When they sin against you . . . and
you . . . give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land…. (1 Kings 8:46)The long awaited temple has finally been completed. Solomon offers a grand dedication prayer with some rather odd elements.
Solomon takes it as a given that Israel will fall away from God and be exiled into a foreign land. It’s awkward to believe that the king would be such a wet blanket during their greatest national celebration to date. However, this passage fits better with our premise that this collection of materials (Joshua through 2 Kings – called the Deuteronomic History) was gathered into its final form when the people were still stunned from their recent exile. We know chapters 24 and 25 of 2 Kings were written after the fall of Jerusalem. In the end he thrust them from his presence (2 Kings 24:20).
Imagine a nation’s disbelief, having taken for granted that Jerusalem was invincible. The temple was in Jerusalem housing the greatest of all gods (they still probably weren’t quite monotheistic – chasing after other gods is what got them in this mess). If Yahweh were the strongest god, how could they have been defeated?
Then we understand Solomon’s odd dedication prayer.
Who’s the audience? Not people standing around listening to Solomon pray, but exiles from Jerusalem 350 years later wondering what happened and how they got there.
How do you account for hard times in your life?
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