1Kings 8:22

1 Kings 8:22 says, And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:   Solomon stood before the altar for all the people to see.  We also need to stand before the altar of God so all people can see that we stand with and worship God.  Verse twenty-three adds, And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:  Solomon then proclaimed God to be the only God, who acted in mercy toward His people, and Who had a covenant relationship with them.  As Christians, we should proclaim this truth to the world today.  Verse twenty-four continues, Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.  Solomon said that the things God promised to David with His words, He fulfilled with His hands, or by His acts.  This promise was completely fulfilled when Jesus Christ came and died to bring forgiveness for our sins by the act of dying on the cross.  Of course, we must accept His sacrifice for it to have meaning to us.  Verse twenty-five states, Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.  Solomon asked God to fulfill His promises that there would never be a time when a descendant of David did not sit on the throne of Israel, and as already stated, this was fulfilled when Jesus Christ came to be the eternal King.  I am not sure what the people of Israel believe today, since there is no king of Israel, much less a descendant of David, and this is the promise of the Old Testament and they do not accept the New Testament.  Verse twenty-six adds. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.  Solomon asked God to let His word be verified, and we can be certain that it always has and always will be.  We simply must accept it by faith, and the first step in doing so is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Then we need to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-seven continues, But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?  Solomon asked if God would live on earth in the building that he had made since even the heavens couldn't contain Him.  The answer is that it couldn't, nor can any church building today.  Verse twenty-eight says, Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:  Solomon asked God to hear his prayer that day, and as followers of Christ, God will always hear our prayers.  Of course, our prayers should always be made based on what God's will is or is at the time and not just on our desires.  Verse twenty-nine adds, That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. Solomon asked that God be present in the Temple day and night, even though he knew God could not be contained in it.  We as Christians have the Holy Spirit living within us, but He certainly isn't contained by His presence with us.  Verse thirty continues, And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.  Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of people that were made in the Temple from His throne in Heaven, and to forgive them when they asked.  God does hear us from His throne in Heaven today and will always forgive us if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord,  Verse thirty-one states, If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:  Verse thirty-two adds, Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.  Solomon asked that God reward those who lived by His commandments and punish those who didn't.  Spiritually, this is not determined by our own righteousness, which will always fail us, but on the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  We already have the gift of everlasting forgiveness if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.