The Prayer of Solomon

Bible Study Questions 10502

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COMMENT: This chapter records the prayer of King Solomon at the dedication of the newly built Temple in Jerusalem. This portion deals with his approach unto God and the beginning of his prayer. Solomon first blessed the congregation and then blessed the name of the Lord. Then, He reminded the Lord of promises yet to be kept. We can learn much from the prayer of Solomon.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

1. Solomon declared, “I have built an house of __________ for thee, and a place for thy ___________ for ever.”

2. Solomon quoted the Lord as saying, “I have chosen ___________, that my name might be there; and have chosen _________ to be over my people Israel.”

3. Solomon stood before the _______ of the LORD in the presence of all the __________ of Israel.

4. Solomon stood on a brazen _________ of five cubits long, five cubits broad, and _______ cubits high.

5. The heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot _________ the Lord; how much less the _________ that Solomon built.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. Solomon declared, “The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness” (2Chronicles 6:1). Compare this verse with the following references: Exodus 20:21; Leviticus 16:2; Deuteronomy 4:11; Psalm 18:11; 97:2. After considering these verses, tell what you think the significance is of God dwelling in thick darkness. What was its purpose? What does it teach us about God?

2. In 2Chronicles 6:14, Solomon stated, “there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth.” Why is God like no other god? What reasons are given in this verse for the distinction of God above all others? What does this mean to us?

3. 2Chronicles 6:20-21 refers to prayers prayed “toward this place.” Compare with 1Kings 8:35 and Daniel 6:10 and explain what this means. Why do you think this was encouraged?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

1. According to 2Chronicles 6:7-9, David wanted to build a house for the Lord (the temple), but the Lord did not allow him to do so. Yet God told him, “thou didst well in that it was in thine heart” (2Chronicles 6:8). In fact, God was so pleased with this desire that He in turn promised a continuation of David’s house or dynasty (2Samuel 7:11). In 2Corinthians 8:3-5, Paul praises the Macedonian Christians for first giving of themselves to the Lord before they gave of their funds for the needs of others. Again, the heart is preeminent. Why is this so with God? Why does He look mainly on the heart (1Samuel 16:7)? What does the Lord see when He looks at your heart?

2. When Solomon prayed unto the Lord, he reminded Him of his promise to preserve the house of David (that is, the dynastic line of David’s descendants as kings over Israel). In doing so, Solomon quoted God’s word to God and then added, “let thy word be verified” (2Chronicles 6:17). Many of the prayers in the Bible quote scripture back to God (for instance, Ezra 9:10-11 and Acts 4:24-26). Why is this practice such an important way to approach God in prayer? What are some ways in which we can put this into practice in our own prayer lives?

SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES: 2Chronicles 6:1, 6, 17

MEDITATION: Finding God in the Dark

Solomon tells us that the Lord “would dwell in thick darkness.” This is strange. In the Bible, darkness is normally evil. The men of this world love darkness rather than light. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. We are the children of the light and not of darkness. Yet, God makes “darkness his secret place” (Psalm 18:11) and Moses “drew near unto the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:21). What is God telling us?

This thick darkness tells us of the unknowable nature of God. We could not look on His exceeding brilliance and live (Exodus 33:20). We cannot comprehend all that He is and does. Our frail natures would melt away in the presence of His infinite glory. Abram experienced “an horror of great darkness” (Genesis 15:12) when the Lord appeared to him. Such a God demands our reverence and fear.

But knowing that God dwells in thick darkness rejoices the heart of the believer. Since God is light and darkness is the absence of light, we naturally assume that God is absent when we are in darkness. But the God who is light dwells in the darkness. Therefore, when we are in the darkness, God is there too.

When darkness was on the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2), the Spirit of God moved there. And out of that darkness God brought forth light. When the Egyptians were plagued with a darkness that could be felt, the Israelites “had light is their dwellings” (Exodus 10:23). Job testified of the time “when by his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3). There are no days dark enough, no trials deep enough, to separate the believer from the love and presence of God. God dwells in the thick darkness. You will find Him there.

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