Yesterday we looked at what Solomon had asked for himself in the dedication of the new temple in Jerusalem. Today he considers four situations that involve sin and the results of sin. In the Jewish system of worship there was a specific day - the Day of Atonement - when the high priest offered a sacrifice to atone for the sin of the nation during the previous year. And, of course, there was a sin offering that the individual was supposed to bring to cover and atone for individual sins. But now, in the dedication of the temple, Solomon offers a prayer asking God to forgive four types of sins that could be present in the nation of Israel.
First is the incidence in which a man has sinned against his neighbor and that neighbor has called down a curse upon him; second, the situation in which the nation has been attacked by an enemy because of the peoples' sin; third is the case of drought; and, finally, the case of pestilence and plague brought on by the nation's sin.
Which of the many problems and difficulties that our nation faces today are the result of our corporate and individual sins and need to be addressed by our society and our churches?
