All of Israel gathered to dedicate the temple to the Lord and the Lord heard. It says the Lord hear Solomon’s prayer and petition and consecrated the temple to put His name there. But there was a condition.
If Solomon and his descendants walked in the ways of the Lord, the Lord would always put a descendant on the throne. It was a promise to David and would be continued from one generation to the next.
But if Solomon or one of his sons left the Lord and turned and served other gods, the Lord would abandon the temple. The temple would then become a place of mockery. And all would know it was because they had left the Lord.
It was actually deeper than that. If the king turned His heart away from the Lord, the people would be sure to follow. And the Lord would not just have Solomon and descendants not on the throne, but if the people turned away too, they would have their protection removed and be removed from the land.
When some people read things like this, they tend to think God as harsh and judgmental. But is that the case? When a man or a woman enters into marriage, they say ‘yes’ to their spouse and ‘no’ to all others. How long will a spouse put up with many other lovers? Not long.
These are commitments of faithfulness and God as the author expects the same in a commitment. As do we.
