“God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’”
So, here’s the thing that strikes me about this passage: inasmuch as God is sovereign in his will to do as he wishes, here is clear acknowledgement of the choice afforded to man to make some personal decisions. Decisions to live a certain way, to obey or not to obey, and to love or not to love. And despite the omnipotence that defines the person of God, here he is telling Solomon – a mortal man – that there is some cause-and-effect that will come into play based on Solomon’s choices. Well, gentle reader, put yourself into Solomon’s shoes, if you will, and don’t be afraid — be courageous to make some good choices during the course of your lifetime.
