In the Presence of the Divine

1 Kings 8:1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43

¹ Then Solomon assembled Israel’s elders, all the tribal leaders, and the chiefs of Israel’s clans at Jerusalem to bring up the chest containing the LORD’s covenant from David’s City Zion. ⁶ The priests brought the chest containing the LORD’s covenant to its designated spot beneath the wings of the winged creatures in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the most holy place. ¹⁰ When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the LORD’s temple, ¹¹ and the priests were unable to carry out their duties due to the cloud because the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s temple. ²² Solomon stood before the LORD’s altar in front of the entire Israelite assembly and, spreading out his hands toward the sky, ²³ he said: LORD God of Israel, there’s no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep the covenant and show loyalty to your servants who walk before you with all their heart. ²⁴ This is the covenant you kept with your servant David, my father, which you promised him. Today, you have fulfilled what you promised. ²⁵ So now, LORD, Israel’s God, keep what you promised my father David, your servant, when you said to him, “You will never fail to have a successor sitting on Israel’s throne as long as your descendants carefully walk before me just as you walked before me.” ²⁶ So now, God of Israel, may your promise to your servant David, my father, come true. ²⁷ But how could God possibly live on earth? If heaven, even the highest heaven, can’t contain you, how can this temple that I’ve built contain you? ²⁸ LORD my God, listen to your servant’s prayer and request, and hear the cry and prayer that your servant prays to you today. ²⁹ Constantly watch over this temple, the place about which you said, “My name will be there,” and listen to the prayer that your servant is praying toward this place. ³⁰ Listen to the request of your servant and your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive! ⁴¹ Listen also to the immigrant who isn’t from your people Israel but who comes from a distant country because of your reputation ⁴² because they will hear of your great reputation, your great power, and your outstretched arm. When the immigrant comes and prays toward this temple, ⁴³ then listen from heaven, where you live, and do everything the immigrant asks. Do this so that all the people of the earth may know your reputation and revere you, as your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I have built bears your name.