Kyle’s Bible Journal May 21-27

24 May Kyle’s Bible Journal May 21-27

1 Kings 8:41-43

“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

Solomon asks that when a foreigner hears of the greatness of God, and comes to pray to the God of Israel, that God would do according to what they pray so that all would know that the temple is called by the name of God. A couple things jump out at me in this verse. I am reminded of a foreign woman coming to Jesus (who was the temple of God not built by human hands) and asking for her daughter to be delivered from demon possession:

Matthew 15:21-28
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The second thing that follows the first is that we are now the temple of God through the blood of Jesus 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”. We walk IN HIS NAME which means that we are the place a foreigner can come and entreat God for help, like the woman coming to Jesus. Let us walk in the boldness that Jesus did “O woman great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And let the name of God be magnified in our midst.

Father thank You for making us Your temple. Thank You for dwelling within us and working through us. May we be a people that are known by Your name and let Your name be glorified by the fruitfulness in our lives