Previously on the chosen people.

Ah, your father David would have been proud, King Solomon.

I see the care you've taken to build.

This is more than a monument.

This is a covenant in stone.

Thank you, King Iron.

That was always the plan.

This isn't just for us, It's for every generation that follows.

Every beam and every stone has been cut and shaped off side.

The temple itself has remained silent during construction, as the Lord instructed.

No hammer or iron tool touched these walls here.

It was all fitted together like a puzzle in the quaries off side.

Yet even in this moment of success, unease tugged at the edges of his mind.

There were other voices, whispers in his court, wives vying for his time, complaining of betrothals, arranged for their daughter's arguments over altars to their foreign gods beyond the city's walls.

But for now there was peace, and there was promise.

The nearly complete temple stood tall, its triumphant limestone walls gleaming in the sunlight.

It had captured the heart and imagination of man.

But would it please the heart of God?

Would the sum of Solomon's reign and his life be found worthy in the eyes of the Lord.

You can build the house of gold and still miss the God who dwells above shell.

Oh, my friends, from here in the holy Land of Israel, i'm l Extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People.

How do we measure the presence of God?

Is it by the beauty of a building?

Is it the grandeur of gold?

Is it the sound of a thousand voices lifted in unison?

Or is it something quieter, something deeper?

Today?

In One Kings Chapter five through eight, and Second Chronicles one through nine, we step into the sacred house built for the God who cannot be contained the Holy Temple.

We've seen Solomon rise, we watched his wisdom grow, and now we see him dare to do it.

No king before him had done to raise a dwelling place for God most High?

But what happens when human hands try to build a home for the eternal?

Though summer was quickly fading to autumn, the air in the hall was thick, sluggish, and unseasonably warm.

Solomon saw, to his horror his son's eyes starting to flutter.

He nudged him under the table to keep him alert, and coughed loudly to mask Riaboha startled reaction as he sat up straighter.

Thankfully, no one but the Gabira queen mother seemed to notice.

Bathsheba shot her grandson a disapproving look and returned her face to the polite, tranquil mask she so often wore.

Solomon had hoped rio Bohm would rise to the occasion of being given a seat in the council meetings, but so far it was like pulling teeth to get him to pay attention.

Solomon frowned in irritation at his son's immaturity, and then nodded apologetically to Zadok, the High Priest, Please.

High Priest, continue your port.

M yes, my king.

Hundreds more enter the city by the hour in anticipation of the feast of the Tabernacles and for the dedication of the temple, and they bring with them so many sacrificial animals that the scribes can hardly care keep up with the accounting.

We are asking that the festival be extended by a week to accommodate all the people granted.

The Feast of Damnacles a celebration of Israel's journey through the wilderness and our long awaited arrival in the Promise land.

How fitting that this festival marks not only the end of our wandering, but also the completion of a great work, as the presence of the Lord finally dwells on the land he promised to his chosen people.

Solomon's advisors pounded the table in agreement at Solomon's words.

At long last, the temple was complete, and it had been a labor of craftsmanship, statesmanship, backbreaking work, delicate metal work, meticulous planning, seven years in the making.

It was the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, but he was just getting started.

Yes, tomorrow will mark the fulfillment of my promise to my father and to the Lord.

But what's next?

What more does the Lord have for Israel.

The men around the table leaned in at Solomon's stirring speech, but they hesitated when the men did not answer, But Sheibas spoke aloud about their concerns to her son.

My son, we are eager to hear more of your plans for Israel.

But surely the men in this room are already burdened with a vision you have entrusted to them.

Look around, there.

Is peace on every border, all pay tribute to you, even the Philistines.

Through your marriage, alliances and shrewd dealings, you have secured peace and prosperity.

I have personally written to every king and noble in the land, ensuring alliances that will endure for this generation and the next.

Exactly my point.

You see what can be done when we are diligent and inspired.

This is an era of boundary and abundance.

Solomon, Surely now is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, Enjoy your wives and children, write and study with that brilliant mind.

Our God has given you, trust your capable advisors to carry out what you have set in motion.

Let us complete one project before we begin another more.

Solomon always wanted more.

His appetite was insatiable knowledge, industry women.

He was a man of abundance, not temperance.

Bathsheba's words grated against his very nature.

Ah, yes, I can hear your not so subtle rebuke giving her You want us to sit down.

I want us to rest and enjoy what you've built.

Did not Hashim do so himself.

I'd not like closeness.

We've begun many things.

The forest of Lebanon for the past, the whole of judgment, for our armory, the royal quarters, the palace of the Princess nepertari As was promised to Pharaoh.

Need I continue now you've made your point.

Ada near him, Solomon's appointed overseer of the conscripted workers, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He was a harsh, rigid sort of man with sharp pointed features.

He was no nonsense, and Solomon often praised him for his efficient methods of organizing the labor for Solomon's ambitious projects.

My King, as you know, I oversee the labor for these projects.

King Hiram has been generous sending us skilled laborers and craftsmen, and of course the tribes of Israel have provided men to serve as well.

I've even gathered the descendants of the Canaanite still in our land to supplement our workforce.

Yet despite these efforts, completing projects on time remains a challenge.

I fear the new endeavor will face similar difficulties.

To everyone's surprise, especially Solomon's.

This was the moment when we of Bohen chose to interject.

Then just bound up more Canaanites.

They aren't supposed to be here anymore anyway, right?

What about our neighbors.

Can't they send us more men like King Aram did?

You could pay them.

A simple solution is often the best, but often simplicity is elusive.

In matters of diplomacy.

It takes time and many calculated bargains to win the support of other nations, and they may want something you're not willing to give.

The King speaks true, we have no shortage of workers for your projects, or slaves, as you have pointed out with the Canaanites.

But my privintce the problem is trustworthy overseers for the laborers.

The city of David Expansion is where I could use at least one more of good man.

My foreman are splend.

In flicker of familiarity tugged at the edge of Solomon's mind.

Had he not just encountered such a man, someone recently favored and promoted steadily climbing the ranks.

Who could appoint me father, I could leave the project.

Solomon winced at that.

Rarely did Rio Bohm ever offer himself up to take responsibility.

But surely the boy wasn't ready for such a large undertaking.

Just moments ago Solomon was shaking the boy awake.

How could he entrust him with such a massive endeavor.

For all Solomon's wisdom, he had blind spots, and how to father his son was one of them.

I love your ambition, my boy, but an undertaking like this will require experience.

Not to mention the early mornings and late nights.

Show me you can succeed the small things, and I would love to task you with the larger matters.

Bow nodded dutifully, but then slumped back in his seat.

Solomon prayed his son would glean the wisdom and experience he would need one day to take up his mantle.

Lord ahieshah, you oversee my household and know each man.

Tell me I came across a young man named Jeroboam recently.

Will he be the answer to Lord adn Aram's foreman shortage?

Oh?

Yes, By King, young Jeroboem would serve.

He's well liked among the men, and he's from the tribe of Ephrahim.

If I may offer a suggestion, my king, Lord ed and Iiram, perhaps you could send the conscripted men of his tribe to him.

Very wise, as always, Lord Alisham, a young man with the support of the central tribes and leadership experience could prove beneficial to us all down the road.

Reabon, perhaps you could shadow this young man and learn from him before taking on your own project.

The next day, Dedication Day, came swiftly.

Solomon felt the weight of history in his chest, yet a fierce excitement surged.

To day was the culmination of a lifetime's calling, his father's dream, and a promise fulfilled.

The golden glow of the early morning sun reflected off the temple's gleaming limestone and gilded surfaces, refracting beams of dazzling light through the portico.

Incense curled skyward from the priest's fire pans, filling the air with a sweet aroma that mingled with the frenzied anticipation of the day.

Thousands gathered in the vast courtyard, priests, nobles, elders, and commoners, each straining to glimpse the moment Israel had waited generations for.

At the heart of it all stood Solomon.

His royal robes shimmered with golden threads, but the weight of the crown, heavier to day than ever, anchored him in this moment.

Before him loomed the towering bronze pillars.

Yaquin and Boaz, their names etched deep into their shining surfaces, he establishes and in hind strength.

It was here, beneath their shadow that Solomon's greatest ambition now stood complete.

The priests, led by their high priest Zadok, reverently marched the Ark of the Covenant from the city of David.

Before the Ark, the other holy components of the Tabernacle had been transported.

But now they came to the Ark, the holy box, where the presence of the Lord had granted victory, dealt judgment, and spoken to his chosen representatives, since the wandering in the wilderness, Inside lay the tablets given to Moses, the very foundation of their faith, the Law.

Solomon turned with all of Israel with bated breath, as the priests marched the Ark of the Covenant, suspended between its golden poles and adorned with the watchful figures of Cherubim, Brought within the inner Sanctuary, the most holy place, they gently reverently placed it under the outstretched wings of the massive golden Cherubim.

As the arks settled into its resting place, a hush fell, then a rush of wind stirred the air.

A dense, radiant cloud filled the temple.

The priests staggered backward, shielding their eyes from the Lord's glory.

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

Solomon stepped forward, mouth agape with wonder.

It was just as he had read about in the scroll of Moses, the presence of the Lord residing in the most holy place.

Unless the Lord builds a house, it builds labor in vain.

And here it was Israel's wandering God had found a home.

He may have labored to build it with his hands, but it was mere stone and toil without the presence of the Lord.

He lifted his hands toward heaven and shouted to the amazed crowd, Lord God.

Of Israel, there's no god like you in heaven above or on earth below who keeps the gracious covenant.

With your servants, who walk before you with all their arm.

You've kept what you promised to your servants, My father, David, you spoke directly to you, and you.

Fulfilled your promise by your power as it is today.

A murmur of agreement swept through the crowd.

Solomon turned his gaze, sweeping across the assembly the holiness of this moment, suspending them all in silence and stillness.

He raised his hands again, higher this time, and sank to his knees before the people, His face tilted heavenward.

But will God really dwell on earth?

The heavens cannot continue, how much less this temple I've built.

The crowd stirred at the honesty of it.

Lord, give attention to my prayer and plead for mercy.

May your eyes be opened toward this temple day and night.

The place of which you said my name shall be there hear the prayers of your people, bing your ear to us.

Solomon's voice grew louder, reaching the edges of the crowd.

The priests came to kneel with him at his sides.

An instant later the crowd followed suit, and then all of Israel was kneeling before the presence of the Lord.

When anyone wrongs another and is forced to take an oath, and they come and swear before your altar in this temple, hear from heaven and judge between your servants.

When your people are defeated by an enemy because they've sinned against you, and they turn back to you and confess your name.

Hear from heaven, and forgive when there's droughts, when there's famine, when there's mayor or blight, or locusts or enemies besieging our cities.

When prayers rise from this place, hear them, Lord, and act when the foreigner comes from a distant land because of your great name here, then too, fulfill your promise to Abraham, to promise that all the nations of the earth may know you and be blessed.

A silence followed, weighty and reverent.

Then Solomon's voice softened as he came to the heart of his PLEA God, your color, And when.

Your people sim against you, and he turned back to you with all their hearts, did.

Hear the.

Storm.

He remained kneeling as the final words echoed against the stone.

Her beat, then another, and then fire.

A blinding crack of lightning spaded the sky, and fire descended onto the altar, consuming the sacrifices in roaring, searing flames.

The crowd gasped in fear and wonder.

Solomon rose slowly and turned to the assembly.

They were overcome by the glory before them.

Their sacrifices and praise had been accepted, Solomon lifted his hands one final time.

Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel.

Not one word has failed of all his good promises.

May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors.

May he never leave us versaek us, and may our hearts always be fully committed to the Lord our God to walk in obedience and keep his commands.

The people roared with cheers and worshiped the Lord.

They dispersed, and the celebrations spilled into the streets.

But Solomon lingered in the courtyard long after the crowds had gone and the sun had set.

His eyes were fixed on the temple.

Then it came a subtle hollowness clawed at the edges of his mind.

What's next?

The temple was finished, the promise fulfilled, and the Lord was pleased.

Yet even in its perfection, Solomon wanted more.

Then I considered all that my hand done, and the toil I had expected at doing it.

And behold all was vanity and striving after wind, all the toil of madness for his mouth and his appetite.

He's not satisfied.

After seven long years, the building of God's Holy Temple of Jerusalem had finally been completed.

King Solomon assembled the nation of Israel and Jerusalem for the dedication of this place where God's presence would dwell on earth.

But this was more than just the dedication of a building.

It was a chance for the Chosen people to rededicate themselves to God's service.

Following his prayer of dedication for the temple, King Solomon offered a blessing for the people of Israel, and in his blessing, Solomon had five basic requests for the Chosen people.

Solomon requested one God's presence, two the desire to do God's will in everything, three the ability to obey all of God's commands.

Four help with their daily needs, and five for people everywhere to know the One True God of Israel.

As he concluded his blessing to them, Solomon encouraged the Israelites to be fully committed to God and to live for him.

Isn't that a wonderful prayer for us today?

Solomon's requests are as appropriate for us today as they were for the Israelites.

What wonderful Bible verse is to read and use and rededicating ourselves to God.

Today, I challenge you to read Solomon's blessing in One King's Eight verses fifty six through sixty one.

Make Solomon's request your own as you rededicate yourself to God and doing his will, ask for his presence in your life and for his help in meeting your daily needs.

And pray with all of the shows people that his name will be known throughout the world.

And then we have the moment when the cloud enters, when silence falls, and every priest backs away with trembling breath.

It stops you, doesn't it.

Not out of fear, but out of awe.

There was a beauty, yes, intricate carvings and bronze so polished you could see your soul in it.

But the real power, well, it didn't come from the craftsmanship.

It came from God's presence.

And his presence it arrived not with fanfare, not with a voice from the sky or a shaking earth, but with a cloud, gentle, weighty, and utterly overwhelming.

Even with all of our striving, with all of our perfection, God chooses his moments.

Solomon builds the temple, Yes, but when it's complete, he asks, but will God really dwell on earth with humans.

The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you.

Solomon knows this majestic, brilliant in house.

This is just a gesture a dwelling place for God, who doesn't need a dwelling place, because this God, our God, well, He dwells everywhere.

I think of something that my dear teacher once said, the late Rabbi Jonathan Sachs.

He said, even though they are worshiping in the temple Solomon built, don't forget how you first once had God living in your midst, in a souka called the mish gun, called the tabernacle.

You do not need great buildings of cedar and stone to find God.

Solomon built, and God's glory arrived, But it came in a cloud, the same way it came to the Chosen people in a tent in a wilderness.

God's glory doesn't dwell somewhere because the gold glitters or the walls stand tall.

God dwells somewhere because He chooses to come near.

Even today, so many long for permanence, for institutions, for something built to last.

But the Holy is often found in the temporary, in the frag and the mobile, the tents in our lives, not just the temples, and we're reminded that God is still here, dwelling with us.

Even as people of faith, we often try to capture something that doesn't want to be captured.

Jewish tradition teaches that God's presence dwells where it is invited, not where it is constructed.

And sometimes the grander the construction, the harder it is for our hearts to remain humble.

What if the place God most wants to dwells not on some distant mountain or behind thick temple walls, but in the quiet of our daily lives.

You don't need stained glass to encounter God.

You don't need a perfect prayer life or a spotless record.

What you need is an open door.

Maybe you're in a season where it feels like God is distant, like a cloud has passed you by.

I understand that feeling, and it's a feeling that the Chosen People have known in exile, in silence and pain.

But remember this, God's glory doesn't waigh for perfect structures.

It rests where there is invitation, where there is room.

So open your tent, let Ad fill the space.

Whether it's a kitchen table, a hospital bed, a car ride, or a prayer whispered under your breath, because the presence that filled the temple is the same presence that still moves today, not bound by gold or tradition or geography, just looking for a heart that says come in.

You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app today.

This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.

Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu.

Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.

Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig.

Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin, KAYLEB Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

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