Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.
Solomon has just ended a long prayer at the dedication of the temple. Now he rises from his knees and turns to bless the people — which raises the question of what a king is doing in work the priests usually did.
Prayer First, Blessing Second
The verse marks a hinge. What Solomon says next to the nation rests on what he has just said to God.
Leslie M. GrantAfter interceding with God, Solomon is free to bless the people, for their blessing depends on the pure grace of God that Solomon had prayed for. He spoke with a loud voice so the people would hear (vv. 54-55). But he begins by blessing the Lord who had given rest to Israel from all their wars. He acknowledges that "Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant" (v. 56). How good that the people were reminded of the perfect faithfulness of God to His word! And how good if we too remember that He has proven Himself true to us all through our history on earth.
Kneeling Where Everyone Could See
Solomon prayed in this position where the whole nation could see him.
Eugene P. Vedder Jr.What a wonderful example Solomon sets for us here! All the kings of the earth came to this great and glorious king to hear his wisdom. Yet he kneels in public before the Lord and acknowledges His greatness and faithfulness. Of Solomon we are told, "Solomon loved the LORD" (1 Kings 3:3). May God grant us more such leaders who truly love the Lord and who publicly honour and acknowledge Him! This is true wisdom.
Does that make kneeling a rule for prayer? One writer says no, while still valuing the posture:
C. H. MackintoshWe do not know of any Christians who regard kneeling in prayer as "an imperative duty." We would feel bound to protest against such a notion. The New Testament does not lay down any rule about bodily attitude. Where Scripture is silent, no one has any right to legislate. We certainly do like to kneel whenever we can. We consider it a fitting attitude to express the reverent and devotional feelings of the heart.
Rising From Before the Altar
In this verse Solomon rises from before the altar. One writer compares that with a scene where Solomon stands on a platform instead:
Henri L. RossierSomething else strikes us here: Solomon on his platform is in reality much more an intercessor, an advocate for Israel, than a king. There on the platform he bows the knee and spreads out his hands in supplication toward heaven. And remarkably, he is not here a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, as he is in 1 Kings 8:54-61. There he blesses God on behalf of the people and blesses the people on behalf of God, rising from before the altar to stand and bless. No — on his platform, which once was an altar, he takes only the place of an intercessor.
A King Doing a Priest's Work
Solomon blesses the whole assembly himself. Who else ever did that, and where was the high priest?
W. W. FeredayOnly three kings ever publicly blessed the people of God (as far as the records speak). All three were outstanding pictures of Christ — Melchizedek (Genesis 14:19), David (2 Samuel 6:18), and Solomon… In all the events of the great day of the consecration of the Temple, the high priest is never mentioned. Everything was under the direction of the king. This brings home to us the great change in the Lord's dealings with Israel. It came when the priestly house broke down in the days of Eli… The priest became secondary to the king. In the end, God's King is Christ. All blessing depends on Him, and all authority is vested in Him.
Blessing Held Out, Then Made Conditional
The blessing Solomon now speaks comes with a condition attached.
H. L. RossierSolomon knelt before the Lord to intercede on behalf of the people; now he rises to bless the whole assembly of Israel. He praises God first because He has given rest to His people… He presents his own words of intercession as a reason for God to bless His people. The result of this blessing should be "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other" (v. 60). This will be realised in Christ's thousand-year reign, which all this history points us toward. Only, for this blessing to take place, the heart of Israel must be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in His statutes and keeping His commandments. Again the legal condition — impossible for this fallible king and people to keep. Christ alone will fulfil it.
Summary
- Knees first. A king whom other kings came to hear prayed on his knees in front of the whole nation — public honour given to God, not a private habit.
- Altar underneath. Rising from before the altar, he blesses God for the people and the people for God.
- Blessing follows intercession. He prayed for grace before he promised good. The people's blessing rested on that prayer, not on the ceremony.
- King in the priest's place. The high priest is never named that day. Only three men ever blessed God's people as kings in public. Each one pictures Christ, who holds all blessing and all authority.
- Condition unmet. What Solomon held out depended on hearts wholly true to God — impossible for him and for Israel, and fulfilled only in Christ.