1 Kings 8:14-21 – Be God’s diligent and responsible workmen

The occasion for 1 Kings 8:14-21 was the bringing of the ark of the covenant to the temple. Solomon now faced the people of Israel, comprising of the elders of the nation, the leaders of the tribes, the heads of the clans, and all the men of Israel. There he blessed the whole assembly. Here the king rehearsed all that the people already knew i.e. what they were experiencing was the plan of God. From all these, he was pointing to God’s continuing love for Israel. The completion of the temple was a declaration of the fulfillment of God’s promise to give them the land. These verses also asserted the covenant God made with David and stressed the presence of God.   

Solomon began by blessing God in verse 15. He then went on to emphasize that God was the initiator of Israel’s ongoing experiences. When they exited from Egypt, choosing a place among the city of the tribes to build a temple to establish His name was not God’s first agenda. His first agenda was to make David king over Israel, His people. Then to build God a temple was David’s intention. Out of gratitude, David had in his heart to build God a temple to honor Him. However, God made it known to him that he would not be the instrument to be used to build it. It would be his son who would be the one that He would use to build the temple. Pointing to himself as the fulfillment of God’s promise, Solomon asserted that he was that son that God had chosen. He did not only succeed David, his father on the throne, but was also used to build the temple for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. Now with the ark in its rightful place, Solomon then affirmed all that happened pointed to the fulfillment of the covenant God had made with the people when He brought them out of Egypt.

More than a fulfillment of Solomon’s or David’s plan, the temple was God’s plan. To accomplish His plan, God uses human instrument. Today, in establishing His Kingdom here on earth, God has given every one of us the privilege to be a part of His Kingdom program. Like Solomon, we must gratefully acknowledge and accept this awesome privilege. Know also that privilege comes with accountability. Hence, we must identify what we are called to do and responsibly engage in the work. Make 2 Timothy 2:15 our motto and be diligent to present ourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. We must be God’s responsible instrument and be found faithful and diligent in our assignments.