SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 6
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honours your name. [2 Chronicles 6:32-33]
Solomon knows that the temple cannot contain God, but He also knows that it will be a powerful symbol of God’s loving presence.
In his prayer, Solomon identifies the Temple as a symbol of repentance and mercy; when the people are in need or when they are suffering because of their sin, they can turn to God as symbolized by the Temple and find mercy and help.
Solomon even sees the Temple as a symbol of hope for non-Jews, a blessing to all nations!
This is an important reminder that God’s loving presence on earth is not just for a select few, but is intended to be for all people.
As the angels said to the shepherds when Jesus was born, I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. [Luke 2:10].

At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.” So Jesus went with them. [Luke 7:2-4]
This man is a humble and gracious man, one that seems to get what God is all about.
He has heard of God through the Jews, and he demonstrates amazing faith.
He “prays” towards Jesus, and he receives mercy, his servant is healed.

I take from both of these passages that God’s heart is the bless and help all people, and He will hear their prayers even if they do not “belong” to the community of believers.
God is working graciously through Jesus in the lives of non-Christians, even atheists and people of other faiths.
When they are humbled, broken and needy, even if they do not understand who God or Jesus is, their heart cry is received by the God of mercy and He helps them.
He does this not because they are worthy, but because they are needy and He is merciful.
He does this so that they will reach out to Him.
This is how we need to understand the blessing of rain that falls on both the righteous and the wicked.
This is what Paul means when He says that God’s purpose was for the nations to seek after Him and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us [Acts 17:27].

If God wants to bless and help all people, then who are we to stand in anyone’s way.
Our role is to be like the temple, symbols of God’s presence and blessing on earth.
Our role is to point the way to Jesus, God’s visible presence on earth for all people.
Solomon built a temple to point the way to God; we are to be temples, pointing the way to God.
We need to let the whole world know that no matter how far they fall from God, no matter who they are, no matter where they are in exile, they can turn to God in Jesus and find mercy!

PRAYER:
Lord, may I share Solomon’s prayer, that all people no matter who or where they are, would turn to You and seek You and find Your mercy and help.