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. 55. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel
with a loud voice, saying, 56. Blessed be the Lord, that hath given
rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there
hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by
the hand of Moses His servant. 57. The Lord our God be with us, as He
was with our fathers: let Him not leave us, nor forsake us: 58. That He
may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep
His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He
commanded our fathers. 59. And let these my words, wherewith I have
made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day
and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of
His people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 60. That
all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that
there is none else. 61. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the
Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as
at this day. 62. And the king, and all Israel with him, offered
sacrifice before the Lord. 63. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of
peace-offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty
thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king
and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.'--1
KINGS viii. 54-63.
The great ceremonial of dedicating the Temple was threefold. The first
stage was setting the ark in its place, which was the essence of the
whole thing. God's presence was the true dedication, and that was
manifested by the bright cloud that filled the sanctuary as soon as the
ark was placed there. The second stage was the lofty and spiritual
prayer, saturated with the language and tone of Deuteronomy, and
breathing the purest conceptions of the character and nature of God,
and all aglow with trust in Him. Then followed, thirdly, this 'Blessing
of the Congregation.' The prayer had been uttered by the kneeling king.
Now he stands up, and, with ringing tones that reach to the outskirts
of the crowd, he gathers the spirit of his prayer into two petitions,
preceded by praise for national blessings, and followed by exhortation
to national obedience. A huge sacrifice of unexampled magnitude closes
the whole.