"Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. (vv.22-23)
Solomon did not dedicate the temple from within the temple. It would be inappropriate for him to do so, because he was a king and not a priest. The Holy Place and Most Holy Place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest. Therefore, he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. This was the most common posture of prayer in the Old Testament. Many modern people close their eyes, bow their head, and fold their hands as they pray; but the Old Testament tradition was to spread out the hands toward heaven in a gesture of surrender, openness, and ready reception.
After the completion of the temple, Solomon had the ark of the LORD brought from the city of David and placed it in, “the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim” (v.7). Scripture goes on to tell us that when the priests came out of the holy place, "the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (v.10-11).
Solomon then rightly recognized that which the LORD had told Moses, “I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:2). This physical manifestation of God’s presence here in chapter 8 not only confirmed that the LORD was with His people but also spoke to His glory and power leaving Solomon to testify, “There is no God in heaven above or on the earth below like YOU.”
As Moses, David, and Solomon all came to realize in their time, there is no God like our God, is just as true today for us in our time.
The Truth: “Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works.” (Psalm 86:8)
