1Ki 8:1-11 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Kgs 8:1-66: 8:1-66 Solomon’s building activities climaxed with the Ark’s move to the newly erected Temple. The king offered both prayer (8:22-53 ) and words of praise and blessing (8:56-61 ) to dedicate the Temple for the Lord’s service. After the dedication, the assembled gathering enjoyed the great Festival of Shelters. The focus of the account is on Solomon praising God and blessing the people (8:12-61 ). 8:1 The Ark was being kept in a tent in the City of David (2 Sam 6:3-17 ; 1 Chr 13:7-14 ; 15:1–16:43 ). Solomon had gone there earlier to sacrifice after the Lord appeared to him in a dream in Gibeon (1 Kgs 3:4-15 ).

Summary for 1Kgs 8:1-66: 8:1-66 ^a Solomon’s building activities climaxed with the Ark’s move to the newly erected Temple. The king offered both prayer (8:22-53 ^b) and words of praise and blessing (8:56-61 ^c) to dedicate the Temple for the Lord’s service. After the dedication, the assembled gathering enjoyed the great Festival of Shelters. The focus of the account is on Solomon praising God and blessing the people (8:12-61 ^d). 8:1 ^e The Ark was being kept in a tent in the City of David (2 Sam 6:3-17 ^f; 1 Chr 13:7-14 ^g; 15:1–16:43 ^h). Solomon had gone there earlier to sacrifice after the Lord appeared to him in a dream in Gibeon (1 Kgs 3:4-15 ⁱ).
8:2 ^j Although the Temple was completed in the eighth month (6:38 ^k), Solomon apparently delayed the dedication until the following year so it could take place at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim. This schedule allowed time to prepare for the spectacular celebration and gave the occasion double significance. As prescribed in the law, Solomon and the people expressed their gratitude to God for the completed harvest season. They also celebrated the fulfillment of Moses’ song of deliverance, which promised that God would one day settle his people in the Promised Land and make his dwelling there (Exod 15:17 ^l; Deut 12:10-14 ^m). Solomon’s dedicatory prayer and blessing may indicate that he was consciously leading his people in covenantal renewal, as prescribed in Deut 31:10-13 ⁿ, in the seventh month of the seventh year of his reign.
Summary for 1Kgs 8:3-4: 8:3-4 ^o The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord as prescribed in the law (Exod 25:14-15 ^p; Num 4:5-8 ^q; cp. 2 Sam 6:1-15 ^r).
8:5 ^s The incalculable sacrifices by the Israelites marked both the joy and the solemnity of this occasion.
8:8 ^t In accordance with the law (Exod 25:15 ^u), the carrying poles were required to stay with the Ark.
8:9 ^v The focus on the two stone tablets that Moses placed in the Ark (cp. 8:21 ^w; see Exod 25:21 ^x; Deut 31:26 ^y) suggests that Solomon had in mind both a renewal of the Mosaic covenant and the Temple dedication.
Summary for 1Kgs 8:10-11: 8:10-11 ^z As the priests came out of the Holy Place, they were greeted with music praising the Lord (2 Chr 5:11-14 ^aa). Previously, the glorious presence of the Lord had filled the Tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35 ^ab). Now it filled the Temple to show that God was again dwelling among his people. Ezekiel recorded its later departure from the Temple (Ezek 10:18-19 ^ac), to return at a blessed future time (Ezek 43:1-5 ^ad). In the New Testament, John wrote that God dwells among his people through his son, Jesus Christ (John 1:14 ^ae). Paul affirmed that Christ now dwells in each believer (Col 1:27 ^af) as a foretaste of a future when “God’s home is ... among his people” (Rev 21:3 ^ag).