Bible Society of South Africa
Ds Hein Barnard

Forgiveness – Day 7

This is a famous verse that is often quoted by many believers during a time of drought, pandemic or national calamity. It is always important to bear the context in mind when quoting a single verse.

Bible text(s)

2 Chronicles 6

Solomon's Prayer

12Then in the presence of the people Solomon went and stood in front of the altar and raised his arms in prayer. 13(Solomon had made a bronze platform and put it in the middle of the courtyard. It was 2.2 metres square and 1.3 metres high. He mounted this platform, knelt down where everyone could see him, and raised his hands towards heaven.) 14He prayed, “LORD God of Israel, in all heaven and earth there is no god like you. You keep your covenant with your people and show them your love when they live in wholehearted obedience to you. 15You have kept the promise you made to my father David; today every word has been fulfilled. 16Now, LORD God of Israel, keep the other promise you made to my father when you told him that there would always be one of his descendants ruling as king of Israel, provided that they carefully obeyed your Law just as he did. 17So now, LORD God of Israel, let everything come true that you promised to your servant David.

18“But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built be large enough? 19LORD my God, I am your servant. Listen to my prayer and grant the requests I make to you. 20Watch over this Temple day and night. You have promised that this is where you will be worshipped, so hear me when I face this Temple and pray. 21Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel when they face this place and pray. In your home in heaven hear us and forgive us.

22“When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent, 23O LORD, listen in heaven and judge your servants. Punish the guilty one as he deserves and acquit the one who is innocent.

24“When your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you and then when they turn to you and come to this Temple, humbly praying to you for forgiveness, 25listen to them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your people and bring them back to the land which you gave to them and to their ancestors.

26“When you hold back the rain because your people have sinned against you and then when they repent and face this Temple, humbly praying to you, 27O LORD, listen to them in heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, the people of Israel, and teach them to do what is right. Then, O LORD, send rain on this land of yours, which you gave to your people as a permanent possession.

28“When there is famine in the land or an epidemic or the crops are destroyed by scorching winds or swarms of locusts, or when your people are attacked by their enemies, or when there is disease or sickness among them, 29listen to their prayers. If any of your people Israel, out of heartfelt sorrow, stretch out their hands in prayer towards this Temple, 30hear their prayer. Listen to them in your home in heaven and forgive them. You alone know the thoughts of the human heart. Deal with each person as he deserves, 31so that your people may honour you and obey you all the time they live in the land which you gave to our ancestors.

32“When foreigners who live in a distant land hear how great and powerful you are and how you are always ready to act, and then they come to pray at this Temple, 33listen to their prayers. In heaven, where you live, hear them and do what they ask you to do, so that all the peoples of the world may know you and obey you, as your people Israel do. Then they will know that this Temple I have built is where you are to be worshipped.

34“When you command your people to go into battle against their enemies and they pray to you, wherever they are, facing this city which you have chosen and this Temple which I have built for you, 35listen to their prayers. Hear them in heaven and give them victory.

36“When your people sin against you — and there is no one who does not sin — and in your anger you let their enemies defeat them and take them as prisoners to some other land, even if that land is far away, 37listen to your people's prayers. If there in that land they repent and pray to you, confessing how sinful and wicked they have been, hear their prayers, O LORD. 38If in that land they truly and sincerely repent and pray to you as they face towards this land which you gave to our ancestors, this city which you have chosen, and this Temple which I have built for you, 39then listen to their prayers. In your home in heaven hear them and be merciful to them and forgive all the sins of your people.

40“Now, O my God, look on us and listen to the prayers offered in this place. 41Rise up now, LORD God, and with the Covenant Box, the symbol of your power, enter the Temple and stay here for ever. Bless your priests in all they do, and may all your people be happy because of your goodness to them. 42LORD God, do not reject the king you have chosen. Remember the love you had for your servant David.”

2 Chronicles 7

The Dedication of the Temple

1When King Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burnt up the sacrifices that had been offered, and the dazzling light of the LORD's presence filled the Temple. 2Because the Temple was full of the dazzling light, the priests could not enter it. 3When the people of Israel saw the fire fall from heaven and the light fill the Temple, they fell face downwards on the pavement, worshipping God and praising him for his goodness and his eternal love. 4Then Solomon and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD. 5He sacrificed 22,000 head of cattle and 120,000 sheep as fellowship offerings. And so he and all the people dedicated the Temple. 6The priests stood in the places that were assigned to them, and facing them stood the Levites, praising the LORD with the musical instruments that King David had provided and singing the hymn, “His Love is Eternal!” as they had been commissioned by David. The priests blew trumpets while all the people stood.

7Solomon consecrated the central part of the courtyard, the area in front of the Temple, and then offered there the sacrifices burnt whole, the grain offerings, and the fat from the fellowship offerings. He did this because the bronze altar which he had made was too small for all these offerings.

8Solomon and all the people of Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters for seven days. There was a huge crowd of people from as far away as Hamath Pass in the north and the Egyptian border in the south. 9They had spent seven days for the dedication of the altar and then seven more days for the festival. On the last day they had a closing celebration, 10and on the following day, the 23rd day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. They were happy about all the blessings that the LORD had given to his people Israel, to David, and to Solomon.

God Appears to Solomon Again

11After King Solomon had finished the Temple and the palace, successfully completing all his plans for them, 12the LORD appeared to him at night. He said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and I accept this Temple as the place where sacrifices are to be offered to me. 13Whenever I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat up the crops or send an epidemic on my people, 14if they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again. 15I will watch over this Temple and be ready to hear all the prayers that are offered here, 16because I have chosen it and consecrated it as the place where I will be worshipped for ever. I will watch over it and protect it for all time. 17If you serve me faithfully as your father David did, obeying my laws and doing everything I have commanded you, 18I will keep the promise I made to your father David when I told him that Israel would always be ruled by his descendants. 19But if you and your people ever disobey the laws and commands I have given you, and worship other gods, 20then I will remove you from the land that I gave you, and I will abandon this Temple that I have consecrated as the place where I am to be worshipped. People everywhere will ridicule it and treat it with contempt.

21“The Temple is now greatly honoured, but then everyone who passes by it will be amazed and will ask, ‘Why did the LORD do this to this land and this Temple?’ 22People will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the LORD their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt. They gave their allegiance to other gods and worshipped them. That is why the LORD has brought this disaster on them.’ ”

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:22GNBOpen in Bible reader

Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple that he built for the Lord

Solomon started his prayer in chapter 6, praying that the king would always be loyal to God (14-17), the temple would be a place of worship (18-21) and followed by many instances where the people would sin against God and bring suffering on themselves (22-39).  He concluded by praying that God would be favourable towards the temple.

The dedication of the temple is recorded in 7:1-10.  God appeared to Solomon in the night (as with Gideon too).  God affirmed that the temple was God’s choice as a place where people can bring offerings to Him.  God promised to answer the prayers of the people after they had humbled themselves, prayed to Him, turned back to the Lord and stopped doing bad things.

This refers to the nation, the people of Israel but does not exclude the individual.

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