(1) В¶ And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, (2) That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. (3) And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there forever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. (4) And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: (5) Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. (6) But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: (7) Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: (8) And at this house, which is high, everyone that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? (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 worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
What can be equally precious to a believing soul, as the intercourse which is kept up at a mercy seat? It was not enough, in the Lord's esteem, that he condescended to answer Solomon and his people, on the great day of the dedication, by consuming the sacrifices they offered with fire, which was always considered, in the old church, the highest token of divine approbation; (see 2 Chronicles 7:1-3. This was the second visit of the Lord. And what was the purport of the visit, explained on gospel principles? Is it not, that the eyes and the heart of Jehovah, are forever looking with complacency and delight upon him whom this temple of Solomon represented? Oh! delightful thought! in Jesus his church is perpetually and everlastingly beheld and accepted. How sweetly the prophet describes it; Behold the man whose name is the Branch: he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory. Zechariah 6:12-13. Reader! observe very particularly, the sin of covenant breaking, to which the Lord refers; going and serving other gods. This is strikingly contrasted with the conduct of David, who, amidst all his transgressions, never fell into idolatry. The Lord foreseeing the events which were to follow in the afterlife of Solomon, and the Babylonish captivity, for the apostacy of Israel, here most clearly pointed out the sure consequence. But let the Reader also observe, how gracious the provision for Israel's recovery, by the sovereignty of his own grace, when chastisements should have taken place, and by virtue of his covenant engagements. This is more fully and circumstantially set forth in Psalms 89:1; to which I beg the Reader to turn: Psalms 89:28-35.