1 Kings 9: Mysterious Gold

In 1 Kings 9, we see one of the numerous times in the Bible that Jerusalem's destruction (and the tragic fate of the Jews) is prophesied.  Solomon has put all his effort and faith in God into the building of a glorious temple, and God reveals that He is pleased and will bless Solomon and his line if he remains faithful and follows the commandments, ordinances, and judgments of God.  But if Solomon and the Israelites become disobedient and unfaithful, God proclaims, "I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them; and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight" (1 Kings 9:7).  We know that this very thing happened to the Jews and their temple, not just during the Babylonian captivity, but of course again in 70 AD and in the long centuries that followed in which the Jews were cast off from the land they were given and persecuted nearly everywhere they went.  And the Temple has been cast out of God's sight all the while.  These are remarkably accurate prophecies we read in the Old Testament.  

One last thing in this chapter that caught my attention is the mysterious mention of a place called Ophir, from whence Solomon brought immense amounts of gold to his kingdom.  I had not heard this place name before, and apparently to this day its location is still a mystery.  Ophir may have been a place in east Africa, or possibly even as far as India.  Scholars debate this.  But the wildest theory, which is mentioned in my commentary, is that Ophir is in modern day Sumatra!  I don't know what leads some to think this, but it's a fascinating hypothesis.  It stretches the imagination to thrilling lengths to think that the peoples of ancient Palestine could have been in communication with the peoples of far-off Southeast Asia, and that gold may have been transported from the latter to the former.  Of course, this is wild conjecture, and perhaps eastern Africa is the more logical theory.  But it's fun to speculate about these things.  

1 Kings 8: Temple Dedication

"And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem, and it was winter:  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch." (John 10:22-23)

1 Kings 8 describes the official Temple dedication presided over by Solomon.  The dedication of the Temple became a significant feast day for the Jews, and though John 10 may be referring to the re-dedication of the Temple (or "Hanukkah"), it shows that a thousand years after Solomon when the Son of God was walking the earth, the commemoration of the Temple's dedication was still an important annual tradition.  

Another thing I found notable about this chapter was the way in which Solomon dedicated the Temple.  Scripture says, "And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: for all the assembly of Israel stood" (1 Kings 8:14).  The fact that Solomon turned toward the people to bless them implies that he was facing the altar for the rest of the dedication sacrifice.  The sacrifice of the Mass, since the Second Vatican Council, has undergone many significant changes, one being that the priest now faces the people (versus populum) instead of the altar (ad orientem) during the Mass.  But would it not be more Biblical to face the altar?  Clearly it was seen as common practice in Solomon's day.  Why in the 1960s was this tradition suddenly questioned?  Protestantism is different, clearly, as the tradition in that sect is for the preacher to face outward to a congregation to preach, which makes sense for its purposes.  But there is no sacrificial element to a Protestant service.  There is no altar.  

Also significant about Solomon's sacrifice is that he offers it upon his knees.  This also is an ancient Christian tradition based on Biblical precedent.  In fact, this instance of Solomon's dedication of the Temple could be the first time we see the kneeling posture used in an official capacity.  1 Kings 8:54 says, "...when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord... he rose from before the altar of the Lord: for he had fixed both knees on the ground, and had spread his hands towards heaven."  The kneeling posture associated with prayer is therefore anciently Biblical, yet just like with ad orientem worship, we see a move away from it in the modern era.  Why?