“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” Isaiah 56:7 “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” In my house of prayer: under the new dispensation, all nations would be admitted to the privileges of his people. During the times of the Messiah, the Gentiles would be admitted to the same privileges of the people of God, as the Jewish nation had been. In Solomon's address to God at the dedication of the temple, the concept of a house of prayer, was abundantly laid down (1 Kings 8:29-53). And no doubt the temple was used for the purpose of sacrifice. The sacrifices of proselytes are referred to in the Law (Num 15:14 ff.; Lev 22:18 ff, 17:8 ff, Cambridge). But Solomon uttered the spiritual main purpose of the Temple as "my house of prayer" surprisingly (1 Ki 8:29, 41-43). This passage is quoted by the Savior in Matthew 21:13, to correct the impropriety of employing the temple as a place of traffic and exchange. In that passage Jesus quotes the declaration that it should be 'a house of prayer.' The temple should be regarded as a house of prayer; and the privileges of that house should be extended to all people. On my altar: spiritual sacrifice, namely, "prayer" shall be offered (Ps 141:2, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Ps 51:17, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, you will not despise.” Mal 1:11; Mt 21:13, Jamieson et al). In 1 Kings 8:28,29, Solomon prayed, “Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day … so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.” (Poole) The prophet by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit anticipated the time when the temple should be emphatically a house of prayer. But we must reminded of the fact that the final stage of sacrificial temple worship was to burn incense at the altar of incense, which was the hour of the prayer for congregation (Lk 1:8-13; Rev 8:3-5, 1 Ki 8:41-43, Pulpit). “Make them joyful in my house of prayer”; the Jews apply this verse to the time when the son of David, the Messiah, shall come. Everyone’ s house (closet or upper room) should be a place of private prayer, but a church of Christ is a house where saints worship together and pray together to the Lord, Gentiles as well as Jews (Gill).
|
