Temple and Its Dedication
21
gold, the temple structure, with its broidered hangings and rich fur-
nishings, was a fit emblem of the living church of God on earth, which
through the ages has been building in accordance with the divine pat-
tern, with materials that have been likened to “gold, silver, precious
stones,” “polished after the similitude of a palace.”
1 Corinthians 3:12
;
Psalm 144:12
. Of this spiritual temple Christ is “the chief Cornerstone;
in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy
temple in the Lord.”
Ephesians 2:20, 21
.
[37]
At last the temple planned by King David, and built by Solomon
his son, was completed. “All that came into Solomon’s heart to make
in the house of the Lord,” he had “prosperously effected.”
2 Chronicles
7:11
. And now, in order that the palace crowning the heights of Mount
Moriah might indeed be, as David had so much desired, a dwelling
place “not for man, but for the Lord God” (
1 Chronicles 29:1
), there
remained the solemn ceremony of formally dedicating it to Jehovah
and His worship.
The spot on which the temple was built had long been regarded as a
consecrated place. It was here that Abraham, the father of the faithful,
had revealed his willingness to sacrifice his only son in obedience to
the command of Jehovah. Here God had renewed with Abraham the
covenant of blessing, which included the glorious Messianic promise
to the human race of deliverance through the sacrifice of the Son of
the Most High. See
Genesis 22:9, 16-18
. Here it was that when David
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to stay the avenging sword
of the destroying angel, God had answered him by fire from heaven.
See
1 Chronicles 21
. And now once more the worshipers of Jehovah
were here to meet their God and renew their vows of allegiance to
Him.
The time chosen for the dedication was a most favorable one—
the seventh month, when the people from every part of the kingdom
were accustomed to assemble at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of
Tabernacles. This feast was preeminently an occasion of rejoicing.
The labors of the harvest being ended and the toils of the new year not
yet begun, the people were free from care and could give themselves
up to the sacred, joyous influences of the hour.
[38]
At the appointed time the hosts of Israel, with richly clad repre-
sentatives from many foreign nations, assembled in the temple courts.
The scene was one of unusual splendor. Solomon, with the elders of