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? 1 Kings 8:27
Solomon Brings the Ark into the Temple
The ark brought to the temple: 1 Kings 8:1-11; 2 Chronicles 5:1-14 The ark was constructed in the days of Moses, and was the focus of God’s presence with his people. With the Ark in place in the Temple, God’s glory visibly fills it.
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 out [3] 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.
Solomon’s sermon: 1 Kings 8:12-21; 2 Chronicles 6:1-11. Solomon briefly recounts to the people how he has completed the temple, which God told David his son Solomon would build
Solomon’s prayer of dedication: 1 Kings 8:22-61; 2 Chronicles 5:12-42. Solomon’s prayer of dedication is a model OT petition. In it the king affirms who God is, and bases his requests on promises made and principles laid down in the written law. The prayer concludes with a blessing on Israel, and a call to the people to commitment. Solomon exhorts them, for “your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands…” (1 Kings 8:61).
33 “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers. 35 “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, 36 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. 37 “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; 38 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: 39 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), 40 that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
. 53 For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”
57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 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.
61 Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
Two weeks of worship: 1 Kings 8:62-66; 2 Chronicles 7:1-10. The prayer of Solomon is accepted. The whole congregation sees flame fall from heaven to kindle the altar of sacrifice. This is another link with the tabernacle, for miraculous fire also fell at its dedication in the wilderness (Lev. 9:24; cf. Judg. 6:21).
