Solomon dedicated the Temple

Solomon Dedicated the Temple
2 Chronicles 5
Why is there so much emphasis on the temple in the Old Testament?
1. It was a symbol of religious authority. The temple was God’s way of centralizing worship at Jerusalem in order to ensure that correct belief would be kept intact through many generations
2. It was a symbol of God’s holiness. The temple’s beautiful atmosphere inspired respect and awe for God: it was the setting for many of the great visions of the prophets
3. It was symbol of God’s covenant with Israel. The temple kept the people focused upon god’s law (the tablets of the Ten Commandments were kept in the temple) rather than on the kings’ exploits. It was a place where God was especially present to his people.
4. It was a symbol of forgiveness. The temple’s design, furniture, and customs were great object lessons for all the people, reminding them of the seriousness of sin, the penalty that sin incurred, and their need of forgiveness
5. It prepared the people for the Messiah. In the New Testament, Christ said he came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. Hebrews 8: 1, 2 and 9: 11, 12 use temple customs to explain what Christ did when he died for us
6. It was a testimony to human effort creativity. Inspired by the beauty of God’s character, people devoted themselves to high achievements in engineering, science, and art in order to praise achievements in engineering, science, and art in order to praise him
7. It was a place of prayer. In the temple people could spend time in prayer to God.

In His Word,
Dawn Saunders