6:1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness.
In this chapter, Solomon gave a speech to the leaders of Israel. He began his speech with the fact that Jehovah lives in “thick darkness.” The Hebrew word for “thick darkness” is עֲרָפֶל (aparagel), meaning a thick cloud or thick darkness. This thick dark cloud referred to the Shechinah Glory.
6:2 O Lord, I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.”
Solomon built a place for the Shechinah Glory to dwell with Israel for eternity. As long as Israel was obedient to the Mosaic Law, the Shechinah Glory would dwell in the temple with His people. Once the people rebel, then the Shechinah Glory would leave the presence of Israel and return to heaven. His departure was recorded in Ezekiel.
6:3 Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there.
King Solomon pronounced a blessing on the Jewish leaders who attended the celebration.
6:4 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David.
Jehovah promised David that Solomon would build his temple. This prophecy was fulfilled, so Jehovah should be praised.
6:5 He told David, ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel.
Jehovah spoke directly to David, giving him a history lesson. He told David that when He brought Israel out of Egypt, He had not yet chosen a city for Jehovah to dwell in or a human leader to rule Israel.
6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’
Jehovah revealed to David that Jerusalem was His city and David was His leader. Jerusalem is a dual noun, meaning that there are two Jerusalems. There is the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem. After his resurrection, Abraham was looking to live in the heavenly Jerusalem on earth.
6:7 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel.
David really wanted to build God's temple.
6:8 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me.
God was pleased with David’s desire to build the temple.
6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’
Solomon did not mention that his father’s hands were too bloody to build the temple. He was demonstrating honor to his father.
6:10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel
God’s promise to David was fulfilled on the day of Solomon’s speech.
6:11 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”
The ark was established permanently in the temple in Jerusalem. The covenant was the two copies of the Ten Commandments which Moses received directly from God.
6:12 He stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.
Solomon stood before the altar. The alter was the place of sacrifice. The sacrifice pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon spread out his hands and prayed. Notice that his head was not bowed down to Hades and his hands were closed, but his eyes were looking to heaven with arms spread. Today’s modern prayer posture may have been adopted from Catholicism, who received this prayer posture from the paganism of the Babylonian Mystery Religious System.
6:13 Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and four and one-half feet high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky,
Solomon’s prayer posture was most likely learned from David. He stood on the altar, went down on his knees, and spread his hands to the sky.
6:14 and prayed: “O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your servants who obey you with sincerity.
Notice that Solomon prayed to the God of Israel. He mentioned that there was no god like Him in heaven or earth. Again, Solomon may have been into syncretism. He may have believed that Jehovah was the mightiest of many gods.
Solomon mentioned that Jehovah keeps His promises to Israel. There are no historical records of any gods making any covenants with their people, except that of Israel. If demons masqueraded as a god and made a covenant with their people, then over time, the demons would be exposed as false gods. Their prophecies cannot come true 100% of the time, as according to the claims of Jehovah in Deuteronomy 18.
6:15 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; this very day you have fulfilled what you promised.
Notice that David was called a “servant.” All believers are not only children of God, but they are servants as well. Paul prayed that all believers would become bond servants to God, just as Paul had done with his life.
6:16 Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.’
Solomon prayed for God to keep His promises of the Davidic Covenant. The Davidic Covenant promised that one from the line of David and Solomon would reign forever in Israel. This king from the line of David and Solomon would be Jesus the Messiah.
6:17 Now, O Lord God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized.
Solomon asked God to keep His promise of the Davidic Covenant. This was a prayer for God to bring the Lord Jesus Christ into the world through the line of David.
6:18 “God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!
Many skeptics like to claim that Israel was superstitious, because they claimed that God lived in a box. This statement disproves the skeptic. Solomon believed that God was omnipresent. He was everywhere at once. He was not just boxed in the Jewish Temple. His Shechinah Glory was in the temple, but at the same time, God was also omnipresent in all of the heavens and the earth.
6:19 But respond favorably to your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you.
Solomon prayed that the Messianic King would be brought in through his seed line.
6:20 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place.
God never sleeps. He was guarding Israel night and day. Solomon again asked God to bring the Messiah to the temple. This prayer was fulfilled when Jesus visited the temple.
6:21 Respond to the requests of your servant and your people Israel for this place. Hear from your heavenly dwelling place and respond favorably and forgive.
Solomon asked Jehovah again to bring the Messianic King to the temple that was built.
6:22 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, 6:23 listen from heaven and make a just decision about your servants’ claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, and give both of them what they deserve.
When a person sinned, Solomon asked that the Lord would get involved as a Judge. He asked God to condemn the guilty and declare the innocent. He asked that they would both receive what they deserved. God can hear all prayers of all people all at one time, even if they are silent. He knows and answers prayers before they are even made.
6:24 “If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, and pray for your help before you in this temple, 6:25 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.
If Israel sinned and was taken into captivity by their enemies, then Solomon asked God to hear their prayers of restoration. This prayer was answered when Daniel prayed from Babylon and asked God to restore Israel back to their land.
6:26 “The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them, 6:27 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly you will then teach them the right way to live and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess.
When Israel sinned and God sent drought upon them, then Solomon asked Jehovah to listen to their prayers and send rain to them. This prayer was fulfilled during the days of Elijah.
6:28 “The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, blight, and disease, or a locust invasion, or when their enemy lays siege to the cities of the land, or when some other type of plague or epidemic occurs. 6:29 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, as they acknowledge their intense pain and spread out their hands toward this temple, 6:30 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of their motives. (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.)
When Israel sinned and they were judged by famine, disease, or locust invasion, then Solomon asked God to listen to the prayers of those who were repentant. All of these prayers were answered during the days of the divided kingdom. King Josiah prayed and 185,000 Assyrians were killed. This ended the famine in the city of Jerusalem. These prayers will also be answered again at the end of the Great Tribulation. On the last day of the Great Tribulation, the Jews will ask the Lord Jesus Christ to return and deliver them from the plagues of the Great Tribulation.
God is omniscient. He knows the thoughts and motives of everyone in heaven and on earth all at one time and even before they think them.
6:31 Then they will honor you by obeying you throughout their lifetimes as they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.
All of the Jews who survive the Great Tribulation will honor Jehovah as they live in the land which was promised to the patriarchs.
6:32 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your great reputation and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds; they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple.
Solomon prayed that Gentiles would hear about Jehovah and they would travel to Israel to learn more about him. This prayer was fulfilled during the days of Solomon. Many Gentiles visited Israel, including the Queen of Sheba.
6:33 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation, obey you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.
Solomon asked God to listen to the prayers from the Gentiles. He prayed that one day, all Gentiles would recognize the reputation of Jehovah. He prayed that the Gentiles would understand that the Jewish Temple belongs to Jehovah.
6:34 “When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, and they direct their prayers to you toward this chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, 35 then listen from heaven to their prayers for help and vindicate them.
Solomon prayed that Jehovah would listen to the prayers of Israel during war time.
6:36 “The time will come when your people will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry at them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their land, whether far away or close by.
The universality of sin is a major New Testament doctrine. Solomon knew that Israel would be taken captive by Assyria and Babylon.
6:37 When your people come to their senses in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, ‘We have sinned and gone astray, we have done evil!’
When Israel is captive in Babylon, Daniel will face Jerusalem and pray for Israel’s return.
6:38 When they return to you with all their heart and being in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, 6:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help, vindicate them, and forgive your sinful people.
The author recorded Solomon’s prayer in detail, because the author was writing directly to the people who prayed this prayer.
6:40 “Now, my God, may you be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place.
Solomon prayed that God would pay attention to the prayers offered at the Temple.
6:41 Now ascend, O Lord God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, O Lord God, experience your deliverance! May your loyal followers rejoice in the prosperity you give!
Solomon asked the Shechinah Glory to return back to heaven, possibly as He consumed the burnt offering from heaven.
6:42 O Lord God, do not reject your chosen ones! Remember the faithful promises you made to your servant David!”
Solomon asked God to remember the promises of the Davidic Covenant.