WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.850 --> 00:00:03.710 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.750 --> 00:00:06.490 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.589 --> 00:00:15.820 practical ways. Good morning. Good morning. We talked the whole 4 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:20.780 night through. Good morning. Good morning to you and you. Man, 5 00:00:21.219 --> 00:00:22.640 how great was that? I picked up the tempo. 6 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:25.949 It's been weeks since I've been able to witness that. Oh, well, 7 00:00:26.230 --> 00:00:28.649 then you weren't listening on, you weren't watching The Bible Guys. 8 00:00:28.670 --> 00:00:30.359 In person. Yeah. Yes. 9 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:33.539 It's so much more glorious. I wish everybody, all of 10 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:36.280 our listeners could be sitting here in this moment. 11 00:00:36.409 --> 00:00:40.770 What a privilege to sit next to the own song. 12 00:00:40.990 --> 00:00:43.810 That is incredible. Yes. But hey, good morning, everybody. Welcome 13 00:00:43.829 --> 00:00:45.950 to the Bible, guys. I am Chris. And I'm Jeff. 14 00:00:46.229 --> 00:00:49.729 And we're here today to talk about what in the 15 00:00:49.750 --> 00:00:52.130 middle of a series we're in called Dangerous Prayers. And today, 16 00:00:52.170 --> 00:00:53.909 this week is Intercessory Prayers. 17 00:00:53.929 --> 00:00:54.869 Yeah. 18 00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:58.070 To intercede on others' behalf. And anyway, before we get 19 00:00:58.090 --> 00:01:01.409 into that, we have a sort of a different kind 20 00:01:01.429 --> 00:01:04.590 of segment. Yeah. Okay. We've only done this a couple 21 00:01:04.609 --> 00:01:06.060 of times. I know. So this is a fill in 22 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:06.920 the blank. Yes. 23 00:01:07.060 --> 00:01:09.439 So I'm going to start a sentence and then you 24 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:11.920 have to complete it in an unexpected way. 25 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.239 Yeah. Which is very interesting. Yeah. So let me think. 26 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:20.939 So let's get it. Oh, I know. Driving in today. 27 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:26.120 I saw something. Okay. So I'm going to start the sentence. 28 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:30.180 You have to finish it. Yes. Go ahead. 29 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:34.319 The one thing Bigfoot refuses to talk about at his 30 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:35.760 family reunion is. 31 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:45.170 How. Sorry about that. That's a hard one. 32 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:47.950 Well, there's a lot of silence on this podcast. 33 00:01:48.069 --> 00:01:51.510 I was going to say how poop sticks to his fur. Oh, no. 34 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:56.319 Now you're in trouble. You know that, right? Sorry, Liz. 35 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.379 Then I hesitated. But then I said, you know what? 36 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.840 I'm going to say it. Restraint. I'm going to say it. Yes. Okay. 37 00:02:01.859 --> 00:02:02.700 Because it's not that bad. 38 00:02:02.890 --> 00:02:02.980 Okay. 39 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:06.030 Come on. I mean, we all had, you know, anybody 40 00:02:06.049 --> 00:02:09.530 with animals like dogs, like, come on. And fur. Yeah, fur. Yes. 41 00:02:10.009 --> 00:02:13.270 There it is. Okay. And by the way, I could 42 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:16.330 have gone on and done a more lengthy thing. Yeah. 43 00:02:16.409 --> 00:02:20.479 But I was holding back because it's a, it's, anyway. 44 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:20.990 Yes. Yes. 45 00:02:21.349 --> 00:02:22.129 That was a quick one. 46 00:02:22.169 --> 00:02:25.400 No, I was driving in today, and just as I 47 00:02:25.409 --> 00:02:27.500 was pulling into the parking lot, there was a Subaru 48 00:02:27.539 --> 00:02:28.060 in front of me. 49 00:02:28.180 --> 00:02:28.400 Yes. 50 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:31.080 It had a great big foot sticker on the back 51 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:31.539 of the car. 52 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:33.240 Oh, that's funny. All right, come up with another one. 53 00:02:33.259 --> 00:02:35.659 Think of another one? Let's do another one. Okay. That 54 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.139 was so quick. We're only two minutes into the podcast. 55 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:46.270 If pirates ever hijacked the Bible Guys podcast, they would 56 00:02:46.310 --> 00:02:54.879 replace me with, they'd replace Jeff with, Why? 57 00:02:55.439 --> 00:03:03.439 And they would replace me with Johnny Depp. Oh, really? Okay. Why? Well, because.. 58 00:03:03.259 --> 00:03:05.830 Why would that make for a more compelling podcast? 59 00:03:06.590 --> 00:03:09.870 Well, it wouldn't. Because who could be more compelling than 60 00:03:09.889 --> 00:03:10.530 the original Bible guys? 61 00:03:10.550 --> 00:03:11.069 Well, there you go. 62 00:03:11.189 --> 00:03:17.620 Okay. But the scenario was, if they hijacked the Bible guys, 63 00:03:17.629 --> 00:03:19.900 who would they replace them with? And I'm just picking... 64 00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:23.069 With two people. Blackbeard and Johnny Depp. Yeah, Blackbeard. Actually, 65 00:03:23.129 --> 00:03:27.030 I've read a lot about Blackbeard. And he was this big, 66 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:31.289 huge guy who nobody could defeat. So I gave you 67 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:32.689 a pretty big compliment. Okay, wow. 68 00:03:32.969 --> 00:03:36.409 And Johnny Depp is more along the lines of like 69 00:03:36.710 --> 00:03:40.789 a fake pirate. A Hollywood guy. A handsome guy. 70 00:03:41.009 --> 00:03:46.689 Well, yeah, he definitely is handsome. So that lines up. Okay, sure, sure. Okay. 71 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:47.469 That all lines up. 72 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:50.069 So I saw a thing that said that it was 73 00:03:50.110 --> 00:03:52.909 a black beard that used to put gunpowder in his beard. 74 00:03:52.969 --> 00:03:55.710 Yes. Yes, that was him. He's kind of a crazy guy. Yeah, 75 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:57.110 he's sort of crazy. Okay. 76 00:03:57.370 --> 00:04:01.159 Well, hey, there's two of them, pirates and a Bigfoot. Yeah, well, 77 00:04:01.180 --> 00:04:02.280 we might have time for one more. 78 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:05.020 Oh, gee, I don't have another one. Just start anything, 79 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:08.180 any sentence at all. Go. Okay. Any sentence. It could 80 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.460 be normal. The reason I look like this is... Am 81 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:14.020 I speaking on behalf? Speaking about you. Oh. 82 00:04:14.099 --> 00:04:14.419 Yeah, yeah. 83 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:16.860 I started your sentence. Okay. So say it again. So 84 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:19.430 the reason I look like this is. I had the 85 00:04:19.670 --> 00:04:25.389 blessing of my parents' awesome genetics. Oh, is that it? Yes. 86 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:28.449 Is that it? Well, what else am I going to 87 00:04:28.470 --> 00:04:31.949 say about me? You set me up to say something. 88 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:34.180 I got to say something like that. Okay. Okay. 89 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.980 Well, it's the humility, Chris. It's your humility that just 90 00:04:38.019 --> 00:04:39.139 makes everybody love you. 91 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.439 Well, I don't know if you've heard, but nobody is 92 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:42.600 as good as humility as me. 93 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:42.899 Yeah, yeah. 94 00:04:42.939 --> 00:04:46.500 You're just about the best. I'm the most humble. The humblest. Yes. Yeah. 95 00:04:46.540 --> 00:04:49.750 Well, speaking of things we need to repent of. 96 00:04:50.290 --> 00:04:53.709 Oh, wow. Wow. I'm not sure we've ever had a 97 00:04:53.730 --> 00:04:58.529 transition like that. It's like a transition slam. No, no. 98 00:04:58.850 --> 00:05:04.310 So today we are in 2 Chronicles 2. six and seven. 99 00:05:04.670 --> 00:05:06.449 And these are some of my favorite passages. 100 00:05:06.529 --> 00:05:10.329 Oh, stop, stop. That's going to become a running joke now. 101 00:05:10.589 --> 00:05:12.910 Chris accuses me every time we read a passage that 102 00:05:13.050 --> 00:05:14.790 I always say, this is my favorite passage. 103 00:05:14.930 --> 00:05:17.759 And I mentioned this before. And I think, did I 104 00:05:17.779 --> 00:05:19.740 say this on stage? I didn't say this on the podcast. 105 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:23.100 I said this on stage, didn't I? So Jeff and 106 00:05:23.139 --> 00:05:25.500 I taught recently on stage and he had said, Oh, 107 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:28.410 this is one of my favorite verses. And I said, okay, 108 00:05:29.069 --> 00:05:30.709 Or no, I did say this on the podcast. It 109 00:05:30.730 --> 00:05:33.990 doesn't matter. But I said, I started to take note. 110 00:05:34.670 --> 00:05:37.740 Every time you thought, hey, this is my favorite passage. Oh, okay. Well, 111 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.740 I need to remember that this is Jeff's favorite passage. Yeah. 112 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:43.600 And then you would say it again. I'm like, oh, 113 00:05:43.620 --> 00:05:46.360 he likes these two things. And then you said it again. 114 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:48.959 I'm like, oh, these are his three favorite. Yeah. And 115 00:05:48.990 --> 00:05:51.930 now it's like every Bible verse that is in the 116 00:05:51.970 --> 00:05:54.230 Bible is your favorite. They are. I love the word. 117 00:05:54.410 --> 00:05:55.709 I love the Bible. So I'm like, okay, this is 118 00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:59.089 now a meaningless comment, right? It's not meaningless. I love it. 119 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.670 That's like saying, do you ever see... Jingle All the 120 00:06:02.709 --> 00:06:03.610 Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger? 121 00:06:03.689 --> 00:06:03.870 Yes. 122 00:06:04.649 --> 00:06:08.129 Where he goes, remember, you're my number one customer. And 123 00:06:08.149 --> 00:06:10.129 he says it to everybody. And then he got off 124 00:06:10.149 --> 00:06:11.939 the phone with his wife and he says, remember, you're 125 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:15.620 my number one customer. And she's like, aw. Yeah. That's 126 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:16.000 so funny. 127 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:20.240 So this segment here, 2 Chronicles, the early chapters of 128 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.519 2 Chronicles, Solomon has built the temple. 129 00:06:24.019 --> 00:06:27.730 Put that cookie down. That's another good quote. That's a 130 00:06:27.750 --> 00:06:31.779 good quote. Yeah. It doesn't happen in this passage. No. 131 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:34.800 It's still on the movie. Yeah. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. 132 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:35.579 Have we moved on? 133 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.610 Yeah, I moved into where Solomon has built the temple. 134 00:06:38.620 --> 00:06:38.959 So sorry. 135 00:06:39.410 --> 00:06:41.449 Solomon has built the temple is what he just said. 136 00:06:42.589 --> 00:06:47.790 And so the first permanent temple in Jerusalem. 137 00:06:48.129 --> 00:06:50.519 Yeah. And by the way, can I just interject and say, 138 00:06:51.689 --> 00:06:55.370 I sort of was reminded when we went through David member. Yes. 139 00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:58.620 We went through the old Testament and, uh, and David 140 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:00.819 wanted to build the temple, but God said, your hands 141 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:03.399 are too bloody. Remember? Yes. And he said, you know, 142 00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:06.139 you're a warrior who is, you know, your assignment was 143 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:09.079 to take care of all the enemies that blasphemed against me. 144 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:11.699 And so we're going to let Solomon do it because 145 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:15.230 his hands aren't bloody. And so Solomon was given this 146 00:07:15.290 --> 00:07:17.850 responsibility by God. Right. Anyway, sorry, go ahead. 147 00:07:18.250 --> 00:07:23.800 So, uh, I'm asking ChatGBT how expensive was Solomon's temple. 148 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:25.500 Oh my word. Are you kidding me? 149 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:26.600 It was billions. 150 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:30.350 It had to be in the billions and billions. I mean, 151 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:32.670 didn't Solomon just give a billion of his own money? 152 00:07:33.149 --> 00:07:35.089 It was over a billion dollars just of his own money. Yeah. 153 00:07:35.569 --> 00:07:37.470 So it says that it took seven years to complete, 154 00:07:37.629 --> 00:07:41.550 involved tens of thousands of workers, was covered with enormous 155 00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:44.649 amounts of gold, silver, cedar, and precious stones. 156 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:46.370 It mentions.. 157 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:50.420 100,000 talents of gold and a million talents of silver, 158 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:54.060 plus bronze, iron, timber, stone, and abundance. A talent is 159 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:59.120 about 75 pounds. So it's about 7.5 million pounds of gold. 160 00:07:59.139 --> 00:07:59.920 Oh, my word. 161 00:08:00.180 --> 00:08:03.509 Which would, in today's gold prices, that's over $ 290 billion 162 00:08:03.829 --> 00:08:04.329 worth of gold. 163 00:08:05.050 --> 00:08:05.870 Oh, my word. 164 00:08:05.949 --> 00:08:09.589 And a million talents of silver at 75 million pounds 165 00:08:09.629 --> 00:08:12.579 of silver. It would be about $ 35 billion worth of silver. So... 166 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:20.800 Some would suggest that Solomon's Temple would have cost $ 300 167 00:08:20.250 --> 00:08:24.490 to $ 500 billion in today's money. And some estimates push 168 00:08:24.509 --> 00:08:26.910 it over a trillion dollars. It's the most expensive building 169 00:08:27.089 --> 00:08:27.649 ever created. 170 00:08:27.850 --> 00:08:30.870 Ever created in the history of the world. Yeah. Right. 171 00:08:30.970 --> 00:08:35.350 And by the way... That's NASA-level budget expensive. Yeah. No kidding. 172 00:08:35.450 --> 00:08:38.070 That's what it says. That's what it says? Yeah. That's 173 00:08:38.090 --> 00:08:38.389 so funny. 174 00:08:38.409 --> 00:08:41.669 So it may have been the most expensive building project 175 00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:42.389 in human history. 176 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:47.200 Yeah. It's no wonder. Excuse me. When we go to Israel, 177 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:50.720 and you've been there at the Western Wall. Yes. So 178 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:55.299 the Western Wall is the only remnant of the entire temple. 179 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:56.259 Is that correct? That's right. 180 00:08:56.500 --> 00:08:59.120 We have the Temple Mount is where Al-Aqsa Mosque sits. 181 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:01.889 Okay. But the Western Wall is the. 182 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:08.809 Only remaining piece of the temple that the Israelites are 183 00:09:08.830 --> 00:09:09.350 able to touch. 184 00:09:10.690 --> 00:09:12.929 Was that Solomon's Temple, the Western Wall? Or was that 185 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:13.409 Herod's Temple? 186 00:09:14.149 --> 00:09:18.299 The Western Wall is Solomon's temple, the bottom stones, and 187 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:19.360 then Herod built on top. 188 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:23.740 That's what it was. Yeah. Okay. So anyway, all I 189 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:27.690 was going to say is it's no wonder why that 190 00:09:27.769 --> 00:09:30.629 temple was pillaged. Oh, sure. It's no wonder why it 191 00:09:30.649 --> 00:09:35.370 was stripped bare. Yes. Right? I mean, $ 290 billion just 192 00:09:35.529 --> 00:09:35.990 in gold. 193 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:36.309 Right. 194 00:09:36.769 --> 00:09:39.000 That is crazy. Magnificent. 195 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.899 So when we describe... Solomon being one of the wealthiest 196 00:09:42.940 --> 00:09:43.980 people to have ever lived. 197 00:09:44.259 --> 00:09:46.779 Correct. Which is this weekend, by the way. Yeah. 198 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.090 And just incredible. So this space is amazing. And Solomon 199 00:09:51.190 --> 00:09:54.590 gave billions upon billions upon billions of his own wealth. 200 00:09:54.929 --> 00:09:57.070 And David gave billions of his own wealth. And then 201 00:09:57.110 --> 00:09:59.610 the people gave billions of their own wealth. And they said, 202 00:09:59.649 --> 00:10:02.559 we want to make a permanent home for God. And 203 00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:06.360 so they build this temple. And then Solomon prays. And 204 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:10.019 he says, listen, I know you are everywhere. And you 205 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:12.559 don't have to confine yourself to one place. But this 206 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:15.659 is where we are saying we are honoring you in 207 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:19.039 this place. And so then in chapter 5, I love this. 208 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:24.230 It says, the trumpeters were singing and the singers were 209 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:27.350 performing together in unison to praise and give thanks to 210 00:10:27.389 --> 00:10:27.830 the Lord. 211 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:28.590 All of. 212 00:10:30.269 --> 00:10:33.289 The Levites who were dressed in fine linen robes and 213 00:10:33.309 --> 00:10:35.669 they stood at the EC altar, they were playing cymbals 214 00:10:35.730 --> 00:10:38.730 and lyres and harps and they were joined by 120 215 00:10:38.730 --> 00:10:41.480 priests who were playing trumpets. This is quite the orchestra. 216 00:10:41.580 --> 00:10:41.789 Yeah. 217 00:10:42.059 --> 00:10:44.399 And they're going nuts and the singers are praising and 218 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:46.679 they raise their voices and praise the Lord with these words, 219 00:10:47.019 --> 00:10:50.860 He is good enough. His faithful love endures forever. And 220 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:53.100 then the Bible says, at that moment, a thick cloud 221 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:55.600 filled the temple of the Lord. The priests could not 222 00:10:55.659 --> 00:10:58.460 continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious 223 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:01.679 presence of the Lord filled the temple of God. So 224 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:04.000 for a guy who thinks in movies, can you imagine? 225 00:11:04.090 --> 00:11:05.389 Yes. That's so powerful. 226 00:11:06.029 --> 00:11:09.370 Another translation says the priests actually all fell to their knees. 227 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:12.289 They couldn't continue to stand in the presence of God. 228 00:11:12.330 --> 00:11:13.350 So you have that. 229 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.669 Then Solomon comes out. There's a big platform there. and 230 00:11:16.750 --> 00:11:19.570 that he built in the temple, the outer court of 231 00:11:19.590 --> 00:11:21.509 the temple. And he gets up on that platform and 232 00:11:21.549 --> 00:11:24.009 he bows down on his knees. Here's the most powerful 233 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:25.889 king in the world at the time, bows down on 234 00:11:25.929 --> 00:11:28.580 his knees and he begins to pray. And he says, God, 235 00:11:29.620 --> 00:11:32.159 we're dedicating this to you and we are thrilled to 236 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:35.379 do so. And would you honor our prayers when we 237 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:37.600 turn to you in this place, would you honor our prayers? 238 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.000 And then he acknowledges, sometimes we're gonna sin. At one 239 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:42.100 point he says, and who doesn't sin? He says that 240 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.679 in here, right? So at points we're gonna sin and 241 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:47.309 your judgment is gonna come And when we repent and 242 00:11:47.330 --> 00:11:49.669 we turn back to you, God, would you hear our prayers? 243 00:11:49.730 --> 00:11:51.549 Would you, right? Would you hear us? 244 00:11:51.649 --> 00:11:54.299 And so then if you look in chapter six, verse 20, 245 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:54.649 what is it? 246 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:55.809 24. 247 00:11:55.809 --> 00:11:59.139 24. He says, if your people, Israel, are defeated by 248 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.179 their enemies because they've sinned against you, and if they 249 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.700 turn their back and acknowledge your name and pray to 250 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.620 you here in this temple, then hear from heaven and 251 00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:10.259 forgive the sin of your people, Israel, and return them 252 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:12.899 to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors. 253 00:12:12.970 --> 00:12:15.210 If the skies are shut up, There's no rain because 254 00:12:15.230 --> 00:12:17.269 your people have sinned against you. And if they pray 255 00:12:17.309 --> 00:12:19.850 toward this temple and acknowledge your name and turn from 256 00:12:19.889 --> 00:12:22.450 their sins because you have punished them, then hear from 257 00:12:22.490 --> 00:12:25.389 heaven and forgive their sins of your servants, your people Israel, 258 00:12:25.409 --> 00:12:27.210 and teach them to follow the right path and send 259 00:12:27.250 --> 00:12:29.389 rain on your land that you have given to your 260 00:12:29.429 --> 00:12:31.830 people as their special possession. And if there's a famine 261 00:12:31.850 --> 00:12:33.789 in the land or a plague or crop disease or 262 00:12:34.090 --> 00:12:36.490 attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people's enemies 263 00:12:36.830 --> 00:12:39.539 are in the land besieging their towns, whatever disaster disease 264 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:42.159 there is, and if your people Israel pray about their 265 00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:45.740 troubles and sorrows, raising their hands toward this temple. Then 266 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.570 hear from heaven where you live and forgive. Give your 267 00:12:48.610 --> 00:12:51.529 people what their actions deserve. For you alone know each 268 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:54.470 human heart. And then they will fear you and walk 269 00:12:54.509 --> 00:12:56.450 in your ways as long as they live in the 270 00:12:56.490 --> 00:12:58.289 land you gave to their ancestors. 271 00:12:58.929 --> 00:13:01.190 Is that where we end on that one? Yes, yep, 272 00:13:01.230 --> 00:13:06.309 through 31, yeah. And then we're skipping over to 2 Chronicles. 273 00:13:05.409 --> 00:13:10.669 7, 11 through 15. So then he continues praying like that. 274 00:13:10.769 --> 00:13:12.700 If we sin against you, God, would you hear our prayers? 275 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:16.179 And then when he finishes, the Bible says in 7 276 00:13:16.179 --> 00:13:19.139 verse 1, it says, when Solomon finished praying, fire flashed 277 00:13:19.179 --> 00:13:21.100 down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and 278 00:13:21.139 --> 00:13:23.700 sacrificed the glorious presence of the Lord, filled the temple. 279 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:26.950 How cool. This is quite the event. Yeah, quite the event. 280 00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:29.889 Here's the most expensive building ever built in human history. Yeah. 281 00:13:29.970 --> 00:13:32.470 And God's showing up. Yes. Right? 282 00:13:32.809 --> 00:13:35.590 So they're in the glory of the Lord, the presence 283 00:13:35.610 --> 00:13:38.600 of the Lord filled the temple. And when all the 284 00:13:38.629 --> 00:13:41.870 people of Israel... saw the fire coming down, the glorious 285 00:13:41.889 --> 00:13:43.549 presence of the Lord filling the temple, they fell face 286 00:13:43.570 --> 00:13:45.190 down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, 287 00:13:45.230 --> 00:13:48.230 He is good. His faithful love endures forever. Then they 288 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:51.279 do a bunch of sacrifices, thousands and thousands of sacrifices. 289 00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:54.120 And so the Bible says in verse 11 of chapter 7, 290 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:56.419 So Solomon finished the temple of the Lord as well 291 00:13:56.460 --> 00:13:58.860 as the royal palace, and he completed everything he'd planned 292 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.059 to do in the construction of the temple and the palace. 293 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.600 And then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, 294 00:14:03.620 --> 00:14:06.320 I have heard your prayer and have chosen this temple 295 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:09.549 as the place for making sacrifices. At times, I might 296 00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:11.970 shut up the heavens so that no rain falls or 297 00:14:12.009 --> 00:14:15.009 command grasshoppers to devour your crops or send plagues among you. 298 00:14:15.610 --> 00:14:18.980 And he's talking about because of the sins that Solomon admitted. 299 00:14:18.659 --> 00:14:20.059 They'll probably commit. Right. 300 00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:24.039 He says, then, so if this judgment is coming, then 301 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:27.360 if my people who are called by my name will 302 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:31.200 humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn 303 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.970 from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and 304 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.350 will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes 305 00:14:37.370 --> 00:14:39.909 will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer 306 00:14:40.350 --> 00:14:42.750 made in this place. For I have chosen this temple 307 00:14:43.149 --> 00:14:45.570 and set it apart to be holy, a place where 308 00:14:45.590 --> 00:14:47.850 my name will be honored forever. I will always watch 309 00:14:47.929 --> 00:14:49.070 over it for it is dear to my heart. 310 00:14:51.629 --> 00:14:57.019 Wow. It's amazing. Yeah. It's amazing. So I want to 311 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.419 go back to Solomon's original prayer. Let's talk about chapter 312 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:04.009 six first, right? Yeah. So Solomon is praying, and just 313 00:15:04.029 --> 00:15:06.970 like you said, he's admitting all of these things. There's 314 00:15:07.049 --> 00:15:11.590 a note in my Bible, the Transformation Study Bible, and 315 00:15:11.629 --> 00:15:16.929 it actually says this. It says, in his dedicatory prayer? Yes. Wow. 316 00:15:17.629 --> 00:15:22.169 Solomon mentioned seven circumstances that he knew would arise and 317 00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:24.529 might cause offense to God. He asked God to hear 318 00:15:24.570 --> 00:15:27.129 from heaven and respond with mercy to those who approached 319 00:15:27.169 --> 00:15:30.429 him at the temple if they, colon, and then it 320 00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:34.509 lists the seven things. if they, number one, had wronged 321 00:15:34.529 --> 00:15:37.610 another person, verses 22 and 23, if they had suffered 322 00:15:37.629 --> 00:15:41.320 defeat from enemies, if they had experienced drought, if they 323 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:43.659 had been struck by their own natural disasters, or they 324 00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:46.779 were sincere seekers of other nations, if they were preparing 325 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.440 for war, or if they had sinned against God in 326 00:15:50.659 --> 00:16:01.129 any way that had led to captivity. It says, then 327 00:16:01.169 --> 00:16:03.309 this fact causing him to turn away in shame and guilt, 328 00:16:03.649 --> 00:16:06.110 it ought to cause us to run toward God with 329 00:16:06.149 --> 00:16:10.070 hope and mercy. Solomon anticipated the words of the, of 330 00:16:10.090 --> 00:16:13.720 the writer of Hebrews. I don't know if that's true, but, 331 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:17.100 but it's same concept, I guess. So let us come 332 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:20.059 boldly to the throne of our gracious God. Then we 333 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.259 will receive his mercy and we will find grace to 334 00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:27.830 help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4, 16. 335 00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:29.730 So I don't know. That's pretty, pretty cool. Yeah. 336 00:16:30.309 --> 00:16:33.710 Well, I think it's interesting, verse 36 in chapter 6, 337 00:16:33.710 --> 00:16:36.289 he says, if they sin against you, and who has 338 00:16:36.330 --> 00:16:36.830 never sinned? 339 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:38.919 That's what he says. Yeah. 340 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:40.980 You might become angry with them and let their enemies 341 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:43.559 conquer them and take them captive to foreign land far away. 342 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:46.240 But he said, in that land of exile, they might 343 00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:49.399 turn to you in repentance and pray, we've sinned, done evil, 344 00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:51.409 and acted wickedly. And if they turn to you with 345 00:16:51.429 --> 00:16:52.929 their whole heart and soul in the land of their 346 00:16:52.970 --> 00:16:56.090 captivity and pray toward you, to the land you gave 347 00:16:56.129 --> 00:17:00.230 their ancestors, then... hear their prayers and their petitions from 348 00:17:00.269 --> 00:17:03.340 heaven where you live and uphold your cause for your 349 00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:04.559 people who have sinned against you. 350 00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:05.400 I love that, right? 351 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:08.960 So this is his prayer is, God, listen, we're going 352 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:11.579 to mess up. And it takes a certain amount of 353 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:15.119 humility for a king this powerful to admit, hey, we're 354 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.920 likely to mess up. He's not saying it's okay that 355 00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:20.150 we're messing up. God, if you have to bring judgment 356 00:17:20.170 --> 00:17:24.250 against us because we've sinned so deeply, we understand. And 357 00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:26.980 then Just hear us. And he starts saying, so be it. 358 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:30.059 When you finally get our attention and we turn to you, 359 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.000 don't turn your back on us, right? And we're going 360 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:34.859 to trust you that you're going to hear from us 361 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.920 and that you're going to hear us and that you're 362 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:39.660 going to forgive us. And then God says, listen, if 363 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:42.019 my people who are called by my name will humble 364 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:44.869 themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from 365 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:48.329 their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, right? 366 00:17:48.890 --> 00:17:52.369 And he says, and I will forgive your sins and 367 00:17:52.430 --> 00:17:53.109 restore your land. 368 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:54.339 And I think about that a lot. 369 00:17:54.380 --> 00:17:57.759 I think, you know, this idea of praying on behalf 370 00:17:57.799 --> 00:17:59.539 of our nation, I think is really important. 371 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:02.440 Yeah, you just mentioned it, that verse on Sunday. Yeah. Yeah, 372 00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:02.839 last Sunday. 373 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:05.700 And so sometimes we can get frustrated thinking, you know, 374 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:08.269 the answer to solving all the problems in our nation 375 00:18:08.750 --> 00:18:11.829 is to get bad people to be better people, right? 376 00:18:12.130 --> 00:18:13.890 If we could get the enemies of God to be 377 00:18:13.930 --> 00:18:17.349 good people. And God says, listen, if my people who 378 00:18:17.390 --> 00:18:20.289 are called by my name will humble themselves. So it 379 00:18:20.329 --> 00:18:22.930 first requires those who claim to be followers of God 380 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.519 That we have to humble ourselves and we have to 381 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:27.720 confess our sins and we have to decide we're going 382 00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:29.940 to turn from our wicked ways. Instead of always pointing 383 00:18:30.009 --> 00:18:31.750 fingers at everybody else and all the things that everybody 384 00:18:31.769 --> 00:18:34.970 else needs to change, like the Pharisee did when he 385 00:18:34.990 --> 00:18:37.230 was praying and the tax collector was standing next to him. 386 00:18:37.430 --> 00:18:38.950 He was willing to point out that other guy's sins 387 00:18:38.970 --> 00:18:41.089 because he feels like he's pretty good. At least I'm 388 00:18:41.109 --> 00:18:42.009 not as bad as that guy. 389 00:18:42.230 --> 00:18:42.910 Right. Right. 390 00:18:43.289 --> 00:18:46.190 And God says, don't be like that. Instead, my people 391 00:18:46.309 --> 00:18:49.690 can get my attention when they humble themselves and they pray. 392 00:18:50.029 --> 00:18:52.210 And he says, that's what I'm going to hear from heaven. 393 00:18:52.579 --> 00:18:54.900 I'm going to forgive your sins and I'll heal your land. 394 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:57.660 That's the beginning of healing for our nation is when 395 00:18:57.700 --> 00:18:59.049 God's people begin the repentance. 396 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:02.029 Yeah. And there's a note here that talks about this 397 00:19:02.190 --> 00:19:04.430 in my Bible as well for this section. It says, 398 00:19:06.170 --> 00:19:09.509 as he had done at Gibeon in chapter one, God 399 00:19:09.529 --> 00:19:12.130 appeared to Solomon and spoke the word that he needed 400 00:19:12.150 --> 00:19:15.710 to hear. He assured the king that he had heard 401 00:19:15.769 --> 00:19:18.109