Read 1
Kings 8-9 & Luke
23:39-56
To discover:
As you read consider the
significance of the temple itself.
To ponder:
A longer post today as these
prayers are critical to what follows. The events crescendo as the ark is
brought from the City of David to its
place in the nearby temple. It’s a sign of God coming to live in his new his
house, and of his “covenant” symbolised by the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments
within it (8v9). All is done fittingly (8v1-5). The Cherubim’s wings stretching
over the ark remind us of the Cherubim guarding the way to the presence of God
in Eden (Gen 3v24). As the High
Priest could only enter the Most Holy Place
on the day of atonement, the visibility of the carrying poles from the Holy
Place may be mentioned to show its presence could
constantly be verified by those there. We read the cloud of God’s “glory” then filled
“the temple” (presumably the Holy and Most Holy Places), so they couldn’t
perform their functions. God had arrived!
Solomon
then declared the temple was God’s house forever and blessed the people. He saw
God fulfilling his promise to David in his actions, and praised him for it
(8v15-21). Likewise, as we build the church we fulfil Christ’s promise that God
will build it. We are his means.
Standing
before the altar and spreading his hands to heaven, Solomon then prayed,
affirming there is no God like the LORD in his keeping his “covenant of love”
with those who “wholeheartedly” continue in his way. This implies he kept his
promise to David because of David’s wholeheartedness, affirming the covenant
never required perfection.
On
the basis of David’s example, Solomon then prays God would keep his promise to
have his descendents forever sit on the throne provided they too “walk before”
God. Affirming the provision for forgiveness within the covenant, Solomon then
acknowledges that the temple could never contain God who actually dwells in
heaven, but prays that it would be a focus of prayer directed to him. Israel
always knew God was far bigger than the elements of their religion.
Anticipating
Israel’s failure to keep the law, Solomon prays God would distinguish between the
guilty and innocent when an oath is taken before the altar on any matter, that
he would forgive and restore the nation when praying after being defeated in
battle because of their sin, that he would forgive and teach the nation when
praying because they are experiencing famine for their sin, and all other
manner of judgements (8v37-38). Critical is God dealing with each man according
to his “heart.” This shows the mere show of prayer is not enough. Solomon also
prays that he would answer the foreigner who prays towards the temple, so that
“all the peoples of the earth” may know and fear God, and that he would hear
his own people when they pray towards the temple for help in war. His prayer
then prophetically anticipates what would later be. He prays that when Israel
sin (as all do) and are taken away as captives, but repent “with all their
heart,” praying towards the temple, that God would forgive and cause their
conquerors to show mercy, with the inference that God would cause them to
return just as he brought them out of Egypt. We look in prayer to Christ as
God’s temple, for his mercy and action. Moreover, even as unbelievers do, they
may be brought through the answers to acknowledge him too.
Solomon
began on his feet and finished on his knees (8v54), blessing the assembly with
affirmation that “not one” of God’s promises through Moses has failed. He then
prayed God would never forsake the people but turn their hearts to him,
remember Solomon’s prayer, and so uphold the cause of him and the people so that
the whole earth may know that the LORD is God. Solomon therefore sees God’s
response to his prayer critical if his purpose for Israel
is to be fulfilled. Here he foreshadows Christ’s prayer that his followers
would be sanctified and united so that the world would know God had sent him
(John 17v23). We should pray it too.
With
hundreds of thousands of offerings the temple was then dedicated with a
fourteen day feast (8v65 and 2), with the people sent away joyful. How much
more should we be in our access to God through Christ.
Sometimes after all this the LORD then
appeared again to Solomon, affirming he had heard Solomon’s prayer, reaffirming
the need of obedience in him and his sons if the promise to David was to be
fulfilled, and warning he would cut Israel off from the land and “reject the
temple” with all its significance for his presence and blessing if they commit
idolatry. This would cause the nation to be ridiculed “among all peoples.” This
is significant when we consider Solomon’s later fall. And his failure is hinted
at in the straining of his relationship with Hiram, who has represented the
nations (9v10-14), and with the report of his wealth, horses and wife (Deut
17v16-17) within the account of building. Nevertheless, we read he kept the
“temple obligations” (9v25).
Praying it home:
Thank God for his readiness to hear
our prayers through Christ. Pray that we would turn to him to give us
wholehearted hearts of obedience, to forgive our sins, and to help us when in
need.
Thinking further:
8v8 says the poles of the ark could
still be seen in the temple “today.” However the book ends after the exile
suggesting it was written after the temple was destroyed and ark lost. The
verse therefore shows that what we are reading must have been written earlier,
before being included in a later work, or having later history added to it.
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