2 Chronicles 6:16-21: a reflection

16“Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ 17Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David. 18“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house which I have built! 19Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you; 20that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put your name, to listen to the prayer which your servant will pray toward this place. 21Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.

As Solomon dedicates the temple, he is struck by a wonder: that the God whom heaven cannot contain would hear the prayers of his people on earth. Will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? he asks. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house which I have built! And yet, he prays, hear the prayer of your servant, that your eyes may be open toward this house, to listen to the prayer your people pray; and when you hear, forgive. The God too great for heaven to contain yet stoops to hear our prayers and forgive.

Notice the wonder Solomon holds together: God's greatness, and his attentiveness to prayer. God is so great that heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him; he is beyond all measure, beyond any house or place. And yet this same God stoops to hear the prayers of his people, to attend to their cries, and to forgive. The God too vast for heaven to hold is not too great to hear us; his greatness does not make him deaf to our prayers, but he stoops, in his greatness, to hear and forgive. Greatness and attentiveness are held together in him.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can imagine that a God so great could not be concerned with our small prayers. We can feel that God is too great, too vast, too far above us, to attend to our particular prayers, our small cries and needs; but Solomon marveled that the God whom heaven cannot contain still hears our prayers and forgives. Do not imagine that God is too great to hear you; the God too vast for heaven to hold stoops to hear the prayers of his people and to forgive. Bring your prayers to the God whose greatness does not make him deaf, but who stoops, in his greatness, to hear and forgive, as Solomon marveled that the God whom heaven cannot contain would yet listen to the prayers prayed toward his house. The greatness of God is no barrier to his hearing you; he is great enough to fill heaven, and attentive enough to hear your smallest prayer, and gracious enough, when he hears, to forgive.

Lord, as Solomon dedicates the temple, he is struck by a wonder: that the God whom heaven cannot contain would hear the prayers of his people on earth. Will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? he asks. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house which I have built! And yet, he prays, hear the prayer of your servant, that your eyes may be open toward this house; and when you hear, forgive. You, too great for heaven to contain, yet stoop to hear our prayers and forgive. Show me the wonder Solomon holds together: your greatness, and your attentiveness to prayer. You are so great that heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; and yet you stoop to hear the prayers of your people, and to forgive. You, too vast for heaven to hold, are not too great to hear me; your greatness does not make you deaf to my prayers. Greatness and attentiveness are held together in you. Take that to my heart, for I can imagine that a God so great could not be concerned with my small prayers. I can feel that you are too great, too vast, to attend to my particular prayers, my small cries and needs; but Solomon marveled that you, whom heaven cannot contain, still hear our prayers and forgive. Keep me from imagining that you are too great to hear me; you stoop to hear the prayers of your people and to forgive. Help me bring my prayers to the God whose greatness does not make him deaf, Lord, but who stoops, in his greatness, to hear and forgive. Thank you that your greatness is no barrier to your hearing me.