8:1ff Solomon gathered the people not just to dedicate the Temple, but to rededicate themselves to God’s service. Solomon could well be speaking these words to us today: “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day” (8:61).
8:1ff What was the difference between the Tabernacle and the Temple, and why did the Israelites change from one to the other? As a tent, the Tabernacle was a portable place of worship designed for the people as they were traveling toward the Promised Land. The Temple was a permanent place to worship God after the Israelites were at peace in their land. To bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple signified God’s actual presence there.
8:6 Cherubim are mighty angels.
8:15-21 For 480 years after Israel’s escape from Egypt, God did not ask his people to build a temple for him. Instead, he emphasized the importance of his presence among them and their need for spiritual leaders. It is easy to think of a building as the focus of God’s presence and power, but God chooses and uses people to do his work. Building or enlarging our place of worship may be necessary, but it should never take priority over developing spiritual leaders.
8:24 Solomon was referring to the promise God had made to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-15 that one of David’s sons would build the Temple.
8:27 In his prayer of dedication, Solomon declared that even the highest heavens cannot contain God. Isn’t it amazing that, though the heavens can’t contain God, he is willing to live in the hearts of those who love him? The God of the universe takes up residence in his people.
8:29 Did God really live in the Temple? God is everywhere—he does not need a home in which to live. The Temple was a visible symbol of the invisible presence of God. Yet God was specially present in the Temple. Today God does not need a Temple because he lives in his people!
8:33, 34 After Solomon’s reign, the people continually turned away from God. The rest of the kingdom era is a vivid fulfillment of Solomon’s description in these verses. As a result of the people’s sin, God let them be overrun by enemies several times. Then, in desperation, they cried out to God for forgiveness, and God restored them.
8:41-43 God chose Israel to be a blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). This blessing found its fulfillment in Jesus—a descendant of Abraham and David (Galatians 3:8, 9)—who became the Messiah for all people, Jews and non-Jews. When the Israelites first entered the Promised Land, they were ordered to clear out several wicked nations; thus, we read in the Old Testament of many wars. But we should not conclude that war was Israel’s first duty. After subduing the evil people, Israel was to become a light to the surrounding nations. Sadly, Israel’s own sin and spiritual blindness prevented them from reaching out to the rest of the world with God’s love. Reaching out to the world is still the commission of God’s people today. Christians need to take every opportunity to spread God’s love to the world.
8:46-53 Solomon, who seemed to have prophetic insight into the future captivities of his people (2 Kings 17; 25), asked God to be merciful to them when they cried out to him, to forgive them, and to return them to their homeland. Reference to their return is made in Ezra 1–2; Nehemiah 1–2.
8:56-60 Solomon praised the Lord and prayed for the people. His prayer can be a pattern for our prayers. He had five basic requests: (1) for God’s presence (8:57); (2) for the desire to do God’s will in everything (8:58); (3) for the desire and ability to obey God’s decrees and commands (8:58); (4) for help with each day’s needs (8:59); (5) for the spread of God’s Kingdom to the entire world (8:60). These prayer requests are just as important today. When you pray for your church or family, you can make these same requests to God.