This morning I read through some of 1 Kings and saw two verses of great truths that ought to be taken together and give great hope to the church. The first verse is in 1 Kings 8:39. This is in the midst of a prayer by Solomon. He is asking the Lord to fill the place that Solomon has built for God and to remember the people of Israel when they fall way, but repent and call upon the Lord. in a parenthetical remark Solomon says, "for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind." No matter who you/the are, lost or saved, the Lord knows your hearts. Of course, this is NOT a good thing for those who are unbelievers disguising themselves as believers. It is also scary news for those who understand the depth of sin in their own hearts. However, when taken with the second verse that I've been meditating on this morning, it's amazing.
The second verse comes after the prayer of Solomon. He finishes his prayer, and then he stands up and speaks to the people his benediction. In 1 Kings 8:58 Solomon says, "that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded to our fathers." The Lord, the Lord alone, knows the hearts of all the children of mankind and He alone has the authority and power to incline our hearts to Him.
This truth must go together in our evangelism, our ministry, our shepherding, our leading, our loving, our very lives. It is great to know that He knows every heart AND that He is able, completely able, to incline the hearts of man to obey God.
1 comment:
Great insight! Those types of connections are the theology behind the OT narratives!
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