1 Kings 8:54-9:28

1 Kings 8:54-9:28

As the dedication of the Temple came to a close, Solomon ended it the same way he had begun. He blessed God once again for all He had done for the nation of Israel and led Israel into another time of worship. Solomon then offered his sacrifice to God, as the Israelites had done the day that the Ark was taken into the Temple. Solomon had been given great wealth by God, and in return Solomon offered up a great sacrifice to God, killing thousands of oxen and sheep. He then sent the Israelites away back to their homes, where life returned to normal. Israel had been on a spiritual high for several days at this point (remind you of a church camp experience?) and were now faced with how they would incorporate this worship and dedication into their everyday lives.


Speaking of church camp, I remember the feeling. After a week of nothing but fellowship, worship, and devotion, you could not help but be fired up for God (if you were a Christian that is). It was a great time to draw near to God, be encouraged and challenged, and make great decisions on how we would go home and live for God. While we would put these ideas into practice, they typically did not last. The world would get us back into our normal routine of life, and we would soon forget all that God had taught us at camp. That is where Israel stood at the end of 1 Kings 8. Would they carry on this desire to follow God and allow it to direct their lives, or would they once again fall to sin and allow it to lead them to destruction?

After the people had returned home, God appeared to Solomon personally, giving him a personal challenge. As king of Israel, Solomon was their great example. His life was in the spotlight, and the people of Israel paid attention to how he lived his life. Therefore, there was a great responsibility resting on his shoulders that he lead Israel down the right path. God reminded Solomon of the promises He had made to Moses, Joshua, David, and the other great leaders of Israel: if they followed His commands, He would bless them, and if they turned away from Him, He would send judgment. He not only reminded Solomon of these two promises but also personally challenged Solomon to make that decision in his own life. If Solomon turned from God, then his example would spread throughout Israel, and it would ultimately lead to God sending judgment on Israel. But if Solomon continued to follow God, so would the Israelites, and God would continue to bless them. While everyone is ultimately responsible for their own actions, God wanted Solomon to understand the importance of his obedience (as it would ultimately influence the direction of his people). So like Israel, Solomon too had a choice. Would he let the spiritual high disappear when life went back to normal, or would he continue to live for God?

The rest of 1 Kings 9 outlines some other accomplishments that Solomon had as king. He was able to rebuild cities, conquer lands, and take control over several of Israel’s enemies. Remember that during Solomon’s reign, God had granted peace to the land of Israel, and they were free from war (as long as they remained obedient to God). Solomon’s wisdom, wealth, and fame were great. God continued to bless Israel, and as we will see in 1 Kings 10, news was spreading about the nation of Israel.

Matt