This is Solomon’s closing petition. With almost prophetic insight, his thoughts go out toward some future day when, because of sin, Israel would be forsaken by the Lord and fall into enemy hands, to be carried to an alien land. Such a possibility Moses had clearly foretold (Deut. 28:45, 49-52, 63, 64).

Knowing the weaknesses of the flesh, knowing that there is no man that sinneth not no nation that sinneth not, there rose before Solomon the grave possibility that Israel might sin so grievously against the Lord that His presence would be withdrawn from them and they would fall into enemy hands. He prayed most earnestly that God would remember His own at such a tragic hour. How short the interval between glory and the grave! The Temple completed, the Temple destroyed! A day of glory, a day of doom! Solomon, raising his voice in earnest petition to God that this house should be the dwelling place of the Lord forever, even at the hour of dedication understood well the tragic results that sin must bring. Accordingly, in his prayer we find this strange mingling of joy and sorrow, of glory and ashes, of honor and shame. Seldom has a prayer been offered for a people with hopes so high, seldom has a prayer gone out for men with spirits so humble, as at this hour of dedication of the Temple of God. It was a prayer of promise and prophecy, of visions of divine glory and the baseness of sinful man.