2 Chronicles 6:32-7:7
Today's
passage fast forwards to the dedication of the temple. Solomon is in
the middle of a prayer, and he's standing in front of the Israelites.
I've never understood how someone did this without a Texas Stadium sized
sound system, but Solomon prays for two things: that God would listen
to the prayers of the foreigner, and would forgive the upcoming sins of
the Israelites.
After the prayer, the author says a bolt of lightning shoots down onto the animals that are prepared for sacrifice, frying them to a crisp, and filling the temple with smoke so dense that the priests can't go in and perform their duties.
The Israelites watch this, and fall to their knees. They prostrate themselves in front of the temple, and begin to worship. Solomon and all of Israel start offering up sacrifices to this God who's filling the temple with glory. From Solomon alone, 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep are sacrificed. That's a lot of dead animals. That's a lot of money. If each animal was a dollar, it would have been like giving $142,000 to the temple treasury in one lump sum.
In Solomon's prayer, he refers to the Israelites as "praying to God toward Israel and towards the temple." It was common practice as a Jew to face Israel and the temple as they prayed their prayers. They would get on their knees on top of a shawl, and face the direction of the temple in Israel. Sound familiar?
Solomon prays for "the foreigner who comes to Israel because of God's reputation and his wonderworking power." He could possibly be praying for the eventual influx of worshipers who would enter into Israel, seeking to worship the God they would call Allah. He could be praying that God would listen to their prayers just as he would any of the Israelites.
How do we treat foreigners to the Church? How do we treat foreigners to the country? How do we treat foreigners to our circles of friends?
The author says Solomon prays that God would be attentive and alert to the cries of the foreigners, listening to them just as he would anyone else. To Solomon, the foreigner is just as important as a seasoned citizen of Israel. The foreigner is just as welcome and invited to the table as anyone else. It's not the people of Israel or the awesome teaching that draws foreigners in, but the reputation of God and nothing else.
The people are so attracted to this God, and so enthralled by God, that it's contagious. There's no need to send out mass marketing calls or to drum up support because the reputation of this God the people are worshiping is enough. It's enough to draw people to the center - the heartbeat of Israel.
After the prayer, the author says a bolt of lightning shoots down onto the animals that are prepared for sacrifice, frying them to a crisp, and filling the temple with smoke so dense that the priests can't go in and perform their duties.
The Israelites watch this, and fall to their knees. They prostrate themselves in front of the temple, and begin to worship. Solomon and all of Israel start offering up sacrifices to this God who's filling the temple with glory. From Solomon alone, 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep are sacrificed. That's a lot of dead animals. That's a lot of money. If each animal was a dollar, it would have been like giving $142,000 to the temple treasury in one lump sum.
In Solomon's prayer, he refers to the Israelites as "praying to God toward Israel and towards the temple." It was common practice as a Jew to face Israel and the temple as they prayed their prayers. They would get on their knees on top of a shawl, and face the direction of the temple in Israel. Sound familiar?
Solomon prays for "the foreigner who comes to Israel because of God's reputation and his wonderworking power." He could possibly be praying for the eventual influx of worshipers who would enter into Israel, seeking to worship the God they would call Allah. He could be praying that God would listen to their prayers just as he would any of the Israelites.
How do we treat foreigners to the Church? How do we treat foreigners to the country? How do we treat foreigners to our circles of friends?
The author says Solomon prays that God would be attentive and alert to the cries of the foreigners, listening to them just as he would anyone else. To Solomon, the foreigner is just as important as a seasoned citizen of Israel. The foreigner is just as welcome and invited to the table as anyone else. It's not the people of Israel or the awesome teaching that draws foreigners in, but the reputation of God and nothing else.
The people are so attracted to this God, and so enthralled by God, that it's contagious. There's no need to send out mass marketing calls or to drum up support because the reputation of this God the people are worshiping is enough. It's enough to draw people to the center - the heartbeat of Israel.
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