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The Lord's Answer to Solomon's Prayer
v. 1. And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, which occupied seven years, and the king's house, his own palace, which occupied thirteen years, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, such public works as he undertook in various parts of his dominions,
v. 2. that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon, 1Ki_3:5.
v. 3. And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before Me, at the dedication of the Temple. I have hallowed this house which Thou hast built to put My name there forever; by filling the Temple with the cloud of His gracious presence He assured Solomon and all Israel of His merciful assistance; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually, His eyes, to watch over His chosen people, also against their enemies, and His heart in sincere love and solicitude for their welfare.
v. 4. And if thou wilt walk before Me as David, thy father, walked, in his entire conduct, in integrity of heart, in true piety, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep My statutes and My judgments, both the precepts concerning Israel alone and those pertaining to mankind in general,
v. 5. then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David, thy father, 2Sa_7:12, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
v. 6. But if ye shall at all turn from following Me, ye or your children, for this matter concerned not only the reigning family, but the entire nation, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them,
v. 7. then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them, eradicate, utterly destroy them; and this house, which I have hallowed for My name, will I cast out of My sight, reject it as a sanctuary of Jehovah; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people;
v. 8. and at this house, which is high, a very conspicuous object to all passers-by, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss, in mockery and derision; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land and to this house?
v. 9. And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord, their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them; therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil. The threat is identical with that of Deu_28:37-45. Cf Lev_26:14; Jos_23:16. Even the believers, who serve the Lord with gladness, are in need of continual admonition to remain in faith and in obedience, lest they be tempted to unfaithfulness and fall.