SUMMARY
After receiving the dedication of the humans’ rituals, God consecrates the Jerusalem TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More.
ANALYSIS
Contemporary religions often use particular rituals to consecrate and dedicate religious spaces. These rites set the space apart through prayer and worship to be used for religious purposes. Sometimes, the place was considered holyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More prior to the ritual; sometimes, the ritual actually creates the sacredness that is present in the holy space. The ritual of the blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More of the Temple is neither. In the case of the Jerusalem Temple, it is neither SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple. More, the priests, nor even the lengthy royal prayer that actually consecrates (or makes holy) the Temple. Solomon and the people offer abundant sacrifices in 1 Kings 8:62-63, but these are only said to dedicate the Temple to God. The king then hosts a festival in vv. 65-66, a week-long celebration that sends its participants off “joyful and happy of heart,” as the Hebrew describes them. It would seem, at this point, that the pomp and circumstance was complete and the ritual of consecration was finished.
Not so, according to the Holy One of IsraelThe Holy One of Israel is one of several names for God in Hebrew. The term, which most frequently occurs in Isaiah, means one who is set apart because that one is unique and worthy of worship (see also: holy). More. In chapter 9, once all is said and done and everyone has returned home, God comes down to have a final word with King Solomon. This moment is when the consecration of the Temple actually happens. God’s appearance firmly establishes the proper dynamic of the situation: it is the king who prays, pleads, and requests; it is God who actually acts. By divine word, in v. 3, God consecrates the House that Solomon had built. The human ritual, by contrast, was a mere prelude to the overture of cosmic action. By celestial decree, God chooses to place the divine name, eyes, and heart in the Jerusalem Temple for all generations.
This divine claim to the Temple – chosen and enacted by God, not by humans – is quickly followed up with a reminder to the Israelite king of the rules of their relationship (vv. 4-9): follow God, and all will be well. Stray from the divine path, and God’s favor will turn as well, to disastrous results.
