If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;
Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
It is a subtle but interesting distinction Solomon made between Jerusalem, the place God had chosen, and the house that he had built for God
Solomon made a series of requests that all relate to the house of the Lord in some way, and all conclude with, “Then hear thou from the heavens.”
That, I think, is the definition of repentance. It is to face the place that God has chosen and to look toward the house where He is worshipped.
I see in the two the realities of local church worship.
First, this is the plan of God
In that, the local church is perfect. It is the perfect place for a Christian to grow into the image of Christ.
Second, it contains the human touch
And so, it is not perfectly perfect. When one wishes, he can list a myriad of imperfections in any local congregation. Solomon recognized that. He still asked God to answer the prayers of those who looked toward and longed after the house of God.
I do not suggest we be blind toward what is not right in our church. However, I would beg believers to love it anyway for Jesus’ sake and the good of themselves and their families.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
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