A bronze altar was made. He made a sea of cast metal circular in shape, ten basins for washing, ten golden lamp stands, ten tables and a hundred sprinkling bowls. He also made the pots, the shovels and sprinkling bowls.

He made the decorations for the pillars, tables for the consecrated bread, wick trimmers, cencers and golden doors. When all the work was finished Solomon brought the things his father had dedicated and placed them in the treasuries.

♦️ The Ark brought to the Temple ♦️
Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Isreal and the heads of tribes and the chiefs to bring the ark into the temple. The Levites carried the ark. Solomon and all the people were before the ark sacrificing sheep and cattle.

The priests brought the ark into the most holy place and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubims. The two tablets of Moses were only inside the ark. All the musicians played their music. They praised the Lord and sang, He is good and his love endures forever. The glory of the Lord filled the temple. Solomon blessed the people.

♦️ Solomon’s prayer of Dedication ♦️
Solomon knelt down before the whole assembly of Isreal and spread out his hand toward heaven and prayed. He praised God for keeping his promise to his father and fulfilling the completion of the building of the temple. He prayed that God may hear the prayers and supplications of the people and forgive them.

When they sinned against God and later turned to him, he prayed that He may forgive their sins and trespasses.The people must be taught the right way to live. When there was a famine, plague, locusts, grass hoppers, enemies or any other disaster, if the people make a plea or prayer God may hear and forgive them. He prayed that God’s eyes may be open and ears attentive to the prayers offered in the temple.

♦️ Dedication of the Temple ♦️
When Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the offerings and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The people fell down on their faces and worshipped God. Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. Solomon observed this festival for seven days. Altogether all Israel spent 21 days in celebration and returned home.

♦️ God’s Blessings and Warnings ♦️
God blessed Solomon and said He had chosen and consecrated the temple and His eyes and heart will always be there. God promised to establish his royal throne if he did all that the Lord had commanded and observe His decrees and laws.

WARNING – God said that if Solomon turned away from God to serve other gods and worship them, then God would uproot Israel and reject the temple and great disaster would come upon the people.

♦️ Think it Over ♦️
God not only BLESSES but He also REJECTS. How very careful we should be! We are blessed when we whole heartedly follow Him and obey His Word. But when our relationship with God becomes cold and indifferent and we give more attention to the things of this world more than to God we will be surely rejected by God and forego all his blessings. God would wait for us to turn to Him and seek His forgiveness and renew our relationship with Him.

Mrs Caroline Chellappa 📝
Chennai