Solomon gathered all the important people together so that they can bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Zion (along with the tabernacle and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle) with sacrificing sheep and oxen that were too many to count so that the priests could bring them into the Most Holy place. The priests placed the ark under the wings of the cherubim.
Inside the ark was the two tablets of stone which moses wrote in Horeb when the Israelites came out of Egypt.
When the priests came out of the Most Holy Place, the Lord's presence rested as a cloud on the temple that Solomon had built.
Solomon spoke and invited God to dwell in the temple forever.
Solomon's speech at completion of work.
Solomon turned and blessed the assembly of Israel while they were standing. He shared how God had fulfilled His promise to the Israelites. He also shared how David wanted to build a temple for God but because he was a man of war, the task was given to Solomon instead.
Solomon's prayer of dedication
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the Israelites and declared that God is the only God who always keep what He promised. He prayed that God will listen to the cry of the people whn they pray towards this temple; and that He will forgive them. He even prayed that if a foreigner prayer towards the temple, that God will hear the cry of the foreigner and help him/her so that everyone on earth may know His name and fear Him.
Lord, I pray that even as our friends see Your goodness through our lives, I pray that in their darkest times, they will recall how You are always our anchor in our lives. And I pray that in their desperation, they will pray to You because You have become their only hope in life. I pray that Lord You will hear them and they will come to know of the goodness of You. And that everyone on earth may know You and fear You.
Solomon blesses the assembly
Solomon prayed a blessing prayer for the assembly. Let me translate the words that he prayed for Israel for us. Hehe learn from the wisest.
Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to Joel and Mong, according to all that He promised. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with David. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant us as each day may require, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there isno other. Let our hearts therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day,
Jool, we must walk in His ways ok (:
Solomon dedicates the temple
Solomon and all of Israel offered sacrifices before the Lord. After that Solomon held a feast with all Israel for 7 days. Whoa what a party. On the eighth day, he sent the people away and they blessed Solomon and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for David and for Israel.
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2 Chronicles 5
The ark brought into the temple
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