“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them… if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul… and pray to you…then from heaven… hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.” (I Kings 8:46-51)

In this sermon series: Age to Age: The Story of God’s Faithfulness, we are looking at key moments throughout the Old Testament that show God’s faithfulness despite His people’s unfaithfulness. We have seen the Israelites follow a pattern that is very familiar to all of us. They had periods where they faithfully followed God and then other times where they sinned (often greatly) against Him, making Him angry. If you are like me, you can relate to this unfortunate scenario.

I Kings chapter 8 tells a part of the story where God’s people are walking with Him. King Solomon built and dedicated the temple to God in Jerusalem. The priests brought the ark of the covenant into the temple and God’s glory filled the temple. This was a high point. It was one of those pinnacle moments where the people sacrificed, prayed, and worshipped God. That’s why Solomon’s prayer in I Kings 8: 46-51 might seem out of place. He is praying to God pleading for His mercy and forgiveness for their future sins.

One thing that I have learned throughout my walk with God is that you can’t be prideful while you are in God’s presence. God’s power, holiness, and righteousness humble us. The light of His goodness reveals the parts that aren’t good in us. As Solomon stood before the temple, I imagine he felt both humbled as well as a bit of fear. I don’t think it was the kind of fear that made him want to run from God, but a kind of awesome respect that pushed him to not want to sin. I feel that in this day and age, we forget to fear disobeying God.  We often sin without caring about God’s commandments. However, to become people of the Presence, we need to regularly come before God in worship, prayer, and confession. And while it is natural to turn away from God when we are sinning, we must move into His presence to gain the power to repent of our sins.

What’s amazing about this story is that we can see God’s faithfulness in the way He reacts time and time again to Israel’s unfaithfulness. Solomon knew that the people would sin again. That’s why he asked God to listen if the people genuinely turned from their sins. He prayed that God would forgive them and show them mercy. What we can see throughout the Old and New Testaments is that God does forgive. He does show mercy. He even blesses us when we return to Him. We don’t deserve it. We didn’t earn it. We are just recipients of the grace and love of a faithful Father.

Just like the temple was a place for God to dwell among His people, it was also a place where the people acknowledged their sins, brought sacrifices and asked for God’s forgiveness. When was the last time you came before God and confessed your sins? If it has been a long time, consider making it a regular practice from now on. God wants us to return to Him, and He is willing to forgive our sins.