My heart is overwhelmed with a good theme as we continue to look through the lens of the Fear of YHVH in the Word.  It truly is a powerful and necessary Spirit of YHVH to cultivate in our lives!!! This Spirit of YHVH shows the blessings for those who Fear Him, the outcome for those who don’t and it speaks of events happening in their lives in order that they would come to Fear Him, which in turn draws them back into right standing. The Fear of YHVH occurs many times in Scripture as it is absolutely necessary for the disciples of YHVH and Yeshua to have in their lives.

In 1 Kings 8 there are sixty-six verses of powerful patterns for people of YHVH to pursue. Please take the time to read this at some point and ask the Father to open your eyes that you may have understanding of the principles that we should grasp. Today we will isolate some of the verses for the sake of the deLIGHT. But before I do I want to set up what is taking place.

The Temple that David had in his heart to build for YHVH would finally be built through his son Solomon.  It’s the feast of the seventh month, the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot, and Solomon gathers all the leaders of tribes and households and begins to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the holy of holies with the many sacrifices. Solomon then turned and faced the standing assembly and began to bless the Holy One of Israel, tell of His mighty deeds and bless the people. As Solomon did this there was a repeatable phrase that he used seven times in this one chapter of 1 Kings 8. It was “pray toward this place”. I will list those specific verses below.

“27 “But will Elohim indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 “Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O YHVH my Elohim, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; 29 that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. [This verse contains the phrase “toward this house/place” three times, but it is only once that Solomon says, “Your servant shall pray toward this place.”]

30 “Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive.”

35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain [water for the one obeying] on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.

38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house [demonstrating the position of praying]; 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40 that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm) [Someone made YHVH’s deeds known]; when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to YHVH toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

48 if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace) [Recounting His great deeds], 52 that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 “For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Adonai YHVH.”

What does it speak forth for us to follow the pattern laid out by Solomon to pray toward this place?  It’s a constant reminder of the place that Yeshua will return to rule and reign and also acknowledges the truth of Micah 4:2, among other places, “Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of YHVH and to the house of the Elohim of Jacob [This place], that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion [This place] will go forth the law, even the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.” [THIS IS the place that Solomon has spoken of over and over in the 1 Kings 8].  When we pray toward this place in this present time, our hearts are connecting with the reality of the future. HalleluYah!!

May we have a joyful Shabbat!!

Tammy

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a