Solomon's Temple Dedication Prayer
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Solomon's Temple Dedication Prayer
The temple of Solomon was finally dedicated after having been completed and allowed to remain empty for 11 months. The timing of the dedication and the prayer of Solomon combine in an exquisite demonstration of God's oversight of the event.
Sermon Notes
A partial list of notes and Scriptures used:
From UCG Bible Commentary about the dedication of the Temple.
"The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel found" Steven Collins - Amazon
Pg 66
The heartfelt words of Solomon's dedication [prayer
1 Kings 8; 2 Chro 5&6
1Ki 8:65 At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven more days—fourteen days.
(1Ki 8:66) On the eighth day, he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.
Exquisite timing on the Part of GOD for this dedication.
1Ki 8:12 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
1Ki 8:13 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."
1Ki 8:14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.
1Ki 8:15 And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying,
1Ki 8:16 '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.'
1Ki 8:17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
1Ki 8:18 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.
1Ki 8:19 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.'
1Ki 8:20 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.
1Ki 8:21 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."
Solomon's Prayer of Dedication
1Ki 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;
1Ki 8:23 and he 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.
1Ki 8:24 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.
2Ch 6:12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands
2Ch 6:13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven);
2Ch 6:14 and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
2Ch 6:15 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.
2Ch 6:16 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 in My law as you have walked before Me.'
2Ch 6:17 And now, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.
1Ki 8:12 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
1Ki 8:13 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."
1Ki 8:14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.
1Ki 8:15 And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying,
1Ki 8:16 '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.'
1Ki 8:17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
1Ki 8:18 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.
1Ki 8:19 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.'
1Ki 8:20 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.
1Ki 8:21 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."
Solomon's Prayer of Dedication
1Ki 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;
1Ki 8:23 and he 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.
1Ki 8:24 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.
1Ki 8:25 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.'
1Ki 8:26 And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.
1Ki 8:27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
1Ki 8:28 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today:
1Ki 8:29 that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
1Ki 8:30 And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.
1Ki 8:31 "When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,
1Ki 8:32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.
1Ki 8:33 "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,
1Ki 8:34 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.
1Ki 8:35 "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,
1Ki 8:36 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.
1Ki 8:37 "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;
1Ki 8:38 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:
1Ki 8:39 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),
1Ki 8:40 that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - IN e-Sword
2Ch 7:12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
2Ch 7:13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
2Ch 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
1Ki 8:52 that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You.
1Ki 8:53 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."
Solomon's Benediction
1Ki 8:54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, that he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
1Ki 8:55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
1Ki 8:56 "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.
1Ki 8:57 May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1Ki 8:58 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.
1Ki 8:59 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,
1Ki 8:60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.
1Ki 8:61 Let your heart, therefore, be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day."
Fire from Heaven
2Ch 7:1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2Ch 7:2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.
2Ch 7:3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever."