Solomon assembled the elders and leaders of the people at Jerusalem (v1) with the purpose of bringing the ark of the covenant which was the most important item in the temple. The men met (v2) in the seventh month at the feast of Ethanim which was eleven months after the temple was finished. This was a spectacular event to celebrate the opening of the temple to bring the ark into the temple because it couldn’t function without it. This was a special feast when the people would have gathered and brought their fruits. It is said to be the feast of tabernacles and particularly a jubilee year.
The ark, the tabernacle of meeting and all the holy furnishings which were in the tabernacle were brought into the temple (v3-9). The ark could only be carried by the priests and Solomon was careful to comply. We saw in 2 Samuel 6 the calamity which befell Uzzah when David had put the ark on a new cart. A cart, however new, was not the way it should be conveyed. The priests were to carry it. Whilst the ark was the most important item, assisted by the Levites they also brought the lamp stand, the table of shewbread and the altar of incense.
Solomon and all the congregation sacrificed an innumerable number of sheep and oxen. The priests put the ark into the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place under the wings of the cherubim which overshadowed the ark and its poles. The poles extended so that they could be seen from the Holy Place but not from the outside. The only thing in the ark were the two tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments. Previously the ark contained the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod which budded. We don’t know what had happened to them. These were reminders of God’s deliverance from Egypt and through the wilderness journey.
When the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple (v10) so much so that they could not continue to minister for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD (v11). It is sometimes called the Shekinah glory. God is so holy that men are often unable to stand because His presence is is powerful. We see some of this with Isaiah (6:5) when he fell down at the presence of this Holy God and stated that he was unclean. Likewise, Peter (Luke 5:8) and John (Revelation 1:17). They sensed their sinfulness in His presence.
How we must be careful when we are in His presence, we cannot come casually even though we are told to come boldly (Hebrews 4:16) to the throne of grace. We come not in our own righteousness but in confidence in His word and that our sins have been washed away in His precious blood. We have access only through Him.
Solomon reminded them that God had promised that He would dwell with them in the cloud (v12,13). On their journeys the pillar of cloud and of fire showed His actual presence with them. They were to remain in the place on their journey until the pillar moved and then they were to follow.
Solomon had first addressed God in that he had built this temple for them to meet with Him, and then he turned to address the people (v14-21). As Israel was standing, he blessed them saying, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’ So, the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
This was not just a blessing but a reminder of God’s faithfulness to his father David and to all of them. He acknowledged that this was God’s work, and they were merely God’s hands and feet etc in carrying out God’s plan and purposes. Even though it had taken place around 500 years earlier, it was important that they never forgot who it was who had rescued them from Egypt.
Similarly, we are to remember the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ given for us around 2,000 years ago because it is the lynchpin of our salvation. Without it, we would be eternally lost.
As the king, Solomon was not allowed to enter the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place, therefore he came before the altar before the people and spread out his hands towards heaven and said, “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.” (v22,23)
This was a common posture in prayer, a gesture of surrender and reception. Some fell down in worship. We tend to bow, close our eyes, and even put our hands together. I don’t think there is necessarily a fixed pattern. The important thing is our attitude to God. He recognised who God is and what He had done, He was and is incomparable.
Solomon continued, “You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father (v24-26).
He was laying hold of God’s promises, we have to possess them, often known as believing prayer. He acknowledged the greatness of God, that the heavens could not contain Him, much less this magnificent temple (v27-30). God could not be contained or restricted in a building. He asks God to hear the prayer of His servant and to have regard to the temple and that ‘His name shall be there’. He uses the word ‘supplication.’ This would not be just a set of words, but something from the heart, very much like the old hymn – “I often say my prayers, but do I ever pray, and do the wishes of my heart go with words I say.” He recognised that their greatest need was for forgiveness and for God’s justice upon the righteous and condemnation on those who were not (v31,32). He pleaded for forgiveness when they had sinned and were defeated by their enemies because of of their sin and disobedience, acknowledging that they needed to come before Him in humility and repentance (v33,34).
He concludes his prayer (v35-40) by saying, “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
Rain was important because without it there would be no food. He recognises that the lack of rain was because of their sin. He acknowledges that they were not sinless and deserved God’s punishment, but he asks for mercy and for forgiveness, that God would hear them in the times of plague upon their confession. He mentions that sometimes the the plagues were in their own hearts, for sins that no one else knew about. One preacher observes that we are ready to see sins in others but are often blind to our own. Solomon makes it clear to the people that we need to come in repentance and be completely open with God and fear Him all their days. That was the only way that they would be able to remain in the land even though God had promised it to them. Obedience to God was vital for their future.
His prayer moves on to foreigners (v41-43) those who were not from the people of Israel. Isaiah 56:7 tells us that it was to be a house of prayer for all nations. The court of the Gentiles was a place where they could come and pray. They were provided for by God so that they would hear of God’s great name and His power and come to fear Him and wish to pray to Him. Solomon asked God to hear their prayers.
He then turns his requests to God’s help when they go out to battle for Him to maintain their cause. Note that he says acknowledges that it will only be if God sends them out in battle, therefore, not just any old time, when they feel like it (v44). They couldn’t do just what they liked, nor was God going to fight for them if they were not seeking His will and guidance. The important phrase is ‘wherever you send them’. Solomon asks God to hear from heaven (v45) and uphold their cause.
He acknowledges that there is no one who is without sin(v46) and that God would be rightly angry when thy do sin, even to the point of giving them over to their enemies and captivity. However, if they truly repent and turn back to God, He will forgive.
We have an indication here as to what true repentance is. It is not just being sorry, although it includes that, it requires confession of our sin to God, but further, it requires turning back to God with all our heart and soul. They can pray to God wherever they are (v47,48,49). He asks God to forgive them and cause their captors to show mercy (v50).
He asserts that they are God’s people, and they are where they are because God rescued them from slavery in Egypt (v51). He referred to it as ‘that iron-smelting furnace’. That really conveys an awful experience. I don’t think any of us would like to be in that nor would we have much chance of living through it. Reminds us of the words of the book of Revelation 21:8 which tells us that the unbeliever etc, have their part in the lake of fire burning with brimstone, which is he second death… the punishment for all who have not truly repented of their sin and received Christ as Saviour and Lord. We have been rescued from that terrible end by faith in Christ.
This was no short prayer which he prayed on his knees before altar. He started by standing (v22), so, at some point he fell to his knees. When he had finished, he stood and blessed the people saying in a loud voice, “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” (v54-61)
There is no indication in the Bible that we should only pray on our knees although there are many examples of it, but there are also examples of standing in prayer. Whatever position we adopt, the important thing is our reverence to God.
It is ideal to quote scripture in prayer and to rely on God’s promises. Solomon praised God for His fulfilment of
His past promises which always gives one confidence in God. Not one word of God’s promises have failed or will fail.
Joshua 21:45 echoed those words, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”
God’s blessings to Israel were to be known throughout the world (v60).
He implored them to be loyal to the LORD their God and to walk in his states and obey his commands (v61).
How this is vitally important for us today. In our day, Israel does not have much support, in fact, it is deplored by many. The work of God through his people, Israel, has a message for us in whatever time we live.
King Solomon and all his people came and offered peace offerings sacrificing 22,000 bulls and 120 sheep (v62-66). This was some sacrifice in the dedication of the house to the LORD. Just imagine all those animals and the blood. He also dedicated the middle court in front of the house by burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar was too small to receive them all. He also held a feast, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
They certainly rejoiced for fourteen days. They rejoiced for all the good which God had done for David and for all Israel. What a great start, but sadly it didn’t last.
