How does Solomon's worship at Gibeon connect to Deuteronomy 12:5-6? Solomon’s Worship at Gibeon: The Setting • 1 Kings 3:3-4: “And Solomon loved the LORD… The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there—for it was the great high place—and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.” • 2 Chronicles 1:3-6 explains why Gibeon mattered: the Mosaic tabernacle and bronze altar were still located there even after the ark had been moved to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:37-40). • In other words, Gibeon held the only sanctioned altar built under Moses’ direction; every other “high place” was a man-made copy. Deuteronomy 12:5-6—God’s Clear Instruction “Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose among all your tribes as a dwelling for His Name, to put His Name there. To that place you are to go, and there you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices…” Key points from the command: • The Lord Himself would “choose” one central location. • Israel must “seek” and “go” to that divinely chosen site. • All sacrifices were to be carried there, ending the practice of offering “on every hill and under every green tree” (cf. Deuteronomy 12:2). How Gibeon Meets the Deuteronomy Standard 1. Chosen by the Lord – Exodus 40:34-38 shows God’s glory filling the tabernacle once it was erected in the wilderness. – That same tabernacle now stood at Gibeon (2 Chronicles 1:3), so the site still carried God’s endorsement until a new place was revealed. 2. A Single, Central Altar – The bronze altar fabricated under Moses (Exodus 27:1-8) was the only altar authorized for national use. – It remained in Gibeon, so sacrifices offered there satisfied Deuteronomy 12:6 literally. 3. National Recognition – “Solomon and the whole assembly” went up (2 Chronicles 1:3). Israel treated Gibeon as the legitimate center, not merely Solomon’s personal preference. 4. Temporary but Legitimate – Deuteronomy points forward to “the place” God would ultimately choose—fulfilled in Jerusalem once the temple was built (2 Chronicles 6:5-6). – Until that choice was revealed, Gibeon functioned as the lawful placeholder. A Transitional Link to the Future Temple • Solomon’s worship at Gibeon bridges two eras: 1. Moses’ tabernacle era, still binding in his early reign. 2. The soon-to-come temple era, when God would place His Name permanently in Jerusalem (1 Kings 9:3). • By honoring the tabernacle first, Solomon demonstrates obedience before launching the temple project (1 Kings 6:1). Practical Takeaways • Obedience starts with the revelation you already have; Solomon honored the existing altar before building something new. • God’s plans unfold progressively but never contradict earlier commands; each stage (tabernacle → Gibeon → temple) harmonizes with Deuteronomy 12. • True worship hinges on God’s chosen way, not human convenience—then or now (John 4:23-24). |
    |