I Kings 8: The Purpose Of The Temple

Israel knew that God does not require a house to live in.  In fact, even the physical universe itself cannot contain Him (vs. 27)!  So why did Solomon and the nation go the trouble of building such an elaborate and costly structure as the Temple?

Chapter 8 records Solomon's dedication of the Temple.  As he prays, we are given several clues as the importance and intended function of the Temple:

• The Temple is to be the designated place for the ark of the covenant (vs. 21).  The ark of the covenant, at this point holding only the stones of the Ten Commandments (vs. 9), represents the nation's special relationship with the Lord.  There needs to be a physical place of honor for the ark to rest.

• The Temple is to be the locus of God's activity on earth (vs. 29).  His "name shall be there," and the Temple is to be the place where God's eyes are to be open toward it day and night so as to hear prayers offered toward it. 

• Specifically, Solomon lifts up the kinds of situations and prayers that may be directed to the Temple to be heard and answered by God.  These include court proceedings and justice (vs. 31) [similar to swearing on the Bible], times of military loss and defeat due to sin that may be forgiven (vs. 33), during occasions of drought, famine and plague for relief whatever the cause (vs. 35 and 37), as a witness to foreigners praying to God toward the Temple (vs. 41), as a call to arms when the troops go out in battle (vs. 44), and for return from national exile and captivity (vs. 46).

• Finally, Solomon concludes that the Temple is really all about God's glory extending to the whole earth and to all the nations of man, resulting in their knowledge of Him and obedience to His laws and commands: "Let these words of mine, with which I pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires; so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. Therefore devote yourselves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day" (vs. 59-61).

The Temple is about Israel's relationship with God and the hope of drawing all the world closer to Him.