“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple,


2 Chronicles 6:32-35

32 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
34 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.


Today’s title is “Temple for Foreigners”

Most people tend to think that the temple of Jerusalem is the greatest symbol of so-called Hebraism. They believe that it is the most Jewish institution that separates the people of Israel from others. Is it really? In some ways, it is true. Temple has been the central place to maintain the identity of Jewish people through a long history of suffering and hardships from foreign invaders. We often heard that the foreigners were forbidden from coming into the inner courts with clear warning signs against potential intruders. But as far as I know, the court of gentiles was not specified at Solomon’s temple. It was introduced later in history after Israel went through foreign invaders who profaned the temple. Solomon’s temple had only an inner court where mostly the priests work for the sacrifices and an outer court where other people could enter for worship and another gathering. On the contrary, the Herodian temple had four courts such as the inner court, the court of Israel, the court of women, and the court of gentiles from inside out. The court of gentiles might have been designated in an effort to preserve the purity of the temple that has gone through many foreign invasions. Solomon’s temple doesn’t seem to have such segregation for foreigners. Foreigners were welcome to pray and sacrifice at the temple like any Israelites, for the temple is the temple of God who made heaven and earth as Hiram the king of Tyre said. We can see such international or universal characteristics of the temple in Solomon’s address. He says, “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you.” This is almost identical to what Solomon said about his own people. When Jesus visited the temple later, it was here that He purified the temple. It was also mostly here at the court of gentiles that Jesus taught in Jerusalem. Wasn’t that the answer for the prayer of Solomon when he said “Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you?”? Indeed the people of the earth including us should be grateful for the temple, shouldn't we?