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JULY 5
holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but
July 5 they could not be seen from outside. And they
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are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark
except the two tablets which Moses put there
at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant
2 Chronicles 5:1–6:42
with the children of Israel, when they had
5 So all the work that Solomon had done come out of Egypt.
for the house of the LORD was finished;
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And it came to pass when the priests came
and Solomon brought in the things which his out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests
father David had dedicated: the silver and the who were present had sanctified themselves,
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gold and all the furnishings. And he put them without keeping to their divisions), and the
in the treasuries of the house of God. Levites who were the singers, all those of
Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their
sons and their brethren, stood at the east end
of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cym-
bals, stringed instruments and harps, and with
5:1 The temple took 7 years,6 months to build them one hundred and twenty priests sound-
and was completed in Solomon’s 11th year ing with trumpets— indeed it came to pass,
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(959 B.C.) in the eighth month (1 Kin. 6:38).
Since it was dedicated in the seventh month when the trumpeters and singers were as one,
(5:3),its dedication occurred 11 months later to to make one sound to be heard in praising and
coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles. Why is thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up
there so much emphasis in the Old Testament their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and
on the temple? 1) It was the center of worship instruments of music, and praised the LORD,
that called people to correct belief through saying:
the generations. 2) It was the symbol of God’s “For He is good,
presence with His people.3) It was the symbol For His mercy endures forever,”
of forgiveness and grace, reminding the peo-
ple of the seriousness of sin and the availabili-
ty of mercy. 4) It prepared the people for the
true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would
take away sin. 5) It was a place of prayer. 5:13,14 the glory of the LORD. The Lord’s
presence indwelt the temple and the first
service of worship was held. In the same man-
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Is-
2 ner He descended on the tabernacle (Ex.
rael and all the heads of the tribes, the chief 40:34–38). He will do likewise on the millenni-
fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, al temple (Ezek. 43:1–5). His glory is represen-
that they might bring the ark of the covenant tative of His Person (Ex. 33), and entering the
of the LORD up from the City of David, which temple signified His presence.
is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assem-
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bled with the king at the feast, which was in the
seventh month. So all the elders of Israel that the house, the house of the LORD, was
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came, and the Levites took up the ark. Then filled with a cloud, so that the priests could
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they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of not continue ministering because of the cloud;
meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were for the glory of the LORD filled the house of
in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites God.
brought them up. Also King Solomon, and all 6 Then Solomon spoke:
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the congregation of Israel who were assem-
bled with him before the ark, were sacrificing “The LORD said He would dwell in the
sheep and oxen that could not be counted or 2 dark cloud.
numbered for multitude. Then the priests I have surely built You an exalted
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house,
brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the And a place for You to dwell in forever.”
temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the 3 Then the king turned around and blessed
wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim the whole assembly of Israel, while all the
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spread their wings over the place of the ark, assembly of Israel was standing. And he said:
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and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has
its poles. The poles extended so that the ends fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with
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of the poles of the ark could be seen from the His mouth to my father David, saying, ‘Since
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