1 Kings 8 Study Notes

8:26 Keeping his covenant promises expressed God’s (Hb) chesed. Solomon asked that this gracious faithfulness would continue.

8:27-30 After acknowledging that this house could not contain God, Solomon stated the major theme of this prayer: that God would confirm his covenant by being attentive to the prayer of his people, directed to this temple for the following concerns. This attentiveness would lead to forgiveness and restoration, recurrent themes in the remainder of this prayer. In effect, this prayer argued that God’s covenant response to prayer, directed to this house, guaranteed God’s interest in all aspects of Israel’s life.

8:31-32 Here begins a series of seven situations, all but one beginning with when, marked by the phrase may you hear in heaven (vv. 31-32,33-34,35-36,37-40,41-43,44-45,46-53). When uncorroborated testimony must be supported by a solemn oath, the oath should be taken at this temple. In broad terms God would hear prayer to validate an honest oath and to maintain justice and integrity.

8:33-34 God would hear when the Israelites were defeated in war. In Solomon’s hour of greatness, this prayer acknowledged that sin could produce defeat.

8:35-50 The following statements about sin, disaster, and restoration are not repetitious, stereotypical formulae. There is much freedom and creativity in composing the statements. Yet certain elements seem to recur. The whole process can involve: (1) sinning; (2) repentance; (3) acknowledgement of truth (either as “confessing” truth, as stating the truth in praise, or as stating the truth in thanks); (4) prayer; (5) seeking favor; (6) God’s hearing; (7) forgiveness; and (8) restoration.

8:37-40 Other natural disasters also were occasions for praying to God. The Lord would hear, forgive, and reward in accordance with their (the worshiper’s) ways. This would result in the fear of God among his people. “Fear” is a rich word that includes a multitude of concepts, including formal worship of God, actual fear of God, and reverence for God.

8:41-43 Solomon states the theology of missions that is implicit in God’s great works of witness. The foreigner should hear of God’s works and then pray toward the temple to God. And God would hear that foreigner’s prayer. The popular modern Christian misunderstanding that the OT was purely a Hebrew document, written by and for Hebrews alone, can easily miss this point. The intended result of OT revelation was the spread of the knowledge of God to all peoples of earth.

8:44-45 Note the army of Israel is called your people, and they will go where you send them.

8:46 Here begins the climactic situation of the seven (vv. 46-53). Solomon here is praying out of Lv 26:40-45 and Dt 30:1-10. Sin produces defeat in war and captivity. This truth could point to the occasional historical defeats and partial captivities of God’s people, but it could also point to the two great national deportations of the people.

8:47-50 Verses 47-48 describe the repentance of the people (see Dn 6:10). Then 1Kg 8:49-50 describe the Lord’s response.

8:51-53 Solomon then looked to the historical basis for the covenant relationship between God and his people, particularly that he had delivered them from Egypt.

8:54-56 In his role as the spiritual representative of the people, Solomon had prayed in a posture of humble obeisance before God. This role as the spiritual intermediary between the people and God continued when Solomon stood, turned to the people, and blessed them by announcing, Blessed be the Lord!

8:57-59 Solomon prayed for God’s presence with his people, for he knew that God’s active participation (causes us to be devoted) was required to keep the people faithful to their covenant with God. The climactic location (“the altar of the Lord,” v. 54) of this request tangibly represented God’s ongoing presence among his people.

8:60-61 The result of this faithfulness brings us again to the major theme of OT missions—that all the peoples of the earth know that the Lord is God. With these words, Solomon made a worldwide missions proclamation.

8:62-63 The large number of offerings, especially the fellowship offerings eaten by the worshipers, turned this into a huge, state-funded, national festival.

8:64 Everything that became a part of official worship had to be ritually consecrated.

8:65-66 This, and perhaps similar great national festivals, involved the entire empire (defined by its ideal bounds) from the entrance of Hamath on the north to the Brook of Egypt on the south. Extrabiblical documents confirm that the Brook of Egypt was the Wadi Arish or was near this wadi.