"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD CAN AND WILL DO"
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The verses above come at the end of prayer by Solomon, upon the completion of the temple, and the bringing into the temple the ark of the covenant. ( The ark by the way, it's top covered with gold, was called the Mercy Seat, and it's there that God had promised to meet the people, i.e the High Priest. God met the hight priest on the basis of mercy not self righteousness ) The entire prayer is rich with truths about God and promises of what the Lord would do. The verses we are looking at are filled with praise to God for His faithfulness, and a request that He would work in the hearts of His people Israel.
1. God is to be blessed.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD,
God is to be praised. The word blessed here is sometimes used to mean, "congratulate" Solomon, was demonstrating true worship here. That is, that His people respond to what He has done. Such was the case here.
As you read through this whole 8th chapter ( which as you do, you will see what a beautiful prayer it is ) you can see that Solomon was in a very real sense congratulating God for His goodness and His many blessings to His people.
True worship then, is one where we are responding to what God has already done. The rest of these two verses actually describe things that God had done for them, and ends with something that God wants of any of His people.
2. God has given us rest.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel,
God had been faithful to give rest to the people. The books leading up to 1st Kings describe the many, many difficulties they had faced, but at the dedication of the temple, it was clear and appropriate to thank Him for having given them rest.
This is one of examples where there is a type for us in the Old Testament. God through Christ, and our faith in Him, has also given us rest. We have rested from all of our efforts to make ourselves right before God and have accepted His gift of salvation, and are now resting in what Jesus has done for us. We rest in the Lord.
3. God keeps His promises.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.
Solomon was also acknowledging in this prayer that God had been faithful to keep His promises to them. Again, the books of the Bible leading up to 1st Kings are chock full of promises that God had made to His people. And, at this very moment, here as the temple was being dedicated, it was very clear, that God was faithful, dependable, and that when He promises to do something He does it.
It's the same way today. God keeps His promises. One basic reason is that He cannot lie. Another reason is that He is powerful and no one can stop Him from keeping them. For example, didn't He promise to send Jesus and He did it. And, didn't He promise that if you would believe in Christ You would be saved, and you are. Etc, etc, etc.
4. God's Word does not fail.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
This part of the prayer is an extension of praising God for His faithfulness. But, You will notice the emphasis on "all that He promised" And, then, "There has not failed one word of all His good promise" etc. So, each and every promise that God had made, He made good on. And, that's the way our God is. His Word is full of promises, and He keeps, or will keep each one that He has made. Our God is faithful.
5. God is with His people.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
This part of the prayer turns a little bit in the direction of a request. Please read it again. “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,"
Solomon was simply asking that God would be with them, the people of His day, just as He had been with the people of Moses's day some many years earlier. He also was asking God to do something that He is committed to do. And, that is, "May He not leave us nor forsake us," Isn't that beautiful. This is one of the great blessings we have in Christ. They are two things he will not do. He will not leave us nor forsake us. Now we might leave and forsake Him, but, not He towards us. No, He is faithful to be with His people. He is with you this very moment.
6. God will incline your heart toward Himself.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself,
This is another request by Solomon for his people, the nation of Israel. And, it's one that we also can pray, and know that the Lord will answer for us. The word "incline" means, to stretch out, to turn, to bend, to hold out, to influence. Here's how the verse reads in the NLT. 1st Kings 8:58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, laws, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.
So, the idea here is that we can pray and ask God to give us the desire to do His will in all things. Isn't that encouraging?
7. God wants you to walk in His ways and keep His commandments.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
The purpose of our hearts being inclined towards Him, is that we might walk, or live, or conduct ourselves in the way of keeping and obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements of God. Or all that He has commanded us to do.
It's a blessing to realize that God will help us to do what He wants us to do. We find of course by walking in His ways, it's the most blessed way to walk, or to live.
Some questions:
1. What can you worship and thank God for today?
2. Are you struggling to walk with God today, or are you resting by faith in Him?
3. Can you think of some promises that God has made in His Word, and are there any in particular that He has drawn Your attention to, and You are waiting on Him to fulfill?
4. Do you know that even though You may not "feel" it, God is indeed with You at this very moment.
5. Would you take a moment to just consider again what is in this verse. 1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, What a great prayer, and what a great truth about the Lord that He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do you believe this today?
6. Do you have a desire towards God at this time in your life? Has that desire grown stronger, or has it slowly bled away?
7. Would You take a moment today, right at this time to bow your heart before God and thank Him for His faithfulness to you, and would you make your requests known towards Him? He is faithful, He will do as He has promised.
A prayer:
Father, what an encouraging prayer we have just read. How faithful and true You are towards Your people. We want to say thank You for the years, and years of being faithful towards us. Lord, there is indeed, not one single promise You have made to us, that You have not made good on. Father, whatever we might be praying for today, please help us to pray along the lines of Your known will to us. Because we know for sure, that if we pray according to Your will, that we will find You answering us, and bringing glory to Yourself.
We praise You this day heavenly Father, in the name of Your wonderful Son Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
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