Today\u2019s reading contains the second-longest chapter in all of Scripture, which is 1 Kings chapter 8, and it\u2019s long for a great reason: King Solomon gets excited and is full of prayer and praise as he conducts the first worship gathering at the Lord\u2019s temple. Though the tabernacle existed before the temple, this is the first permanent structure built for the worship of God in a particular geographic location. As you can imagine, it\u2019s a pretty big deal. The party lasts for two full weeks, after which the Lord appears to Solomon a second time echoing both the blessings and curses he gave to Moses before him.