Prayer Before the Temple

After completing the construction of the Temple, Solomon held grand ceremonies, sacrifices, and other celebrations. Solomon knew that the Temple was merely a symbol of God’s presence among His people. He also understood that prayer must hold firmly to God’s promises. Therefore, the seven petitions he made before God were all based on God’s promises. The seventh and longest petition is found in 1 Kings 8:46-51:

“When your people sin against you (for there is no one who does not sin), and you become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, whether far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned; we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; then in heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors, so that they may take pity on them. For they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.” This was indeed a word of grace from the Holy Spirit to the exiles in Babylon.

By the time this book was finally compiled, the northern kingdom of Israel had already been taken captive by Assyria, and the southern kingdom of Judah had been exiled to Babylon. As the exiles revisited Solomon’s dedication prayer from over three hundred years earlier, they would “take to heart the blessings” (Deuteronomy 30:1), turn back, and ask God for forgiveness and grace. Solomon did not dare to ask that the rebellious people be returned from exile, only that they would “find compassion in the eyes of their captors.” But God’s lovingkindness “is more than we could ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20), and “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). He not only brought His unworthy people “out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace,” but would likewise bring His unworthy people back from Babylon. For God’s promise to His repentant people is: “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back” (Deuteronomy 30:4).