1 Kings 8:35-40
35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
… If the people of Israel were groaning under any national calamity, or any particular Israelite under any personal calamity, he desired that the prayers they should make in or towards this house might be heard and answered.
a. In case of public judgments, war (1 Kgs. 8:33), want of rain (1 Kgs. 8:35), famine, or pestilence (1 Kgs. 8:37), and he ends with an et cetera—any plague or sickness; for no calamity befals other people which may not befal God’s Israel. Now he supposes,
(a.) That the cause of the judgment would be sin, and nothing else. “If they be smitten before the enemy, if there be no rain, it is because they have sinned against thee.” It is sin that makes all the mischief.
(b.) That the consequence of the judgment would be that they would cry to God, and make supplication to him in or towards that house. Those that slighted him before would solicit him then. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee. In their afflictions they will seek me early and earnestly.
(c.) That the condition of the removal of the judgment was something more than barely praying for it. He could not, he would not, ask that their prayer might be answered unless they did also turn from their sin (1 Kgs. 8:35) and turn again to God (1 Kgs. 8:33), that is, unless they did truly repent and reform. On no other terms may we look for salvation in this world or the other. But, if they did thus qualify themselves for mercy, he prays,
[a.] That God would hear from heaven, his holy temple above, to which they must look, through this temple.
[b.] That he would forgive their sin; for then only are judgments removed in mercy when sin is pardoned.
[c.] That he would teach them the good way wherein they should walk, by his Spirit, with his word and prophets; and thus they might be both profited by their trouble (for blessed is the man whom God chastens and teaches), and prepared for deliverance, which then comes in love when it finds us brought back to the good way of God and duty.
[d.] That he would then remove the judgment, and redress the grievance, whatever it might be—not only accept the prayer, but give in the mercy prayed for.
b. In case of personal afflictions, 1 Kgs. 8:38-40. “If any man of Israel has an errand to thee, here let him find thee, here let him find favour with thee.” He does not mention particulars, so numerous, so various, are the grievances of the children of men.
(a.) He supposes that the complainants themselves would very sensibly feel their own burden, and would open that case to God which otherwise they kept to themselves and did not make any man acquainted with: They shall know every man the plague of his own heart, what it is that pains him, and (as we say) where the shoe pinches, and shall spread their hands, that is, spread their case, as Hezekiah spread the letter, in prayer, towards this house; whether the trouble be of body or mind, they shall represent it before God. Inward burdens seem especially meant. Sin is the plague of our own heart; our indwelling corruptions are our spiritual diseases. Every Israelite indeed endeavours to know these, that he may mortify them and watch against the risings of them. These he complains of. This is the burden he groans under: O wretched man that I am! These drive him to his knees, drive him to the sanctuary. Lamenting these, he spreads forth his hands in prayer.
(b.) He refers all cases of this kind, that should be brought hither, to God.
[a.] To his omniscience: “Thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men, not only the plagues of their hearts, their several wants and burdens” (these he knows, but he will know them from us), “but the desire and intent of the heart, the sincerity or hypocrisy of it. Thou knowest which prayer comes from the heart, and which from the lips only.” The hearts of kings are not unsearchable to God.
[b.] To his justice: Give to every man according to his ways; and he will not fail to do so, by the rules of grace, not the law, for then we should all be undone.
[c.] To his mercy: Hear, and forgive, and do (1 Kgs. 8:39), that they may fear thee all their days, 1 Kgs. 8:40. This use we should make of the mercy of God to us in hearing our prayers and forgiving our sins, we should thereby he engaged to fear him while we live. Fear the Lord and his goodness. There is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared.
— Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
