1 Kings 8:62-66

1 Kings 8:62-66

[62] And the king,  and all Israel  with him, offered  sacrifice  before  the LORD.  [63] 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.  [64] 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.  [65] 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.  [66] On the eighth  day  the people  away:  and they blessed  the king,  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. 

What does 1 Kings 8:62-66 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

As a royal priest Solomon led the nation of priests in making an immense sacrifice to Yahweh. The sacrifices were all offerings of worship. The burnt offering represented the dedication of the worshipper"s person to God and secured forgiveness. The grain offering pictured the dedication of his work to God. The peace offering expressed the joy that resulted from the fellowship God had made possible with Himself and with the worshipper"s fellowman ( Leviticus 1-3).
The number of offerings seems incredibly large, but contemporary extrabiblical records of other sacrifices that involved thousands of animals are extant. Perhaps the priests made sacrifices at other places outside the temple courtyard. People came from the far Northeast (Hamath) and the extreme Southwest (the Wadi el-Arish) to this feast. Solomon extended the celebration an extra week ( 1 Kings 8:65).
1 Kings 8:66 is very significant because it shows that because of Israel"s rededication in this covenant renewal ceremony, King Solomon enjoyed blessing from his people on whom he had brought blessing. The result was joy and gladness of heart for everyone. These are what God had promised in the Mosaic Law as consequences of commitment to His will. God blessed Solomon personally, and he became a channel of blessing to the nation he served because he committed himself to obeying God"s Word.
This was the biggest event in Israel, in terms of its theological significance, since God gave Israel the Law at Mount Sinai. Israel was finally in the Promised Land with her God enthroned in a place of great honor. Now Israel was in position to fulfill her calling as a nation in the world as never before in her history (cf. Exodus 19:5-6). The significance of this chapter becomes clearer when we read the Prophets section of the Old Testament. The writing prophets alluded to it often.