1 Kings 8:1-66
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefa of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
8 And they drew out the staves, that the endsb of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came outc of the land of Egypt.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)
15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not faild thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:
29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.e
30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place:f and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oathg be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.
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;h 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.
41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;
42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the cityi which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:
45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.j
46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 Yet if they shall bethinkk themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,l
50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failedm one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.
63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.
64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessedn the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.
Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, and they brought the ark of the covenant into the temple, and as they did, the glory of the Lord came and filled the temple and there was just this glorious presence of God even as did take place at the time of the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Now again God's presence, the Shekinah glory of God, filling the temple.
And Solomon there offered his prayer of dedication unto God. And this dedicatory prayer of Solomon's is, of course, a classic as he speaks, first of all, of his building of the temple. And verse seventeen he said,
It was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house unto my name, you did well that it was in your heart (1 Kings 8:17-18).
Now God accounted it to David as having done it because it was in his heart to do, though David was not allowed to do it. God takes your motives many times above your actions. It is possible to have the right actions with the wrong motives. That is not acceptable by God. You may have the right motives, but not carry through an action. The fact that the motive, the desire is there is acceptable by God. Man looks on the outward appearance; God looks on the heart. God looks upon that which motivates you. And that which is in your heart to do and that's what God counts. What is in your heart to do. Not always am I able to do what's in my heart. You know, it may be that a person is a very generous person but has nothing to give. God sees the heart. He sees the desire of the heart to give. Even though there is nothing to give, God counts the desire of the heart even more than the wealthy person that gives God a pittance of their wealth.
Remember Jesus talking about the little widow. She gave more than the rest. Though it was just a mite, she gave of her substance. The rest of all tossed in out of their abundance. That doesn't count. God sees the heart. He knows the motive of the heart. It's in David's heart to build a temple and inasmuch as it's in his heart, God said that's good. It was in your heart to do. But you can't do it because you've got too much blood on your hands, a man of war.
but your son that shall come out of your own loins, he will build the house in my name. So the LORD hath performed his word that he spoke (1 Kings 8:19-20),
Now this affirmation of God's faithfulness to perform His word is something that we need to take note of, verse twenty. For you can be sure that God will perform His word that He declares. And Solomon has now affirmed the fact that God has performed.
and I am risen up in the place of my father David, to sit upon the throne of Israel, and as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt (1 Kings 8:20-21).
And now Solomon's prayer.
So he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation, he spread forth his hands toward heaven (1 Kings 8:22):
So you see Solomon now standing there. And all of the congregation of Israel having assembled. And Solomon lifts his hands unto God and there he begins this prayer of dedication.
O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, who keeps covenant and mercy with your servants that walk before you with all your heart (1 Kings 8:23):
God, there's no God like You anywhere.
And you have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him: for you spoke also with your mouth, and you have fulfilled it with your hand, as we see it today (1 Kings 8:24).
It's always glorious to stand and see the fulfillment of God's work, God's promise. Lord, You said it and there it is. Always exciting to stand in the fulfillment of God's work.
Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which you promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as you have walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let your word, I pray thee, be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on earth? behold, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built? (1 Kings 8:25-27)
So Solomon's recognition of sort of the ludicrous situation. "God, the heaven of heavens can't contain You. How much less this house I have built."
But have respect, Lord, toward this place and towards the prayers that are offered here, and hearken to the cries when your servants pray before you: That your eyes may be open on this house day and night, even towards this place where you have said, My name shall be there: and that you'll hearken unto the prayer which your servant shall make toward this place. And hearken to the supplication of your servant, and your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: hear from heaven thy dwelling place: when you hear, forgive (1 Kings 8:28-30).
Beautiful. "Lord, when they pray towards this place, hear from Your dwelling place in heaven. We know You don't really dwell here. You dwell in heaven. But hear and when You hear, O God, forgive."
And now he foresees various situations that may arise.
If any man trespasses against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath comes before your altar in this house: Then hear from heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, and bringing his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous. When Israel is smitten before their enemies, because they have sinned against thee, and they turn again to thee, and they confess your name, and they pray, and they make their prayers in this house: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because we have sinned (1 Kings 8:31-35);
Now notice that he attributes the national calamities to the sins of the people. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). And the national calamities are the result of the sins of the people. What's that make the United States? You know.
that thou should [verse thirty-six] teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon the land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. And if there's a famine, or a pestilence, a blasting, mildew, or the locust, or caterpillar; if the enemy besieges them; whatsoever plague, or sickness there might be; and prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all the people. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even you only, know the hearts of all of the children of men) (1 Kings 8:36-39);
As we said earlier, God looks on the heart.
Now if your people go out to battle against the enemies, wherever you send them, and they shall pray unto the LORD towards this city which you have chosen, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause (1 Kings 8:44-45).
Now you remember, of course, it goes on here to say,
And if they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and you be angry with them, deliver them into their enemy, so that they are carried away captives to the land of the enemies, either far or near; And if they bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and they repent, and they make supplication unto thee in the land where you have carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which you've led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer (1 Kings 8:46-49)
Now you remember later on when Daniel was a captive in the land of Babylon. And after the Medo-Persian Empire had overcome the Babylonian Empire, and Darius was tricked into signing the decree that if any man should make a petition or request of anybody else outside of King Darius for a period of thirty years, thirty days, he should be cast into the den of lions. And you remember that Daniel went to his house as was his custom and opened his windows towards Jerusalem and prayed unto the Lord. He was remembering what Solomon had prayed. "Lord, if they're captives in the land and they turn towards this place and pray, hear."
Now earlier on, the prayer of Daniel in the ninth chapter is a beautiful thing indeed, because again, Daniel was thinking of this very passage. For Daniel when he prayed, his prayer was actually a confession of sin. "Lord, we have sinned against Thee. We've done wickedly." And he is confessing the sin, even as Solomon said, "Lord, if they're in captivity and they confess their sin and all... " And Daniel was following the pattern that Solomon had set forth in this prayer of dedication. Turning towards Jerusalem, confessing the sins and asking God's forgiveness and God's help. So Daniel, a very beautiful man because he was a man of the Word. He knew the Word of God. He knew the prophecies of Jeremiah. He knew the time of captivity was about up and following the pattern that Solomon had set in this prayer. Daniel thus prayed unto the Lord out of the captivity in Babylon, and God heard. And they were released from that captivity.
Now when Solomon prayed this prayer, God answered Solomon. And the answer of Solomon is oftentimes quoted by itself and not in context. Second Chronicles 1 Kings 7:14,the Lord's answer to Solomon was, "For if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will heal their nation" (2 Chronicles 7:14). That was God's answer to this prayer of dedication. We'll get that more when we get to Second Chronicles.
Now after he had finished his prayer and supplications,
he arose from before the altar of the LORD (1 Kings 8:54),
So it said that he was standing, but now he evidently went to his knees because he is rising.
from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread from heaven (1 Kings 8:54).
He began by standing, went down to his knees, his hands lifted to heaven.
And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant (1 Kings 8:55-56).
Isn't that a great testimony to God? Not one word of His promises have failed.
The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, or forsake us: that we might incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and statutes, and judgments. And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. And let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, to keep his commandments, as this day (1 Kings 8:57-61).
So he's charged the people, "Be perfect with God. Walk in His ways." And so they offered sacrifices before the LORD of peace offerings.
twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep (1 Kings 8:63).
Probably the biggest barbecue on record. Great time of feasting and rejoicing then before the Lord as they have now completed the house and dedicated the house unto the Lord.
So the same day the king hallowed the middle part of the ground (1 Kings 8:64):
He declared it holy because they didn't have enough room to barbecue all of the beef in the area of the sacrifices and all. So they made the whole area holy and they offered up the burned offerings and all, all over the place there.
And at that time Solomon held a feast, all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and then another seven days (1 Kings 8:65).
They went out for fourteen days celebrating.
And the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went up unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all of the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people (1 Kings 8:66).
That's the way people should always leave the presence of God. Joyful and glad of heart. That's the proper attitude. Having been with God, fellowship with God should always create that joyfulness and the happiness within us.
Shall we pray.
Father, we thank You again for the privilege of studying Your word and may Your Spirit bless it now that we might hide it away in our heart that we might learn from the lessons of history. Lord, help us that we might walk in Thy ways; we might keep Thy word and that we might, O God, experience and know Thy faithfulness and Your keeping Your word to us. We thank You, Father, for the many blessings and the glorious promises that have been given to us and we rest in Thee. In Jesus our Lord. Amen. "