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Good Wednesday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
You know I like to ask you questions, so here’s a good one: What do you think is the true role and value of PRAYER in view of these current issues: global COVID paralysis; the historic US Supreme Court vote scheduled for tomorrow, and the USA presidential election now 13 days away?
Down through history some leaders… business leaders, health care leaders, political leaders, church leaders and even global leaders, have discovered the power of prayer to be their greatest leadership asset. Why? Because accessing God’s wisdom, God’s power, God’s protection and guidance is far more valuable than political opinion or military power or business influence.
Over the past few days I’ve been leading us to learn from the God selected early kings of Israel, Saul, David and Solomon. Yesterday we saw how Solomon, in the early years of his kingship, wisely led the greatest construction project of that historical era… the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. When completed, it was time for a dedication ceremony. You’ve probably attended such events but I’m sure you’ve never seen anything like this one! In fact no one through history has ever seen a dedication event like this! I invite you to read the description in 2 Chronicles 6&7 and 1 Kings 8&9.
King Solomon’s dedication words to the people were important but not nearly as important as his words directed to God, his prayer of dedication. Please read carefully the remarkable prayer of king Solomon and take special note of the number of times Solomon requests God to extend forgiveness to His people and restore them. Do you see Solomon’s great wisdom reflected here in the authenticity, the practicality of his prayer? Solomon well knew the wickedness of the human heart, our tendency to drift away from God and the resulting society chaos. In his prayer king Solomon pleads for God’s mercy in the future as he dedicates this grand temple to be a place where God would hear the prayers of his repentant people, then forgive and restore them! Contrast that with election promises or debates you’ve been hearing, or what you might imagine the next inauguration speech of the next US president will be like?
Now look at God’s response to king Solomon’s prayer: “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the Temple because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the people saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD…they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground and they worshipped and gave thanks to the LORD.” (2 Chron. 7:1-3) Fire from heaven? Come on friends, let’s put ourselves in the middle of this experience. Down on your knees, surrounded by thousands of people, the altar now aflame with smoke billowing up into the sky. What is happening here?
God responded to the worship and prayers of His people, but especially a humble, anointed king who is seeking to lead his people to know and revere God! Now look at the senior leaders of your country, wherever you live in the world. When is the last time your national leaders LED you in praying for God’s direct involvement in your nation? When have they called for a day of worship, fasting and prayer in your nation, seeking God’s intervention in this COVID pandemic, or out of control crime, or huge storms which are still offshore but soon to make landfall? Can God turn a storm, can God shut down crime, can God stop this Coronavirus? Of course, YES He can. History shows us He has done all that and much more in the past, in response to God’s praying people! Where are those courageous leaders who understand the power and privilege of prayer and will lead their people to God in prayer?
Why did God respond to king Solomon’s prayer with fire from heaven? Has God ever done that again? Do you remember the old prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel and the 450 prophets of Baal, both calling down fire from heaven to prove who is the only true God? You’ll find that great account in 1 Kings 18&19.
And what does it mean that “…the priests could not enter the temple because the glory of the LORD had filled it.”? Has this “glory of the LORD” ever come from heaven to overwhelm humanity at other times? Oh my friends, do you remember the Christmas story? “There were shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the LORD appeared to them and THE GLORY OF THE LORD shown all around them, and they were terrified…” (Luke 2:8,9)
Or in Exodus 16 as the Hebrew slaves were complaining of their hunger and thirst, and Moses told them “…you will see the glory of the LORD, because He has heard your grumbling…” and God provided them Manna falling from heaven, everyday for 40 years, enough to feed 1 million people in the desert!
Or in response to a rebellion against God among His people, in Numbers 16 God responded by opening the earth and it swallowed the rebels and their families and then the record says “…suddenly the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the LORD appeared.” (Numbers 16:42)
This phrase “The glory of the LORD” is used many times in the Bible and almost always to describe an event in which God demonstrates His almighty power and His holiness, and sinful people are overwhelmed. Usually those present fall on their face on the ground or bow in fear and adoration. So I just have to ask you… have you ever had an experience when you were so overwhelmed with God’s Majesty, His Holiness, His power that you were speechless and simply fell to your knees in adoration and maybe even repentance?
Friends, are you taking note of the unusual way Solomon is beginning his leadership of the nation of Israel? First was his trip to Gibeon to worship and pray and his encounter with God who then promised he would receive wisdom unlike any other human being. Then Solomon dealt with some of the unpleasant, unfinished business left to him from the previous administration, Then Solomon’s wise and careful oversight of the greatest construction project of that era of history, the great Temple in Jerusalem. And now this dedication experience with fire falling from heaven and the Glory of the LORD filling the temple!
And it’s not over yet! As you read 2 Chronicles 7, take note of what is described in two more weeks of day and night worship of holy God in Jerusalem. Finally, very carefully I urge you to read God’s response as recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:12-22. “the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer…when I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among my people. IF my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and PRAY and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place…”
We don’t know exactly how God appeared to Solomon, but it is his second experience with an appearance and promise from God! Undoubtedly you have heard this promise of God quoted many times. But have you seen it happen? Have you seen God’s people humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways? Where did you see it? When? Were you an active part of it? And what did God do in response my friends?
No matter where you live in the world, the chances are very high your national leaders are NOT leading like king Solomon led! And we wring our hands, don’t we, when leadership fails us? But God invites us to do much more than complain or boycott or demonstrate or parade or even just wring our hands. God gave four specific criteria for HIS PEOPLE if they want to see God intervene in miraculous ways in their land!
So friends, with the COVID pandemic still raging world-wide, and with the Supreme Court vote tomorrow, and with less than 2 weeks remaining till the American presidential vote, and with chaos running rampant in almost every country of the world. . .is it time yet? Is it time for hundreds of millions of Christ followers, all over the world, to do what God invites us to do, if we want HIM to intervene? Why not today? Why not where you live? Why not YOU and me? Is Almighty God a faithful God who keeps His promises?
I must leave you with one last thought. We should not claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 without also claiming the remainder of what God said to Solomon that night, found in vs. 19-22!! Look at it closely. God did that… He allowed the destruction of that temple in 586bc for the reasons He warned. In His mercy and love He allowed it to be rebuilt again 70 years later, and then in 70ad the Romans destroyed it… and on that hilltop for the past several hundred years has been the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Before we cry out to God for His help, we need to consider why our nations are in despair all over the world! I urge us all to spend some time today, with our journals and Bible’s in hand, asking God to help us see how 2 Chronicles 7 applies to where you live in the world!
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 2 Chronicles 7; 2 Chronicles 8. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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