Question 1

What does it mean that God gave rest to his people Israel in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Solomon says God “has given rest unto his people Israel,” he is talking about a time of peace and security in the land God had promised. Their enemies were no longer troubling them, the kingdom was settled, and the temple was now built. This rest was not just about ease and comfort, but about finally standing in what God had said long before. It shows that God brought his people through many struggles into a settled place, just as he had promised through Moses.

Question 2

Why does Solomon say that not one word of God’s promise has failed?

Accepted Answer

Solomon looks back over Israel’s history and sees that everything God said he would do for his people has come true. They are in the land, they have a king from David’s line, and the temple is built. So he can honestly say, “There has not failed one word of all his good promise.” He is giving God the credit for his faithfulness. This is meant to encourage the people to trust God’s words in the future, because what God promises, he completes in his own time.

Question 3

What does Solomon mean when he asks God to incline their hearts to him?

Accepted Answer

When Solomon asks God to “incline our hearts unto him,” he is admitting that people do not naturally stay close to God or keep his ways on their own. He is asking God to bend, or turn, their hearts so they will want to love him, walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, statutes, and judgments. It shows that real obedience is not just about rules, but about God working inside a person so they are willing and ready to follow him from the heart.

Question 4

Why does Solomon pray that God will maintain the cause of his servant and his people?

Accepted Answer

Solomon asks that the words of his prayer would be before God “day and night,” so that God will “maintain the cause” of the king and of Israel whenever they need help. This means he wants God to take up their cases, defend their rights, and act for them in all situations that arise. He expects that different troubles and questions will come “as the matter shall require,” and he wants God to answer prayers made at the temple with wise help and protection over time.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about God’s presence with his people?

Accepted Answer

Solomon prays, “The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not leave us, nor forsake us.” This shows that God’s presence is the greatest blessing they can have. It is more important than wealth or power. They remember how God was with earlier generations to guide, protect, and bless them. Solomon is asking that God would keep doing the same. The passage teaches that people depend on God staying with them, and that his presence is a gift to be asked for and treasured.

Question 6

What does it mean for the people’s heart to be perfect with the Lord their God?

Accepted Answer

When Solomon says, “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God,” he is calling the people to be sincere and steady in their devotion. A perfect heart here does not mean sinless, but whole and undivided. They are not to mix worship of the Lord with other gods or obey only in part. It means their love, trust, and obedience should be genuine, not just outward. He wants them to go on walking in God’s statutes and keeping his commandments, as they were doing that day.

Question 7

How does this passage show that the Lord is the only God?

Accepted Answer

Solomon prays that God will answer the prayers made toward the temple “that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.” The idea is that when God cares for Israel, forgives them, and defends their cause, other nations will see it. They will understand that Israel’s God is not one god among many, but the only true God. God’s faithfulness to his people becomes a witness so people everywhere may learn that there is no other real god beside him.

Question 8

What was happening when Solomon blessed the congregation in this passage?

Accepted Answer

This blessing comes right after Solomon finishes his long prayer at the dedication of the temple. He had been kneeling before the altar with his hands lifted to heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up, turned to the gathered people of Israel, and spoke out with a loud voice so all could hear. He praised God for keeping his promises, prayed for God’s continued presence and help, and then urged the people to keep their hearts fully given to God and to obey his commands.

1 Kings 8:54

And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

Solomon’s Benediction

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1 Kings 8:54

And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

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Solomon’s Benediction

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