Notice also that Solomon had brought everything David had dedicated and placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple, 2 Chronicles 5:1 / 1 Kings 7:51 / 1 Chronicles 28:14-18.
This gives us the impression that the temple also functioned as some kind of national treasury, 1 Chronicles 26:28. We know that the temple functioned as a community centre for the people and so the people would deposit their valuables there.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The temple was built in some measure on the model of the tabernacle, and dedicated to the same use, Exodus 25-27 / Exodus 35-39.’
Solomon requests that the ark of the covenant be brought from the tabernacle which was located in the city of David and placed inside the temple, when the temple was finished being built, 2 Chronicles 5:2 / 1 Kings 8:1.
The festival in the month of Ethanim, 2 Chronicles 5:3 / 1 Kings 8:2, was the feast of tabernacles, Deuteronomy 16:13 / 2 Chronicles 7:9 / Leviticus 23:36 / John 7:37. This was one of the great feasts that everyone was required to attend. It would have been roughly a year between the dedication of the temple and the complete work of finishing it.
The feast of tabernacles took place on the seventh month, and Solomon had finished the building works on the temple on the eighth month, 1 Kings 6:37-38. When the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity the month of Ethanim, would be changed to the month of Tishri.
When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests carried the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it, 2 Chronicles 5:4-5 / 1 Kings 8:3-4.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is generally agreed that there were now two tabernacles at Gibeon, and the other in the city of David, which one David had constructed as a temporary residence for the ark, in the event of a temple being built. Which of these tabernacles was brought into the temple at this time, is not well known, some think both were brought in, in order to prevent the danger of idolatry. I should rather suppose that the tabernacle from Gibeon was brought in, and that the temporary one erected by David was demolished.’
The priests and Levites carried them and Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted, 2 Chronicles 5:5-6 / 1 Kings 8:4-5. After sacrificing so many sheep and cattle, which couldn’t be counted, the priests lay the ark in the inner sanctuary of the temple, 2 Chronicles 5:7 / 1 Kings 8:6.
After the ark of the covenant was placed inside the inner sanctuary, the text tells us that ‘the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark’, 2 Chronicles 5:8 / 1 Kings 8:7. These cherubim described here were different from the ones from the time of Moses, the ones in the time of Moses were firmly fixed to the lid of the ark, Exodus 37:7.
Notice that the poles, which were used to carry the ark were so long, that they could be seen from the Holy Place, 2 Chronicles 5:9 / 1 Kings 8:8. This again, tells us that Solomon never put a curtain between the holy place and the most holy place, Exodus 26:31-35 / 2 Samuel 7:2 / Matthew 27:51.
Notice also that inside the ark were only two stone tablets, 2 Chronicles 5:10 / 1 Kings 8:9 / Hebrews 9:4. These would have been the ten commandments which Moses received at Mount Sinai, Exodus 25:16. It’s possible that Aaron’s staff, Numbers 17:10 / Hebrews 9:4, and the golden pot of hidden manna, Exodus 16:33-34 / Hebrews 9:4, were placed in front of the ark, Exodus 16:33-34 / Numbers 17:25.
The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place and all the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions, 2 Chronicles 5:11. All the Levites who were musicians, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres and we are told that they were accompanied by one-hundred and twenty priests sounding trumpets, 2 Chronicles 5:12.
The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD and accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang ‘He is good, his love endures forever, 2 Chronicles 5:13. When they did this the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, 2 Chronicles 5:13.
The priests couldn’t perform their service because of the Lord’s glory, 2 Chronicles 5:14 / 1 Kings 8:10-11, the cloud represented God’s presence, Exodus 40:34-38. It appears that the Lord’s glory was too much for the priests, just as it was for Moses, Leviticus 16:2-13 / Deuteronomy 4:24 / Exodus 40:35.