الملوك الأول ٨:١٠

The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there. I. The representatives of all Israel were called together (Kg1 8:1, Kg1 8:2), to keep a feast to the honour of God, for fourteen days (Kg1 8:65). II. The priests brought the ark into the most holy place, and fixed it there (Kg1 8:3-9). III. God took possession of it by a cloud (Kg1 8:10, Kg1 8:11). IV. Solomon, with thankful acknowledgments to God, informed the people touching the occasion of their meeting (Kg1 8:12-21). V. In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place (v. 22-53). VI. He dismissed the assembly with a blessing and an exhortation (Kg1 8:54-61). VII. He offered abundance of sacrifices, on which he and his people feasted, and so parted, with great satisfaction (Kg1 8:62-66). These were Israel's golden days, days of the Son of man in type.

8:10-11 As the priests came out of the Holy Place, they were greeted with music praising the Lord (2 Chr 5:11-14). Previously, the glorious presence of the Lord had filled the Tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35). 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), to return at a blessed future time (Ezek 43:1-5). In the New Testament, John wrote that God dwells among his people through his son, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Paul affirmed that Christ now dwells in each believer (Col 1:27) as a foretaste of a future when “God’s home is . . . among his people” (Rev 21:3).