Solomon Addresses the People
12 Then Solomon said,
“The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.
13 “I have surely built You a lofty house,
A place for Your dwelling forever.”14 Then the king [b]faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now it was [c]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [d]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [e]in your heart. 19 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [f]will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord [g]promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”
Solomon makes it clear to the people that all this happened because God promised it. It was God’s will to put Solomon on the throne, and for him to build a place to honor where Israel could gather to meet with God. Though David may have had the idea, it was all part of God’s plan for Israel, which was why it needed to be done when it was time.
While this was a pretty big deal for God’s chosen people, He also has a plan for our lives today. As a church, as a nation, and as individual’s, God has a plan. In everything we do, we need to listen for God’s voice. While God can work anything into His plan (and really, He already has, since He is outside of time itself), God desires to work thing for our good.
When we get ahead of God, or just plain forget to listen for His voice, we may just miss the good that He intended for us. Instead, we need to learn to slow down, have patience, and listen.