3 The king then turned to face the congregation that had come together and blessed them: 4 "Blessed be God, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has done what he promised when he said, 5 'From the day I brought my people Israel up from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel in which to build a temple to honor my Name, or chosen one person to be the leader. 6 But now I have chosen both a city and a person: Jerusalem for honoring my Name and David to lead my people Israel.' 7 "My father David very much wanted to build a temple honoring the Name of God, the God of Israel, 8 but God told him, 'It was good that you wanted to build a temple in my honor - most commendable! 9 But you are not the one to do it. Your son, who will carry on your dynasty, will build it for my Name.' 10 "And now you see the promise completed. God has done what he said he would do; I have succeeded David my father and now rule Israel; and I have built a temple to honor God, the God of Israel, 11 and have secured a place for the Chest that holds the Covenant of God, the covenant he made with the people of Israel."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 6:3-11
Chapter Contents
Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple.
The order of Solomon's prayer is to be observed. First and chiefly, he prays for repentance and forgiveness, which is the chief blessing, and the only solid foundation of other mercies: he then prays for temporal mercies; thereby teaching us what things to mind and desire most in our prayers. This also Christ hath taught us in his perfect pattern and form of prayer, where there is but one prayer for outward, and all the rest are for spiritual blessings. The temple typified the human nature of Christ, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. The ark typified his obedience and sufferings, by which repenting sinners have access to a reconciled God, and communion with him. Jehovah has made our nature his resting-place for ever, in the person of Emmanuel, and through him he dwells with, and delights in his church of redeemed sinners. May our hearts become his resting-place; may Christ dwell therein by faith, consecrating them as his temples, and shedding abroad his love therein. May the Father look upon us in and through his Anointed; and may he remember and bless us in all things, according to his mercy to sinners, in and through Christ.