Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 1-3-20

Solomon Summons The Ark 1 Kings 8:1-13 (KJV)
The construction of the Temple had been complete for nearly a year, but the proj- ect was not finished. The Ark of the Covenant was still in a tent sanctuary where King David placed it. Transporting the Ark from the City of David to the new Temple in Jerusalem was the focal point of this dedication. Every group of people including the elders and all of the leaders present had a role during the ceremony. The priests carried the Ark, and King Solomon and the people worshiped God before the Ark with many sacrifices as the Ark was placed in the Most Holy Place.
The Ark made the Temple the center of their religious life. This ark contained the tablets that represent the covenant that God made with the Israelites when God deliv- ered them out of bondage in Egypt.
God’s Glory Fills The Temple (vv. 10–13)
The moment of truth fi- nally arrived. Would the Lord choose to dwell in the Tem- ple? Although Solomon spent a lot of resources building the Temple, hired the best people to work on the project, and sacrificed many animals for the dedication, none of that meant anything unless the Lord approved.
As soon as the priests walked out of the holy place, God’s glory filled the entire temple. God’s glory came in the form of a cloud just as it did when God led the Chil- dren of Israel through the
wilderness during the exodus and when God met them at Mt. Sinai before giving the Ten Commandments.
God’s glory was so thick that the priests could no longer minister inside the Temple. Solomon then told the gathered people that “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.” Solomon believed the thick cloud of darkness to be a sign of God fulfilling His promise to be with the Children of Is- rael. And now the Lord was present.
Solomon’s project to build a house for the Lord was complete. God was with His people in His house. Solomon’s final phrase sums up what this text means to the Children of Israel: “I have
built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in for- ever.” The Children of Israel endured many times of insta- bility: wandering in the wilderness, warring with other tribes to acquire the Promised Land, changing leadership during the time of the judges, warring during the times of Saul and David.
Here at the Temple, they had finally arrived as a peo- ple. They had peace, their land, and a strong king. They only needed their God to dwell among them. With this dedication, God finally had a permanent residence amongst them.
God’s glory overwhelms us, and is manifested in us when we show His character to the world!
The Scriptures
1 Kings: 8:1 - Then Solomon assembled the eld- ers of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2AndallthemenofIs- rael assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Is- rael came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congrega- tion, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Is- rael, that were assembled unto him, were with him be- fore the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen with- out: and there they are unto this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a set-
tled place for thee to abide in for ever.”
King Solomon Gathers The People
(1 Kings 8:1–3, 5)
This text marks the be- ginning of the dedication of the Temple as a sacred place of worship for the Lord. At the time of the dedication, there were many Israelites in Jerusalem because they had come for their national festi- val. King Solomon called upon all of the elders and leaders of the Israelites to come as the priests carried the Ark (v. 3). The leaders and the people joined Solomon in worshiping the Lord outside of the Temple.
The sacrifices they made could not be numbered. We might imagine that the area was full like the National Mall during the Presidential Inau- guration. Yet the symbolism of this event was even greater than our political celebra- tions. The celebration of Solomon and the nation was not about establishing a man as a national leader; it was about establishing a throne for the God of Israel on earth.
The Priests Bring The Ark To The Inner Sanc- tuary (vv. 4, 6–9)
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