EVEN A STRANGER!
1 Kings 8:41-43, "Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name."
Israel was God’s chosen people. It is obvious from the Old Testament that they had received many things. Paul spoke of the (Romans 9:4-5), "…Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." In a spiritual sense, the Church is considered Israel. Paul continued (Romans 9:6b), "…For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." The Church then, as spiritual Israel, has received many things. In fact, the writer of Hebrews proclaimed that the things the Church can claim are “better things.” It is difficult to understand why God chose one nation of all the nations of the world to reveal His name and to bless all nations. Deuteronomy 7:6-8, "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." To many it is difficult to understand how Jesus could say that He alone was the way to eternal life. John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." They look at all the religions of the world and think perhaps there are many ways to God. The truth is, whether New Testament or Old, God has always had one plan for any given age of history. (The Garden of Eden, the flood of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.) Some might ask if that means only certain people can approach God. That is the question I wish to address today. Regardless of the age or the plan of God for any given generation, God always makes His salvation available to everyone that chooses His way.
Solomon built a great and beautiful temple to the LORD God. No doubt the Jews were extremely proud of the edifice they had raised. It took seven years to complete, and many thousands of workers. No expense was spared in the construction or the furnishings of this temple. Some may have felt that because they had built it, paid for it and labored for it that it was their exclusive property. Yet in three short verses Solomon disposes of that notion. Our text was taken from the middle of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple. Solomon had asked many things of God concerning Israel and the temple. He asked God to hear the Israelites when they prayed, whether they were swearing an oath, going to battle, needing relief from famine, drought or pestilence, seeking relief from the oppression of other nations, or needing the forgiveness of sin. But is the midst of all this prayer for God to hear Israel, Solomon takes time out to pray for the stranger!
God always makes room for the “stranger”. Solomon declared three things concerning the house of God. 1 Kings 8:42, "(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm.)" Before I talk any more to the “stranger”, let me address the Church. The Church must always proclaim the Name of the Lord! God made a promise in the Old Testament that Exodus 20:24, "…in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." Why is the “Name” so important? Acts 4:10-12, "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The hand of God is always a hand of deliverance and salvation. David said; Psalms 20:6, "Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand." God said He brought Israel out of Egypt with a “mighty hand.” The Church must still proclaim Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save!" There is still salvation at the hand of the Lord! The “stretched out arm” always refers to the miraculous power of God. God’s Church is still a miracle working Church. Solomon cites these three attributes of the house of God. His Name is present, His salvation is present, and His miraculous power is in operation! Solomon said, “they shall hear!”
Now let me preach awhile to those of you that feel you are strangers. This Church does not exist so that we can enjoy the benefits of God’s power as an exclusive club. We exist so that all who come through these doors might experience God’s power and His salvation for themselves. God has always made room for the stranger! You might feel that you don’t belong in a setting such as this. You may look around and think that you could never become one of us. You may think you are undeserving of the things of God, you may feel your life has been such that you could never be forgiven. Note that Solomon did not put any restrictions on the “stranger” that came seeking the LORD. He did not limit access to a certain type of person, he did not try to define the nationality, the social status, the ethnic background, the financial status or the religious background of the candidate. He simply said, if someone comes, 1 Kings 8:43, "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for."
Allow me to give just a few examples from scripture. Perhaps nothing is more telling of the grace of God than the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Matthew (Matthew 1:5, 6a) “and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David the king.” King David’s great grandmother was Ruth, the Moabite-not an Israelite. The people of Moab had risen against Israel as they approached the promised land. Moab even went so far as to try to hire a prophet to curse Israel. David’s great grandfather was the son of Rahab. She was a prostitute that survived the fall of Jericho, because she was willing to side with Israel. God allowed two ladies of questionable reputation and background to be included in the lineage Jesus. Even a stranger can be included when they choose to follow God!
Jesus was often criticized by the people of His day. At one time, He had chosen to go to His hometown of Nazareth to preach. He said; Luke 4:24-27, "…Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." The point was that two of the most notable miracles performed at the hand of Elijah were done outside of God’s chosen nation. Jesus went so far as to say that there were many people in Israel that had similar needs, yet God chose to work the miracle for the “stranger!” That should encourage someone today! God may do for you in this service what He has not yet done for a long standing member! Even a stranger can receive the good things of God!
Paul is considered by many to be the greatest of Apostles. Although Peter may hold the preeminence because he was given the “keys to the kingdom”, yet it was Paul who hammered out much of the theology of the early Church. It was Paul who managed to spread the Gospel message throughout much of the world. It was Paul who had the vision to look beyond the confines of Israel and take the message to the “stranger.” Yet in many ways, Paul himself was the greatest of strangers! Yes, he was of Israel. Yes, he was very religious-but he definitely was not a follower of Jesus Christ! Galatians 1:13-14, "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Not only was he a stranger, Jesus was a stranger to him. He knew about Jesus and His teachings, but he did not know who Jesus was. It was only when God stopped Paul on the road to Damascus that Paul asked; Acts 9:5, "Who art thou, Lord?” Imagine his surprise at the answer he received! “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." To some today “Jesus” may be nothing more than a Sunday School story at best or a curse word at the worst. To you He is but a stranger. But if you will call on His name today, you will experience His mighty hand and His stretched out arm! You don’t have to be a stranger forever! Even a stranger He will hear!
We could go on looking at lives that have been changed by the power of God. Yet Paul summed it all up in his letter to Ephesus. Ephesians 2:11-12, "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." That is the situation many find themselves in this very morning. Without Jesus in your life, you are a stranger to the good things God has in store. Thank God the story doesn’t stop there! Paul continues his letter; (Ephesians 2:13,19-22), "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye [the stranger!] also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
You don’t have to remain a stranger today! In the Old Testament the cry of the prophet was; Isaiah 55:1, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." The prophet of the New Testament closes the Bible with this call; Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Even a stranger can come this morning!
