1 Kings 9:15

1 Kings 9:15 says, And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.  We are told that Solomon had raised a levy, or tax, for the purpose of paying for all the building he did.  Taxes are still raised to pay for government work today, but not for church work, so if God's work is to be done, we as Christians must give to support it.  Verse sixteen adds, For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.  Pharoah, king of Egypt, had taken Gezer and burned it and had given it to his daughter, Solomon's wife.  Of course, it really wasn't his to give, but we do see that the Egyptians were still a threat to the people around them, but he caused Solomon to build a city there.  Sometimes, our one-time enemies may be become our friends, but if they do not become followers of Christ as well, we should not put a lot of faith in their goodness toward us.  Verse seventeen continues, And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether, Verse eighteen states, And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,  Verse nineteen adds, And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. As already stated, Solomon built a city at Gezer, but he also built many others to support his army.  We today may not like taxes, but if we are going to have police forces, fire departments, and armies, as well as all the things needed to live our everyday life functioning with ease, they are necessary.  Of course, they can also be abused.  Verse twenty says, And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,  Verse twenty-one adds, Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.  We are told that not all of those who had lived in the Promised Land before God gave it to Israel had been destroyed, but their children lived as bondservants to the people of Israel.  Matthew Henry says this fulfilled God's law that these people would be the bondservants of Israel found in Leviticus 25:44 and Noah's curse on the Canaanites found in Genesis 9:25.  Some people today attempt to use the Bible to justify being morally superior to other groups of people, but we are all but sinners saved by grace.  Verse twenty-two continues, But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.  None of the people of Israel were made bondservants, but they were men of war and Solomon's servants, princes, captains, and rulers of his horsemen and chariots.  They weren't freed just for a life of leisure, but still had a very important role in Israel.  We are God's servants as followers of Christ today, and we all have our individual calling, but we are all called to be a part of the army of God.  Verse twenty-three states, These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.  Solomon had five-hundred and fifty chief officers over the work of Israel.  We have many preachers who are in charge of insuring that the gospel is preached, and God's word is taught today, but they are not solely responsible.  We as Christians all have an equal responsibility to ensure that God's work is done today, and we each have our own responsibility to ensure that it is done.  Verse twenty-four adds, But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.  Solomon's wife, the Pharoah's daughter, did not live in Jerusalem but in Millo.  We aren't told why he built her a separate house, but we do know that Solomon had multiple wives and concubines, so maybe this was just a logical decision.

I Kings 9:10

1 Kings 9:10 says, And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king's house,  It took twenty years to complete the building of the Temple and Solomon's palaces, so evidently Israel was basically at peace during this time.  Even if we as Christians were to be at peace in the world today, I don't think we should spend so much time on building material things that are not going to last anyway.  I believe that our time would be better spent witnessing and helping others.  Verse eleven adds, (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.  Since Hiram the king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with the cedars and gold, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.  Matthew Henry says these were small cities not in the land of Israel but bordering it and taken over by Solomon most likely.  Matthew Henry also says that Solomon did this above the supplying of Hiram with food which had been their agreement.  We should always try to be fair in our treatment of others, even giving more than is required at times, but we cannot give away what God has set aside for Himself, as He had the land of Israel.  In other words, we cannot help others simply by giving them God's tithes, which should go to the local church to be used collectively.  Verse twelve continues, And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.  When Hiram came to see the cities, which were an added gift from Solomon, he was not pleased with them.  If we are given something more than what we have been promised in our dealings with others, we should be pleased that we have been given more than required, and the same should be true of those that we may have given more to. Still, sometimes even if we are giving more than promised, some people are not going to be satisfied.  Matthew Henry says the question is whether Solomon gave Hiram something that he knew was of little value, or whether Hiram was just super critical.  If we do make a gift of something to others, we need to make sure that it is of value and not something that we just want to get rid of and if we are given a gift, we should not be super critical about it.  Verse thirteen states, And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.  Hiram asked Solomon what these cities were that Solomon had given him and called them Cabul, which Matthew Henry says is a Phoenician word meaning displeasing.  At least Hiram went to Solomon to tell him of his displeasure, and we aren't told that he became angry at Solomon.  If we are given something that we don't like, we should tell the person who gave it to us how we feel and not allow it to become a reason to be angry with them.  These cities were still a gift from Solomon and not the payment of a debt. Verse fourteen adds, And Hiram sent to the king six score talents of gold.  Hiram sent Solomon one hundred and twenty talents of gold.  I assume this was in addition to what he had already sent, which would imply that he wasn't angry with Solomon.  Even if we are not satisfied with what someone gives us, we shouldn't allow that to make us angry with them.  

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.

1 Kings 8:54

1 Kings 8:54 says, And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.  Solomon had prayed on his knees with his hands spread to heaven, and when he was finished, he got up.  There are several ways that different people think we should pray today, but as long as we are humble before God, that is the main issue.  Verse fifty-five adds, And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,  After Solomon stood from praying, he the blessed all the people of Israel, or I believe asked God's blessing on them, since we really can't bless people.  Verse fifty-six continues, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.  Solomon began by asking that God be blessed by the people for His goodness and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to them.  We should bless or praise God today as well, because He will always fulfill His promises to us as long as we are faithful to Him.  Verse fifty-seven states, The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:   Solomon continued to ask that God be with them and not leave or forsake them.  As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit is always with us and will never leave or forsake us.  Verse fifty-eight adds, That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.  Solomon then asked that the people incline their hearts toward God, so that they would keep His commandments, statutes, and judgments that He had given to their fathers.  God's law has not changed, and we as Christians must live under its authority.  Verse fifty-nine continues, And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:  Solomon asked that his words be close to God day and night, and that He hear the people any time they might inquire of Him.  One thing that we can be certain of is that God will be with us and hear us at all times when we call out to Him, because the Holy Spirit indwells us once we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse sixty says, That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.  Solomon asked that God do this so that all the people on the earth, and not just those of Isarael, would know that He was God.  Our actions as followers of Christ today should lead others to acknowledge God, even if they don't know Him in a personal relationship.  Verse sixty-one adds, Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.  Like Solomon asked of the people of Israel then we must make our hearts perfect with the Lord or walk by faith in Him.  Verse sixty-two continues, And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord.  Solomon and all the people of Israel then offered a sacrifice before the Lord.  The only sacrifice that we can offer to God today that really matters is the sacrifice of ourselves to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse sixty-three states, And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.  Solomon then offered a peace offering as they dedicated the house of the Lord.  As Christians, we should be dedicated to God and thereby live at peace with Him, even if we are at war with the world.  Verse sixty-four adds, The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.  The same day, Solomon hallowed, or dedicated the middle of the inner court to God, because that was where sacrifices were made.  We need to dedicate the inner most part of ourselves to God, because we have sacrificed ourselves to Him.  Verse sixty-five continues, And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.  Solomon then had a great feast to God with all the people of Israel that lasted fourteen days.  Verse sixteen concludes, On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.  This says on the eighth day they went home, blessing Solomon with gladness in their hearts for the goodness that God had shown to David his servant through all that Solomon had now accomplished.  They saw this as a fulfillment of the promise God had made to David.  Whatever we accomplish as Christians today is a result of a promise made to Jesus Christ by is Heavenly Father.  Since the feast was divided into two seven-day periods, I assume this was at the end of the second one. We need to always thank God for the goodness that He has shown us by sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die in our place.  We should do this individually and as a nation. 

1 Kings 8:44

1 Kings 8:44 says, If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:  The people were told that if they were in battle and were about to engage the enemy, to look toward the Temple and pray.  We today do not need to look toward a specific place and pray, because the Holy Spirit is always with us, but we do need to always pray before engaging the enemy.  Verse forty-five adds, Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.  Solomon asked God to hear their prayer and maintain their cause if they did this.  If we are praying in accordance with God's will, He will always hear our prayers and maintain our cause.  Verse forty=six continues, If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;  Solomon then asked that if the people sinned, which all people will do, that God deliver them to the enemy and send them away.  We don't pray this prayer today, and even though we are saved forever if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, He may allow us to be defeated in this world if we fall back into sin in order to make us realize that He is aware of our sins.  Verse forty-seven states, Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;  Solomon then talked about the people realizing their sin, repenting in the land of captivity, and asking God's forgiveness.  If we as Christians find ourselves held captive because of our sins today, we must first acknowledge our sins, then repent, and then ask God's forgiveness.  Verse forty-eight adds, And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:  Solomon continued by speaking about the people sincerely praying to God for forgiveness as they looked toward the Temple.  Again, we don't have to look toward a particular place today to find God's forgiveness, but we must sincerely call out to God in prayer in order to find it.  Verse forty-nine continues, Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,  Solomon asked God to hear their prayers for forgiveness and be with them.  God will always hear the prayers of His people, and if we have sinned and are asking for His forgiveness, He will always forgive us.  Verse fifty concludes, And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:  Solomon asked God to then have compassion on His people who had been carried away in captivity because of their sins.  God has always reached out to people out of compassion, and I believe that if we as Christians sin once again that He is always waiting with compassion to forgive us as soon as we repent and turn to Him again.  Verse fifty-one says, For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:  Solomon said the people of Israel were God's chosen people that He had delivered from slavery in Egypt.  We as followers of Christ today are God's chosen people that He has delivered from the captivity of sin.  Verse fifty-two adds, That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.  Solomon continued to ask God to hear and forgive His people if they sinned and repented, and He did then and always will.  Verse fifty-three continues, For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.  Solomon asked that God do this because He had separated the people of Israel to be His people. Today, we as followers of Christ have been separated from the rest of the world to be God's people, not because we are better than them by our own merit, but because God has redeemed us through the death of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross to bring us forgiveness for our sins.  Though He died for the sins of everyone, we must accept His gift of salvation by faith in order to be forgiven. 

1 Kings 8:33

1 Kings 8:33 says, When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:  Solomon began to speak about times when Israel would turn away from God and return asking His forgiveness in the Temple.  When we stray away from God's will as Christians, we need to return to Him and ask His forgiveness, but we don't have to go to a particular place to do so.  Verse thirty-four adds, Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers. Solomon asked God to forgive the people when they came and asked forgiveness and to restore them to the land He gave their fathers.  When we come to God for forgiveness as Christians, He will always restore us to a right relationship with Him, but we never lose our heavenly home if we have sincerely accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Verse thirty-five continues, When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:  Solomon then spoke about times when God would withhold the rain because of the sins of the people of Israel and they then repented.  We need to realize that our sins are going to bring at least spiritual if not physical consequences and that if we want the spiritual consequences removed, we need to repent and ask God's forgiveness.  Verse thirty-six concludes, Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.  Solomon asked God to forgive them in this case also and to bring the rain again and to teach the people how to walk in His way.  When God forgives us from straying away after we ask His forgiveness, we need to pray that He will teach us how to better follow His way.  Verse thirty-seven states, If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;  Solomon then expanded his request to include several physical calamities that might befall the people of Israel.  If we as Christians begin to turn away from God, we can be certain that He will move His protection from us, and we will need to ask His forgiveness to be restored.  We do not lose our salvation, but we do lose the earthly benefits of salvation if we are out of God's will.  Verse thirty-eight adds, What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:  Solomon then made the request that this request apply to individuals as well as to the nation collectively if they all repented.  We know that forgiveness comes from each individual asking for forgiveness personally, but if as a nation all of God's people begin to repent and ask God's forgiveness, the whole nation will be affected.  Verse thirty-nine continues, Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) Solomon then asked that God forgive them individually, which is really the only way to have God's forgiveness.  We cannot bring about forgiveness for anyone but ourself.  Verse forty concludes, That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.  Solomon asked God to forgive His people when they repented in the Temple and restore them to Himself.  Again, though we must individually repent to find forgiveness, we don't have to go to a particular place to do so.  Verse forty-one says, Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake;   Solomon had been speaking about the people of Israel but then began to speak about the strangers who came to the Temple asking forgiveness from God and for His sake or glory.  This would include anyone not born as an Israelite.  Verse forty-two adds, (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;  Solomon said that these strangers would come because they had heard about God's greatness.  If strangers to God are going to come to Him today, we as followers of Christ must share the gospel with them so that they can understand the greatness of God in His providing the free gift of salvation.  Verse forty-three continues, Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.  Solomon asked God to hear these strangers so that the whole earth would know about Him.  The Jewish people who lived at the time Jesus was on the earth and shortly after His death, burial, and resurrection should not have been surprised that the gospel was being preached to the Gentiles, because even Solomon knew that God was reaching out to all people and not just the people of Israel.  We must still reach out to all people with the gospel today as well. 

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.