1 Kings 8:1-66

The temple was finally ready to enter and Solomon held elaborate festivities to celebrate the event.  In many ways the temple was simply a symbol of the presence of God with the people and the nation. It was the center for worship before the Lord and a place where the Lords children could come to offer sacrifices to the Lord for their sin.  This was truly a momentous occasion in Israel and one that was worthy of these festivities.  We must never forget to celebrate the presence of the Lord with us and the forgiveness of sin that we have in Christ.  God has been faithful to provide for all of our needs, especially forgiveness, and we must be faithful to praise and worship Him for His abundant grace in our lives.

SOLOMON BRINGS THE ARK: Once the temple was complete, Solomon brings the Ark into the holy of holies and sets up all of the furniture just the way that the Lord had commanded in His instructions for the tabernacle.  This was now the permanent place for the Ark to dwell and symbolized the presence of God with the people.  God affirms this fact by filling the Temple with a cloud similar to the one by which He had led the children of Israel in the wilderness.  God’s presence is a huge blessing for the nation of Israel, but it is an even greater blessing for us because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  God’s presence is not represented by a building in some far of city; it is in our own bodies.  His presence fills us.

SOLOMON BLESSES THE LORD: God had promised David that his son would build the temple and Solomon was the answer to that promise.  Solomon was careful to demonstrate his gratitude to the Lord for fulfilling His promises.  The Lord delights in the praise and thanksgiving of His people.  Solomon is faithful to recognize how blessed he has been to be able to be a part of what God was doing and for that He, in turn, blesses the Lord.  We must be careful to thank the Lord for His many blessings and His faithfulness to us throughout our lives and the many circumstances that we face.  He has blessed us beyond what we could ever deserve or even imagine.  We must be faithful to bless Him in return with praise, thanksgiving and constant worship.

SOLOMON BESEECHES THE LORD: Solomon recognizes that despite His abundant wealth and wisdom; he still desperately needs the Lord.  Solomon comes before the Lord in prayer and beseeches the Lord’s blessing on the temple, his own life and the life of the nation.  He recognizes his dependence upon the Lord and asks for the Lord’s favor and forgiveness to be the constant companions of the nation.  There will be many circumstances in which the people will need God’s provision: times of war, famine, sinfulness and illness.  Solomon knows that this is the reality of this world and He pleads for the Lords grace, provision and forgiveness in these circumstances.  We pray, not because God needs us to pray; but because we desperately need God to act in our lives.  We must remember to turn to the Lord in every circumstance in which we might find ourselves.

SOLOMON BURNS THE SACRIFICE: This ceremony is not capped off by a huge first sacrifice made in the temple.  A staggering 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were offered on that day as dedication of the temple and a recognition of their need for forgiveness.  Christ is our sacrifice and has paid the price for our sin so that we do not need to sacrifice animals as a temporary atonement for sin because Christ has made permanent atonement for sin in His blood.  The sacrifice was a symbol of forgiveness in the lives of the nation and that reality called for a feast of rejoicing before the Lord for His great mercy and grace.  We must never stop celebrating the glorious forgiveness that we have because of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.