Devotion • September 10
Today’s Scripture Reading
1 Kings 8:65–9:9
So Solomon held the festival at that time, and all Israel with him — a great assembly, people from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt — before the Lord our God, seven days. On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents, joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness that the Lord had shown to his servant David and to his people Israel.
When Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you made before me; I have consecrated this house that you have built, and put my name there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time. As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’ “If you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut Israel off from the land that I have given them; and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a taunt among all peoples. This house will become a heap of ruins; everyone passing by it will be astonished, and will hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, worshiping them and serving them; therefore the Lord has brought this disaster upon them.’” (NRSV)
Reflection
“Remember, I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it!” Some of you may have heard a parent utter this phrase to you as you were growing up — hopefully in a playful tone. That is how I heard it from my mother, usually in between bits of laughter, whenever we would engage in sarcastic banter. It was a hyperbolic (yet not completely inaccurate) reminder of who was in charge.
During times of celebration and times of trial, God is in charge. The stakes are much higher in this passage from 1 Kings. No sooner have King Solomon and the Israelites enjoyed 168 hours of unfettered celebration over the completion of the temple than God reminds Solomon of the threat to jubilation that lurks amid the dangers of unfaithfulness to the Lord. The presence of the Lord, “eyes” and “heart” in the midst of the temple, is what would perpetually form the Israelites into God’s people. Unfaithfulness to God would be tantamount to kicking God out of God’s own house and, in so doing, would threaten to rip the beating heart out of a people consecrated to God.
God’s name is not to be taken in vain — especially when we invoke God’s name to bless our efforts, endeavors, and initiatives. For God’s name to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, God demanded that Solomon, and the Israelites, honor the presence of the divine in their midst. God also expects that we will recognize that which is holy when we invoke God’s name to bless our own endeavors.
Prayer
God of grace and glory, we give you thanks and praise for inspiring us to accomplish great things in your holy name. We thank you for taking delight in us and in our efforts that are centered in your intentions. When we are distracted and depleted by life’s challenges, help us to connect with the energy of celebration, channeling that energy into persistent discipleship. Amen.
Written by Nancy Benson-Nicol, Associate Pastor for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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