And Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offerings and the oblations and the fat.
On the day the temple was dedicated, the bronze altar was too small for all the offerings. So Solomon set apart the court itself, which raises a question: why so many sacrifices, and what did they mean?
Why the Court Was Consecrated
The reason is practical. Solomon's altar was large, but this day's offerings overwhelmed it.
The copper altar was not large enough to hold all the offerings. So Solomon consecrated the middle of the court in front of the temple, and offered the burnt offerings there.
The numbers were huge: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Another writer sets that overflow beside the fixed measure of the sin offering:
So in the burnt offering there was no limit to the number offered. One young goat was enough for a sin offering. But in the time of the kings the burnt offerings ran into thousands, until the whole temple court became an altar — worship has no limit.
The Fat: God's Own Portion
The verse singles out one part of the peace offerings — the fat, which went up in fire to God. One writer warns against two popular readings of that burning:
Some call this burning of the fat "the offering up of our good affections to God in all our prayers and praises." Worse still, some call it "the putting to death of our corrupt affections and lusts." Both readings are far from the truth of Christ. … No; it was neither our good offered up nor our bad put to death. It was the inward energy of Christ Himself, the perfect and lasting ground of communion for God and His family.
Another writer draws a lesson from who received the first share:
Notice here that the LORD had His part first. That part was the inward worth and excellence of the victim. He alone knew, or could measure, the real worth and inward energy and affection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an important point. We may be sure that those who walk in fellowship with the Father seek His glory and His things first.
Peace Offerings and a House God Could Fill
The verse also names the peace offerings, and they fit the occasion. Solomon was handing God a house to live in.
These were peace offerings. They speak of the fellowship between God and the people that the sacrifice of Christ brought about. That fellowship makes the way clear for God to dwell with mankind, as the temple illustrates. Once they had offered these, the house was dedicated.
The mood of the day matches the offerings. One writer sums up the scene of the parallel account in Kings:
On this day countless sacrifices, burnt offerings, meal offerings, and peace offerings are presented. Joy and fellowship prevail throughout.
Thousands of Animals, One Offering
Thousands of animals died that day, and still sins remained. One writer sets the scene beside a line from Hebrews:
Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Oh, the value of the one offering of the Lord Jesus. On a single day, by offering up Himself, He settled the whole dreadful question of our sins once and for all.
A Day Never Matched Again
Writers set this day beside the dedication of the later temple:
At that dedication they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin offering twelve male goats. At the dedication of the first temple Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. And the greatest contrast with Solomon's temple was the glory cloud. That visible sign of Jehovah's presence had filled Solomon's house, but here it was missing.
Summary
- Overflow. The bronze altar was huge, but it could not take the day's offerings. So Solomon set apart the court itself.
- Limit. Sin offerings had a set measure. Burnt offerings did not. When the whole court becomes an altar, the lesson is that worship has no limit.
- Portion. The fat was God's share, given first. It stands for the inward energy of Christ — not our good offered up, and not our bad put to death.
- Fellowship. Peace offerings mark the dedication. They speak of fellowship between God and His people, and clear the way for God to dwell among them.
- Fulfilment. Thousands of animals in one day could not take away sins. One offering, once, did what the whole overflowing court could not.