In the Old Testament , Solomon built God’s house that David, his father had provided the plans and materials for. He spent many years and a lot of money building the tabernacle and all that was in it. When he was finished, there was a huge assembly of all of Israel. When he dedicated and consecrated the tabernacle, there was much celebration for seven days which included the sacrifice for their sins by burnt offerings and peace offerings. He sent all Israel back to their tents on that eighth day, and when he rested that night, God came to him and told him that, “ I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
During the time when he assembled all of Israel together, Solomon said a prayer to God, and asked Him for forgiveness upon His people because Solomon knew that everyone sins. He pleaded with God, that if the people would turn toward the house that he built for God, and confess their sins that God would see their hearts and forgive them. And when the dedication was over, God reflected on the people during their celebration of the dedication of His home in a place where they could go to offer sacrifices. He saw the love of his people and He loved Solomon and He told Solomon that he heard that prayer. He said He would abide by it!
A few things to notice, as we are reminded in 2 Chronicles, is that Solomon followed through with his promise that he would build that home for God. He did not falter, and he dedicated his time and money for the Lord. Also, he pleaded on behalf of God’s people that God have mercy on them. He prayed! And, God listened to that prayer and told Solomon that he heard him, and that he was going to honor that prayer.
Do we do enough for the Lord? If we ourselves were given that task today to build a tabernacle for God, would we actually do it? I think of the man who built the ark of the covenant in Kentucky as a place to go to remind people that when God asks of some thing that people do follow through. But here, David thought upon himself that God had no place to rest his head and he wanted a place for God and even though God told David he would not be the one to build it but his son Solomon would, Solomon did follow through and do so even though it was not a request from God to do so. Just how well do we go through our lifetime just living when we are supposed to be doing for our Lord?
Solomon prayed for the people of Israel that God would forgive them because he knew how weak the human race was, and how much they sinned. How much do we pray to God for others that sin against us or for those that hurt us or those that don’t have anything to do with us but yet we see what they are doing is wrong and they need to change their lives? Do we pray enough about ourselves in our own sinning? Do we ask God to forgive us? Solomon was looking after his people that he ruled over – God’s people!
And what a joy to know that God can hear everything that we ask! God can hear every prayer that we say from our hearts, and He can hear everything we say, in any which way it is. He knows our inner thoughts and knows our hearts. Are we pure in our thoughts? God told Solomon that if the people would humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from their wicked ( sinful ) ways that He would forgive them. Reading the Old Testament , time and time again God’s people sinned over and over and over again. But then they would remember the Lord and turn. They changed and began praying, asking for forgiveness and humbling themselves, and turning away from what they’ve been doing and getting it right again. And time and time again, God would forgive them.
And for those of you that do not know what pestilence means it is a disease that is usually fatal and that in the old testament days usually prayer will do nothing to change the pattern because it was a set pattern that He was tired and He was done with the evilness. But, God said that if they were humble, which means having a conscience and admitting fault, that He would forgive. But it wasn’t just about being humble, He said in the rest of the sentence to pray, seek, and , turn away from evil and sin. It works in combination with each other.
So once they came to realize that they have done something wrong and they’ve been going in the wrong direction they admit it and they humble themselves. They didn’t blame someone else they took responsibility. They fessed up! Their hearts are touched and they pray like there’s no tomorrow that God forgives them because they know the alternative is not good! They knew that once they humble themselves and prayed, that they had to really start seeking Him again, and seeking Him with their whole hearts, and then turning from their old ways, and staying true to God. When they fell away from Him, God became angry, and he sent dryness upon the Earth, locusts to eat their plantation, and pestilence and death, because of the evilness in their hearts.
I think about today with everything going on in our world as we know it right now, that the good Lord above is still the same god as in the Old Testament for He always was, IS, and always will be. So then why shouldn’t people today think about what they are doing and humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from their evil ways? Not a single soul on this earth is promised another minute. And we know that at the end of our lives, as God sees it through, that there is only two destinations for our souls – eternal Heaven or Hell. There is so much to learn and in seeking our Lord, I pray that all of you who read this message will humble yourselves. Seek him with all that you have! Pray every day for not only yourself, but for others. Focus on other’s well being and happiness instead of being in the “all about me” club. Turn from your wicked ways that we see this world turning, and let’s get our lives back on the path of the Lord!