📕 1Kings 8 : 22-61
🛐 HEAR US FROM HEAVEN 🤲
( Solomon’s Supplication )

In today’s passage Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord and prayed the longest prayer ( v 23-53 ) by kneeling down with hands spread out toward heaven ( v 54b ) . Then he rose up and stood before the altar of the Lord , and blessed the whole assembly of Israel ( v 54a , 55 ) .

🔖 Solomon confessed that even though God had chosen to dwell among his people in a special and localized way , He can not be contained by the highest heaven ( v 27 ; Is 66:1 ).

📌 Let us explore Solomon’s prayer.
🔖 Solomon had uttered the phrase Hear us from heaven repeatedly over eight times ( v 30,32,34,36,39,43,45,49).
🔖 It is clear that Solomon viewed the oath as an appeal to God to act upon the supplications .
🔖 The Lord said to Solomon that his prayers and plea has been heard ( 1Kings 9:3)

📌 Solomon ends his benediction with a short sermon:
🗣️ “Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord Our God , to live by his decrees and obey his commands. ( v 61).

What are the decrees and His commands ❓
What about Solomon ❓
Did he obey ❓

📝 Let us explore the scriptures :
📌 You shall have no other gods before me Exodus 20:3.
☑️ Solomon’s wives turned his heart after their gods (1Kings 11:4-5 )

📌 The king must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself. Deut 17:16
☑️ Solomon accumulated 1400 chariots and 12000 horses (1Kings 10:26 )

📌 The king must not take many wives.. Deut 17:17a
☑️ Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1Kings 11:3 )

📌 The king must not accumulate large amounts of.. GOLD Deut 17:17b
✔️ Solomon received 120 talents of Gold each from Hiram ( 1Kings 9:14 ; and the Queen of Sheba ( 1kings 10:10 ). He had also received 420 talents of gold from Ophir ( 1Kings 9:28 ). Besides this Solomon received 666 talents of gold yearly ( 1Kings 10:14 )

📌 You must not intermarry with foreign women . Exodus 34:16
☑️ Solomon married the foreign women ( 1Kings 11:1-2 )

📌 SOLOMON FAILED TO OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS .

💞 Beloved Church, it is easy to PREACH from the pulpit but sometime it is very hard to PRACTICE .
📝 1Kings 11:9 days, ” the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord “.

📌 There’s no doubt that Solomon’s intention and the content of his sermon was genuine, and was also for the edification of the whole assembly but he failed miserably.

📝 The Bible warns that we who teach will be judged more strictly..James 3:1b .

📌 A wake-up call for those who love and enjoy the pulpit ministry:
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH.

🛐 O Lord, ” HEAR US FROM HEAVEN and forgive the sins of your servants .. Teach us the right way to LIVE , and send RAIN ( showers of Blessing ) on the land ” v 36 🤲

Glory to God 🙌
✍🏾 Mark Boje
Arunachal Pradesh, India 🇮🇳