STRONG TO LIVE FAITHFULLY
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, you give me countless reasons to praise you. When words fail me, please hear my heart as I honor you.
Read 1 KINGS 8:54–66
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
The Dedication of the Temple
62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.
64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; / There is no shadow of turning with thee.’1
Think Further
Solomon turns from addressing the Lord to addressing the people assembled as he prayed. He reminds the people of God’s faithfulness in keeping his covenant promises and that now Israel experiences a time of peace and rest because the people have walked in obedience to God’s commands and played their part in fulfilling the covenant. This is the highpoint of this story and Solomon at his best – characterized by all being well for him and the people in the land.
Solomon continues to pray for the Lord’s fame to be known, re- emphasizing that the temple has an evangelistic role, standing as a monument to God’s mercy and faithfulness, leading others to know the distinctive nature of the Lord: he is God above all gods, Lord of all the earth. Perhaps in our praying, we could focus less on our needs and more on how the Lord might be glorified and honored by those who do not yet know him. Along with a plea for God’s faithfulness to be celebrated among the nations, Solomon also prays for covenant loyalty from the people. We each need to keep seeking God’s help, day by day, to walk faithfully and loyally before him.
The culmination of the dedication ceremony is a multitude of sacrifices. One can only imagine the sight and smell of the many offerings that are made. It seems here that these sacrifices are huge in number to provide for a great feast. This is a moment when God’s promises have been fulfilled, the people have obeyed him, and all are rejoicing. It is right to pause to savor such moments, to delight in them and to rejoice at what God has accomplished in partnership with his people.
Apply
Praise God as you reflect on the promises he has fulfilled in your life.
Closing prayer
On the occasions when I celebrate, Lord God, help me to remember that you are the giver of every blessing. Help me always to give you thanks and to point others to you, the giver of every good thing.
1 Thomas Chisholm, 1866–1960
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