David's Prayer of Thankfulness - A Model for us

Text 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 Time 20 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I remember a teacher in school once telling us about an experiment where they took a group of line workers from a cornflakes factory to an abattoir. Apparently, they hardly reacted at all. I don’t know if they took them to see a great painting or the majestic view from a high mountain but I dare say that their reaction would have been similar. Not just factory workers but all of us can too easily become jaded and so unmoved by what is happening around us that we are not moved in the way that we ought to be by the things we see.

Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in our often listless and apathetic response to the Word of God. It is often said but if an angel from heaven came down among us and we could ask him questions we would probably be quite excited. However, having God's Word in the Bible as we do we very often fail to react to it as we ought to.

Here in 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 (as in its parallel in 2 Samuel 7) we have David’s reaction to the wonderful revelation of God’s covenant that he was vouched by God through Nathan the prophet following his proposal that he build a house for God, as we looked at last week. There is nothing listless or jaded about David's reaction. Quite the opposite. He is a very model for us of how we should react to God’s Word. He is a challenge to our apathy and indifference and shows us how we ought to be reacting to God’s covenant grace as it is revealed in God’s Word.

There are three reactions to note – giving thanks, praise and petition. All three ought to be there.

1. Give thanks to God for blessings past and future and for all his goodness

1. Give thanks to God for blessings past. We read in verse 16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: first of all Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? David had just been told that he was not only the king but that he had an everlasting dynasty to follow. At this point he is in Jerusalem, six miles from Bethlehem where he was born. In that sense he had not gone very far but when he thought of all that had happened in the years since Samuel had come and called him from his work as a shepherd boy there, so much had happened. All believers of any length of time can identify closely. Think of what you were. Think of how far the Lord has brought you. What grace there has been. How good the Sovereign Lord has been. We should be filled with amazement and thankfulness. Why me?

I was reading about a very successful American businessman the other day who has gone from rags to riches. He says “When I was starting out, I never thought I would get this far. I was always just trying to do well for myself.” He is amazed at his own success. Every Christian ought to be amazed at how he has been blessed and give thanks to God.

2. Give thanks to God for blessings future. David goes on (17) And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, LORD God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men. If we only had past grace to celebrate, it would be amazing but there is future grace too. We do not know how much longer we will be on earth but we do know that we have a future that stretches into eternity and that is only good. We will be blessed without question. The Bible speaks of a future in glory for all who trust in Jesus Christ. It is there to give us confidence. Worries about the future can paralyse us if we are not careful. We need not have them. If we only look to the Lord we can be confident. Give thanks for such assurances.

Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, use to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew words on it: Ebenezer and JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." The second word means, "The Lord will see to it or provide." One looked back while the other looked forward. One reminded him of God's faithfulness and the other of God's assurances.

3. Give thanks to God for all his goodness. David sums up in verses 18 and 19 What more can David say to you for honouring your servant? For you know your servant, LORD. (You chose me I did not choose you). For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises. It is all God’s doing. I like that story that John Stott told of Principal Gibson leaving Ridley Hall, Oxford, and of being presented with a portrait in oils. He felt that in the future the question everyone would ask was not ‘Who is that man?’ but ‘Who was the artist?’ That is the question people who really know us ought to ask about us. This is the secret of anything we may achieve.

2. Praise God that he is unique and so are his people and so is his plan of salvation

1. Praise God that he is unique. David goes on (20) There is no one like you, LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. There is no God that we could even imagine who would begin to outdo the true God, God as he is in himself. If we thought more about him, we would think more of him!

2. Praise God that he has a unique people and a unique plan of salvation. In verses 21, 22 David steps back a little and thinks not just of himself but of the people of God as a whole. We always ought to think like that. He thinks of the way God redeemed them. 21 And who is like your people Israel - the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? It is God who redeems his people. Christ died on the cross to provide a way out from sin and from misery for all who trust in him.

Having redeemed his people God will keep them to the very end 22 You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, LORD, have become their God. We belong to the Lord now and we will persevere to the end. What a wonderful fact. In a love that cannot cease he is ours and we are his. What a privilege to be part of the people of God. And you, O LORD, have become their God. Not only are we his but he is ours. He is our God with all that implies.

3. Pray that God will go ahead and do just what he has promised to do for his people

In verses 23-27 David simply prays that God will do what he has promised to do. That is part of what we do in prayer - we remember God's promises and we pray that God will do as he has said he will do. Four things then

1. Pray that God will keep his promises. This really sums up the way David prays and the way we ought to pray. 23 And now, LORD God, keep for ever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised. God has promised abundant blessing to all who trust in him and all he wants from us is that we hold him to his Word. That is largely what prayer is about. As David sat there he took his stand on the promises of God. We need to do the same.

2. Pray that God will be glorified. The reason David prays as he does is so (24) that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, The LORD Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel's God! And the house of your servant David will be established before you. Do we truly want the glory of God? If we really do, we will expressions of this in our prayers and we will pray more than we do.

3. Pray to express your faith in the Lord. Calvin points out more than once that prayer is our chief expression of faith. When David prays he expresses his faith in God. 25, 26 You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. You, LORD, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Is your faith in the Lord too?

4. Pray confidently for God’s blessings. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your sight; for you, LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever. That is how to pray. Do we pray like that? May be the problem is that we do not think enough about God's grace to us and how thankful we should be. Surely more thanksgiving and praise would lead to greater prayerfulness.

Sometimes golfers suffer with a condition they call the yips. It is defined as “Nervousness or tension that causes an athlete to fail to perform effectively, especially in missing short putts in golf.” Some really struggle with it but then they are able to get their confidence back and overcome it. We don't want to have the yips over God. Rather, we should be confident in him. God will never let us down if we look to him.

Consider the God of the Covenant with David

Text 1 Chronicles 17:1-15 Time 13 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

1 Chronicles 17:1-15, with its parallel in 2 Samuel 7, records one of the greatest moments in the Old Testament. It is the chapter in which the Davidic Covenant is established. As you know, the idea of covenant, an agreement between two or more persons, is very important in Scripture. Although the Covenant of Grace is in fact one, we can discern a series of covenants in the Old Testament beginning arguably with the Adamic covenant and going on through the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and then the Davidic covenants. All this leads up, of course, to the new covenant sealed in the precious blood of Christ. On the detail of this subject there is a fair amount of disagreement among believers. In dealing with this chapter, therefore, what I want to do, taking the lead of a contemporary commentator, is to focus not on the covenant itself but on the God of the covenant. In this chapter we can see at least four things that are revealed about his character.

1. See God’s covenant wisdom and follow his will not your feelings

The chapter begins by describing how the time arrived After David was settled in his palace. We know from 2 Samuel that it was a time of peace. At this point we are allowed to eavesdrop on a conversation between David and the Prophet Nathan. Nathan is not introduced but elsewhere we learn that he is one of David’s chief advisors, especially in Temple matters. The scene is not described for us but it clearly took place in David’s Palace, perhaps up on the roof or may be in one of the state rooms or in David’s private quarters. There seem to have been several topics of conversation but then David turns to Nathan and shares with him something that has obviously been on his mind for some time ... he said to Nathan the prophet, Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.

The incongruity of it all was troubling David. Here he was with his fine Palace of cedar but God's ark, the symbol of his presence, was still being kept in a tent! David wanted to do something about it. Nathan could see that a plan was already forming in David’s mind and so he said to the king (2) Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you. Nathan knew, of course, as a prophet, what it was to speak the Word of God. Normally, he would take great care to be sure that he was speaking the Word of God but on this occasion, he felt, there was hardly need for that. David’s idea was so obviously right that he could simply say ‘Go ahead’. Or so it seemed. And of course, Nathan’s instincts were right – almost!

How careful those who profess to speak the Word of God need to be.

When he lay down that night in bed, God spoke to him. 3, 4 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: Go and tell my servant David, This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. David had to be told, not quite ‘No’ but certainly ‘Not yet’. We are used to the expression that what seemed a good idea last night does not at all seem the same in the cold light of the next day. Here that is reversed and what seemed such a good idea in the day time is called into question by a vision in the night and though Nathan is not rebuked directly for his failure, he has to eat humble pie and go and tell David that what he had said was premature. His enthusiasm needed to be tempered by God’s Word.

And so here is a lesson straight away. Sometimes things that seem to be so obviously right and reasonable to us are not always the right thing to do. We have plenty examples of this in the historical books of the Bible. When Eli saw Samuel’s mother Hannah at the Temple, it was obvious to him that she was drunk and he told her so. But she was not. Or recall Samuel himself looking at Jesse’s eldest son Eliab and being sure that this was the man to replace Saul. But he was not. Samuel was wrong. Or what about David being convinced it was right to crush Nabal and his household? Yet, he too discovers that he is in the wrong.

We need to learn to distinguish between right feelings and desires and right actions. David is not condemned for having the desire he had. It is good to be looking for new things to do in God’s service. However, it was not God’s will for him to do what he had in mind. A failure to distinguish here can lead to problems. I have come across women, true believers, who have had a genuine desire to preach. The desire in and of itself is not the problem. The Bible itself says that it is a good thing to desire to do the work of an overseer. The Bible is equally clear that it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church (1 Corinthians 14:35). The same applies to a man who has the desire to preach but is plainly not called by God or anyone who has a desire to be an overseas missionary but would be neglecting prior duties at home to do that work. There are countless applications, I’m sure, as various desires come and we consider what we ought to do or not do.

The principle then is to follow God’s wisdom not our own feelings. There is some comfort here in the fact that God did not let Nathan and David go on in their error very long.

2. See God’s covenant humility and realise that though we should put him first, he always puts us first

I read a story somewhere about Sam Rayburn, the American Speaker of the House of Representatives in the forties and fifties of how when he heard that a journalist had tragically lost his teenage daughter, he not only called on him but humbly offered to make him coffee.

In the opening part of Nathan’s message from God to David, we get a real sense of the humility of God. Things are put in very human terms and there is a little humour there even perhaps.

5, 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

God pictures himself as moving about from place to place, camping if you like, from the time the people left Egypt until that very time. What’s all this about a house of cedar, David? When did I ever speak of such a thing to you or to any of your predecessors? God’s great concern is always with his people, his true temple, rather than with buildings.

It has been a largely unsettled period for the people of God and so God has remained unsettled too. God has plans for his people before he takes up residence in a house of cedar. He won’t rest until he has made sure that they are at rest. It reminds you perhaps of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in the upper room. It certainly points us to Philippians 2 and the humility of God in Christ. When John speaks of Jesus coming to earth in John 1 he speaks literally of his pitching his tent among us.

The principle then is that God always puts his people first. Yes, he is greater than us and we should serve him and put him first. The truth is, however, that he always puts us first. He stoops to make us great.

3. See God’s covenant grace and realise that though we think we are helping him, it is he who helps us

In verses 7-10 we have the heart of what God has to say to David. God reminds David of his grace in the past and assures him of his grace in the future.

First, in verse 7 there is God’s past grace to David, choosing him, being with him and defeating his enemies Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. We must never forget our origins. 8a I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.

Secondly, in verses 8b-10, there is the promise of future grace to David and his people.

David: Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth.

Israel: And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel.

David: I will also subdue all your enemies. I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you:

God promises that he will follow his previous grace with yet more grace; grace upon grace. It is important to observe that this ‘grace’ is not in response to David doing something for God. The plan to build God a house has been rejected for now. You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. No, I am going to build you one, the LORD will build a house for you that is a household or a dynasty.

The other way round was pretty common in the near east. In Sumer (c2100 BC) the god Enlil chose Ur-Nammu as king and kept enemies away so that he could build him a temple.

Or take Yahdun-Lin, king in Mari, about 1900 BC. His god Shamash gave him great victories after Shamash had built a temple for him.

There is also the victory hymn of Thut-Moses III in Egypt (c 1490-1436 BC) recording the words of the god Amon-Re and his gratefulness for his temple which had prompted him to give victories.

One other – Esarhaddon of Assyria (680-669 BC) rebuilt the temple of Asshur in thankfulness for a long and prosperous reign.

It is not that God’s temple didn’t matter but it could wait. Asshur and Amon-Re were quite different. They were very demanding. But God is the God of all grace.

It is important to note that God’s promises to David are entirely intended to bring about the security of his people. This is why David and his family are to be blessed. David is their representative, their mediator if you like. One writer says ‘God seems possessed over the safety of his people’. He is pre-occupied with it. We know that all the Davidic kings, including David, left something to be desired but God’s grace continued nevertheless through until the coming of Christ, the one Mediator between God and man. If we are in Christ we will know blessing.

The US presidential inauguration is coming up this month. At his, John F Kennedy famously said in 1961 “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. I was going to reverse the sentiment and say we ought to be considering “not what we can do for God but what he can do for us” but then I came across an Oliver Wendell Holmes quote that Kennedy may have cribbed. Holmes said "We pause to become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for our country in return." That is the order. Think first of what God has done for you and then what we might do for God.

4. See God’s covenant constancy and realise that though we are weak and often fail him yet he will never fail us

In verses 11-15 we have the covenant itself. Its form points to three weaknesses in David that are also in us and shows that despite these God’s covenant love will continue to be constant. We are such doubters by nature but the form here reassures us that with God all will be well.

1. Though we die, yet God remains constant. Verse 11 begins When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, .... David will not last forever on earth. Soon he will die. This promise assures him that that will not be the end of the story, however. I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. The reference is no doubt initially to Solomon and then to certain ones who follow and points ultimately beyond that to the Lord Jesus himself. You will die, but God will raise up. For us in New Testament times we think of what he did for Christ and we know that we too will rise again in the first resurrection of new birth and then at the end of the world in our bodies too.

At the start of verse 13 we have these amazing words I will be his father, and he will be my son. Perhaps these words do not strike us with the force that they should. God is saying that David’s descendant will not only be David’s son but God’s son too. He will not only sit on David’s throne but on God’s throne too. And isn’t that where Jesus Christ the Son of God is now? Not only that but in 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 Paul extends it and says Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. What is true of Christ is true of his people.

2. Though we sin, the Lord remains constant. Then comes this wonderful promise (13b) I will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. Here is something amazingly reassuring then. Even despite our sin, the Lord still loves us and will continue his goodness to us. This is not a licence to sin, of course, but a word of comfort for us when we see the enormity of our wickedness. Just as God not only cursed the Christ but raised him from the dead so we can be sure that by his unstoppable grace so he will continue to show his live to us at all times.

3. Though much time might pass, yet the Lord remains constant. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever. There is something inevitable about the promise. It will happen and it will go on happening. David’s own physical dynasty lasted some 400 years which is pretty remarkable as far as these things go. Palmer Robertson ‘This tenure probably represents the longest single dynasty in the history of the world’. Of course, beyond, that is the reign of Messiah, which will literally last forever. Let’s never forget that we belong to an everlasting kingdom, an unbreakable kingdom that will last through all eternity.

The Worship of God - Some Reminders

Text 1 Chronicles 16 Time 06 01 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I want us to go back this evening to our studies in 1 Chronicles and to 1 Chronicles 16. In this chapter we have the last part about how in David's time they moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. At that time the ark was in one place, the altar at another. It is only in Solomon's time that the two are brought together again at the Temple. The chapter, of course, describes Old Testament worship so we have no direct instruction on the subject of New Testament worship but several principles arise from what is said. They will be helpful for us in this area. Let's ask three questions

1. What are the chief elements in the worship of God?

I think that if we look at verses 1-7 carefully we will see at least five elements that together make up true worship.

1. God's presence

It would be easy to skip over this but the chapter begins by saying that They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it in Jerusalem. I remind you this refers to the ark of the covenant containing the ten commandments with its solid gold atonement cover or mercy seat. This is where in Old Testament times God visibly dwelt. It is sometimes referred to as his Shekinah glory. God, of course, is everywhere but he is able to bring his special presence near in a fixed locality. He did it in the Old Testament period, appearing above the ark and he continues to do today by coming near to his people as they worship him. At the beginning of Psalm 89 the psalmist says Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth .... In the New Testament Jesus promises (Matthew 18:20) that where even just two or three come together in his name he is there. Some think we come together only to be instructed but we come together to worship God and when we do we can know the special presence of God. Hence Cowper's hymn

Jesus, where'er your people meet, there they behold your mercy seat;

where'er they seek you, you are found, and ev'ry place is hallowed ground.

For you, within no walls confined, are dwelling in the humble mind;

such ever bring you where they come, and going, take you to their home.

2. Sacrifice

We read next and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. Burnt offerings, a holocaust or Shoah, were so called because the animal was completely consumed. With fellowship offerings some of the sacrifice was enjoyed by the worshipper. Old Testament sacrifice is now superseded by the once for all sacrifice of himself by Christ but we also are called to make spiritual sacrifices. Our whole lives are to be living sacrifices and in particular (Hebrews 13:15) we are Through Jesus ... to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

In order to worship we must sacrifice our time and our concern for ourselves and whatever else may take up our time and energy and devote it all to God.

3. Blessing and giving

In verse 2 we read that After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Here the king blesses the people. We tend to keep the benediction in our worship services to the end but we can begin with it (Grace and peace to you) or have it at any point. It is an important part of worship, however. We too who worship are blessed. Just as the king here blesses his people so our king blesses us. In verse 3 we read of David Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. So there was not only a blessing but a tangible gift for everyone present. We express this in the New Testament by our giving to God I guess but what we give is only what God has already given us.

4. Extolling, thanking and praising

Finally, in verses 4-7, we read of how David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to extol, thank, and praise the LORD, the God of Israel. The details are that Asaph was the chief, in this and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, etc. The way it was done was that They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. Verse 7 concludes That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the LORD in this manner which then leads into the content of their praise in verses 8-36.

So first David set aside people to extol, thank, and praise the LORD. In the Old Testament it was the task of specific people set aside to it. In these New Testament times we all have to play our part as we are all priests to God, as believers. It is good to remember, as we sing and pray and hear preaching, that what we are seeking to do is to extol or celebrate - to mark out clearly who God is and thank him and give him praise from our hearts.

So we see something of the nature of worship. Let's worship God - now and whenever we can.

2. What can we learn from this example of the content when we praise the LORD?

In verses 8-36 we have the content of this praise. The words are typical of what we find in the Book of Psalms and in particular appears to be from Psalms 105:1-15; 96:1-13; 106. Let's take it in six parts and remind ourselves of the content of worship.

1. In worship, praise God and make known his wonders to all with gladness

8-10 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. So

Give praise to the LORD/proclaim his name/Sing to him, sing praise to him/Glory in his holy name

Do so by making known among the nations what he has done. Tell of all his wonderful acts

As you do so, your heart seeking the LORD, rejoice.

2. In worship, look to God for strength, recalling who he is, who we are and the covenant (11-22)

Look to the LORD for strength Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always

Recall who he is Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles ... the judgments he pronounced ... (14) He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Remember.

And who you are. Recall that (13) we are his servants, the descendants of Israel, (by faith if not by flesh) his chosen ones, the children of Jacob (by faith). We are his people.

And his covenant. In verses 15-22 comes a reminder that God remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. It goes on He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit. When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, back in the days of the Patriarchs they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another Egypt, Philistia, Aram Naharaim. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm. That same covenant protection remains today, if we are trusting in Jesus Christ.

3. In worship, declare God's glory to all for he is great and most worthy of praise

Declare God's glory to all Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples. (28, 29) Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. 30a Tremble before him, all the earth!

He is great and most worthy of praise For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. 29b Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness. ... The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

4. In worship, rejoice because God is King and Judge of all
Let there be gladness everywhere Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad/Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the LORD,
For God is King and Judge of all let them say among the nations, The LORD reigns!... for he comes to judge the earth.

5. In worship, give thanks to God for his goodness and love and pray he will save us

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Call on the Lord to save us. Cry out, Save us, God our Saviour; gather us and deliver us from the nations

that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.

6. In worship, end with a hallelujah and an Amen

In verse 36 the whole thing is summed up Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." (Hallelujah). Amen means "it is so". If not formally, certainly in spirit this is how worship should close - with an hallelujah and an Amen.

3. How should we see worship? 

The chapter closes (37-43) with something about what happened once that inaugural day was over. In each thing that is said there is hint about how we should think of the worship of God.

1. See it as ministry

37, 38 David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly, according to each day's requirements. He also left Obed-Edom and his 68 associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were gatekeepers. Worship can be thought of as ministry or service. That is why we call our meetings services and why those who lead them are often called ministers who minister the Word.

2. See it as obedience

39, 40 David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the LORD, which he had given Israel. What was done was what was laid down in the Old Testament Law. Now in these New Testament times, things are not laid down it may be with the meticulousness that we have in the Old Testament but we are clearly commanded to worship God together. In John 4:23, 24 Jesus says ... a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. 1 Peter 3:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Hebrews 10:25 talks too about not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Apart form anything else we have a duty to meet to worship God.

3. See it as thanksgiving

41, 42 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, "for his love endures forever." Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. Giving thanks was so important that certain men were set aside simply to do that. How important that we are thankful people and that we express our thankfulness to God. Remember the story of Jesus and the ten lepers - how ungrateful if we do not return to the Lord to give thanks.

4. See it as something that requires time and effort

43 Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family. There is a further hint here that worship takes time and effort. We must remember that.

Christ our King and God's Ruling Presence with his People

Text 1 Chronicles 15 Time 02 12 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We come this week to 1 Chronicles 15 where we learn how King David, having completed his palace, provides a place for the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem and this time, having learned his lesson, transports the ark in the right manner. Our writer takes opportunity to mention many of the Levites involved and explains how various ones provided musical accompaniment and how others were deputed to be gatekeepers and doorkeepers. He talks of the joy and the sacrifices that marked the occasion and ends by saying how the King himself celebrated, though he was despised for it by his wife Michal, daughter of Saul, for it.

The chapter is of interest as we piece things together a little step further in the history of the kingship of David and the history of the ark. More than that, if we read this chapter with care noting what is said about David and the ark and about the Levites and their activities too, for that matter, there is a lot for us to learn about the Kingship of Messiah and the ruling presence of God, which is chiefly what the ark speaks to. I want to say three things then.

1. Consider the King, his completed project and God's ruling presence with his people

Here in verses 1-3 we read that After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever." David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.

As we said in the past, the building of a palace is the sort of thing eastern kings would do. We associate Buckingham Palace with the Queen or the Palace at Versailles with Louis XIV and so on. We also said that Messiah talks to his disciples about having prepared a place for them (and he clearly means a mansion, a palace, in heaven).

In David's story, having constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. This parallels the way having provided redemption for his people through the cross and having risen again and spent time instructing his disciples, he then ascended into heaven and from there sent the Holy Spirit.

Now just as in the Old Testament God visibly dwelt where the ark of the covenant was so now he makes his presence known through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God and so he is in every place but he makes the presence of God known especially where he draws near. Just as David prepared a place for the ark so the Messiah has poured out the Spirit on all flesh so that we can know and enjoy the nearness of Christ, of God, wherever we may be.

We no longer need to travel to Jerusalem or even to look towards Jerusalem when we pray. No, God's throne is established in our hearts and so at the end of Hebrews 4 the writer is able to say

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Just as David set up a place to where his people could go so our King has set it up so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need whenever it may come.

Let's not take this tremendous privilege for granted but let's be very thankful and let's take full advantage of our privileges.

2. Understand God's ruling presence with his people, the priesthood and the place of joy and sacrifice

1. The importance of the priestsPreviously David had made the mistake of simply trying to carry the ark of an ox cart. It had ended in disaster. Why David had not done things in the correct way from the first we do not know but it was a mistake only rectified with this second attempt. By this time he has recalled that it was required in the Law that the ark be carried only by Levites. And so we read in verses 4-10 how

He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

From the descendants of Kohath, Uriel the leader and 120 relatives;

from the descendants of Merari, Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;

from the descendants of Gershon, Joel the leader and 130 relatives;

from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives

from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;

from the descendants of Uzziel, Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.

So some 862 Priests and Levites were involved plus those mentioned in verse 11

Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites.

David spoke to these last eight personally and said to them, "You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way."

So David now sees that he needs to use the right servants, as Scripture dictated, and that it was important that they were consecrated before beginning their task.

So (14) the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.

Now again we know that the Levitical priesthood is gone. Yes, today you still meet people called Levi or Cohen or some variation on those names, presumably descended from the original Levites and priests in most cases and they usually find a special role for them if they belong to a synagogue. The old covenant is at end, however, and has been replaced by the new covenant.

Now, as you know, under the new covenant, a new priesthood has been introduced - the priesthood of all believers. Every Christian, man or woman of any age, is a priest. The picture here is of a large throng of Priests and Levites carrying the ark to the place set aside for it. The New Testament equivalent is when God's people gather and he draws near as he has promised. It is not that God does not or cannot manifest himself to individuals but that he delights to do so especially when Gods people are gathered together in one place.

This is something that one fears some have lost sight of during this period when it's been difficult to meet together in the usual way. It is important that we see that meeting together like this, although it has some advantages, is less than ideal and is not what the New Testament envisages for God's people. Rather we should be aware that it is when God's people come together that we can expect him to come and meet with us. Puritan David Clarkson once preached a sermon with an interesting title “Public worship to be preferred before private”. A typical Puritan he gives 12 arguments for his contention. Perhaps the best is this - “Public worship is the nearest resemblance of heaven, therefore to be preferred”. When we are in heaven we will have not quiet times on our own. We will all be together worshipping God. Church is a little taste of that. This is also a little taste but less of one.

2. The importance of joyful singing in worship

Then with all that notice what you get in verses 16-26

First in verse 16 we read that David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

So some were to carry the ark but others were to provide joyful music.

So (17, 18) the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. So another 16.

We are told (19) The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; and (20) eight of the gatekeepers Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth, (a musical term that we are not sure of the meaning of) while the other five (21) Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and a man called Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith. (another musical term we do not know the meaning of. It comes up in the psalms). Then in verse 22 it says Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skilful at it.

We are also told (23) that Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. It was going to be in a tent that needed to be guarded. They decided who could come in. And then back to music (24) and another seven priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. This is mentioned separately and so it is likely that this is not music for singing psalms but trumpet blasts to herald the ark.

It then adds that Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark. These are probably different people to those mentioned before. This Obed-Edom though not a Levite is appointed to this sacred work in view of the fact the ark once rested in his house.

Now all that is very different to New Testament worship. Indeed we are specifically told not to blow trumpets when we give to the Lord under this new covenant. The emphasis is now on simplicity and ideally there will be no musical instruments at all and the singing will no longer be from skilful people like Kenaniah but by all sorts of others, skilful and less skilful.

3. The importance of rejoicing and of sacrifice in worship

Finally, in verses 25 and 26 we are told So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.

So once again the note of rejoicing is sounded. Our worship should be marked by joy. At the same time, however, sacrifice is also important. I would suggest to you that one reason why it would be better to be in the chapel tonight is because it would involve more of a sacrifice on our part - to go out into the cold weather in order to gather. In Malachi 1:8 we read When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. At the present time, football fans are not saying "This is okay this watching everything on TV. We don't want to go back to all that hassle of going to games - especially away games. What an effort it involves and it is so time consuming and expensive." No, despite the difficulty, the real fans, I would guess, want live football back. If they are keen, we should be even more so.

Are we like the people in Malachi 1:13, 14?

And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

By the way, I am not suggesting there is merit in making things difficult for ourselves. We don't say "Oh good the roof's leaking". However, the command not to give up meeting together stands and it will involve some sort of sacrifice to achieve.

The same applies to seeking the Lord in private too. I was reading John Owen this week. He says on finding time to meditate

"Choose and separate a fit time or season, a time of freedom from other occasions and diversions. And because it is our duty to redeem time with respect unto holy duties, such a season may be the more useful the more the purchase of it stands us in. We are not at any time to serve God with what costs us nought, nor with any time that comes within the same rule. If we will allow only the refuse of our time unto this duty, when we have nothing else to do, and, it may be, through weariness of occasions are fit for nothing else, we are not to expect any great success in it. ... Both the law of nature and all the laws of holy institutions do require that we should serve God with the best that we have, as all the fat of the inwards was to be offered in sacrifice; and shall we think to offer that time unto God wherein we are unmeet to appear before an earthly ruler? .... trust not to times that will offer themselves. Take them not up at hazard. Let the time itself be a free-will offering to God, taken from the top of the heap, or the choicest part of your useful time."

3. Note how the King himself celebrates God's ruling presence with his people

Then the final, perhaps surprising, thing, is in the closing verses of the chapter, verses 27-29. There we read Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

We get a fuller account in 2 Samuel 6 where it says (16-23)

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. and then we read how he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty and gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person and then all the people went to their homes. When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel - I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour." And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

For our purposes briefly we simply want to make two points.

1. This is the sort of king we have - one who, as it were joins in with us. Yes, he is worthy of our worship in a way that was never true of David but he also comes alongside us as we worship the Father. He served him while on earth and even now our worship is to be in his name. It is in him that we come to God. What enables us to come to the Lord is being in the lord Jesus Christ.

2. We should not be surprised that just as Michal despised David so there are those who, though they appear to be part of the Bride of Christ, despise the Lord Jesus because of his condescension his willingness to abase himself so that we may come to Christ

So here are some important things to remember - God's presence with his people, worship - joy, sacrifice, Christ's condescension. Remember these things.