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.
Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
AND SO DO YOU SEE WHY WE NEED GOD’S PRESENCE?
Justice, Redemption, Provision, Deliverance, Glory, Victory, and Mercy.
Those things come about because of the presence of God.
Now you see why Solomon wanted it so badly.
In fact, let me show you just one more verse.
(54) “When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven.”
DID YOU CATCH HIS POSTURE THERE?
I thought we read in verse 22 that he was standing?
That is how he started, but that is not how he finished.
The more he prayed the more intense he became.
HE WASN’T JUST ASKING FOR GOD’S PRESENCE,
HE WAS BEGGING FOR IT.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
• Do you want His presence in your life?
• Do you want His presence in this church?
Last week we learned how to get it.
Seek Him diligently
And seek Him through the blood of Jesus Christ.
DENY YOURSELF AND SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST.
Make seeking God’s presence a priority,
And the blessing of God’s presence will be a reality.
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
