Topical Bible: Temple: Solomon's: A Dwelling Place of the Lord

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The Temple of Solomon, often referred to as the First Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the first permanent structure built for the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel. It was constructed under the reign of King Solomon, the son of King David, and served as the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Israelites.

Biblical Foundation and Construction

The concept of a permanent dwelling place for the Lord was first envisioned by King David, who desired to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant. However, God revealed to David through the prophet Nathan that his son Solomon would be the one to construct the Temple (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Solomon's Temple was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, a site of profound historical and spiritual significance, where Abraham had been willing to sacrifice his son Isaac (2 Chronicles 3:1).

The construction of the Temple is detailed in 1 Kings 6-7 and 2 Chronicles 3-4. Solomon employed the finest materials, including cedar from Lebanon, gold, and precious stones. The Temple's dimensions and intricate designs were divinely inspired, reflecting the glory and majesty of God. The inner sanctuary, known as the Most Holy Place, housed the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence among His people.

Dedication and Divine Presence

Upon completion, Solomon dedicated the Temple with a grand ceremony, offering numerous sacrifices and prayers. In his dedicatory prayer, Solomon acknowledged the greatness of God, saying, "But will God indeed dwell on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built" (1 Kings 8:27). Solomon's prayer emphasized the Temple as a place for God's name to dwell and for the people to seek forgiveness and guidance.

The Lord's response to Solomon's dedication was profound. "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple" (2 Chronicles 7:1). This divine manifestation affirmed God's acceptance of the Temple as His earthly dwelling place.

Role and Significance

Solomon's Temple served as the focal point of Israelite worship and religious life. It was the site of the major feasts and festivals, including Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Temple rituals, sacrifices, and priestly duties were central to maintaining the covenant relationship between God and His people.

The Temple also symbolized the unity and identity of the nation of Israel. It was a place where the Israelites could gather to worship, seek atonement, and experience the presence of God. The Temple's grandeur and beauty reflected the glory of God and His covenantal promises to Israel.

Destruction and Legacy

Despite its splendor and significance, Solomon's Temple was not immune to the consequences of Israel's disobedience. The prophets warned of impending judgment due to the nation's idolatry and unfaithfulness. In 586 BC, the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the Temple, fulfilling the prophetic warnings and marking a pivotal moment in Israel's history.

The destruction of Solomon's Temple was a profound loss for the Jewish people, symbolizing the severance of their direct connection with God. However, the hope of restoration and the promise of a new covenant remained, as prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Solomon's Temple, as the first permanent dwelling place of the Lord, remains a powerful symbol of God's desire to dwell among His people and the importance of faithfulness to His covenant. Its legacy continues to influence Jewish and Christian thought, serving as a reminder of the holiness and majesty of God.

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1 Kings 8:10,11,13
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
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1 Kings 9:3
And the LORD said to him, I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me: I have hallowed this house, which you have built, to put my name there for ever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
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2 Kings 21:7
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:
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1 Chronicles 29:1
Furthermore David the king said to all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
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2 Chronicles 5:13,14
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
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2 Chronicles 7:1-3,16
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
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Ezekiel 10:3,4
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
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Micah 1:2
Hear, all you people; listen, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the LORD from his holy temple.
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Library

The Temple and Its Dedication
... At last the temple planned by King David, and built by ... All that came into Solomon's
heart to ... indeed be, as David had so much desired, a dwelling place "not for ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 2 the temple and.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... For when David gave to Solomon his son a charge to build the temple of God ... of the
porch, house, chambers, treasuries, parlours, &c., and of the place for the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

The Temple Spoken of by Christ is the Church. Application to the ...
... as the temple had the glory of God dwelling in it ... of Tyre, cooperates in the building
of the temple, and gives his own sons to the sons of Solomon, to hew ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/23 the temple spoken of.htm

Results of Transgression
... the first requisites in preparing a dwelling place for the ... was made when David turned
over to Solomon the responsibility of building the temple. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 4 results of transgression.htm

Hezekiah
... law; daily the people assembled at the temple to offer ... in Jerusalem: for since the
time of Solomon the son ... prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even unto ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

Christ Glorified as the Builder of his Church
... did not wholly dwell in the temple made with hands, of man's building, which Solomon
piled upon ... Majesty there held its tabernacle and its dwelling place. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/christ glorified as the builder.htm

The Promised King and Temple-Builder
... be content with personal comfort and dwelling in a ... the two things, God's building
and Solomon's, is not ... an essential preliminary to the rearing of the Temple. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture f/the promised king and temple-builder.htm

Nineveh.
... "Where is the dwelling-place of the ... with the Syrian temples, and profanely altered
the arrangements in the Temple, which Moses and Solomon had ordained ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ix nineveh.htm

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have ...
... But as Solomon's temple, and these visible symbols of God's ... Man was once the dwelling
place of princely and divine graces and virtues, the Lord himself was ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxiv if so be.htm

The Priest of the World and King of Men
... He makes our communion with God and God's dwelling in us ... house which the King greater
than Solomon is building ... and before that was a heathen temple, the portal ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the priest of the world.htm