Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.
On that same day, the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him — a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. On the following day, he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
1 Kings 8:62-66
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Through most of the 8th Chapter of 1st Kings, we have seen God’s chosen successor to King David, his son Solomon, praying with and for the people of Israel who were gathered with him in a great assembly. We witnessed how Solomon first praised God for His goodness, love, promises and unique sovereignty. We then read his powerful prayers of intercession…prayers intended to draw God’s attention to the needs of His people and request His restoral and mercy when the people repented of their sins and turned back to God with a sincere desire to return to His will. Finally, we saw where Solomon blessed the entire assembly gathered before him, urging the people to adopt hearts that were fully committed to God…hearts that would live in obedience to all the Lord expected them to do.
So what happened after Solomon finished his prayers and the blessing of the people?
Scripture tells us that he and “all Israel with him” offered fellowship offerings before the Lord, bringing twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. And with them, Solomon and the Israelites “dedicated the temple of the Lord”.
We read that “on that same day”, Solomon “consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord” where he “offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings”. Why did he do it in the courtyard? Because scripture tells us “the bronze altar…was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings”.
And so the festival began before the Lord, with the “vast assembly” celebrating for “seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all”. Once the fourteen day celebration ended (the celebration was thought to coincide with the Feast of the Tabernacles), we read where Solomon “sent the people away” and as they departed they “blessed the king” before going home “joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel”.
They went home joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done…
Friends, isn’t this the end result of worship when it is done properly? For when we come together as a holy assembly…as we bow before the altar of the Lord in honor and praise to His name…when we pray unto Him and ask Him to hear our cries, seeking forgiveness and restoral and intervention…when we bring our best offerings to Him…and when we celebrate His goodness and grace…then we leave and return to our homes with hearts that are filled with joy and gladness…for we return reminded of all the good things the Lord has done in our lives.
Question…how is your heart this day? Is it joy-filled and glad…mindful of all the good things the Lord has done in your life and in the lives of those you love?
If not, there is good news for you in this message. For you need only take the steps that Solomon showed in this chapter…bowing before the Lord in reverent honor, displaying His omnipotence and your humbleness before Him…praying to the Lord and praising Him for His love and mercy and uniqueness…asking His forgiveness for yourself and others while seeking to be renewed and restored, recommitting yourself to His will…then bringing your offerings before Him...sacrificial offerings of thanksgiving and personal offerings of yourself as you once again surrender to His will and way for your life.
If you truly do these things…fully committed to the Lord as He is to you, then you will find yourself in the spirit of the people of Israel as they left the celebration…feeling blessed, joyful and glad for all the Lord has done.
My prayer is that all of God’s people would experience this…not just today but every day the Lord provides. For every day is truly the day that the Lord has made…let us…all of us…rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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