I Kings 8: 41-43, 60
Solomon's dedication prayer for the First Temple:
Concerning the foreigner who, comes and prays toward this House, to answer his prayer, in order that all the peoples of the Earth may know Thy Name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel ...
So that all the peoples of the Earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else.
God's intent in choosing one Nation out of the Nations of the World to give them His Law and build Him a Temple was to draw all the Nations, all the peoples of the Earth to recognize Him as our Lord God, alone over the whole of Creation.
His purpose has always been to call to Himself people from every tribe, every family, every Nation, every language, so that there would eventually be only one flock with one Shepherd (John 10:16).
O my Father, Thank You for telling us all the stories of Your people's lives. Thank You that You have shown us both their good decisions and the beneficial results; and the foolish, disobedient choices they made, and the consequences of them, too. So we could learn how to do well, taking their experiences as our own, and realizing the outcomes in our own lives.
Father, help me to follow Your ways. Show me how to take to heart all of these ancient peoples' lives, and to learn from their mistakes and good choices. Grant me discernment to understand the good and evil, the right and the wrong. Give me Your words to tell and explain to others the practical lessons You are teaching me.
And use these words to draw many to Yourself, Lord Jesus, through Your obedience to Your Father and our Father, to be that Sacrifice offered once for all, and individually for each of us for Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
