In First Kings, chapter nine, verse three, God’s response to Solomon’s prayer affirmed that He had heard and answered. However, God added that He would establish Solomon’s throne and the kingdom of Israel only if Solomon and the people would remain faithful and not turn away from His commandments, as in verses four through nine. All scripture expresses this principle: God’s fulfillment of promises is when we seek to follow Him and His ways.
The Lord heard Solomon’s prayer and showed that the first verse is to be understood. Otherwise, we must suppose this appearance of God to Solomon to have taken place and this answer to have given to his prayer. Eleven years after, he had finished the house and addressed that prayer to him at the dedication of it, which is very unlikely. God’s glorious presence in the cloud, and by His acceptance of Solomon’s sacrifices, God had sanctified it to His proper use and service. Solomon had dedicated it, but God’s prerogative to hallow or consecrate it.
Men cannot make a place holy: yet what we in sincerity devote to God, we may hope he will graciously accept as his.
This vision of the Lord presented differences from that recorded in First Kings six, eleven through Thirteen, while the Temple was in the building. Then all was promise and encouragement; now, not only is warning mingled with an agreement but, as in Solomon’s prayer, the sadder alternative seems in prophetic anticipation to overpower the brighter. In there are, as has been often remarked, a striking exemplification of the austere and lofty impartiality of the inspired narrative, sternly contradicting that natural hopefulness in the hour of inimitable prosperity, which would have shrunk from even entertaining the idea that the blessing of God on the Temple should be frustrated, and the glory of Israel should pass away.