The verses below from 1 Kings are but part of Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple of which it took him seven years to complete. He then spent thirteen years building his own palace. Many commentators point out that this indicates that Solomon was almost twice as interested in his own house than the LORD's....but the point can be made that it also showed that Solomon built God's house first....then worried about his own. The prophet Haggai addressed the same issue in a different way....as he encouraged the returning exiles from Babylon to rebuild Solomon's temple that had been destroyed. 'Encouraged' might not be the best word....for he gave them the word of the LORD...."You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house." (Haggai 1:9 ESV) When you consider the entire church today....all the liberal denominations and all of our church growth-forget the cost of discipleship strategies....you could say that it "lies in ruins"....so God might explain also to us....that we tried to rebuild our land....while ignoring the condition of the church....thus He just "blew it away." Solomon in his dedication....told the people that when there is a famine or a plague or when enemies besiege our cities....to look first to what part we played in these judgments....then offer prayer for forgiveness and mercy and reconciliation.
"When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers." (1 Kings 8: 37-40 NKJV)
