As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." – 2 Chrn 7:1-3 (ESV)
So you are at a pivotal dedication and at the end, fire falls from heaven and the glory of the Lord fills the place. What would your response be? Worship – sure, praise – of course, but what would you actually say? Great is the Lord! Mighty are His deeds! I guess I am a bit surprised that the people responded with, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." This phrase reminds us of Psalm 136 that repeats the refrain, "For his steadfast love endures forever." The response is often said after a great exploit of the Lord, a mighty show of His power. Many times we separate the Lord's power from His steadfast love. Here the nation and the psalmist make the correct connection between the Lord's involvement in the world and His steadfast love.
