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(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 9:1–9, “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, That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. 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. And if thou wilt walk 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: 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. But if ye shall at all turn 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: 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: 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? 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.”
The Lord was gracious to Solomon and appeared to him a second time, after Solomon had built the Temple and his own palace as well. Solomon had been given a choice when he was a young king and he asked the Lord for wisdom. After twenty years, (seven years for building theTemple and thirteen years for building his palace) the Lord came back to Solomon to give him a gentle reminder of all the things that he had promised the Lord. David was loyal to the Lord until the time of his death. Even when David sinned he confessed his sin and showed his loyalty to the Lord. The Lord wouldn’t let Solomon rely on his father’s goodness, Solomon had to obey the Lord himself. If Solomon did this then his dynasty would last forever in Jerusalem. On the other hand, if Solomon didn’t remain faithful to the Lord the the Lord would bring the penalty clauses of the contract on Solomon and his descendants and when the rest of the world saw what the Lord had done they would be amazed at the results.
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