1 Kings 8:57-58

Independence Day weekend

July 5, 2009

1 Kings 8:57-58 (New International Version)

⁵⁷ May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. ⁵⁸ May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.

Many families have traditions for the Fourth of July. Topping the list may be watching or even shooting off some fireworks. You might take in a parade, grill out, or have the day off work. I hope you also take time to think about the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and how they were won. Give thanks to the real source of those benefits. Today we will use Solomon’s blessing at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem to guide our thoughts. We are far removed from the time of Solomon. He wasn’t an American. Yet his words fit as

WE PRAY FOR OUR NATION

I. May God be with us v57

II. May God turn our hearts to Him v58

With King Solomon we pray for our nation that God may be with us as He was with our fathers. It was the Lord who had established the Israelite nation, as they did not even exist until He called Abram to the land of Canaan and promised to make of him a great nation. From that beginning God’s people grew. Isaac was eventually born to Abraham and Sarah. From Isaac and Rebekah came Jacob. His twelve sons multiplied over the years into a people large enough to worry the Egyptian Pharaoh that they were a threat to his land. A census of the adult men counted six hundred thousand, which brings a conservative estimate of a total population of about two million at the time they left Egypt.

God gave the nation a land. That took some doing as they had become slaves in Egypt. You will recall that there were ten destructive plagues sent to convince the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Death of the firstborn of both families and animals was the final plague that secured their release. Even then the ruler changed his mind and pursued the departing Israelites. The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and drowning of the Egyptian army gave the nation security. It all happened only because God was with them. They still had a long road ahead. The Lord supplied their needs as they journeyed. He provided manna and quail to eat, water in the desert, and clothes that did not wear out during their forty years of travel. Obstacles existed once they arrived at the promised land of Canaan. Other people were living there. God gave them victories. Think of Jericho, when the walls fell down. A defeat of five allied kings came when God caused the sun to stand still and lengthened the day. It was no exaggeration for Solomon to say that God had been with their fathers.

The king prayed that He would be with them in the same way. What did they need? By this time the Israelites were settled in the full extent of their borders. Conditions of peace prevailed in the land. They had just completed building the temple. It was an era of prosperity. Yet it was proper to offer the prayer. Children of God realize their entire existence depends on God. Without Him we would not be here or remain alive. He created us. Our daily bread comes from His bounteous hand. He does not withhold life’s needs even if we fail to acknowledge that they come from Him or to praise Him for them. Daily He protects us from harm and danger.

As a result, we do more than get by. He showers us with good things. Solomon was certainly an example. He had wealth beyond compare. He was renowned for his building projects in addition to the temple. Royalty came from other lands to marvel at his feats. The Lord had fulfilled the promise given at the start of his reign.

Solomon prayed that God would not leave them. Could that happen? He promises to remain with us. Faithfulness is part of the divine essence. He is unchangeable. Yet where He encounters constant rejection He will not remain. Stay close to Him and He will always be there, with His care and blessings in full.

There is a greater blessing God provided than money in the bank. Mention of “the LORD our God” flashed a reminder in the brains of God’s people. That name LORD is what God used to emphasize His faithful love and His promises. His supreme promise was to send the Savior into the world. He had been passing that promise through generations as soon as sin entered the world. The Savior was the reason He formed the Israelite nation. They were the people through whom His Son was coming. The Lord had told Solomon’s father David that the everlasting ruler would be born in his family line. As God had kept His promises in the past so would He keep this promise at the proper time. The nation could believe in the coming Savior with conviction.

Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that promise. He came into our world and did everything that God had promised. He won forgiveness and eternal life for the human race. He did so with His life of perfect obedience to the law of God and with His death on the cross for the sins of the world. Heaven stands open for the penitent sinner, a future surpassing everything else God has provided in glory and in length, because it is eternal. In fact, the rest are of little value alone.

As we follow Solomon in praying for our nation, we give thanks for the way He was with our fathers. There is a difference: our nation was not formed by God’s promise nor are Americans His chosen people. Yet we can clearly see His hand of blessing on our past. We had a small and risky beginning and only with God’s permission did the American Revolution succeed. We started as thirteen colonies in the east but have become fifty states spanning the continent and beyond. Our existence was threatened by outside aggression and internal strife and yet we are here. It happened only by God’s grace. Large armies and powerful weapons do nothing unless He grants success.

We have enjoyed more than a bare existence. Even in these more difficult times we enjoy a high standard of living, the envy of the world. We are blessed with natural resources. Our agriculture provides bounty for us and for more of the world. It doesn’t happen because of our ingenuity and labor but because of God’s blessing. As we celebrate this holiday we are mindful of our form of government. We have the freedom to live, work and advance. The rights of the press, to assemble and speak, to believe as we choose have aided the Christian church. A person can believe in more restrictive societies, but it is easier here. I hope it is not so easy that we take it for granted. Does our country have flaws? Absolutely, as there are in any human endeavor. That’s why we must ever be striving for improvement, and that’s a privilege we have in a democracy.

It is good to have a day to recount what we have received as a nation. Gratitude for the past is a proper feeling today. With Solomon as we pray for our nation we ask God to be with us, for we need Him still. Our future depends on His blessing. We need to look to Him always as our source and guide.

II.

Our prayer looks to our people and asks God to move us to faithfulness. “May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave to our fathers.” Obedience comes from the heart of a believer, so Solomon was issuing a call to faith. However, we do not come to faith by ourselves. We were lost in sin and enemies of God. Conversion to faith is the work of the Holy Spirit. Like water in the desert, God’s Word causes dead hearts to spring to life. The Gospel is the water of life. Its message of God’s love in Christ shows how Jesus rescued us from the plight of sin. The Spirit leads us to place our eternity in the Savior’s hands.

Knowing God’s gift of salvation moves us to follow His commands, decrees, and regulations, not from a sense of duty but out of thankfulness for His goodness. We do not have the myriad of laws that governed Israel, but the Lord has standards of right and wrong that apply to all times and all people.

Since our land has so much, we have no problem following God’s ways, right? The evidence leads to a different conclusion. Look at the way our nation treats life, often snatching it from the unborn in abortion. Consider how it treats marriage. From those ending it improperly to those ignoring it to same sex unions, God’s will is trampled in the dust. Widespread use of pornography demeans God’s gift of sex. People in high places treat marriage vows casually. We have set up other gods of materialism and are seeing the effects it has on our society. God’s Word and His standards are mocked and ignored. America needs a call to repentance and faith.

Then it takes follow through. Consider Solomon. Although he spoke these words, he personally strayed from the Lord. He married many foreign wives and joined them in false worship. The nation followed its leader in disobedience. After Solomon’s death the kingdom divided into two nations. In the north there was a steady decline until Assyria conquered the land and deported the citizens. In the south there were revivals and times of laxity. Finally God took the strong action of allowing them to be taken captive to Babylon. A remnant returned from there after seventy years, purified in faith. Yet by the time of Jesus the Jewish religion was far removed from the truth and many rejected the Savior.

There is a warning for us. The past does not assure the future. Do not feel secure in yourself. Only when you stay close to Jesus and His Gospel can the Holy Spirit keep you in faith.

We are praying for our nation. We want all our countrymen to follow Jesus. How does that happen? Political action does not change hearts. Involvement in the political world is proper and has a wholesome effect on society, but what we especially need are dedicated efforts at converting souls. Producing faith is the work of the Spirit but the sharing of the Gospel comes through us, in our personal witness and our support of the work of our congregation and our synod. As you pray for our nation, pray about your personal response and involvement in these important tasks. Remember the blessings you have received. Share them for the Lord’s work. Spread the Word of the Lord. Back up the message with your lifestyle as you live your faith and follow God’s ways. Pray for the power to do so.

As we witness and live for the Lord, we pray for His blessing. May God be with us, to turn our hearts to Him and to lead us to be His people. That’s what we pray for our nation.