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Hello everyone, it's Aunt Frenita.
And we're studying Lesson Nine: "For All People"
The message for this week is: I worship God with my worldwide church family.
The memory verse is from Revelation, chapter 15, verse 4.
“All nations will come and worship before you”
Have you ever had a special guest come to your church?
Was that person a well-known preacher or singer?
The Israelites invited an extra-special guest to their new church—God.3
He even promised to live in their temple!
Solomon’s eyes sparkled. It was finished!
All the furniture was in the right place.
Every detail was complete.
It was time now to dedicate the temple to the Lord.
Solomon called the leaders of all the tribes and families of Israel to come to Jerusalem.
The first part of the dedication involved bringing the ark to its new home in the temple.
Everyone watched as the priests took the ark from Obed-Edom’s house, where it had been stored for three months.
They carried it slowly, with great respect and joy, to the temple.
King Solomon and the people sacrificed sheep and oxen along the way.
In their joy, they sacrificed so many sheep and oxen to the Lord that no one could keep count!
The priests carried the ark containing the law of God into the Most Holy Place of the temple.
They set it carefully beneath the wings of the two great carved, gold-covered angels.
Then all the Levites who were musicians stood near the altar playing their instruments—
cymbals, and harps, and lyres.
The musicians sang and played loudly and powerfully together.
They praised and thanked the Lord.
“He is so good!” they sang. “His faithful love endures forever!”
And at that moment, the most amazing thing happened!
A great cloud filled the temple!
The cloud held the glorious presence of the Lord!
The priests could not continue their work.
They had to leave the temple because of God’s glory!
Solomon saw the cloud and his heart swelled with thankfulness.
The temple was finished, and the Lord had moved in!
He turned around and looked at all the Israelites standing before him.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!” he shouted.
Then Solomon knelt down.
He lifted his hands toward heaven in front of all the people. He began to pray.
“Oh, Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in all of heaven or earth!"
"You keep Your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey You."
"May You watch over this temple both day and night."
"May You always hear the prayers I make toward this place."
“If Your people are ever defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against You,..."
"and if they turn to You and call on Your name and pray to You here in this temple,..."
"then hear from heaven and forgive their sins."
"Forgive Your people who have sinned against You."
"For they are Your people—Your special possession whom You brought out of Egypt.”
When Solomon finished praying, he stood up and shouted a blessing over all the people of Israel.
“May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors!"
"May He give us the desire to obey His commands!"
"May people all over the earth know that the Lord is God!”
Then the king and all the children of Israel offered sacrifices to the Lord.
Solomon and the Israelites celebrated together for 14 days.
No one would ever forget it! They would tell it over and over again.
Finally someone would write down the story so people could read it forever.