DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
2 Chronicles 5:2-14
The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, (13)
chapter 5
2. Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.
3. And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.
4. When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark,
5. and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up;
6. and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
7. The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.
8. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles.
9. These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.
10. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
11. The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.
12. All the Levites who were musicians - Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives - stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.
13. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud,
14. and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1. The temple was constructed and ready for worship. Solomon gathered the leaders of the nation to bring the ark into the Most Holy Place, which was dedicated to the ark. The ark'spresence with the tablets of commandments in the temple signified God’s presence among His people through his words (10).
2. The Israelites brought offerings that were too numerous to count to celebrate the completion of the temple of God. The priests cleansed themselves and praised God for his goodness and love (13). God showed His approval of Solomon’s work—the sacrifice, the dedication of the Israelites’ hearts, and the place where the ark of His covenant stayed—by revealing His presence in the temple as a cloud. His glory filled the tabernacle when Moses dedicated the tabernacle (Ex 40:34,35). His presence filled the temple, demonstrating that his promise to them had not changed (14).
3. Would you bring your faith to God our Father, who loves you with unchanging love? Would you dedicate your heart as the temple of God so that he would dwell in you and guide you through his words?
Prayer: Father, thank you for dwelling in me. Please help me keep my heart pure and worthy, as you are at the center. Guide me today to worship and praise you for your love and goodness.
One Word: Heart of praise and worship TESTIMONY