Good morning!
Text: 2 Chronicles 5-7; Psalm 103
When Solomon dedicates the temple, he brings a powerful and rousing prayer of invocation, concluding by asking the Lord to “arise” and come to the temple. He certainly does. In the opening verses of 2 Chronicles 7 we read of fire coming from heaven, and the glory of the Lord filling the temple. I wonder what that looked like, and what it was like to experience it. I imagine a spectacle, flames and light, and beauty. I also imagine radiant heat, and probably a big noise. The response of the people is a portrait of appropriate worship;
“When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”” ( 2 Chronicles 7:3)
I am challenged as I think about this. In my recent experience, when I and others have been together and “on our faces” – literally on the floor – it has always been in the context of prayers of confession and cries of repentance. What we see here combines joyous, celebratory thanks and worship with absolute humility before Him. I wonder of I am missing something when I stand or sit as I worship. Do I really understand how frighteningly magnificent He is? Makes one think…
in Him, Mike