538. In the Old Testament, what relationship do the king and the temple have to prayer?
(Comp 538) The prayer of the People of God developed in the shadow of the dwelling
place of God – the Ark of the Covenant, then the Temple – under the guidance of
their shepherds. Among them there was David, the King “after God’s own heart,”
the shepherd who prayed for his people. His prayer was a model for the prayer
of the people because it involved clinging to the divine promise and a trust
filled with love for the One who is the only King and Lord.
“In brief”
(CCC 2594) The prayer of
the People of God flourished in the shadow of the dwelling place of God's
presence on earth, the ark of the covenant and the Temple, under the guidance
of their shepherds, especially King David, and of the prophets.
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2578) The prayer of
the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling place, first the
ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people -
the shepherds and the prophets - teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must
have learned from his mother Hannah how "to stand before the LORD"
and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: "Speak, LORD, for your
servant is listening" (1 Sam 3:9-10; cf. 1:9-18). Later, he will also know
the cost and consequence of intercession: "Moreover, as for me, far be it
from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I
will instruct you in the good and the right way" (1 Sam 12:23). (CCC 2579)
David is par excellence the king "after God's own heart," the
shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to
the will of God, his praise, and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer
of the people. His prayer, the prayer of God's Anointed, is a faithful
adherence to the divine promise and expresses a loving and joyful trust in God,
the only King and Lord (Cf. 2 Sam 7:18-29). In the Psalms David, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, is the first prophet of Jewish and Christian prayer. The
prayer of Christ, the true Messiah and Son of David, will reveal and fulfill
the meaning of this prayer.
Reflection
(CCC 2580) The Temple of
Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be the work of
his son, Solomon. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple relies on God's
promise and covenant, on the active presence of his name among his People,
recalling his mighty deeds at the Exodus (1 Kings 8:10-61). The king lifts his
hands toward heaven and begs the Lord, on his own behalf, on behalf of the
entire people, and of the generations yet to come, for the forgiveness of their
sins and for their daily needs, so that the nations may know that He is the
only God and that the heart of his people may belong wholly and entirely to
him.
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