Sermon Central
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This House Has Survived Many Storms
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Sep 23, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: I was raised in an old brick house that has survived many storms. My body is a temple where God dwells. Where God dwells is a place that has and will survive many storms.
This House Has Survived Many Storms
1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,
2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
The Lord had appeared to Solomon in a dream this was the second time that He had appeared to Solomon this way.
The first time had been approximately twenty years before and that is coming from verse ten.
10. And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king’s house,
The Lord had appeared to him in 1 Kings 3:5.
5 ¶ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Solomon this morning has just finished building the house of the Lord, and the Kings house.
The Lord now appears to Solomon and tells him I have heard your prayer and supplication that you have made before me.
He now goes on to say that I have hallowed this house which you have built, to put my Name there for ever, and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
God has chosen this house to Himself as a house of sacrifice, this is proclaiming the fact that the cross so to speak was the foundation of Israel’s blessing and prosperity.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
David was so ever used as the example; self righteousness would have great difficulty as accepting David as such because of his many failures.
Man looks at what they see from the physical standpoint but God looks at the man from the inside out.
David knew God and he knew that His grace was sufficient to forgive him.
Man would never look at it the way that God does.
Solomon was to walk as David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness.
He was to do all that God commanded him; he was to keep Gods statutes and Gods judgments.
God has always a God who has looked at us and sees what we can become, He knows that we have shortcomings and at times we will mess up.
God looks at why we do what we do and He will work with us from the inside out.
5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
What God had spoken to Solomon and to Israel was conditional upon obedience.
This means that the path of safety pointed out by God to Solomon was obedience and attachment to the Bible.
