12 Then Solomon spoke: God has told us that he lives in the dark where no one can see him; 13 I've built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever. 14 The king then turned to face the congregation and blessed them: 15 "Blessed be God, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has kept the promise he made when he said, 16 'From the day I brought my people Israel from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix my Name there. But I did choose David to rule my people Israel.' 17 "My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of God, the God of Israel. 18 But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in my honor - most commendable! 19 But you are not the one to do it - your son will build it to honor my Name.' 20 "God has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as God promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the God of Israel, 21 and I've secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of God, the covenant that he made with our ancestors when he brought them up from the land of Egypt."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 8:12-21
Commentary on 1 Kings 8:12-21
(Read 1 Kings 8:12-21)
Solomon encouraged the priests, who were much astonished at the dark cloud. The dark dispensations of Providence should quicken us in fleeing for refuge to the hope of the gospel. Nothing can more reconcile us to them, than to consider what God has said, and to compare his word and works together. Whatever good we do, we must look on it as the performance of God's promise to us, not of our promises to him.