God's judgement on the nations and on us

Text Amos 1 and 2 Time 16 01 22 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

At the end of the Old Testament in our Bibles you have a series of 12 books known as the Minor Prophets. They are in roughly chronological order. They are called minor because they are all short books unlike the Major Prophets that precede them - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. All of these prophets are writing prophets. Earlier prophets, like Elijah and Elisha, spoke God's Word but did not commit what they said to writing as the later prophets did.

I'd like us begin to look this evening at the third of the minor prophets, Amos. Amos preached in the eighth century BC and his contemporaries were Hosea, Isaiah and Micah. Isaiah and Micah prophesied in the southern kingdom of Judah. Hosea and Amos prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel. Let's say some things by way of introduction.

1. An introduction

1. Amos the man. No-one else in the Bible is called Amos. Isaiah's father was called Amoz but that is quite a different name. One writer suggests Amos is a shortened form of Amasiah (sustained by the LORD). All that we know about him is in this book - in 1:1 then also in Chapter 7:10-17. He was from Tekoa, about 16 km/10 mls south east of Jerusalem. He had been some sort of farmer and shepherd and had worked growing sycamore fig trees too but then quite suddenly God called him to leave Tekoa and head north to prophesy in the northern kingdom. Sometimes prophets would train in a school but Amos did nothing like that and no-one in his family was a prophet either.

2. Amos the book. Amos prophesied at a time when there had been many years of peace in Judah and Israel and people had grown quite affluent. With that affluence had come a great deal of complacency and all sorts of sin. Amos wrote to awaken people from complacency. What the prophets do, and Amos is no exception, is to call people back to the covenant with God. Amos declares the covenant God. It's a short book but he uses God's special name, LORD, more than 75 times. He reminds them of their covenant relationship with God and the fact that they are in breach of the covenant. He warns of the dire consequences of failing to repent but holds out hope for all who will turn again to the LORD and trust in him.

Like many of the prophets Amos wrote in poetry. Most of the book is poetry. That can make it difficult to follow at times but along with the vivid imagery he uses it helps us see this is no ordinary writing but an important message from God.

3. Verses 1 and 2. The book opens then (1:1) The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa - the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. There was an earthquake we know between 765 and 760 BC so that dates the book quite closely. Both Uzziah and Jeroboam II reigned for a long time and, as we have said, there was peace and stability.

When I was a child I used to to watch films on TV on a Saturday night. The idents on the films were interesting. Rank Films had a man who would bang a loud gong and Twentieth Century Fox had this searchlight and these impressive pillars. My favourite was MGM where you would see a lion's head then the lion would give this impressive roar. Amos's book begins with a lion roaring. In verse 2 we read He said: "The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers." God is pictured as roaring like a lion about to pounce or thunder from heaven before a storm. The people thought they were safe. But no, judgement was coming and they needed to wake up to the fact.

We too need to wake up to the fact that judgement is coming. For the most part, we live easy and comfortable lives. It is very easy to become complacent. However, judgement is coming soon. We mustn't forget that. The lion is roaring. The thunder announcing the storm has begun.

2. Prophecies against the nations

The first two chapters contain a series of six prophecies against the nations then one against Judah and then Israel too. Several prophets have similar passages. What is different about Amos is that he starts with these prophecies. He also has an interesting pattern in the way the prophecies are announced. They all begin This is what the LORD says: For three sins of ___________, even for four, I will not relent. Because and then .... I will send fire ... [says the (Sovereign) LORD.]

When I was a child some of my friends had a Magic Robot game. This was a quiz game but its special feature was that when you put the magic robot with its pointer in the right place it would point to the correct answer. It was done quite simply with magnets but it looked quite impressive to a child as you didn't know quite where it would point next. It's a bit like that here. Amos has his pointer out and you don't know where he'll point next. No-one has quite worked out the pattern. First its north east to Damascus, then south west to the Philistines, then north to Tyre, etc.

Such prophecies were not delivered to the nations themselves, although they might have got to hear them. The primary purpose is to remind God's people that all the nations are going to be judged and that includes all the nations, including God's own. In each case a nation is condemned for some atrocity or another. They may not have had God's revelation like God's people but they knew right from wrong and are condemned on that basis. That's how the nations will be judged - on the basis of what they knew, not what they did not know. Every person has a conscience and he will be judged in light of that.

So This is what the LORD says: these are the words of God himself. For three sins ..., even for four, I will not relent. People have not just sinned but they have gone on sinning, sin upon sin, and so God will not relent, he will not turn back his wrath. And then the specific sins are set out and the punishments. First Damascus

Damascus and the Arameans. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael the name of their king that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad another king. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the sceptre in Beth Eden another name for Damascus. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD.

The sin is threshing Gilead, the area of Israel east of the Jordan, with sledges having iron teeth. Exactly what they did is unclear but it was some sort of violent torture, what we would now call a war crime. They are warned that because of this a judgement of fire will come and the gate of Damascus will be broken down. This suggests an invasion. Kings will be destroyed and people will go into exile. This happened at the hand of the Assyrians.

Gaza and the Philistines. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the sceptre in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead," says the Sovereign LORD.

The Philistines, originally from Crete, had crossed the sea and settled on the west coast of Palestine in the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath (not mentioned here). Here the charge is people trafficking. They had been capturing whole communities and selling them to Edom. Again they can expect invasion and the burning of their cities. No-one will escape.

Tyre. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses."

Tyre was one of the leading Phoenician cities. The Phoenicians were great traders. They also sold whole communities of captives to Edom the crime exacerbated here by their treaty of brotherhood with Judah that went back to the days of Solomon and Hiram. Again judgement by the fire of invading forces is prophesied.

God deals with those who treat his people with contempt. They will not escape. Seldom in this life do they and certainly not in the next.

Edom. This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah."

The Edomites to the south east have been mentioned twice already but now they themselves are the subject. The Edomites descended from Esau and so were related to God's people. Here they are arraigned for their use of the sword against their brothers, their slaughtering of women, their anger and unchecked fury in war. Because of this they too will be invaded.

Ammon and Moab. (1:13-15) This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together," says the LORD. (2:1-3) This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom's king, I will send fire on Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him," says the LORD.

The Ammonites and Moabites were in the same general area to the east of God's people and related to them through Lot. The Ammonites had ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend their borders and Moab had burned to ashes the bones of Edom's king an act of great disrespect and sacrilege. They too were going to suffer fire and invasion then. Their rulers and officials will suffer.

Sometimes people think that because they are related to Christians or very familiar with the things of God that will somehow deliver them from judgement. It will not.

The penultimate pointing is a little different, now to Judah. And so we come to

3. Prophecies against God's people

Judah. (2:4,5) This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."

With Judah the problem is not any atrocity but the simple fact that on one hand they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, and on the other, they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed. Indeed, this is why they have turned from the truth. They have abandoned the oracles of God for what is empty and useless.

This is the danger for those who are surrounded by the truth. It is not enough to know the truth. We need to do what is right before God.

The final part of Chapter 2 is addressed to Israel, the people who Amos is chiefly sent to prophesy to. With Israel, he expands on the pattern he has used up to this point to show how they are even more deserving of judgement. Three things then

1. Their sins

Verse 6 This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. We then have four or five sins listed

1 They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. There was slavery in Israel but it was closely regulated and certainly what is described here - selling an insolvent debtor into slavery - was not allowed. The lack of mercy involved is rebuked here. The innocent were not absolutely innocent but they did not deserve to be treated as they were being treated. The phrase a pair of sandals refers to the way for a small luxury an Israelite would sell someone into slavery. Such a sale expressed contempt for a person made in the image of God - sold for so little, sold just so someone could enjoy a new pair of shoes.

2 (7a) They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. More generally, there was a lack of justice in that society. We ought to be looking out for the poor and needy. Are we?

3 (7b) Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. The Canaanites were idol worshippers and they thought they could improve the likelihood of a good harvest by means of temple prostitution. By paying money and having sex with temple prostitutes it was supposed that the gods would smile on them. The Israelites were drawn into this system which is full of problems but the one  highlighted here is the way a father and his son would end up using the same girl and so profaning God's holy name.

4 (8) They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines. These final sins show that the Israelites were mixing all sorts of sins together. The very garments that they lay down on to have sex in the idol temples were taken in pledge from debtors but should not have been. The wine they drank in their pagan festivals had been taken as fines, again no doubt unfairly.

What about those of us who profess to be Christians then? Are we guilty of living like pagans? Are we so busy looking after number one that we have no time for the needy?

2. All this despite all the good things that God had done for his people.

1 He had enabled them to conquer the Promised Land. (9) Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. These are the taller Canaanites who lived in the hills - the more difficult ones to remove, no doubt. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.

2 Before that, of course, God had (10) brought them up out of Egypt and led them forty years in the wilderness to give them the land of the Amorites.

3 The third thing is in verse 11 I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel? declares the LORD. The Nazirite vow was for those who wanted to make a particular commitment to the Lord. They had to refrain from grapes or alcohol, not touch a dead body and let their hair grow. In verse 12 he adds another accusation - But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

And think what God has done for us in sending his Son to die on the cross and in sending the Holy Spirit to live in us and to bless us in all sorts of ways. How can we sin against God so thoughtlessly when we remember all he has done for us?

3. A warning of judgement

And so these word of judgement in verses 13-16

Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. And then a sevenfold warning that escape will not be possible. The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.

Do not think you will be swift enough to outrun the judgement with your own speed. Do not think you will be so strong in yourself that you are bound to be okay. You cannot fight your way through or shoot it out or run away or ride off into the night or brave it out. No, no-one will stand then - except in Jesus Christ. Yes, it should be a comfort that God will judge the nations but let's remember that we will all face it too.

In 1 Peter 4:17 he says For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? It is a fact that we will be judged. Judgement in one sense begins with us who believe. However, it extends to all, as is clear here. We need to be ready. The way to be ready is to turn from sin and to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Serve God, Sing God's praise and Submit to him

Text 1 Chronicles 29 Time 17 11 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

In 1 Chronicles 28 and 29 we come to the end of David's reign. The way the writer presents things is quite different to what we find at the end of 2 Samuel where we see David old and weak and the succession to his kingdom in jeopardy. One commentator suggests that what is going on here is that the writer is presenting his material at a time when David is long gone and it would be easy for him to present the glories of David's age in such a way that he would simply add to their dejection in not living in such a time themselves.

We face a similar problem when we talk about Jesus and the time when he was here on earth. It would be very easy to present the stories in such a way that we simply say how sad to be living on earth today and not in the time when Jesus was doing all those great miracles and preaching those great sermons.

It is important that we see that Jesus fully intended to see his kingdom continue after his death and resurrection and ascension. In a similar way, here the emphasis is on the continuities. Yes, David is gone. He is no longer living but certain things do continue.

We looked last week at Chapter 28 and we thought about the fighting and the victories that David had been involved in and the preparations he had made for the future and we reminded ourselves of Christ's earthly work - his victory over Satan and his shed blood on the cross and his preparation for the future in sending the Spirit. Then we spoke about the work of the Spirit - probing, rewarding, seeking obedience, and our committed service and active strength. Then thirdly we spoke of the fact that Christ has plans for the church and provides all that we need for it to rightly function.

Three final things this week

1. The task is great but Christ has provided for us so be devoted to seeing his church built

1. The task of building the church is a great one

David's speech to the gathered leaders of Israel and to Solomon begun in Chapter 28 continues in Chapter 29. Speaking to the whole assembly he says My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God. David recognises how young and inexperienced his son Solomon is but he is the one God has chosen to build the Temple. He says fairly of the task of building the Temple that The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God. It was not simply a matter of raising such a large and magnificent edifice, the task was to build a palatial structure for God not for man.

And that is what makes the task of building the church so great. We are not merely seeking to form and promote a human organisation but something that is for the LORD God and for his honour. That is the daunting thing.

2. But Christ has provided all that is needed to build his church

David goes on, however, to speak of the extensive preparations he has made. He says (2-5a) With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God - gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colours, and all kinds of fine stone and marble - all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 3000 talents of gold (gold of Ophir the best gold) and 7000 talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen.

Solomon is not going to struggle for materials for building the Temple. All that he will need has already been provided by David, even to the point of raiding his own personal treasuries to provide for his people.

Here is a further reminder that Christ has done it all that there may be a church of God. He has done all that is necessary to save us and to provide for us so that the church may be built.

3. Therefore devote yourself to seeing it built

Then comes the question Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today? It is originally asked of the people by David in ancient times but it comes again tonight to us - who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today? Are you willing to devote your life to this? Those leaders who heard David certainly were.

We read (6-8) Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly.

They gave toward the work on the temple of God 5000 talents and 10000 darics of gold, 10000 talents of silver, 18000 talents of bronze and 100000 talents of iron. Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.

They did not say, well, David has done it all so we need do nothing. No, rather, they followed his example and so we read (9) The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

That's the sort of giving that ought to characterise us - free and wholehearted giving. Does it?

There are many examples of men and women who have devoted themselves to serving the Lord entirely. We tend to think of David Livingstone, who walked over 28 thousand miles serving God in Africa, as more of an explorer than a missionary but his exploration was very much part of his desire to bring the gospel to people. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from people who didn't understand what he was doing. In his diary he wrote this prayer: "Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart." We need such consecration today.

2. Give God praise and thanks for he is great and glorious; do it with humility, integrity, joy

That opening section of Chapter 29 in verses 1-9 leads on to a great deal of praise and giving thanks and later sacrifices first from David and then from the people. And so we say

1. Give God praise and thanks

First we read that David (10) praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. In verse 13 he says Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. Later on, in verse 20, he says to the whole assembly, Praise the LORD your God. So we read they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king.

We read too (21) that The next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

As they worshipped God with David taking the lead so we should praise God in Jesus Christ also today.

2. For he is great and glorious. 11, 12 David says he praises God because Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honour come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. So not just greatness and glory but power and majesty and splendour and strength and sheer sovereignty belong to God. That is why he is worthy of all praise.

3. Notice how this was all done with humility, integrity and joy

1 Humility. In verses 14-16 David says with humility But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? He reminds himself that Everything comes from God and it is only possible to give him what he has already given us. Then he says We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. We are powerless nobodies he says. LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. We have every reason to humble ourselves before God.

You may know the name of Samuel Morse, as in Morse code. He was involved in inventing the first electric telegraph. He was a Calvinist and a man of faith. He was once asked if he ever encountered situations where he didn't know what to do. He responded, "More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding." He received many honours for his inventions but said "I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me." That is the attitude we need to cultivate.

2 Integrity. David goes on (17-19) I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. LORD, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided. There are several things there but don't miss David's integrity. He remembers that God sees the heart and there is no point in pretending to be less than honest.

3 Joy. And do not miss the note of joy in verse 22a They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day.

In one of those Christmas Peanuts cartoons Linus says to Charlie Brown “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.” Some people do seem to have a knack for that sort of thing. That should not be true of us.

There is a story told of a Russian countess who became a Christian and witnessed unashamedly to everyone. The Tsar was displeased and had her thrown into prison. After 24 hours with the lowest level of Russian society, in the most miserable conditions imaginable, he ordered her brought into his presence. He smiled sardonically and said, “Well, are you ready now to renounce your silly faith and come back to the pleasures of the court?” To his surprise, the countess simply smiled serenely and said, “I have known more real joy and more real happiness in one day in prison with Jesus than I have known in a lifetime in the courts of the Tsar.” That is how it should be.

3. Acknowledge that God is still on the throne and submit to him and recognise his splendour

The final verses are to do with Solomon and David.

1. Solomon. 22b-25 Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the LORD to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David's sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon. The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendour such as no king over Israel ever had before.

So a new king was appointed to the throne. Just as now God rules his kingdom through the Spirit of Christ. How important that we submit to the Lord and obey him. Pray that God will be highly exalted ... in the sight of his people and that unmatched royal splendour will be his.

2. David. The chapter finishes with David. In verses 26-30 we read a round up. We are told that David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. He ruled over Israel forty years - seven in Hebron and 33 in Jerusalem. He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honour. His son Solomon succeeded him as king. As for the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands. David was gone but not gone. His kingdom would continue to flourish and even in the time of the chronicler it was still going. In a similar way so it is with Christ's kingdom.

Do you know that hymn by Charles Wesley Rejoice the Lord is king? It begins

Rejoice, the Lord is King, Your Lord and King adore;

Mortals, give thanks and sing And triumph evermore

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice; Rejoice, again I say, rejoice.

It goes on

His kingdom cannot fail; He rules o’er earth and heav’n;

The keys of death and hell Are to our Jesus giv’n

How can it be? Well, first

Jesus, the Saviour reigns, The God of truth and love:

When He had purged our stains He took His seat above

And then

He sits at God’s right hand Till all His foes submit

And bow to His command, And fall beneath His feet.

This is true. Don't forget it.

Christ is still reigning; be strong in him

Text 1 Chronicles 28 Time 10 11 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We come this week to the last but one chapter of 1 Chronicles. In these final two chapters of 1 Chronicles we come to the great moment the writer has been working towards when the Temple is built by Solomon. In Chapter 28 we learn how David spoke to all the people and explained to them how he had it in mind to build the Temple but was told rather that his son Solomon was to be the one to do it. He exhorts the people to be faithful and his son Solomon to be faithful too and to be strong and to do the work. David gives Solomon the plans for the Temple that the Spirit has given him and weighs out the various materials that his son will need to complete the task. The chapter ends with David speaking word of encouragement to Solomon and urging the people to obey his successor.

So it is an important chapter - the end of David's reign and the beginning really of Solomon's and the moment when work on the great temple is about to be begun. it is an important chapter for us to know in the history of Israel but is there anything more we can learn from it.

At first it seems a little difficult as both David and Solomon are types of Christ, that is to say in certain respects they each point forward to something of the future person and work of Christ. So what do we do when they both appear in the same chapter? Probably the way to deal with this is that David shows one aspect of the reign of Christ and Solomon another.

Broadly speaking, David reminds us that Christ has come and has died on the cross and so has overthrown the devil and brought in peace. He is the one who laid plans that there might be a church and he provides all the materials necessary for it. He has now ascended to heaven but he has not left us as orphans, no he has sent his Holy Spirit into this world.

Solomon then reminds us of Christ's reign now he has ascended to heaven. Christ is building his church but he is doing it today through the power of the Spirit in his people. One can imagine I suppose a situation where Christ remained on earth after his resurrection and ruled his church from Jerusalem or somewhere else. It would be a little bit like the Roman Catholic idea where a man in Rome is considered to be head of the church on earth. But no, Christ ascended into heaven and it is from there he reigns, the Holy Spirit indwelling all God's people here on earth.

With these ideas in mind let's look at the chapter then and let's focus on four main things.

1. Christ's earthly work: his victory over Satan, his shed blood, his preparation for the future

So the chapter begins with David summoning all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the king's service, ... commanders of thousands ... commanders of hundreds ... officials in charge of all the royal property and livestock ... the palace officials ... warriors ... all the brave fighting men. A mass gathering then of the good and the great. King David stood before them and said: "Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it." So David explains how originally it was his plan to build a Temple for God.

But he says (3) God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name. The reason given is that David was a warrior and had shed blood.' 

Yes, he is God's chosen man over his people, the one chosen by God from his whole family to be king over Israel forever. Early on God chose Judah as the leading tribe and then, says David, from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

But that was not the whole story.

Next came the matter of a successor to David. David reminds the people how (5-7) Of all my sons - and the LORD has given me many - he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'

Now in a similar way, while yes Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant of David, is the Messiah God has chosen to establish his kingdom not at the present time with Christ on earth leading the whole thing but with Christ in heaven and the Holy Spirit active on earth in God's people. Just as David was a warrior and he shed much blood so on earth Christ shed his own blood on the cross and so won the victory over Satan and all the forces of evil. Colossians 2:15 speaks of him disarming the powers and authorities and making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. He drove out the prince of this world (John 12:31) he tied up the strong man, as it were. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended, the Second Coming, although there is a sense in which for a short time he is free.

Like David too he is the one who has made preparations for the times in which we now live, after his ascension and before his return.

So think of Christ's earthly work - his victory over the forces of evil, his pouring out of his blood on the cross and the fact that he has made preparations for the future which is now here.

2. Christ's Spirit: probing, rewarding. seeking obedience, committed service, active strength

In the light of what he has told them David goes on in verses 8-10 speaking first to the people So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

And then to Solomon And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.

All those words now apply to God's people who have the Spirit of Christ in them to some extent. There are five things to notice

1. Be obedient and so be blessed. Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. Now we know that salvation is not obtained by good deeds. Salvation is by faith. However, in order to enjoy the Christian life we must be obedient. Obedience is what God wants from us. We ought to be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD (y)our God. Are we conscientious about obedience?

2. Commit yourself to serving the Lord. Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind. It is important that we do not forget that we are called to serve God. We must do that, as it says here, with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind. Are we devoted to God with all our hearts and is there a willingness to honour him always?

3. Remember that God examines motives. David adds for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. We should never forget this. Motives are important.

There's a story of the Baptist minister Andrew Fuller collecting money for the work in India. He was back home in Soham where he came from when an old friend when asked for a donation said, “Well, Andrew, as it’s you, I’ll give you five pounds.” “No,” said Fuller, “I can’t take your money for my cause, if it is for me,” and he handed the money back. The man saw his point. “Andrew, you are right. Here’s ten pounds, as it is actually for Jesus Christ.” It is not the amount we give to the Lord’s work that matters as much as the motive with which we give.

4. Seek him and you will find him. This thought may make us a little slower to go to God but David says, as the Lord Jesus himself later says in similar words, If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

You all know what a google search is I'm sure. I don't know how often you do them but sometimes you never seem to find what you're looking for. I read about a man who wanted a glass-fronted bookshelf. When he searched for "glass-fronted bookshelf" that's what he expected to find but instead he got a vacuum cleaner, an outdoor gazebo, a cello, retractable crowd control barriers, sports bags, a multi-purpose ladder, a baby carriage and a motorised folding arm awning. But when you seek God, it's not like that. God is much more reliable than Google. We will find him, if we seek him with all our heart. If you seek him, he will be found by you.

5. Remember the work you are called to so be strong and do it. Finally, here Consider now, says David to Solomon for the LORD has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. We too need to remember that our main task in life is to see his kingdom advance, the church built. And so we need to be strong and to do the work.

3. Christ has plans for the church and provides all that we need for it to rightly function

We come next to the point where David gives his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. These plans we are told (12) are the plans that the Spirit had put in David's mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. It goes on He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the LORD, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. We then have a series of verses telling how He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the same for all the silver articles and the gold lampstands and their lamps ... and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand ... the gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers ... for each gold dish ,,, the silver for each silver dish and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

So here we see that David provides the exact blueprint to Solomon for the Temple and the service of the Temple and he provides all the silver and gold that Solomon was going to need in order to construct the temple according to the plan.

Now it seems to me that is very instructive. We can say that in a very similar way Christ provides the blueprint for the church and not just that but the very material we need in order for the church to be built. In Ephesians 4 Paul talks about the gifts and the captives Christ supplies from heaven. He goes on (11-13) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. How this should encourages us - that Christ has provided all that is needed.

4. Christ has plans for the church so be actively strong, unafraid, encouraged; God won't fail you until the work's done

In the last few verses (19-21) David recaps All this, he says I have in writing as a result of the LORD's hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.

He also says to Solomon his son, Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.

There are again five final things to notice.

1. Again, Christ has the plans, the blueprint. All this ... I have in writing as a result of the LORD's hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan. So David has the plans and he understands them. How encouraging for Solomon to know this. In a similar way, we know that Christ has the plan and he understands it. How encouraging.

2. Be actively strong and courageous. All we need to do is to Be strong and courageous, and do the work. It is so easy to become distracted. We must not be. Rather we must go on working.

3. Don't be afraid or discouraged for God is with you. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. When the great John Knox was buried one commentator said "There lies he who never feared the face of man!" His secret, of course, was that he feared God. We need fear no-one either, if we fear God.

I heard a story a missionary in India who was praying one night when a great python lowered itself from the rafters of his bungalow and encircled his body with its cold and powerful coils. It made no attempt to constrict, though the missionary knew that if he struggled the snake would tighten its coils and crush him. With marvellous self control and courage born of faith, he went on quietly praying, until in the end the animal unwound itself and went back into the roof. That's the sort of courage we need!

4. God will not fail you or forsake you until the work is done. Tremendously encouraging this He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. There is a work going on and until it is finished we can be sure God will not forsake his people or let us down. Keep looking to him.

I heard a story about the Swiss Calvinist Samuel Gobat who worked in Jerusalem. One time he'd been on a long and discouraging missionary journey and came home totally dispirited. He felt that God had forsaken him. He decided to go into a cave nearby and there poured out his heart to the Lord, saying how forsaken he felt. It was very dark in the cave but as his eyes adjusted to the light he began to realise he was not alone. Also in the cave was a wild hyena and her cubs. What would the animal do to him? But God protected him; the hyena never moved. God's hand was keeping him at the very hour in which he thought that he was forsaken and he left the cave unharmed. Even when we think we are forsaken we are not.

5. Everything is ready and God's people will obey. Finally David says The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command. We are all helping each other in this great task. We can be sure that God's people will obey. There is every reason for confidence.

Fighters, Leaders and Workers in God's Kingdom

Text 1 Chronicles 27 Time 03 11 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I thought that for the next three weeks, we could go back to our studies in 1 Chronicles and look at the book's closing chapters, beginning with Chapter 27 this week. Chapter 27 is a typical Chronicles chapter. It is a list of names and figures, itemising twelve army divisions, twelve tribal leaders and a number of workers who served King David either away from the palace by dealing with various aspects of storage, plant produce and animals or inside the palace as counsellors, tutors and so on.

Over 40 different people are named altogether, most of whom we know little or nothing about. Matthew Henry likens it to what he calls the civil list. The civil list in this country is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. That is not quite what we have here then but something like it.

Why is it here? It is here partly for background information. This gives us a better idea of how things ran in David's kingdom. They didn't just all muck in together with some vague hope that it would all work out alright. No, there was organisation and there was order. Many individuals worked together each with different tasks, in order to make sure things ran smoothly.

The key thing to notice here is that the chapter is all about David and his kingdom. David has long gone but his descendant the Lord Jesus is now on the throne. The old covenant era is now over and the church and the state run separately. We know that the state in this country is run in such a way that there is hopefully a measure of efficiency. So, for example, the government has

• 23 ministries, departments for education, transport, defence, justiee, work and pensions, health and social care, etc.
• Then there are also 20 other non-ministerial departments - the charity commission, the forestry commission, the food standards agency, the CPS, the land registry, Ofgem, Ofqual. Ofsted, etc.
• There are also over 500 other agencies and public bodies, from the Advisory Counsel on the misuse of drugs through the Low Pay Commission to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority!

It is all very organised. Churches ought to be organised too - not so much on a national basis but within the local church. Ideally, there will be the elder or elders, the deacons, the women and then possibly an evangelist or an assistant pastor or apprentice. There will be people responsible for catering and cleaning, for Sunday School teaching and other outreach. There will be musicians, caretakers, gardeners, etc. As here, people will come from a variety of backgrounds but hopefully will be well suited to the work that they do.

Three main things from this chapter then.

1. Consider serving the king and the need for fighters in the kingdom

In verse 1 we read This is the list of the Israelites - heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men. Then in the next 14 verses we have the names of twelve men who were responsible month by month for an army of 24,000 men. Rather then keeping a large standing army, as some nations do, in David's time, once his kingdom was established, it seems that a militia of 288,000 was maintained and 24,000 of these would be on call month by month throughout the year.

The men in charge of these 12 divisions were

... Jashobeam son of Zabdiel ... a descendant of Perez ... So like David he is from Judah. In 1 Chronicles 11 he is called the chief of David's mighty men. All these names appear in 1 Chronicles 11.

... Dodai the Ahohite; he had a deputy it seems Mikloth ... Dodai was David's uncle, Jesse's brother.

... Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest or may be it is prince or is a referene to the High Priest's deputy ... This was the Benaiah it says who was a mighty warrior among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. He also had a second His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

... Asahel the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah was his successor. Asahel, of course, died young so this arrangement probably goes back even to when David was in Hebron.

... Shamhuth the Izrahite ... Perhaps the same man as Shammoth the Harorite.

... Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite ... Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite ... Sibbekai the Hushathite, a Zerahite ... Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjamite ... Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite ... Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite ... Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. Othniel, of course, was one of the judges, and a Kenizzite not a Jew.

We have noted previously how often the Chronicler is talking about soldiers and war and such things. Thankfully we are not living in a time when such things loom so large in our thinking. However, as we have often said, if we are new covenant Christians then we involved in a spiritual war and the New Testament calls on us to wear the gospel armour and to stand firm in the fight against the devil, the world and the flesh. Prayer is very important in all this, as Paul makes clear after he has described the gospel armour in Ephesians 6. In 6:18 he says And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. We must give ourselves to prayer - to prayer when we are alone, prayer in our families and to prayer in public, as we are going to do tonight.

The godly and wise William Gurnall says to Christians "You now have, Christian, the armour of God; but take heed thou forgettest not to engage the God of this armour by humble prayer for your assistance, lest for all this you be worsted in the fight."

He also says "Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan's strategems against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labour to hinder the success of thy prayer."

And "They say stars have greatest influences when they are in conjunction with the sun; then sure the graces of a saint should never work more powerfully than in prayer, for then he is in the nearest conjunction and communion with God."

Pray for prayer warriors, for men and women who are willing to give themselves to prayer, who will fight the spiritual battles that alone will lead to victory.

One other thing that is in the text - I read this story by someone called Awlwyn Balnave from Calgary in Canada. A few years ago, he said, an old acquaintance served as a police officer in a northern native settlement in Canada. One day a rabid wolf wandered into the aboriginal settlement. His friend eventually shot it, but not before it attacked a young man and his grandmother in their home, making kindling out of a chair the young man used to protect himself from his attacker.

There were about 150 sled dogs in the village, more than a match for one sick wolf, yet the intruder was left alone to do her work. Why? In order to prevent the dogs from fighting and wounding each other, they'd each been tied to wooden stakes spaced far enough apart to prevent them from reaching any neighbouring animal. And so the wolf walked freely among the dogs, killing some and badly wounding others. In isolation they were no match for their foe, and they suffered terribly for it.

We need each other. We will be much more effective that way.

2. Consider serving the king and the need for leaders in the kingdom

In verses 16-22 we have a list of thirteen leaders of the tribes of Israel. The list excludes Gad and Asher for some reason and, typical of the Chronicler, includes a double entry for Levi in that there is an entry also for the Aaronites. The twelve leaders are

over the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zikri; over the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maakah;

over Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron: Zadok;

over Judah: Elihu, a brother of David; perhaps Eliab. over Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

over Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

over the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; over half the tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; nothing to do with the prophet.

over Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; Abner was the leader of Saul's army.

over Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

It concludes These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

Under David, Israel continued to reflect its tribal constitution then. Leadership is important whatever particular rules lay behind its formation. Under the new covenant, leadership is quite different in its look to what pertained under the old covenant. Each local church, as modelled in Jewish communities, is to have elders or, as modelled among the Greeks, overseers.

It doesn't tell us here how good these leaders were. No doubt they varied. It is not an easy thing to assess. I heard a story of how the American businessman and politician Dwight Morrow once held a dinner party to which Calvin Coolidge, later US president, had been invited. After Coolidge left, Morrow told the remaining guests that Coolidge would make a good president. The others disagreed. They felt Coolidge was too quiet, that he lacked colour and personality. No one would like him, they said. Morrow's daughter Anne, who went on to be well known herself, was then only six. She spoke up: “I like him.” Then she displayed a finger with a small bandage around it. “He was the only one at the party who asked about my sore finger.” “And that’s why he would make a good president,” added Morrow.

In Hebrews 13:7 and 17 the writer says Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith ... Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. There is an onus on leaders to lead well and on the rest of us to remember them and have confidence in them and submit to them. In Ephesians 6 again, after urging prayer in the Spirit more generally, as a leader Paul says Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Pray too for leaders. We need leaders in God's kingdom - not so that there are more chiefs than Indians but so that we may enjoy good and faithful leadership.

3. Consider serving the king and the need for workers in the kingdom

In verses 23 and 24 we have a note that says that David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God's wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.

Perhaps one would expect a census of the men of the nation but that does not come for two reasons. Firstly, David was aware from the Book of Numbers that any numbering of the people should not include men 20 and under, the reason being because the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. Further, when David had begun to number the people, as described in Chapter 21, the project was not finished because God's wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and so the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.

We are told, however, in the closing verses of the chapter, about David's own workers. First those who were in charge of the royal storehouses and plants and animals and then the various advisors to the king and such like. So consider

1. Workers away from the palace

In verses 25-31 some twelve more people are mentioned and their work is briefly described. It is important that we note here just how wealthy David had become. He owned farms, vineyards, herds of cattle, flocks of sheep. Our king is wealthy too. He owns all sorts of things.

1 Azmaveth son of Adiel who was in charge of the royal storehouses. 2 Jonathan son of Uzziah who was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers. 3 Ezri son of Kelub who was in charge of the workers who farmed the land. 4 Shimei the Ramathite who was in charge of the vineyards. 5 Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats. 6 Baal-Hanan the Gederite who was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills.

7 Joash who was in charge of the supplies of olive oil. 8 Shitrai the Sharonite who was in charge of the herds grazing in the high plain of Sharon. 9 Shaphat son of Adlai who was in charge of the herds in the valleys. 10 Obil the Ishmaelite who was in charge of the camels. 11 Jehdeiah the Meronothite who was in charge of the donkeys. 12 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.

The passage concludes with All these were the officials in charge of King David's property.

So the first two deal with storehouses, the next one with farming the land, then two with vineyards and their produce and two with olive and sycamore trees and their produce. The final five dealt with animals - cattle, camels, donkeys and sheep. Just as David's extensive property needed looking after so it is the case for what belongs to Christ today. We should be diligent about appointing people and to such tasks and diligent about carrying out our tasks.

2. Workers mainly within the palace

Finally another five are listed.

1 Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counsellor, a man of insight and a scribe. 2 Jehiel son of Hakmoni took care of the king's sons. 3 Ahithophel was the king's counsellor. He, of course, committed suicide during the rebellion of Absalom. 4 Hushai the Arkite was the king's confidant. And then we are told that Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. 5 Joab was the commander of the royal army.

These final references remind us that David was surrounded by many good men who supported and helped him. Our Saviour does not need counsellors but he does have confidants and generals who serve him and those who take care of his children. Let's be thankful for such people and pray that we will also play our part where we ought.

During World War II many young men were eager to enlist in the armed forces but there was need also for others to stay behind and work in industries like coal mining. These men were known as Bevin boys. It was not a glamorous thing to go down a mine rather than off to war and people needed some encouragement. In 1942 Churchill made a rousing speech to people in the coal industry in which he pictured how it would be after the war.

"We shall not fail," he said "and then some day, when children ask: 'What did you do to win this inheritance for us and to make our name so respected among men?' one will say: 'I was a Fighter Pilot,' another will say: 'I was in the Submarine Service,' another: 'I marched with the Eighth Army,' a fourth will say: 'None of you could have lived without the convoys and the Merchant Seamen; and you, in your turn will say, with equal pride and with equal right: WE CUT THE COAL."

In one sense it doesn't matter what work you do in God's kingdom as long as you do something. Seek God's face to know what you can best do and then do it and do it for God's glory.

God's People and their Kingdom Work of Watching

Text 1 Chronicles 26 Time 05 05 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We are still in the section of 1 Chronicles that runs from Chapter 23 to Chapter-26. By this time David's life is coming to an end and he is making preparations for the succession of his son, Solomon. I have said to you before that Chronicles was written by someone with a priestly background and the interest in the temple comes out in these books in a way that it does not in the partly parallel Books of Kings, especially in this section.

The main thing in these chapters is the way David gives certain tasks to the Levites that are in part things they had done in the past but that are a development. Chapter 23:25, 26 explain how David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service." Because they no longer had the duty of carrying the tabernacle and its articles (in fact they had not moved the tabernacle much since entering the Promised Land under Joshua) there was room to develop other skills and duties. So in Chapter 23 the priestly tasks of worship, judgement, gatekeeping, sacrifice and blessing are set out and the role of the Levites in helping them in this.

The week before last we looked at Chapter 24 and how the work was divided between the priests and Levites with their 24 divisions and last week it was the role of the musicians in Chapter 25, again in 24 divisions. Again we underline that in the New Testament Jesus refers to himself as one greater than the Temple. The focus that was once on the Temple should now be on him. Here in Chapter 26 the focus is on the gatekeepers, treasurers and other officials. As we have done for the last few weeks, we will first make clear what is said in this chapter and then, secondly, consider what lessons we may learn from it.

1. What is said in this chapter?

1. Gatekeepers. Verses 1-19 focus on The divisions of the gatekeepers. First the men available are listed. These were all Korahites and Merarites.

1 Korahites. From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph. Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth and Eliehoenai the seventh.

The family of Obed-Edom comes next. As stated, Obed-Edom appears not to have been a Levite originally but he so distinguished himself when the ark was in his house, following David's mistake of trying to move the ark in his own way, he became an honorary Levite. So we read (4-8) Obed-Edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sakar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth. (For God had blessed Obed-Edom.) Obed-Edom's son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father's family because they were very capable men. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work - descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all. Verse 9 goes back to Meshelemiah who had sons and relatives, who were able men - 18 in all. So 80 altogether, may be more.

2 Merarites. 10, 11 Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first), Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.

3 The divisions. Then verses 12-19 lists the division of the work among the Levites. These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering in the temple of the LORD, just as their relatives had. Again it was done by lot (13) Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. There were four or five lots altogether.

1 East gate The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah (14a)

2 North gate Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counsellor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. (14b)

3 South gate The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, (15a)

4 Storehouse and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. (15b)

5 West gate and its outpost

The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate (Gate of ejection - where ashes, etc, were thrown out) on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard: (16).

More details comes in 17-19. There were

1 6 Levites a day on the east,

2 4 a day on the north,

3 4 a day on the south 

4 and 2 at a time at the storehouse.

5 As for the court to the west, there were 4 at the road and 2 at the court itself.

These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari. So each day there were 24 men needed (there's that number again). Eighty men (or 93 at tops) for 24 jobs means that men could be off for two days before their time came around again, as 24 + 24 + 24 = 78. Chapter 23 mentions some 4000 gatekeepers so these must simply be the leaders.

2. Those in charge of the Treasuries. Verses 20-28 concern the Gershonites. 20 Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.

21, 22 The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli, the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the LORD.

23-26 From the Amramites, Amram was the father of Moss and Aaron you recall the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites: Shubael, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the official in charge of the treasuries. His relatives through Eliezer: (Aaron's son) Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zikri his son and Shelomith his son. Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders.

You then get two footnotes: 27 Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the LORD. So it was parted with rather than kept. 28 And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith mentioned above and his relatives.

3. Those who served away from the Temple.

Vast numbers of Levites served away from the Temple and outside Jerusalem administering justice and probably collecting tithes.

1 West of the Jordan. 29 From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel. 30, 31a From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives - seventeen hundred able men - were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the king's service. As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families.

2 East of the Jordan. 31b, 32 Here we are told that In the fortieth year of David's reign (the last) a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead. Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king. More were needed east of the Jordan than west of it then, perhaps because it was further from Jerusalem.

2. What lessons we may learn from it?

The lessons to be learned here concern the call of every believer to be watchful and alert and to do all they can to promote the interests of their king, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Watchmen were appointed to guard the various gates that led into the Temple. They were responsible to open and to shut the Temple gates. Their job was not only to guard the way against people with wrong motives and designs bent on trouble but also to lead God's people onto the right path and to encourage them to enter the temple in the right frame of mind. They encouraged the timid to come in and sent the wicked and unclean away. In the New Testament God's people are said to be given (Matthew 16:19) the keys of the kingdom of heaven by Christ. He says to us whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. By means of preaching the gospel we are able to admit people into or exclude them from God's church. We too are frequently warned in Scripture to be alert and watchful for our own souls.

2. Concerning those called to be gatekeepers, we read (6-8) that they were leaders in their father's family because they were very capable men ... able men ... capable men with the strength to do the work .... We read of Zechariah that he was a wise counsellor (14). They remind us of the men of Acts 6 who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. How we need people like that today. Matthew Henry says "whatever service God calls men to he either finds them fit or makes them so."

3. The story of Obed-Edom is an encouraging one. We read back in 1 Chronicles 13:14 how The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had. Here (5) we read that one of the ways he was blessed was in having many children. Children are a blessing from the Lord, especially if they serve the Lord as Obed-Edom's offspring did. This godly family had faithfully served the Lord in their own home and here we read how they went on to serve him in his house. It is those who know how to manage their own family who are fit to take care of God's church. If you are trustworthy in little you shall be trusted with more.

4. Verse 10 is interesting. There we read that though not literally the first born Shimrah was made firstborn by his father Hosah, as happened with Jacob and Joseph. Either this was due to Shimrah's outstanding qualities or his older brother's death or lack of such qualities. Christ is God's firstborn and we must all hide in him if we hope to escape God's judgement. He treats us as his firstborn sons even though we do not deserve it. See Hebrews 12:23 the church of the firstborn.

5. Happy are those who live in God's house, for they are well fed, well taught, well employed and well guarded. In Revelation 21:12 we read of New Jerusalem that It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Even now the angels guard us.

6. There are treasures of the house of God. A large old house only functioned because there were plentiful supplies kept within - food in the larder, wine in the cellar, coal in the coalhouse, etc. In the Temple there were ample supplies of flour, wine, oil, salt, etc. These were the treasures of the house of God. There were also treasures of gold and silver given by the people. These treasures are typical of the plenty stored up in our Father;s house, enough and to spare. In Christ, the true temple, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge. of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33). In Philippians 4:19 Paul reminds us And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

7. Much of this treasure came to be there because it had been dedicated to God. Often it was plunder from battle. Samuel, David, Saul, Abner and Joab had dedicated plunder to the Lord following battle. Matthew Henry "The more God bestows upon us the more he expects from us in works of piety and charity. Great successes call for proportionable returns. When we look over our estates we should consider, “Here are convenient things, rich things, it may be, and fine things; but where are the dedicated things?”"

8. One of the Levite duties was to manage these treasures. It was their business to guard them, to dispense them as appropriate and to see that they were not wasted, embezzled or used for common use. No doubt they kept careful accounts as we should so that however we are blessed we pass that blessing on to others.

9. There were Levites whose job was not directly to do with the running of the temple but with administration of the law in the Land. They served the Lord by serving the king and his magistrates.

10. These final things were done in the last year of David's reign. We should be all the more eager to do good as we see the day approaching , whether we enjoy the benefit or not.

God's People and Their Worship in Song

Text 1 Chronicles 25 Time 28 04 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom) 

We are currently in this section of 1 Chronicles that runs from Chapter 23 to Chapter 26. This is the point in the book where David's life is coming to an end and he is making preparations for the succession of his son, Solomon. I have said to you before that Chronicles was probably complied by Ezra or at least by someone else with a priestly background and the interest in the temple comes out in these books in a way that it does not in the partly parallel Books of Kings, especially in this section.

The main thing in these chapters is the way David gives certain tasks to the Levites that are in part things they had done in the past but that are a development. Chapter 23 verses 25 and 26 explain how David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service." Because they no longer had the duty of carrying the tabernacle and its articles (in fact they had not moved the tabernacle much since entering the Promised Land under Joshua) there was room to develop other skills and duties. And so in Chapter 23 the priestly tasks of worship, judgement, gatekeeping, sacrifice and blessing are set out and the role of the Levites in helping them in this. Last week we looked at Chapter 24 and how the work was actually divided between the priests and Levites with their 24 divisions.

One thing we have not underlined so far, I confess, is that these chapters are all about the Temple, which is now gone. In the New Testament Jesus refers to himself as one greater than the Temple. TRhe focus that was once on the Temple should now be on him.

Chapter 25, the chapter we want to look at night, focusses on the musicians and Chapter 26 on the gatekeepers, treasurers and other officials.

As we did last week, we will first make clear what is said in this chapter and then secondly consider what lessons we may learn from it.

1. What is said in this chapter?

As ever there are lots of names to conjure with. Chapter 25 begins David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. So all the musicians in the Temple were sons of Asaph, Heman or Jeduthun. We then have the list of the men who performed this service grouped under these three names.

Under Asaph's name, four names are listed Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under his supervison, while he was in turn under the king's supervision.

Jeduthun is put next with his six sons - Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah. They were again under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who it says prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD. These specialised in using the harp then while the others focussed on lyres and cymbals.

Third comes Heman and his 14 sons Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. They were all sons of Heman the king's seer. It says They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. A footnote says that besides fourteen sons he had three daughters.

Verse 6 sums up All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.

These three names - Asaph, Jeduthun, Heman - appear in the Book of Psalms. Psalms 50 and 73-83 are headed of Asaph, though they are probably not by the same man. Psalm 77 is For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. The Davidic Psalms 39, 62 are also for Jeduthun. Psalm 88 is A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. 2 Kings 4:31 says Solomon was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite - wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol.

The total number of musicians Along with their relatives - all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD - was 288. That seems a little low in that in 23:5 there is reference to four thousand who are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose. Presumably these extra 3,722 were employed around the country, praising God where they were. In verse 8 it says that Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, they cast lots for their duties. The number 288 doesn't look very significant but, of course, it is double 144 and that is twelve twelves. To match the 24 divisions among the other priests and Levites then there was a series of 24 teams of twelve who served in the Temple alongside the others. These divisions are listed, division by division, in verses 9-31. All 24 names here have already been listed in the earlier verses - four sons of Asaph plus six sons of Jeduthun plus Heman's 14.

It begins then (9) The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives, 12;

the second to Gedaliah, him and his relatives and sons, 12; and so on then through Zakkur, his sons and relatives ... Izri, his sons and relatives ... Nethaniah ... Bukkiah ... Jesarelah ... Jeshaiah, Mattaniah, etc, etc all the way down to the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives,12; the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives, 12.

2. What lessons we may learn from it?

This brings us to the whole subject of music in worship. This has often been a contentious subject among Christians. Now obviously there are many changes between the Old and New Testaments but undoubtedly there are lessons to be learned here that apply to this very day.

1. Music is a normal part of the worship of God and should have its place

Some may be tempted to cut music out altogether, especially as it is so contentious. However, it was clearly an important part of Old Testament Temple worship, at least from David's time, and the New Testament says

Ephesians 5:18-20 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

We know too that Jesus and his disciples sang at the Last Supper, as did Paul and Silas when they were in the jail in Philippi, and in 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul speaks of them coming together and each having a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. James urges songs of praises too. Paul says he will sing with his spirit and also sing with his understanding (1 Corinthians 14:25).

2. When we sing, the words should be the main thing

It is interesting that in 1 Chronicles 25 there is no idea of mere music - in fact we do not know exactly what tunes were used in those far off days. Not even in the Temple was there incidental or instrumental music. It does happen in churches but is not part of true worship. Rather the music should be dominated by the lyrics. I say that in the light of the way verse 1 speaks not of music or singing but of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. There are very interesting references in the stories of Saul before he was king and of Elisha. In 1 Samuel 10:5 Saul is told After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. In 2 Kings 3 (15, 16) we read of Elisha saying at one point But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha and he said, This is what the LORD says ... and he goes on to prophesy. Many psalms are examples of prophecies intended to be sung.

In light of this some are very conservative and want to sing only what has been inspired of God. I think, however, that when we are told in the New Testament to teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, Paul is including uninspired words though, of course, they must be in accord with Scripture and helpful for God's people as sermons are. The order, however, is to find good words and then work on fitting them to good tunes.

3. Singing to God is a ministry or service

What is spoken of here is spoken of in terms of ministry or service. The work they do (6) is for the ministry at the house of God. This again should be our approach to singing. It is not there primarily for us to enjoy but in order to serve God and to serve his people. It is right to call our meetings services. Matthew Henry says the words intimate "it is our duty to make a business of it, and stir up all that is within us to it; and that, in our present state of corruption and infirmity, it will not be done as it should be done without labour and struggle. We must take pains with our hearts to bring them, and keep them, to this work, and to engage all that is within us.

4. There ought to be an order and authority in our singing

Down through history, churches have tried simply allowing people to sing what they want when they want, to some extent. This tends to lead to chaos, which is not right. In the Temple The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king's supervision. So these men did not sing simply what they fancied. They were under the direction of Asaph or whoever else was heading the group. He decided what they sang, how they sang, when they sang. He in turn was subject to the King for how he conducted the worship. In a similar way today someone needs to be appointed to lead the singing. Some churches have what they call a worship leader or a singing leader or even a music minister. That makes some sense but in most cases it will be whoever is leading the worship meeting who does this. As long as he remembers that he is ultimately answerable to the great king, the Lord Jesus Christ, for how he goes about things, all should be well.

5. Our singing ought to be varied but straight forward

It appears that the instruments to accompany the singing were limited. Only harps, lyres and cymbals are mentioned, though we have references to trumpets elsewhere. So you couldn't just play any instrument - horns, flutes, zithers, pipes, say. On the other hand, there were instruments to help you. I think that the New Testament encourages us not to use instruments but I realise that can be difficult and so it is probably better to have an accompanying instrument that keeps us all in tune.

6. Our singing ought to be characterised by thanksgiving and praise

It is interesting that in verse 3 it says that Jeduthun prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD. Verse 7 refers to music for the LORD. There was an emphasis in the temple music on it being for God and being marked by thanksgiving and praise. That ought to be reflected in our singing too. I always try to begin our meetings with a hymn that is marked by thanksgiving and praise, something like "All people that on earth" or "Immortal honours" or "Immortal, invisible" or "Praise my soul the King of heaven". How thankful we should be, how full of praise. Often that will come out best in the singing.

7. Our singing should be as well thought out and skilled as we can make it

We read in verse 7 that Along with their relatives - all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD - they numbered 288. Note all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD. These men specialised in singing and playing from a young age. Now one may be tempted to argue from this verse for trained and skilled choirs to lead singing in the churches. However, remembering the change from Old to New Testament that is unlikely. Yes, there was specialisation in the Old Testament worship but just as now every believer is a priest so now everyone should sing. Obviously some do it better than others but all should endeavour to train as well as they can and be as skilful as they can.

Thinking that through, we should sing the best songs to the best tunes. The best hymn writers in the past have been Watts, Wesley, Newton, Cowper and a host of others. Given that we want everyone to sing, the best tunes will not be the most elegant or eye catching but those that are fairly easy to sing without being banal. We should all sing but we should sing as well as we can.

8. We should all sing whether we are good at it or only learning

We might have expected the singers to be ranked according to skill but that is not what happened. In verse 8 it is said clearly Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties. There was never a situation where someone would say, for example, "It's division seven next week - they're the best choir. All the best singers are in that division." No, because the singers were chosen by lot, there was no super choir. Yes, some may have been better than others but not by design. So today, some churches may sing better than others but not by design. All should sing.

Most of us pick up how to sing as we go along. When I was converted I knew no hymns, had no delight in singing and was often tempted to mess about with the words or sing in a funny voice. It wasn't too long before I stopped messing about and I soon found that some of the tunes were attractive and the words began to go in. By now I could sing snatches of a hundred hymns perhaps and could easily join in thousands. Do get to know the hymns as best you can and try to sing them well. Christian Hymns helpfully reprints John Wesley's remarks on this which are useful

Learn these Tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

Sing them as printed. If you've learned to sing them otherwise unlearn it as soon as you can.

Sing All. Join in as frequently as you can. Don't let weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

Sing lustily and with good courage. Don't sing as though half dead, or half asleep. Lift up your voice. Don't be afraid of your voice or ashamed of it being heard.

Sing modestly. Don't bawl. Don't sing above or distinctly from the rest of the congregation. Don't destroy the harmony but strive to unite your voices so as to make one clear melodious sound.

Sing in Time: whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Don't run before nor stay behind it. Attend closely to the leading voices, and follow them as exactly as you can. Take care not to sing too slow.

Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your Heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven

Sadly, we are quite restricted in what we can do singing wise at the moment due to covid but let's try and take these things in and act on them as best we can.