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A King’s Prayer for a Chosen People
The Model for National Intercession
"When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple." (2 Chronicles 7:1)
There is no greater victory than answered prayer, and no greater person than he who lives by prayer. One of the great persons of prayer was the young King Solomon. Scripture indicates that early in his reign as the King of Israel, Solomon was a man who had the ear of God. Long before Elijah called down fire from heaven, consuming fire was the Lord's seal of approval on the prayer life of King Solomon.
A life of prayer is always an expression of the heart. Just as Solomon's father David was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), Solomon also sought the Lord with his whole heart (2 Chronicles 1: 11), so that the Lord appeared to him in the night and asked, "What shall I give you?" (verse 7); and further added, because of Solomon's humble response, "I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like." (verse 12)
Scripture recounts the priorities of the young king. "Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 2:1) The purity of his intentions was evident: "I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God ... and the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. Who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then that I should build him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him? Now before all the assembly of Israel Solomon began to build the house of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 2:4-6; 3:1)
Solomon demonstrated hilarity in his relationship to God and his extraordinary actions brought extraordinary results. The bronze altar that Solomon had built (2 Chronicles 4:1) was sixteen times the size of the original. (Exodus 27:1) The bronze laver was called a “sea” that contained 8,000 gallons of water. The temple area was illuminated by ten lamp stands of gold. Extravagance was his expression of devotion. "Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined." (2 Chronicles 4:18)
Most important, entertaining the presence of the Lord, and worship, were paramount to the young king. "Solomon assembled the elders of Israel ... that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David which is Zion ... and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle ... into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the Cherubim: indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and the singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, saying, 'For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,' that the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house." (2 Chronicles 5:2-14)
The strongest leadership is by example. By example King Solomon, in a public act of humility, presented himself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You will all their hearts.” (2 Chronicles 6:12-14)
The dedicatory prayer that followed Solomon's public contrition is recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:14-42, and received a most favorable and immediate response from God. Remarkably, in one of the most familiar passages in Scripture, God echoed Solomon's prayer for Israel back to Solomon. "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice ... If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:12,14,15)
Solomon had identified God as "the God of Israel", and the people as "the people of Israel." And God had echoed, "if My people who are called by My name will pray, I will be attentive." Solomon had further petitioned the Lord to hear the cries of strangers in the land. "Hear from heaven Your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you." (2 Chronicles 6:33) As King David before him and the Prophet Isaiah after him, this wise young king also anticipated and encouraged the intercession of future generations of Gentiles who would walk Zion's breadth and borders.
Solomon had acted contritely and spoken humbly (2 Chronicles 6: 13, 18), and God had responded, "If my people will humble themselves." His spiritual profile was one of prayer, sacrifice, worship and seeking God. Now God would counsel Israel according to the character of the king to "pray and seek my face."
As columns of smoke ascended in full view of the whole nation, this zealous king dedicated burnt offerings "that could not be counted or numbered" (2 Chronicles 5:6) for the sins of the people. Solomon had cried, "Hear from heaven ... and when You hear, forgive." (2 Chronicles 6:21) Now God had responded with the heart of a loving Father, "If you will turn from your wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive your sin."
Solomon had prayed, "Arise, 0 Lord God, to your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, 0 Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints rejoice with goodness." (2 Chronicles 6:41) Soon the ultimatum would resound from the courts of heaven, "I will heal their land."
Solomon had learned well from his own earthly father when David had lifted his face toward heaven and exclaimed, "Your Face Lord will I seek." (Psalms 27:8) Now the son of David would close his song of worship by pleading, "0 Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed." (2 Chronicles 6:42) And the Lord promised, "Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place. As for you, if you will walk before me as your father David walked, I will establish the throne of your kingdom." (2 Chronicles 7:15,17,18)
The Lord's promise to King Solomon of covenantal provision for the nation of Israel rings through the ages, and has also become the expectation for all the nations of the earth who would be blessed through the seed of Abraham. Solomon's prayer for his nation remains the model for national intercession.
PRAYER POINTS
Lord, let all who pray for Israel ask first that You would have mercy upon us according to your loving kindness to purify our hearts to stand in the gap as intercessors for Your nation and Your people. See if there be any wicked way in us, and cleanse us from every stain.
Lord we ask you to help us turn toward truth concerning your nation and your people Israel. Establish Your word forever in our hearts, and let the weapons of the enemies of Israel be turned against themselves, that they would be put to flight.
And let the weapons of our warfare be mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
And finally Lord, we continue to pray according to your promises that "all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." (Romans 11 :26-27) "
By Pastor Ed Smelser, Former Chaplain of the ICEJ |
