Solomon was one of four sons born to King David by Bathsheba (1 Chronicles 3:5). Unlike his father who was a warrior, Solomon’s name comes from the Hebrew word shalom and means ‘peaceable.’ He was also named Yedidiah meaning ‘beloved of the Lord’ by Adonai. King Solomon wrote many of the Proverbs, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, and a some Psalms.
Adonai chose Solomon to succeed his father David as King of Israel. Once his reign was established, Adonai came to King Solomon in a dream and promised to give him whatever he asked for. Solomon asked for an understanding heart to be able to administer justice and discernment between good and evil so he could govern the people of Isra’el wisely. Because he didn’t ask for great wealth, Adonai gave him wisdom and riches.
One of Solomon’s most famous decisions came when two mothers fought over a child. Both had given birth to babies, but while the one baby died; the other lived. Both mothers claimed to be the real mother. Solomon commanded that the baby be cut in two and one half of the child given to each mother. The false mother accepted the decision; the real mother offered her child to the other woman. Through using his divine discernment, the living child was restored to its real mother (1 Kings 3:16-28).
The Queen of Sheba is recorded to have visited King Solomon to test his wisdom with difficult questions. Her response to his wisdom and the magnificence of his kingdom, “What I heard in my own country about your deeds and your wisdom is true, but I couldn’t believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn’t tell me even the half of it — your wisdom and prosperity surpass the reports I heard” (1 Kings 10:6-7).
King Solomon ruled Isra’el for 40 years living in peace with foreign nations. Solomon built the first Temple for Adonai on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the mountain where Abraham offered his son Isaac centuries earlier. The Temple took seven years to build. Solomon received help from surrounding nations’ resources, especially Lebanon known for its great cedars. When the Temple was completed, King Solomon dedicated it to Adonai with a great time of celebration with music, instruments, and the priesthood.
Solomon’s downfall began when he married the daughter of Egypt’s Pharaoh in order to make a peace treaty. Eventually he obtained 700 foreign wives and 300 concubines who led Solomon into worshiping the other gods of these foreign nations. King Solomon followed the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the pride of life rather than remaining true to worshiping and following the Adonai of Isra’el.
2 Chronicles 6:13-15
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – Part 1
“He stood on it [the platform], then got down on his knees before the whole community, spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “Adonai, Adonai of Isra’el, there is no Adonai like you in heaven or on earth. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today.”
This begins King Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the Temple he had built for Adonai. He kneels on his knees as an example of humility before the whole nation of Isra’el. He spread out his hands toward heaven and prayed.
Most of us are taught that when we pray we should bow our heads and fold our hands. However, both King David and King Solomon are recorded kneeling, and Solomon spreads out his arms. This is the same stance as the high priest who offers incense at the Altar of Incense – he lifts up his hands (Psalm 141:2).
King Solomon addresses yod-hey-vav-hey the Adonai of Isra’el as the covenant-keeping Elohim that shows his people grace. The Hebrew word for ‘grace’ is chen and means ‘to pardon and to show mercy.’ Many people believe the false doctrine that grace was only given to those in the new testament who put their faith in Yeshua; however, the first time chen is used in Scripture is when Noah finds chen in the eyes of Adonai (Genesis 6:8). There are two aspects of chen – saving grace and empowering grace. Both are found in the Old Testament. The first, saving chen, brings us into relationship with Adonai through faith; the second, empowering chen, comes from the Spirit of Adonai and empowers us to walk before Him in obedience.
According to King Solomon, there is a ‘condition’ for receiving the chen of Adonai – walking in His presence wholeheartedly. The Hebrew word for ‘walk’ is halach and means the way of proving Adonai’s commandments in one’s daily life. At the time of King Solomon, there was only Torah and the prophets, and the Psalms of his father, with which to walk in the presence of Adonai wholeheartedly.
With the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon sees that Adonai kept His promise to his father King David. It is a devar that He spoke with His mouth and fulfilled it with His Hand. The word for ‘hand’ in Hebrew is yod and its Hebrew word picture is ‘a finished work.’ Yod is the first letter in the memorial name of Adonai – yod-hey-vav-hey – His Hand and His Word are part of Himself.
2 Chronicles 6:16-17
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – Part 2
“Now therefore, Adonai, Adonai of Isra’el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, ‘You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra’el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live by my Torah, just as you have lived in my presence.’ Now therefore, Adonai, Adonai of Isra’el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.”
King Solomon asks Adonai to keep His promise to his father David regarding a permanent king reigning on the throne over Isra’el. Within these Hebrew verses the alef/tav – את – appears making Yeshua central to the promise. The Hebrew word for ‘keep’ in this verse is shomar and means to ‘guard and preserve.’ Solomon wants Adonai to guard and preserve His promise to David of an eternal ‘house’ which will prove His faithfulness to to the promise.
The promise Adonai gave to King David had a condition: his children had to carefully live out Torah just as David had lived in the presence of Adonai. Though Solomon’s prayer at this time is sincere, he doesn’t ‘guard’ the Torah as he was commanded to as king. He falls into the trap of loving foreign women through which he made many compromises with pagan kings. He allowed idol worship into Isra’el and became ungrateful for the blessings he had been given. In spite of the many sins in Solomon’s life, he received the ‘grace’ of Adonai in that he didn’t lose the kingdom in his lifetime. Following his death, his son Rehoboam and royal servant Jeroboam tore the nation of Isra’el in two: the northern kingdom of Isra’el ruled by Jeroboam and the southern kingdom of Judah ruled by Rehoboam. The nation of Isra’el remains divided today and will remain divided until the two sticks come back together as prophesied by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:15-28).
King Solomon asks a second time for the promise of Adonai be confirmed. The Hebrew word for ‘confirm’ in this verse is aman or ‘let it come true.’ This word is known today as ‘amen,’ but it isn’t used at the end of the prayer like a gigantic period or exclamation mark. It is used when Solomon asks Adonai to confirm the promised covenant with his father.
2 Chronicles 6:18-21
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – Part 3
“But can Adonai actually live with human beings on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built? Even so, Adonai my Adonai, pay attention to your servant’s prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you, that your eyes will be open toward this house day and night — toward the place where you said you would put your name — to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place. Yes, listen to the pleas of your servant, and also those of your people Isra’el when they pray toward this place. Hear from where you live, from heaven; and when you hear, forgive!”
King Solomon asks a prophetic question in this part of his prayer. Can Adonai actually live with human beings on earth? Though there are many instances where the ‘angel of Adonai’ appears and talks with individuals, can he actually live with us on earth? This question is debated when speaking about Yeshua, the “word that became flesh and tabernacled among men” (John 1:14). Can the fullness of Adonai become a man and live in a human body (Colossians 2:9)?
It is Adonai’s desire and ultimate plan to live with His people. It was His desire from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. It was His desire in the wilderness through the Tabernacle. It continues to be His desire, and he brought forth Yeshua to that purpose to be experienced now and in the Messianic Era. In the new heaven and new earth, Adonai Himself will live with His people in the New Jerusalem. Resurrected men and women with new hearts of flesh and immortal bodies with eternal souls will populate His Kingdom. “I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! Adonai’s Sh’khinah [divine presence] is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, Adonai-with-them, will be their Adonai” (Revelation 21:3).
Solomon knows the heaven of heavens cannot hold the fullness of Adonai so a ‘house’ that he built surely cannot contain Him. Still, he cries out to Adonai to have His eyes open toward the ‘house’ day and night, toward the place where Adonai would put His Name. Solomon prays that Adonai would listen to the prayers of the people of Isra’el even when they pray toward the ‘house’ and that He would hear from heaven and ‘forgive’ their sins.
Throughout Torah the people of Isra’el were warned over and over about sacrificing only where Adonai has placed His Name. With the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, the place of His Name had become reality – and remains the same reality.
2 Chronicles 6:32-33
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – Part 4
“Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra’el — when he comes from a distant country because of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house; then hear from heaven, from where you live; and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra’el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.”
King Solomon prays for the foreigner who is not part of the community of Isra’el and hears of Adonai’s reputation. He prays that when a foreigner prays toward the ‘house,’ that Adonai would hear from heaven and act on behalf of the foreigner. He uses the reference of His “mighty hand and outstretched arm” which refers to the Hebrews’ deliverance from Egypt – a feat that every surrounding nation heard about and brought the fear of Adonai.
The prophet Isaiah expounds on the prayer of King Solomon regarding the foreigner: “And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve him, to love the name of Adonai, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to My covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:6-7).
By making the ‘house’ built by Solomon the place where people from all nations can come and pray to Adonai, His Name would become known throughout all the earth, and people from every nation will fear His Name.
‘ Fear’ is the Hebrew word yare and means ‘to stand in awe, revere and honor.’ It is through the nations that Adonai will be honored with Isra’el. In the Hebrew text is the alef/tav – את – between “all peoples of the earth” and “fear your name” for it is Yeshua who will draw the nations to fear the Name of Adonai. The presence of all nations at the ‘house’ will establish that the ‘house’ Solomon built is the place that bears the eternal name of Adonai – yod-hey-vav-hey.
2 Chronicles 6:40-42
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – Part 5
“Now, my Adonai, please, let your eyes be open, and let your ears pay attention to the prayer being made in this place. Now go up, Adonai, Adonai, to your place of rest, you and the ark through which you give strength. May your cohanim, Adonai, Adonai, be clothed with salvation; may those loyal to you take joy in good. “Adonai, Adonai, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one; remember the mercies of your servant David.”
Solomon concludes his prayer asking Adonai to open His eyes and ears and pay attention to the prayer being made at the dedication of the Temple. Throughout his prayer, Solomon uses the word ‘house’ or bayit. In the Hebrew word pictures, bayit means ‘the house is the finished work of the covenant sign.’
Solomon continues his prayer with ‘arise.’ He is now praying that Adonai would arise and go to His place of rest, He and the Ark of the Covenant, His throne. For centuries, the Ark of the Covenant led the armies of Isra’el into battle and directed them to their next campground in the wilderness. With the building of the Temple and the nation at peace under the reign of King Solomon, the Ark had a final resting place.
“Ahead of them on this three-day journey went the ark of Adonai’s covenant, searching for a new place to stop. The cloud of Adonai was over them during the day as they set out from the camp. When the ark moved forward, Moshe said, ‘Arise Adonai! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” (Numbers 10:35)
Solomon asks that the cohanim or priests be clothed with ‘salvation’ or yeshua. He is asking that the priesthood be covered in yeshua. He also asks that the ‘loyal’ or chasid, the devout ones, ‘spin about’ in that which is good. Sometime watch an Orthodox Jewish wedding and bask in the joy of the dance, the spinning about!
The ‘anointed one’ is mashiach in Hebrew. Though Solomon is speaking of himself as being the anointed king for his time, he is also speaking the prophetic promise of an eternal ‘anointed one.’ He wants Adonai to remember the mercies he gave to his father King David. ‘Mercies’ in this verse is chesed and means ‘favor.’ Solomon doesn’t want Adonai to turn his face against him, but to remember how he favored David.
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