1 Kings 8:62-66--Solomon's Sacrifices

1 Kings 8:62-66
English Standard Version

Solomon's Sacrifices
62 Then the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD. 63 Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. 64 The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings.

​65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.

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We referenced before in verse 5 that the number of offerings made by the people as the Ark came to the Temple was uncountable, but Solomon is now going to offer a large number of peace/fellowship offerings as part of the dedication ceremony and they will be counted.  22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep.  That's a lot of wealth that he offered and also that's a lot of sacrificing that the priests had to do.  This not only showed how much Solomon was willing to sacrifice to the LORD, but it likely was enough to make sure that all the priests who were given their share of the offerings had enough to feed their families for that day and the next few days.  These sacrifices that Solomon gave were not just to consecrate (to make holy) the Temple itself, but also to consecrate and dedicate to the LORD himself and all the people of Israel.

There was not enough room on the Bronze Altar to sacrifice all these animals that Solomon and the people had provided, nor their accompanying grain offerings and drink offerings, so the entire middle of the Courtyard had to be consecrated so that they could offer these sacrifices in much larger quantities there.

Then Solomon and the people celebrated "the feast" (I believe this was the Feast of Tabernacles, since this was the seventh month and that is the only feast I can think of that lasts eight days during that month).  Each day the people would bring more and more sacrifices to the LORD and all of Israel would be gathered together in one place living in temporary shelters, just like they were when they were a nation wandering through the wilderness.  This is a time for them to remember the way that the LORD was with them and how He dwelt among them wherever they went.  On the eighth day when the feast had ended, Solomon send the people back to their homes (again, everyone had to come to the appointed place, which was now the Temple in Jerusalem), and they blessed King Solomon and went home praising and thanking the LORD for His goodness and mercy that He had shown to the house of King David and to all the people of Israel.