Promises

In the year 2022 promise don’t mean a whole lot. How many of us can trust the promises that are given to us? Wives I want to you think about the last time you asked you Husband to do something and he said yeah I will get to it. How many times do you ask him before you get annoyed and or do it yourself? All to hear I was going to get to it? Brenda will tell you that I am guilty of this. But in Matthew 5:37 Jesus tells us But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.

Over the past week I decided to read 1 kings and 2 kings as the next books to read. I wanted to read them in series as opposed to one or part of one then something else and then back to the other like we often do. So early in 1 Kings, we see the death of King David and the rise of King Solomon. And my goodness the amount of family drama that is seen here is interesting. You think you have family issue read the first three chapters of 1 Kings again. But as I got further in Specifically in Chapter 8 I noticed the prayer that King Solomon gave at the dedication of the temple for the Lord. And as I read this I noticed that the prayer that King Solomon gave for the people contains some of the promises that God still keeps today.

If you have you bible please turn to 1 Kings Chapter 8 and keep your finger here. The versions that I am reading out of today are the Christian Standard Bible and the King James Bible. Starting at verse 15: He said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! He spoke directly to my father David, and he has fulfilled the promise by his power. V. 23 He said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps the gracious covenant with your servants who walk before you with all their heart.

When I read this, I thought you know this sounds like the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6: 9-13: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

Then I got to thinking I wonder if the rest of King Solomon’s prayer will align with the Lord’s Prayer. (spoiler alert it does) It is absolutely amazing to see this parallel. But what really hit me was what king Solomon asked of God and to see God’s response in later scripture.

IN 1 King 8: 26 Now Lord God of Israel, please confirm what you promised to your servant, my father David.

We see that Solomon was asking this so that it may be a blessing to the people so that it would give glory to God. The message that Solomon was asking to be confirmed was what God had told King David. King David had wanted to build a Temple for the Lord and while it was strong on his heart, God told him that Solomon would see the temple come to fruition. Which is what happened. We see this in V 27 But will God indeed live on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this temple I have built.

28 Listen to your servant’s prayer and his petition, Lord my God, so that you may hear the cry and the prayer that your servant prays before you today, 29 so that your eyes may watch over this temple night and day, toward the place where you said, “My name will be there,” and so that you may hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the petition of your servant and your people Israel, which they pray toward this place. May you hear in your dwelling place in heaven. May you hear and forgive.

King Solomon asks God to Hear his people when they call to Him. In Jeremiah 33:3 God says to Jeremiah Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

Solomon asks for God’s people to be heard and God answers Call to me. Not only will I listen I will also answer and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

In 1 Kings 8: 33-36: The scripture says this 33 When your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against you, and they return to you and praise your name, and they pray and plead with you for mercy in this temple, 34 may you hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel. May you restore them to the land you gave their ancestors. 35 When the skies are shut and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, and they pray toward this place and praise your name, and they turn from their sins because you are afflicting them, 36 may you hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, so that you may teach them to walk on the good way. May you send rain on your land that you gave your people for an inheritance.