Bible Text: 1 Kings 8:1-66 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: 1 Kings, Dedicated to God

1.  The ark of the covenant (or the testimony) is brought into the Temple at the Temple’s dedication.  The ark represented to Israel a reminder of their sinfulness, of their need, of their responsibilities to God, of His graciousness.  It was a reminder of the need for a blood atonement which looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary.  Without the application of the blood of the sacrifice, it was only a throne of judgment.  With the blood it became a throne of mercy.  Even as the cross was at once and the same time a throne of judgment and a throne of mercy because the Savior shed His blood for all men to open the way to salvation by faith.

2.  The cloud of God’s glorious presence filled the Temple, as it had the Tabernacle in a earlier day.  John said that when Jesus came to the earth, we beheld God’s glory (John 1:14,15).  Paul said that God’s glory resides in believers and we reflect it to the world in  the increasing character of Jesus Christ  in us (2 Cor. 3:4-18).

3.  Solomon in his prayer recognizes that man is sinful and in need of God’s gracious forgiveness.  (Rom. 3:10, 21).