Whatever conclusion we come to concerning the exact time frame of God’s appearance to Solomon here, the Lord ties this appearance to the prayer that Solomon had made at the time of the assembly of the leaders and people of Israel. God declares that he has heard Solomon’s prayer, and we can infer from this that he heard it positively.
One of the points he makes very clear is that it is he who has consecrated the temple. There had been a lot of human activity in the ceremony of dedication, but without the blessing of God these things would have had no power to sanctify the building that Solomon had built. Yet it is God who consecrates any building, not man.
The Lord, however, told Solomon how he had consecrated the temple, and it was simply by placing his name upon it. From this truth we ought to learn the greatness and, indeed, the power of the name of God. Human beings are all too ready to forget the greatness and glory that attach to the name of God. The Bible is full of instances where this truth is sent before us. The sanctity of God’s name is set forth in the third commandment, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Some other Old Testament passages are these: Joshua 7:9, 1 Kings 8:42, Jeremiah 44:26, and Ezekiel 36:23.
The sanctity of the Lord's name, however, is not limited to Old Testament teaching, nor is it limited to the Father alone. The Gospels lay great emphasis upon the name given to the Son of God. The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:9–11 says that Jesus Christ has been given a name that is above every name and that at that Name every knee should bow in the entire universe. The importance of the name of God is found in the wording of what is commonly called the Great Commission that commands the church to baptize its members in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
One of the most awe-inspiring places demonstrating the power of the divine name as it was the possession of God’s Son is found in John 18:1–11. This is a passage that records the arrest of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asks the soldiers who they seek, and they say Jesus of Nazareth.
In response to this, Jesus replied, I am he.
When Jesus said this, they all fell to the ground. I am
is a translation of the name that the Lord told Moses was his personal name (Exodus 3:14). When used by the One to whom it belonged, its power was demonstrated. With such power, it is clear that Jesus’ acceptance of his arrest, trials, and crucifixion is evidence that these matters were in the plan and purpose of God.
3 And the LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.