READ: 1 Kin. 8:54-66: … Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel … So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord … At that time Solomon held a feast … before the Lord our God … fourteen days …
The words Solomon now speaks, standing with his hands spread toward heaven, express deep dependence on and gratitude to the Lord. Not one promise of God concerning rest for His people has failed (v.56; Deut. 12:9-12; Josh. 21:43-45; 23:14).
This rest now receives a rich fulfillment, though it still foreshadows the final eternal Sabbath rest in Christ’s perfect kingdom—the new Jerusalem where there will be no temple (Heb. 4:4-11; Rev. 21:22).
In his prayer Solomon uses the same encouraging words God spoke to Joshua (Josh. 1:5), later repeated by David to Solomon (1 Chron. 28:20): May the Lord our God be with us … May He not leave us nor forsake us.
Solomon also acknowledges the need for God’s help to achieve the required obedience, and prays 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 (v.58).
This is also linked to the act of bearing witness before other nations: that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and there is no other (cf. 1 Kin. 18:39; Rev. 14:6-7).
After this prayer, a great sacrificial ceremony is held in the temple courtyard, with countless offerings, including 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep.
The following feast lasts fourteen days, incorporating the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Chron. 7:9). All the people return home joyful because of the goodness the Lord has shown to David and to His people.
What does this passage say about our worship services?
Sing: Ps. 21:1,4