Tuesday after the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 7, 2023 by under
Scripture: 1 Kings 8:46-53 (NKJV)
8:46 “When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; 48 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 49 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace), 52 that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”
Devotion
Today’s reading is part of King Solomon’s speech at the dedication of the Temple. One would think that the king would pray to God for protection from enemies. Yet, Solomon prays that God would “deliver them to the enemy” when God’s people sin against Him. Buried within his prayer is Solomon’s realization that a far greater enemy of the people exists outside the bounds of earthly lands and peoples. The true enemy of God’s people is the devil. The peoples of this sinful world who rage against God’s people are simply tools of the devil to inflict pain and suffering upon all people. But more importantly, enemies are also God’s tools.
God uses earthly enemies to carry out Fatherly chastisement, in order to drive His people to repent of their sins against Him, saying, “We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness.” Sometimes the realization of our sins takes time. God, our Father, is patient with us. He does not give us what we deserve at that moment—temporal and eternal death—but rather is long-suffering. He awaits the time when His Holy Spirit restores us through contrition and repentance, that we may know the God of all grace who forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake.
Prayer: O God, our Refuge and Strength, Who art the Author of all godliness: Be ready, we beseech Thee, to hear the devout prayers of Thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
