Study Desk

"My father David wanted to build a temple for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

Now, the Lord has done what he said he would do. I am the new king in my father's place. David was my father. Now I am Israel's king. That is what the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

and said, " Lord , God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart.

Now, Lord , God of Israel, keep the other promises you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘David, if your sons carefully obey me as you did, you will always have someone from your family ruling the people of Israel.'

Again, Lord , God of Israel, I ask you to keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David.

"But, God, will you really live here with us on the earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this house that I built cannot contain you either.

But please listen to my prayer and my request. I am your servant, and you are the Lord my God. Hear this prayer that I am praying to you today.

Now, my God, I ask you, open your eyes and your ears. Listen and pay attention to the prayers we are praying in this place.

"Now, Lord God, get up and come to your special place, the Box of the Agreement that shows your strength. Lord God, may your priests be dressed with salvation, and may your true followers be happy about these good things.

Lord God, accept your anointed king. Remember your loyal servant David."

King Solomon offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. So the king and the people showed that they had dedicated the Temple to God.

People will say, ‘This happened because they left the Lord , the God of their ancestors. He brought them out of Egypt, but they decided to follow other gods. They began to worship and to serve those gods. That is why he caused all these bad things to happen to them.'"

Solomon followed his father David's instructions. He chose the groups of priests for their service and the Levites for their duties. The Levites were to lead the praise and help the priests from day to day to do what needed to be done in the Temple service. And he chose the gatekeepers by their groups to serve at each gate. This is the way David, the man of God, instructed.

Praise the Lord your God! He was pleased to make you king of Israel. The Lord God loves Israel, so he made you the king. You follow the law and treat people fairly."

People everywhere wanted to see King Solomon. They wanted to hear the great wisdom that God had given him.

But the Lord spoke to a man of God named Shemaiah. He said,

When the Levites left Israel, the people in all the tribes of Israel who were faithful to the Lord , the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord , the God of their fathers.

You should know that the Lord , the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to be king over Israel forever. God gave this right to David with an agreement of salt.

"But as for us, the Lord is our God. We people of Judah have not refused to obey God. We have not left him. The priests who serve the Lord are Aaron's sons, and the Levites help the priests in their work.

They offer burnt offerings and burn incense of spices to the Lord every morning and every evening. They put the bread in rows on the special table in the Temple. And they take care of the lamps on the golden lampstand so that it shines bright each and every evening. We very carefully serve the Lord our God, but you people have abandoned him.