1 Kings 9:1

1 Kings 9:1 says, And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,  Solomon had finally completed all the building that he desired to do, which we would hope was done under the leadership of God.  We do know that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that the work of redemption was done under God's guidance for all time.  Verse two adds, That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.  When Solomon had completed his work, then God appeared to him a second time.  God should appear to us daily through the presence of the Holy Spirit, and we will really never be done with His work here in this world.  Verse three continues, And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.  God said that He had heard Solomon's prayer and supplication, and the He had hallowed the house that Solomon built, and His eyes and His heart would be there forever.  Of course, we know that Jesus Christ said He was the Temple of God. and we know that when we accept Him as our Savior and Lord that He is with us forever.  Verse four states, And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:  God then put Solomon's part of the covenant relationship before him.  Building the Temple did not get Solomon an everlasting relationship with God.  Only following God's will for him would and this would point him toward the coming Messiah.  We can only have an everlasting relationship with God by accepting Jesus Christ.  Works will never save us.  Verse five adds, Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.  Since we know that Solomon did not live forever, it was through David's and Solomon's descendant Jesus that this promise was fulfilled.  Verse six continues, But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:  Then, God issued a warning about turning away from Him and following other gods.  Verse seven declares, Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:  If the people of Israel turned away from God, He would turn away from them.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are forever saved, but if we turn away from God, He may remove His protective hand from us in this lifetime.  Verse eight adds, And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?  God said if the people turned away from Him, that people would pass the Temple and hiss an ask why the Lord had left it.  God does not live in buildings but in the hearts if people, so if people in the church turn away from Him, the building will be empty. Verse nine continues, And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.  The answer was because people forsook God, and not because God had forsaken them.  If we ever find ourselves feeling deserted by God, the problem will never be with God, but with us.