經過七年的工程，再加上之前好幾個月的預備，聖殿終於竣工，可以正式的奉獻給上帝。所有以色列的長老、領袖都被邀請來參加慶典，日期恰與住棚節同日。

        慶典中第一件最重要的事，就是將暫時安置在耶路撒冷錫安山，大衛所建帳幕內的約櫃運回。約櫃的新家在摩利亞山，仍處耶路撒冷境界內。所羅門已經從他父親的錯誤（撒下6：3~7）中學到了搬運約櫃的正確方式。這次，他使祭司懷著敬畏的心將約櫃運回，並安置在至聖所內。原先的會幕和其中的聖物也由祭司和利未人從基遍（代下1：3）帶回耶路撒冷的聖殿。

        當一切就緒，所有百姓在那裡讚美、敬拜上帝（代下5：13~14）時，上帝就在雲裡彰顯祂的同在。所羅門從這個記號便知道上帝已經接受了大衛城內的這座新聖殿作為祂名下的居所，應驗祂藉摩西所說的話（8：6~21）也確認上帝對他父親大衛的應許已經實現。上帝已經賜給大衛一個繼承人，他也為以色列之上帝的名建造了殿宇。在此之前的會幕也被認為是上帝的居所，但會幕是會移動、暫時的。而耶路撒冷的聖殿則是長久的建築，要作為全以色列人的敬拜中心。從那時起，由摩西所傳下來的正確敬拜方式終可完全實現（3：2；申12：5~11）。

        所羅門在他優美的公開禱文中感謝上帝信實的實現祂對大衛的應許，並祈求上帝使大衛的後裔繼續坐在以色列的寶座上。所羅門的禱詞中表達了許多偉大的聖經真理，顯示他有真智慧、有敏銳的靈性、通曉摩西所教導的聖經，也明白與上帝立約的關係及其所有含意。當然，聖靈一定是在所羅門身上。今天，信徒也可以分享那相同的「賜人智慧和啟示的靈」，俾能「真知道祂」（弗1：17~19）。

        所羅門非常瞭解人類敗壞的天性──「世上沒有不犯罪的人」（8：38、46；羅3：23）。他也表現出對上帝深厚的知識：他知道上帝是無所不在的，不能被聖殿的圍牆所局限，因為連天上也不夠作祂的居所（8：27）。所羅門說上帝是無所不知的，甚至知道人內心深處的事（8：39）；上帝也報應惡人、賞賜義人（8：32）；人可向上帝求憐憫；上帝也會赦免人、應允人的祈禱（8：49~50）；上帝更歡迎萬國萬民的人皆來到祂面前事奉祂、敬拜祂（8：41~43）。

        所羅門的祈禱不只表現出他的知識，也表現出他為以色列民代求的謙卑和真誠。他的禱告無疑的是被聖靈所引導，因為其中預述了將來的事件，如饑荒、甚至以色列民被放逐。但在以色列的黃金時代中，誰會預料到這些事呢﹖

        所羅門祈禱完畢後便給百姓祝福，並吩咐他們要忠於獨一的真神。接著，所羅門和所有以色列民向上帝獻不可勝數的祭，如此，獻殿之禮便告完成。百姓賦歸時心中充滿了喜樂，因為他們已經敬拜了上帝，也將榮耀歸給上帝。

        主啊，我們邀請您與我們同住，我們也將心歸您。我們天然的本性是偏行已路，如今我們與當日的所羅門一同悔罪，好使我們身體的聖殿成為您居住的所在（林前6：19）。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        After seven years of building the Temple, probably preceded by several months of preparations, everything was finally ready for it to be officially dedicated to the Lord. The elders and leaders of all Israel were invited to join in the celebration which coincided with the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43).

        The first important part of the ceremony was to bring the Ark of the Covenant from the temporary tabernacle (a tent) which David had made for it on Mount Zion in Jerusalem (8:1; 2 Samuel 6:17). It would be taken to its new home on Mount Moriah, still within the boundaries of Jerusalem not far away. Solomon had learned the correct transportion of the Ark from the mistake of his father (2 Samuel 6:3-7), and this time he had it reverently carried and placed within the Most Holy Place of the Temple by the priests (8:3, 6). The original tabernacle of meeting and the other holy and consecrated vessels were also brought up from Gibeon (2 Chronicles 1:3) to the Temple in Jerusalem by the priests and Levites (8:4).

        When everything was set in order and all the people were praising and worshipping God (2 Chronicles 5:13-14), the Lord's presence was made manifest in a cloud (cf. Exodus 40:34-35). By this sign, Solomon knew the Lord had accepted the newly built Temple in the city of David as His habitation, the place for His Name in fulfillment of the command given by Moses (8:16; Deuteronomy 12:5). Solomon's sermon to the people (8:12-21) confirmed that God's promises to his father David had been fulfilled. God had given David a successor, who had built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel (8:20; 2 Samuel 7:12-13). Before this time, the Tabernacle of meeting had been considered the dwelling place of the Lord, but it had been movable and of a temporary nature. The Temple in Jerusalem, however, was a permanent structure, intended to be the centralized place of worship for all Israel, the place God had chosen to put His name. From that point on, the proper way of worshipping God, as laid down by Moses, could now be fully realized (3:2; Deuteronomy 12:5-11).

        In Solomon's beautiful public prayer, he thanked God for His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to David and prayed that He would continue to keep a descendant of David upon the throne. He expressed many great biblical truths which show Solomon to be truly wise, spiritually sensitive, well versed in the Holy Scripture as taught by Moses, and well aware of the covenant relationship with God and all its implications. Surely the Holy Spirit was upon Solomon. Believers today can likewise partake of this same "spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (see Ephesians 1:17-19).

        Solomon understood well the depraved nature of mankind — how all have sinned (8:38, 46; Romans 3:23). He also revealed a profound knowledge of God: One who is all-present and cannot be limited within the walls of the Temple, for even the heavens cannot contain Him (8:27). He spoke of God as being One who is all-knowing, even to the innermost hearts of man (8:39); One who punishes the wicked, and rewards the righteous (8:32); One who can be appealed to for mercy; One who will show compassion and is able to forgive and answer prayer (8:49-50); and One who welcomes all people of all nations to come unto Him, serve Him, and worship Him (8:41-43).

        Solomon's prayer not only showed his knowledge but also his humility and sincerity as he interceded on behalf of Israel. This prayer was undoubtedly led by the Holy Spirit, for it anticipated future events such as famines and even the exile; but who would have suspected such things to ever take place in the middle of Israel's golden age?

        After his prayer, Solomon blessed the people and charged them to remain loyal to the One and only God (8:60-61). He and all Israel then offered up numerous sacrifices to the Lord, and thus the dedication of the Temple was completed. The people's hearts were joyful as they returned home, for they had given glory to God and had worshipped Him.

        Lord, we invite You to be with us, and we incline our hearts toward You. Because our natural inclination is to go our own way, we repent of our sins, joining Solomon and those present at the Temple dedication, so that our temples (our bodies) will be Your dwelling place (see 1 Cor. 6:19).