GOD’S BLESSING
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, you give me countless reasons to praise you. When words fail me, please hear my heart as I honor you.
Read 1 KINGS 8:54–66
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
The Dedication of the Temple
62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.
64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How has God blessed you over the course of your life? In what ways do you thank him for his care?What an extraordinary festival it has been this year! It was twice as long as usual to include the dedication of the temple, along with our usual remembrance and thanksgiving offerings (see Leviticus 23:33). Every sense was heightened—we heard many different accents and dialects around us as vast numbers of people had traveled to Jerusalem from the far north and the far south of the country, and all places in between. We saw the pall of smoke over the city and smelled the burning fat from the thousands of sacrifices taking place. And there was food everywhere as people cooked, ate in their shelters, and shared with neighbors. What a joyous time it has been!
On one occasion, Solomon stood up before the gathering of the people and blessed them. As he prayed, I was reminded of God’s blessing of our patriarch, Abraham—God blessed him so that all peoples of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2, 3). Solomon prayed that God would bless Israel so that all other nations would know that God himself is the one and only God. It made me think—does blessing always carry purpose and responsibility with it? I feel very blessed with my position in court. I wonder how I should be sharing that blessing.
Apply
What do you think about the purpose and responsibility of blessing? What more could you do, as an individual or together with your church, to share God’s blessing with those around you?
Closing prayer
On the occasions when I celebrate, Lord God, help me to remember that you are the giver of every blessing. Help me always to give you thanks and to point others to you, the giver of every good thing.
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