1 Kings 8:1-43

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Solomon Dedicates the Temple to the Lord

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. When the ark is in its rightful place, the glory of the Lord will be seen.

  2. When the ark is in its rightful place, the prayers of God’s people will be answered.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let’s not limit God.

QUESTIONS

  1. In which section of 1 Kings do we learn of the construction of the temple and its furnishings?

  2. What is the theme of 1 Kings Chapter 8?

  3. Where was the ark of the covenant placed?

  4. What was in the ark at the time of King Solomon?

  5. What articles were missing from the ark? What happened to them?

  6. What happened when the ark was at rest in its rightful place? See 1 Kings 8:11.

ANSWERS

  1. Chapters 6 and 7.

  2. The ark of the covenant is brought into the temple, and the temple is dedicated to the Lord.

  3. In the Holy of Holies in the temple, under the wings of the large golden cherubim.

  4. The two tablets of stone which Moses put in the ark.

  5. The golden pot that held the manna and Aaron’s rod. See Hebrews 9:4. (Remember, the writer to the Hebrews was speaking of the ark as it was in the tabernacle). We don’t know what became of them.

  6. The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. When God’s people Israel came into the promised land, the ark was to come to rest in the central sanctuary in the location that God would choose. That time now had come. God chose Jerusalem and the temple. When the ark of the Lord came to its rightful place, the glory of the Lord filled that place. The ark of the covenant is a type or picture of Christ. The ark in the Holy of Holies was the meeting place between God and man, and pictures the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and man. See 1 Timothy 2:5. The blood of the atoning sacrifice was placed on the mercy seat of the ark so there could be a relationship between God and His people. This is a picture of the shed blood of Christ and His finished work on the cross for our sins that makes it possible for us to have a relationship with God. So the ark is a picture of Christ, and when the ark is in its rightful place, the glory of the Lord will be seen. When the Lord has His rightful place in our lives, the glory of the Lord will be seen in us – people will see God’s glory in our lives. Read 2 Corinthians 4:10-11. See also 2 Corinthians 4:6-7. Do people see God’s glory in your life?

  2. In Solomon’s great prayer of dedication we see that he made a number of requests from the Lord. All of these requests were in line with the word of God. After acknowledging God’s greatness and thanking Him for His faithfulness, Solomon prayed, among other things, for God’s continued presence with His people, and that God would forgive them when they confessed their sins. As we follow Israel’s history, these requests and more were answered. Why did God answer these prayers? Solomon had honored God’s desire to have the ark of the covenant in His temple in Jerusalem – in its rightful place. Question: Are your prayers being answered? Are they in line with the word of God? Is Christ at the center of your life? When the ark is in its rightful place, the prayers of Gods people will be answered.

CHALLENGE

  1. Solomon prayed, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built?” (1 Kings 8:27) King Solomon realized that God’s presence was not limited to a temple in Israel. What is your view of God? We need to realize that while God is pleased to be in the center of our lives, including our fellowship and ministries, He is not limited thereby. He is a transcendent God. Don’t put God in a box. Don’t limit God.

KEY VERSES

  • “Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim.” 1 Kings 8:6

  • “… the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:11

  • “Solomon prayed, ‘Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built?” 1 Kings 8:27

  • “Solomon prayed, ‘Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before you today.” 1 Kings 8:28

1 Kings, Old Testament, TalksRon Reid1 KINGS 8:1-43