Dedicate the Home

 

    Whenever we are done with a big project (work, home, trip, or anything) we need to dedicate it to God.  Before we start we consecrate and prepare.  In the midst we embrace and work hard.  In the end we celebrate and dedicate it all to God.  

    When God's house was done being built and decorated, Solomon had the ark brought by the priest as the last piece to represent God's house being ready for Him to move in.  He had learned from David's hard lesson on how to handle the ark, so he respected the boundaries.  He had all the elders present when a sacrifice was made to honor God.  They began in the Meeting tent and moved on to the inner sanctuary of the temple, Most Holy Place, and settled it under the cherubim.

    All that was inside of the ark was Moses' stone tablets with the 10 commandments inscribed.  It represented the covenant God had made with Moses.  You could feel His presence fill the temple once the ark was settled.  

    Solomon blessed the assembly that was with Him (kind of like church), then he prayed his dedication prayer.  It honored God and His home.  He asked for forgiveness for how the people were during the hard times to be dealt with according to each individual's heart, but with compassion.  He ended the prayer by praising God for always keeping His word.

    The building was dedicated to God, but Solomon also dedicated the Israelite people.  There was seven days of sacrifices and then the nation celebrated for seven more days.  This was years of their life.  It was a moment of time to celebrate all they had accomplished together with God.  The fifteenth day, they all went home with joyous hearts.

1 Kings 8