Monday, May 27, 2024

           The big event in 2 Chronicles 6 is the dedication of the new temple built as the place for Israel to worship and praise God.  You may recall that David wanted to build this temple—even longed to build it.  But God chose Solomon, David’s son, to be the builder.  This amazing and spectacular temple would forever remind the people of God’s greatness and glory.  At the temple’s completion and opening, Solomon offered a stirring prayer of dedication.  A major part of the king’s prayer was a plea for God to hear the repentant cries of the people following their sins.  He knew that Israel would sin against the Lord God but he also prayed that God would receive the contrition and confessions of His people and offer grace, forgiveness and a new beginning.  Solomon prayed, “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land 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 captivity 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 captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you. ‘Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place’” (2 Chronicles 6:36-40).
            The humility and honesty in Solomon’s prayer are striking.  There was no attempt to justify or finesse away sin.  There was no effort to minimize it.  He knew that any punishment from God would be deserved and justified.  We want to take the same approach to sin today.  Our sins may not lead to our being banished to a foreign country but our sins did lead to the death of Christ on the cross.  Our rebellion against God was paid for by God’s Son at the cross through His blood and death.  We want to be honest—brutally and candidly—about how we have sinned and what we deserve.  The Bible teaches us that the wages for our sins are death (Romans 6:23).  We deserve death for how we have chosen to live in defiance of a righteous and good God. 
            Solomon was also quick to go to God.  He used language like “when they sin.”  He knew there was nowhere else to turn but God.  Only He could forgive and cleanse the sins of the individuals and the nation as a whole.  We cannot offset sin or balance our sins with acts of goodness, righteousness or charity.  Sin is a violation against God and His perfect ways and Word.  The lesson for us is not to let sin linger.  We are not to let our sins go unconfessed and unacknowledged.  Taking an easy approach to sin can be dangerous and easily become habitual behavior.  Morality, right and wrong do not change with the times, popular opinions or the latest preference polls.  The Lord’s Word, will and ways still carry as much weight today as ever.  God does not change or lower His standards just because we demand it or become even more bold in the ways that we choose to sin.
            In verse 40, Solomon prayed that God would see and hear the prayers of confession and repentance that the people would offer.  He begged for God to be attentive to the cries of the people and to cleanse them by His grace.  We can be comforted and assured by God’s willingness to hear us when we pray and petition Him.  We can be forgiven.  We can be made new.  We can be made whole after sin has stained us.  John gave this powerful promise in his first letter, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  God is faithful and forgiving.  You may find yourself in need of hearing that today.  The time could come in the near future when you need to be reminded of this unchanging truth.  Take time to read all of Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 6.  Even pray it aloud to the Lord today. 
            As Solomon said in the opening of his prayer, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth” (2 Chronicles 6:14a).  On this Memorial Day, give thanks for those brave and courageous Americans who died in defense of our nation.  Pray for those who have lost loved ones in our nation’s wars and conflicts.  Remember you can share our worship any time at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.  Happy Memorial Day!  Have a great Monday!