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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Chronicles 7:12–22, “And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.”
After Solomon dedicated the Temple and placed it at the centre of Israel’s ceremonial worship of the Lord, the Lord appeared to Solomon again in a dream. The Lord confirmed Solomon’s prayer of dedication and promised that if Israel sinned and experienced the contractual penalties then they could come back to the Lord, confess their sins and repent and the Lord would hear their prayers. As long as Israel obeyed the Lord then the Lord would maintain His presence in the Temple. The Lord also told Solomon that he should obey the Lord and keep the contracts that the Lord had made with Israel and David and there would be an everlasting dynasty on Israel’s throne. On the other hand, if Solomon chose to follow after other gods then the Lord would force Solomon or his descendants to leave the Land as a warning to the whole world.
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