1 Kings 9:1-9

1 Kings 9:1-9

[1] 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,  [2] That the LORD  appeared  to Solomon  the second time,  as he had appeared  unto him at Gibeon.  [3] 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.  [4] 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:  [5] 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.  [6] But if ye shall at all  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: [7] 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:  [8] 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?  [9] 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. 

What does 1 Kings 9:1-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God responded to Solomon"s dedication of himself and his nation as He had responded to David ( 2 Samuel 7) and to Solomon earlier (ch3). He offered Solomon continued blessing for continued faithfulness.
First, God promised He would do what Solomon had petitioned in his dedicatory prayer ( 1 Kings 8:22-53; 1 Kings 9:3). Second, He said He would provide a continuous line of descendants from Solomon to sit on Israel"s throne if Solomon would continue to follow God faithfully. The alternative would have been cutting off Solomon"s descendants and replacing them with descendants from another branch of David"s family (cf. the fate of Eli"s house). God maintained Solomon"s line because, generally speaking, Solomon remained faithful to the Lord. Third, if Song of Solomon , the subsequent kings, or the people abandoned the Lord"s covenant, He would do three things. He would remove the people from their land, abandon the temple, and make Israel a byword instead of a blessing. This, too, God did for Israel, because overall, Israel did not remain faithful.
"The rest of Kings will be preoccupied with the blessing which follows obedience and the curses enacted after any failure to obey. The reference point will be to God"s revealed word and the language is that of Deuteronomy." [1]