And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
The verse belongs to the dedication after the temple was finished, when all Israel was gathered with many nations present to witness its splendor in its dedication. Having finished the dedication prayer on his knees with hands spread toward heaven, Solomon rose and stood before the whole assembly and blessed them aloud with a loud voice. Standing before the congregation he pronounced blessing over the whole assembly to tear away the superstitions that clouded heathen minds about Jehovah.
His blessing declared that the Lord had given Israel rest as He had promised and that not one word of His promise through Moses had failed. It set the conditions for receiving God's blessing in worship: depending on the God of Israel and worshiping Him sincerely. Those conditions were to give the heart wholly to the Lord and to follow the Lord's Word faithfully.
The temple was built as a sanctuary where the people could meet to worship, and God honored their work and blessed sincere worshipers. The blessing teaches that God is not like the heathen gods who are confined to temples built for them, but the God of Israel meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble in the house dedicated to His worship. Solomon's later apostasy, in which he himself led the people into apostasy, stood in direct contrast to that prayer and dedication.
The call to faithful worship applies to family life: parents should teach and model the Word so children learn to receive temporal and spiritual blessings with gratitude. Children are thus to trace every good gift to God and give Him glory, with reverent, thankful offerings and joyful praise for His providence.
The verse belongs to the dedication after the temple was finished, when all Israel was gathered with many nations present to witness its splendor in its dedication. Having finished the dedication prayer on his knees with hands spread toward heaven, Solomon rose and stood before the whole assembly and blessed them aloud with a loud voice. Standing before the congregation he pronounced blessing over the whole assembly to tear away the superstitions that clouded heathen minds about Jehovah.
His blessing declared that the Lord had given Israel rest as He had promised and that not one word of His promise through Moses had failed. It set the conditions for receiving God's blessing in worship: depending on the God of Israel and worshiping Him sincerely. Those conditions were to give the heart wholly to the Lord and to follow the Lord's Word faithfully.
The temple was built as a sanctuary where the people could meet to worship, and God honored their work and blessed sincere worshipers. The blessing teaches that God is not like the heathen gods who are confined to temples built for them, but the God of Israel meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble in the house dedicated to His worship. Solomon's later apostasy, in which he himself led the people into apostasy, stood in direct contrast to that prayer and dedication.
The call to faithful worship applies to family life: parents should teach and model the Word so children learn to receive temporal and spiritual blessings with gratitude. Children are thus to trace every good gift to God and give Him glory, with reverent, thankful offerings and joyful praise for His providence.