The meditation for this passage begins from verse 54 of 1 Kings chapter 8. To recap what happened before this verse, ESV divides this chapter into five sections; namely, “the ark brought into the temple” (v1-11), “Solomon blesses the Lord” (v12-21), Solomon's Prayer of Dedication (v22-53).

Solomon demonstrated his devout allegiance to God in kneeling before the altar the whole time when he blessed Yahweh and dedicated the temple to Him during the consecration. He rose from the ground and then pronounced benediction over his people. From his prayer for his people, we can see that Solomon was perhaps overwhelmed by God’s goodness for helping him and his people to complete the temple that David wanted to build in his time. He was grateful to God for keeping all His promises to David, his father.

In his prayer (v56-61), he first blessed God for keeping His promises to His people all way from Moses. Second, he beseeched God’s presence to be with them as with their fathers. Third, he asked God to keep their heart in Him and not to stray away from all his commandments and statutes. Finally, Solomon prayed that through them, all the peoples in the land will know that the LORD is God and there is no other.

After his prayer of benediction, he and all Israel offered massive sacrifices to God and held great celebration for seven days (v62-66). The description of Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt denotes the extent of Solomon’s empire outside his own nation of Israel. On the north of Israel, it stretches to Hamath; south, Amalek and Edom; east, Philistia and west, Zobah, Syria, Ammon and Moab. Verse 66 sums it all that the people were thankful to God for showing them favor and blessing them with David and his son, Solomon as their kings.

Prayer : Out of the four parts of the prayer from Solomon’s benediction (v56-61), which part(s) resonates in your heart at this point of time in your life. First, are you prompted to recall any specific promise of God that has been fulfilled? Second, regardless of where you are geographically or what situation you may be facing now, are you being reminded that the presence of God is still and always with us? Third, do you feel led by God to pray for you and your family for you to keep His word and obey His will in your life? Fourth, do you know that God wants us to be His witness so that the people around us can know that He is God?