Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 6; 1 John 5; Habakkuk 1; Luke 20
2 Chronicles 6:38-39 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.
Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem and he anticipated the day that Judah would be taken into captivity. Why would a king do this? He did it for two reasons. The first is that there is no man that does not sin and the deceitfulness of sin could get the Israelites.
2 Chronicles 6:36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near.
The second reason is that he knew his Bible. He had read what Moses wrote:
Deuteronomy 4:26-27 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
Deuteronomy 28:36 The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
Before Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses told them they would sin and God would send them into other nations as captives.
How sad! But when Daniel found himself in that group that was taken captive into Babylon, he knew why they were there because he knew what Moses said. He also knew what to do because he knew what Solomon had said.
Daniel 9:4-5 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.
Daniel 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Daniel 9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
Daniel confessed the sin of his people and asked God for mercy because he knew his Bible and knew that he was invited to pray to God for mercy. We too are invited to pray to God for mercy!
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Let’s Pray!
In Christ,
Rody
