Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 12:29-32

We can turn back in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 12. Chapter 12, we'll read specifically verses 29 to 32. This is part two of the regular principle of worship. So several weeks ago, we looked at the regulation of the church's worship in 1 Timothy 3, 14 to 16.

Paul writes to Timothy, so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. So I thought it would be good for us to back up look at the Old Covenant, and as we look at several passages with reference to the divine appointment of worship, we need to ask ourselves the question, why, in light of the unchanging nature of God, did the church ever think it was okay to substitute things, to add things, or take away things with reference to corporate worship? So beginning in chapter 12 at verse 29, when the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.

You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. For every abomination to the Lord which he hates, they have done to their gods. For they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it.

You shall not add to it nor take away from it. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our Father, we thank You for the written Word. We pray now for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who gave us that Word. And we ask, God, that the incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, will be glorified, that You would give us His mind as we consider worship, as we consider life and conduct in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And we do what we do here for Your glory, for Your honor, for Your praise.

May you bless what we do here for the salvation of sinners, for the edification and the sanctification of your saints, and do forgive us now for all sin and transgression, and guide us by the Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Introduction

Well, we want to look at two things tonight. First, the divine appointment of worship, and then secondly, the covenantal context of worship. So just by way of review, we're sort of halfway through the divine appointment of worship. So I looked at last week the books of Exodus and Leviticus.

Remember, the Ten Commandments, the first two commandments, are our duty to God in terms of worship. So the first commandment specifies the object of our worship. You shall have no other gods before me or no other gods besides me. In other words, Yahweh is the living and true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we're to worship Him and Him alone.

The second commandment describes the manner in which we worship the true God. We're not supposed to try and make images to picture Him. We're not supposed to try to encapsulate Him, or domesticate Him, or treat Him like one of the gods of the heathen. So the first two commandments are foundational with reference to worship.

We need the proper object, the true and living God, and we need the proper manner, what He commands us in His Word. We then considered what we refer to in the Reformed tradition as the threefold division of the law. When we look at the Ten Commandments, we put those in the category of moral law. They're unchanging, they're for all men everywhere, whatever covenant you live in, whatever time you live in, whether you're Jew, Gentile, wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you are, you are subject to God's moral law.

But when we read through the Old Testament, we see also further categorizations or divisions of law. You see what's called ceremonial law, those things that speak specifically to the worship instituted by God for the nation of Israel in the Old Covenant. And then you have judicial law in the Old Covenant that was to govern the people of God when they went into the land of promise. It provided for them civil polity.

It provided for them principles of justice by which they did society with one another. Now our confession of faith underscores the fact that moral law continues. There's been no change. Again, it's trans-covenantal.

Whether you're Old Covenant or New Covenant, the Ten Commandments are binding. We don't ever have the right to commit adultery. We don't ever have the right to substitute the true and living God. We don't ever have the right to engage in murder.

All those things reflect the very nature and being of God. But with reference to ceremonial law, it has been fulfilled in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our confession says that it has prefigurements, or it foreshadowed the coming of the Savior. So much of what you see in Old Covenant worship was typological.

It pointed forward to the Son of God who would come to save His people from their sin. Our Confession says concerning the judicial law, it has expired with the Commonwealth of Israel, but there is a general equity principle that still is lasting to today. So that threefold division, it's not something imposed upon the Scripture, but it is something exegetically arrived at through a study of Scripture. You can turn to the book of Exodus, specifically at chapter 20.

Exodus chapter 20, where we see moral law. Specifically in verses 1 to 17, the Ten Commandments. Turn over to chapter 21. 21.1 to 23.9 is what is called judicial law. Notice in 21.1, now these are the judgments which you shall set before that.

You've got laws concerning slaves. You've got laws on homicide, laws on bodily injuries, laws on property damage. laws that regulate society. Again, the judicial law of Moses, it is the application of the moral law to matters in civil society. And then in chapter 25, all the way to chapter 40, we have instructions concerning worship, or what we call ceremonial law.

We have the instructions given in terms of the construction of the tabernacle, and as well, the identification and the furnishing for the priesthood. And then you see toward the end of the book of Exodus, the actual construction of the tabernacle. And then you see God's glory fill the tabernacle in Exodus chapter 40, but even Moses himself could not enter because of the glory of God. Moses is a sinful man.

He can't just wander into the presence of the glory of God. That sets the stage for the book of Leviticus to resolve that tension. How do people get into the presence of God? They do so through sacrifice.

They do so through atonement. They do so through a bloody knife and a smoking altar. And that is precisely what the book of Leviticus outlines. You've got laws detailing sacrifice.

You've got laws describing the priesthood. And in chapter 9, the priests offer up a sacrifice. The Lord's fire comes down from heaven and consumes it. And the people rejoice.

Chapter 10, you've got the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, they offer up strange fire. Fire comes down again from the Lord, but it doesn't consume the sacrifice. It consumes Nadab and Abihu. In other words, you're not supposed to offer up profane fire.

You're supposed to follow God's ordinances. You're supposed to follow God's commandments. And then the passage that we read in Deuteronomy chapter 12, specifically addresses this issue. In chapter 12, at verse 29, you have an occasion when the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land.

That's the occasion. You need to think about what God is about to tell you here. There is then a warning, verse 30, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.

There is a command in verse 31, you shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. For every abomination to the Lord which he hates, they have done to their gods. For they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. And then the corrective, notice in verse 32, whatever I command you, be careful to observe it.

You shall not add to it nor take away from it. So this regulative principle of worship, far from being a straitjacket and limiting them in terms of innovation and creativity, protects them from idolatry. idolatry. It protects them from aping the nations around them and following the gods of the heathen, up to the point where they offer their children as sacrifices, probably to Moloch. As I said before, Moloch was a statue with outstretched arms, and the worshiper would come with their little baby and throw it up into the arms of Moloch, but he couldn't catch it, so they'd fall in the fire that was at the base of the idol, such that they would engage in child sacrifice.

So the regulative principle of worship is a corrective, it's a help, it's a means by which we stay faithful or remain faithful to our great God.

Divine Appointment of Worship

Now, I want to look at the emphasis in Chronicles on the worship of God. And again, I think the main point that I want to convey here is that they worshipped according to command. They worshiped according to divine appointment. They were not innovative.

They were not creative. They were not expressing themselves, but rather they were obedient to the written word of the living and true God as it was mediated to them by Moses. So, and again, I ask the question, why in the new covenant do we think we can do whatever we want? Why do we think it's okay to move the pulpit and put an easy chair up in the front?

Why do we think it's okay to have entertainment or bands? Why do we think it's okay to turn the worship of the living God in public worship into a rock concert? Why do we think that's okay? The same God who is a consuming fire mandates the way of worship in the Old Covenant, and the same God who is a consuming fire mandates the way of worship in the New Covenant.

In fact, that particular statement is found in Deuteronomy 4, 24 and Hebrews 12, 29. It shows the consistency of our unchanging God. The reason we don't engage in idolatry, the reason we don't depart from true worship, is our God is a consuming fire. He didn't relax that.

He didn't lessen that. In the New Covenant, He doesn't say, well, you know, just go ahead and do whatever it is that pleases you. Just do whatever it is that everybody else in the society around you is doing. Just co-opt the pagans and their particular ways that they entertain themselves and bring that into the church, because that's the way that Christ has chosen to advance his cause.

That is simply incorrect. We are regulated by God's Word to worship in the manner in which God commands. Now, with reference to the book of Chronicles, 1 and 2 Chronicles, it functions as history and theology. It functions as history and theology.

It ultimately is a review of God's people beginning with Adam in 1 Chronicles 1-1 to the end of the exile in Babylon in 2 Chronicles 36, 15 to 23. Jewish tradition tells us that most likely Ezra was the chronicler, and I think that's a pretty good suggestion there. As well, the emphasis is not upon the divided kingdom. I mean, it's there for sure, but the emphasis in Chronicles is upon the kingdom of Judah.

It's about the Davidic kings. It's those who came from David's line. And as well, you see along the way an emphasis on the worship of God among the people of God. In other words, if we ask the question, how did the old covenant people of God worship God, the book of Chronicles answers that for us in a whole host of ways.

So several passages that we ought to appreciate.

Appointed Song in the Tabernacle

First, turn to 1 Chronicles 6 at verse 31. 1 Chronicles 6 at verse 31. This is when they were still utilizing the tabernacle. They had not built the temple yet in Jerusalem, and the tabernacle was the place where they worshiped God. So notice in 1 Chronicles 6, specifically at verse 31.

Now these are the men whom David, as we go through this, look at the word appointed. appointed. Again, it wasn't, you know, I just kind of feel like I'm led by the Spirit to do these things. No, these are the men, interestingly, whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest. There they were ministering with music before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of meeting until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem and they served in their office according to their order.

Again, it's not haphazard, it's not innovation, it's not creation, but they are doing what they are supposed to do by God's grace. Notice as well in verse 48. Well, look at verse 33. And these are the ones who ministered with their sons.

Of the sons of the Kohathites were Haman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel. And then it mentions all these particular names and you oftentimes see them in the Psalms of David. You see them in the superscription that introduces the psalm. You see Heman referenced in Psalm 88.

Remember Dr. Remit Renahan preached that. Heman means faithful. You'll see the sons of Korah referred to.

You'll see the various persons in the book of Psalms. They were appointed for the service of the tabernacle and then temple. So you see that, verses 33, 39, 42, some familiar names that you'll see also in this altar. But then as well, look at verse 48 in 1 Chronicles 6.

And their brethren the Levites were appointed to every kind of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. Verse 49, but Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices on the altar, a burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded. Divine appointment, command by God, not left up to the creativity or the innovation of men. Notice as well, I mentioned the Psalms that these men appear in, Psalm 73 to 83, Psalm 88, Psalm 89.

And then notice in 1 Chronicles 15, 1 Chronicles 15, again, just getting a bird's eye view into the worship of Old Covenant Israel at the time of of the Kings. 1 Chronicles chapter 15, specifically at verses 11 to 16, David successfully brings the ark to Jerusalem, which is accompanied with singing and the use of musical instruments. So notice in 1 Chronicles 15 at verse 11, and David called for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. He said to them, you are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.

For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us because we did not consult him about the proper order. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders by its poles as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals by raising the voice with resounding joy.

Again, they didn't just say, you know what? The pagans worship their gods with these instruments. Why don't we do that too? No, it was commanded by God to David to build these particular instruments to utilize in the corporate worship of God most high.

Levites Appointed to Praise

Notice as well in 1 Chronicles 16, specifically at verse four, and he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel. Before we proceed, have you ever considered that? There was a class of men in the Old Covenant whose job was to praise God. This is what you are supposed to do as your vocation, as your life calling, whether it be musician, whether it be priest, whatever the specific detail is, there was a class of men set apart to worship God.

Brethren, I don't know that we have as great an articulated vision of corporate worship as the Bible presents to us. Psalm 87 too, the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. There is something unique about corporate worship. Again, he doesn't hate families, he doesn't hate individuals, but he puts a premium on the people of God gathering together on the day of God to glorify and praise his awesome name.

Worship is very important in scripture. This is what man was created for. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. So back to verse four, he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank and to praise the Lord God of Israel.

Asaph, the chief, and next to him, Zechariah, then Jael, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattathiah, Eliah, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom. Jael with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals. Benaiah and Jehaziel, the priests, regularly blew the trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant of God. And then notice in verse seven, on that day, David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren to thank the Lord.

And basically what happens here is the piecing together of three psalm segments, Psalms 96, 105, and 106. But look at what verse 7 indicates. On that day, David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph. Think about the superscription in the psalms that you see a lot.

To the chief musician, a psalm of David. So David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, composes the psalms, and then gives the psalms to the choir director or to the chief musician, and then that man is appointed then to lead the people of God in the recitation and in the chanting and in the singing of those psalms in praise to God, to commemorate, to thank, and to celebrate His goodness and His kindness to them. Notice in 1 Chronicles 23 at verse 5, 1 Chronicles chapter 23 at verse 5, 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised the Lord with musical instruments, which I made, said David, for giving praise. And again, it's not that David was out meditating and thought, you know this is probably the best conceivable way to worship Yahweh.

It was given him by God. God gave him this. God commanded him this. And therefore, David set in order this worship apparatus to bring glory to the Lord.

Musicians Under the King's Authority

Notice in 1 Chronicles 25. 1 Chronicles 25, specifically at verses two to seven. Verse two, of the sons of Asaph, Zachar, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asherah, the sons of Asaph, were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king. It's not willy-nilly. It's not, well, can I get a volunteer?

Can I grab somebody that doesn't have anything else to do? We get somebody that just feels led. They're appointed by the king. They're appointed under the choir director and under the chief musician.

Notice, dropping down to verse 5, all these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt his horn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jedathan, and Heman were under the authority of the king.

So the number of them with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was 288. You say, well, we don't have a king. This isn't a monarchy. Yeah, we do.

David was typological of him, David's greater son, the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we ask King Jesus how we're supposed to worship in new covenant life. We don't leave it up to the choir directors or the musicians of our age. We ask the king, and the king, according to the New Testament documents, has revealed his will and mind for the church.

It's our job to simply mind those things out, which really isn't tough, and then be obedient to it. Notice in 1 Chronicles 28, 1 Chronicles chapter 28, specifically at verses 11 to 13, 1113, then David gave his son Solomon, this is after the divine authority rather, behind temple worship.

Divine Authority Behind Temple Worship

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the best vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat. and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things, also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the articles of service in the house of the Lord. This preparation for what's going to happen in terms of Solomon building the temple to God Most High, moving from that temporary tabernacle that accompanied the children of Israel while they were vagabonds and wanderers in the wilderness, to now they've come to power, they've got Jerusalem, David centralizes political and religious power there, and then Solomon is going to build the temple there. Look at verse 19 in the same chapter there. It says, all this said, David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me all the works of these plans.

Not one shred of any evidence whatsoever that David was just led by the spirit. Now he was obviously, but he was governed by the spirit. It wasn't left up to him to innovate. It wasn't up to him to ape the nations around them.

It was up to him to obey what the spirit revealed to him in terms of corporate worship in the old covenant.

Glory Fills the Temple

Second Chronicles chapter five. 2nd Chronicles chapter 5, the temple is built, the ark is brought in. Solomon is the king, Solomon oversees worship. And in chapter five, specifically at verse 11. And it came to pass when the priests came out of the most holy place for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves without keeping to their divisions.

And the Levites who are the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jedith with their sons and their brethren stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having symbols, stringed instruments and harps and with them 120 priests sounding with trumpets. Indeed, it came to pass when the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord. And when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music and praise the Lord saying, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. And you see that in Psalms 106 and 107. that the house, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Then Solomon spoke, the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever. We see divine institution of corporate worship and hear divine approbation of that corporate worship by the presence of God Most High. I mention often that when we look to the book of Revelation in chapter 1, where do we see Jesus?

He's in the midst of the lampstands. What does that indicate? It indicates his approval of the divine worship that those churches engage in. He doesn't condemn them because they have, you know, celebrated their own individuality and fashioned a worship service that looked like the pagans around them.

He does condemn them for certain things, but he doesn't condemn them for their public worship. Christ is in the midst of the lampstand. They are worshiping him, and that is his approval or approbation.

Hezekiah's Reformation of Worship

And then turn to 2 Chronicles 29. 2 Chronicles 29. As we might expect, Not everything always went well amongst the kings of Judah. There were those high points, though, and one of them was Hezekiah. What do you think Hezekiah was responsible for?

Certainly a whole host of things, but reform and worship was certainly a part of it. Notice in 2 Chronicles, specifically at chapter 29, verses 25 to 30. 29, 25, and he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David. Notice that. the commandment of David, not whatever you feel like. Whatever the heathen do, whatever those people are doing.

That would seem to work over there for Asherah. Seems to be a hit with Baal. Seems to be great for Moloch. No, no, you do what David commanded because David received it from God most high.

Of Gad the king seer and of Nathan the prophet. For thus was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar.

And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began. with the trumpets and with the instruments of David, King of Israel. So all the assembly worshiped. The singers sang and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. Moreover, King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. Not with words they came up with. They took the script.

They were obedient. They sang the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and they bowed their heads and they worshiped. So this reformation under Hezekiah brought back reform in the life of public worship.

It is a blessed thing. It is presented as a net gain, as a positive. Two other emphases I wanna look at in terms of the books of Chronicles. We've got divine appointment behind worship, but this emphasis on obedience to the Lord.

I hope you didn't miss that. Tried to stress it every time. It's in 1 Chronicles 6, 49. You see it in 2 Chronicles 23, 18, 2 Chronicles 31, 20, and 21, 2 Chronicles 35, 4.

They obeyed God. They obeyed God. So again, the argument is simple. In the New Covenant, we have the New Covenant documents in the New Testament.

We need to obey God. We don't need to leave the script. We don't need to get creative. We simply need to be obedient to what the Lord has commanded.

The other emphasis I want to draw out is the extravagance of the house of the Lord. If you've ever read the books of Exodus and 2 Samuel, I'm sorry, yeah, 2 Kings, yeah, 2 Kings, sorry. If you've ever read that and these parallel passages here in Chronicles, you'll notice they didn't spare an expense with reference to the house of God. They didn't cheap out.

They didn't shop the deals at Walmart when it came to the hinges. They spent money. And sometimes in this new covenant setting, we can sort of be like those disciples of Jesus. Why this extravagance?

Why this waste? Why would we allow this woman to take this expensive, costly perfume and dump it on the feet of the Savior? We could sell it and we could give that to the poor. The argument isn't, let's neglect the poor.

The argument isn't, it's not a waste to dump precious oil on the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is a good thing, brethren. God is worthy of not our cheapest, not the most little, but He is worthy of greatness. And when you read the passages associated with the temple, I think that comes out in spades.

Look at 1 Chronicles 22. 1 Chronicles, well, go back to 2 Samuel 7, got to get it in its context. 2 Samuel chapter 7. 2 Samuel 7 is the Davidic covenant. God tells David that he's going to make a dynasty out of him. And that out of his seed, one, a son of God, will build a house for God. Notice in 2 Samuel 7 at verse 1, Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside ten curtains.

Notice David doesn't have anybody nagging him. Well, you know, we got to give everything to the poor. And again, I'm not minimizing that. We should give to the poor.

We should absolutely positively give to the poor. but we ought not to take away from the Lord God most high. So David has been very much victorious in battle. David has shed blood. In fact, this is why David was not going to build the house of God, because he was a man of war.

He had blood on his hands. That is not an ethical statement. It's not a judgment. Oh, because you're a man of war.

You don't have the nobility to build the house of God. No, he was a man of war. He's got blood on his hands. He's out killing Philistines and securing the kingdom.

He didn't have time to build the house for the Lord, but he provides the context, a peaceable environment, free from the enemies. And now Solomon, his son, can come to the plate and swing the bat and build the temple for the Lord. So David understands this. I've secured the kingdom.

Everything's going pretty well. I'm dwelling now in a house of cedar, and God's still in a tent. You see what's driving his impetus here? He wants to build a house for God.

He wants God to have at least a house of cedar, like David himself has. And on the heels of that, God basically says, nope, you're not gonna do it. Your son is gonna do it. But ultimately, a son that comes from you is gonna build my house for me.

Matthew 16. Blessed are you, Who do men say that I, the son of man, am? You are the Christ, the son of the living God. What does Jesus say?

You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, a son of God who builds a house for God. 2 Samuel 7 is fulfilled by our Lord Jesus ultimately, but you see the impetus behind David. He's musing on the reality that God dwells in a tent while he's in a house of cedar. So turn to 1 Chronicles 22. 1 Chronicles chapter 22, specifically at verse five. Now David said, Solomon my son is young and inexperienced and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries.

I will now make preparations for it. So David made abundant preparations before his death. At the time that David lived, it was very commonplace for people that had gods to build houses for their gods. Remember that scene when the Ark of the Covenant is seized in battle by the Philistines and the Philistines trot it back into their hometown and they put it in the temple of Dagon.

That was a statement, brethren. That was a statement of utter victory. We beat Yahweh on the field of battle. So now we're gonna put that Ark of the Covenant in the temple of Dagon to show the supremacy of Dagon.

Well, we know how that story ends, don't we? They go in to check on Dagon and he had fallen down. They pick him back up and they go in the next day to check on Dagon and what happened? He had fallen down and bits and pieces of him had fallen off.

So what do the Philistines say? Get this Ark of the Covenant out of here. We don't want it anymore. In other words, when these people built these houses for their gods, the quality of workmanship, the materials put into it, said something about their god.

This is why David says what David says. Now, my argument's not, we need to tear this building down and get gold hinges. That's not where I'm going. Please understand, the idea is that God is glorious.

Solomon, my son, is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent. 2 Chronicles 2. 2 Chronicles 2. I won't read the whole section, but it's very important for us to understand what's happening in 2 Chronicles 2. Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal house for himself. Solomon selected 70,000 men to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to oversee them.

Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying, As you have dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, to burn before him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. And the temple which I build will be great, notice, for our God is greater than all gods.

We're not going to cheap out. We're not going to find a group of unemployed guys outside a Home Depot and say, come on, let's build this together. And notice as well, he's appealing to a pagan king. What does that indicate?

He wants craftsmanship. He wants excellent work, just like Bezalel and that were chosen to be the builders or artisans with reference to the tabernacle. You get the best guys filled with the spirit so that they can engage in this particular task. Why?

Verse five tells us, the temple which I build will be great for our God is greater than all gods. So in terms of divine appointment of worship, in the Old Testament, you see it in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. You see that command in Deuteronomy. And then you see this emphasis in the book of Chronicles, books of Chronicles, and not just Chronicles.

You see it in 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings. Chronicler just does seem to make that very specific and conspicuous in terms of the divine appointment behind public worship.

Covenantal Context of Worship

So, again, I would suggest to you that when we get to the New Covenant, and we're going to set forth some particular ideas concerning New Covenant and positive law and all that sort of thing. I don't want to introduce that now. I think this is a sufficient place to stop. I just do want to conclude with one particular application of the material at this point.

I would suggest, with reference to the blessedness of corporate worship, I'd mentioned this, at least in passing, that I'm not sure that we contemplate or ponder as we ought, and that's not, you know, you terrible wretches. I'm here to confess it myself that this isn't always the way I think through public worship, and I'd like to think I'd get better at this, and I want to encourage you as well. Corporate worship in Scripture is a most blessed thing, and it's a most blessed thing even when we don't feel it. We're typically the kinds of people, or at least some of us, are the kinds of people that judge things based on feeling.

Well, the Bible tells us certain things positively, factually, whether we feel it or not. For instance, when Jesus tells men about private prayer, he says, when you go into your closet and pray, your father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. Huh. Notice he doesn't say, when you go in there and you really feel your father, you really get that warm fuzzy, then you'll know that you're going to be rewarded in secret.

No, he doesn't do that. We believe by faith, by the objective revelation, propositional revelation that we receive in scripture, that when we go into the closet to pray, God's there. It's not contingent upon or dependent upon or reflected always in our feelings. I'm not saying it's always bad to come out feeling God or feeling good about God.

That's okay. The argument is simple. If God says something, we believe it, whether it brings feelings or not. And when it comes to public worship, I realize sometimes the preaching can be too long.

Preaching can be too loud. Preaching can be too confusing. The singing can be a bit, you know, what we don't expect or what we don't want. Or, you know, I happen to love it.

I'm not, you know, not the preaching so much, but the singing I think is great. That's a constant report I get from people that visit here. Wow, the singing's good there. Whether you don't like the particular choices or not, the singing objectively is good.

I had texted Doug when we got the new roof. Is that going to affect the singing? I don't want it to affect the singing. It's still going to be good.

I think he said when it hails, we'll probably hear the hail a bit more with that new roof. But we don't always get the feeling. Sometimes our minds are divided. Sometimes in the midst of worship, we're prone to wander, prone to leave the God that we love.

There is that reality. That doesn't change the objectivity of God's written revelation. So I would just suggest a couple of thoughts relative to the blessedness of corporate worship.

Blessedness of Corporate Worship

Psalm 122. Psalm 122. You can turn there, just a few and we'll be done. Psalm 122, David's approach to the Lord's day.

David's approach to the Lord's day. Verse one, a song of ascents of David. And this group of psalms called the songs of ascents were simply that. As the pilgrims were journeying to Jerusalem to engage in corporate worship, they would sing psalms of praise on that journey.

So when you see that little superscription, and as Dr. Renahan pointed out, and I think I've tried to before as well, those superscriptions are divinely inspired words of scripture. If you have a New King James, under Psalm 122, you have italicized a title. It says, the joy of going to the house of the Lord.

That's supplied by the translators. That's just put there to help you with some kind of an idea of what's what. But that superscription, which means it's letters that are a bit smaller, that's verse one in the Hebrew Bible. So a song of ascents of David.

Notice his attitude. I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet had been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. I think that's interesting for two particular reasons.

First, it indicates something about David. It indicates something about his heart and soul commitment to the God of heaven and earth on the Lord's day. He wants to go to the house of the Lord and he wants to worship. And he wants to in such a way that it provokes gladness from him.

In other words, he wakes up in the morning and he doesn't roll over and say, oh, I got to go to the house of the Lord. No, he's glad. But notice as well the effect of David upon those around him. As king, he was able to inculcate a principle among those who said to him, let us go to the house of the Lord.

In other words, it wasn't drudgery. It was happiness. It was gladness. It was joyfulness.

If we wake up on a Sunday morning and everything in us mitigates against going to the house of the Lord, we ought to repent. We ought to ask the Lord to forgive us and to heal us and to help us and to cause us to want to go into the public place to worship Him, to gather around, to praise His holy name.

The Early Church's Pattern

I would suggest, secondly, we see something of the practice of the early church in Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. Remember, it's Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God comes in power, makes known the glory of Jesus at the right hand of God Most High.

We've got the people, according to verse 37, say, men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter gives the exhortation in verse 38, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises to you and to your children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call. So that's the sermon Peter preaches.

He exhorts them, believe on the Lord Jesus, verse 40. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them saying, be saved from this perverse generation. then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. Now notice in verses 42 and following, and they continued steadfastly, not haphazardly, not once in a while, not when they felt like it, not because they had to, but they continued steadfastly, notice, in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. In other words, it was a simple approach to worship.

The thing that is different between the Old and the New Covenants is what we call positive law. More on that, God willing, next Sunday night. Positive law is something commanded by God for a temporary purpose. In the Old Covenant, it regulated the worship of God's people.

It regulated Sabbath day. The moral principle of Sabbath is one day in seven. Under positive law in the Old Covenant was Saturday. Positive law in the New Covenant, Sunday.

The Apostle of the Law in the New Covenant is still standing, it's still there, but it's not the priesthood, it's not the tabernacle, it's not the temple, it's not the sacrifice. It is rather the things that we see specified in the New Testament documents. Things like this. They continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship. in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Notice that connection. You do what you're supposed to do in the life and context of the church, and you experience the blessing of God upon the life of the church. It's beautiful.

Hebrews: Draw Near with Boldness

Notice as well, thirdly, by way of the blessedness of corporate worship, the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10. He comes to get very practical after having set forth Christ as superior to the prophets, superior to the angels, superior to Moses, superior to Joshua, superior to the old covenant priesthood, superior to the tabernacle itself and temple. Jesus is the fulfillment of those things. So he sets forth the glory of Jesus Christ and the superiority of Jesus Christ and his covenant.

He specifies that specifically in chapters 7 and 8. He then highlights that priestly work again in chapters 9 and 10 up to verse 19. Then he gets practical. Notice, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another in so much the more as you see the day approaching." See the emphasis there? Come to the house of God. Do what you're given the free access to do.

Draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. Verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope. Verse 24, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Faith, hope, love.

Pauline triad. This is an indicator and an evidence that Paul wrote Hebrews. He has that emphasis throughout his epistles on faith, hope, and love. You see it right here.

And then turn over to Hebrews chapter 12 for the final text, the glory involved in New Covenant corporate worship. Notice in Hebrews chapter 12, specifically at verse 18, here's a contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Mount Zion in the New Covenant is seen as the church, the people of God, the true Israel of God. Notice the contrast set forth.

Verse 18, for you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire and to blackness and darkness and tempest. Remember that sign I see and is seen in Exodus chapter 19. You didn't approach the mountain. You didn't just come wandering up the mountain.

No, the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could not endure what was commanded. And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I'm exceedingly afraid and trembling.

That was Old Covenant Sinai worship. Again, it's good. It's blessed, provided you did what you were supposed to do and obeyed God. It was a good thing.

I mean, fear and trembling isn't bad in the presence of the most holy one. Then notice the contrast he sets up with Mount Zion. He's talking about the church. And again, it's not predicated here on if you feel it.

As long as you feel it, as long as it resonates with your heart and soul, then this is true. This is true. You need to get your heart and soul to resonate with this. You need to understand that Christ the Lord walks in the midst of the lampstand.

He says, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. And then he gives this exhortation or a warning. He says, see then that you do not refuse him who speaks, for if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, how much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he is promised saying yet once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.

Now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. I actually think that has to do with the transition between old covenant and new covenant worship. Therefore, verse 28, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God. Note that next word, acceptably.

Who defines what acceptable worship is? Not the worshiper. because he's going to pick everything contrary to the holiness of God. As I mentioned last week, you don't let your child pick out dinner because he's going to glut himself on sugar and garbage. No, acceptable is God's acceptability. by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire." The blessedness of corporate worship, whether we feel it or sense it or not, my encouragement is, is to understand what is revealed in scripture concerning corporate worship and adjust our mindset and adjust our expectations and adjust our desire for these things in light of God's revealed word.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this emphasis on the divine appointment in worship. I pray that you would guide us and lead us and direct us as a church, that we may be obedient to the scripture, and in that we'd find great blessing and great joy, in times of celebration to the God of heaven and earth, even Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation.

Scripture References

• Exodus 19; 20; 20:1-17; 21:1-23:9; 25-40; 40
• Leviticus 9; 10
• Deuteronomy 4:24; 12:29-32
• 2 Samuel 7; 7:1
• 1 Chronicles 1:1; 6:31; 6:33; 6:48-49; 15:11-16; 16:4; 16:7; 22:5; 23:5; 25:2-7; 28:11-13; 28:19
• 2 Chronicles 2; 5:11; 23:18; 29:25-30; 31:20-21; 35:4; 36:15-23
• Psalms 73-83; 87:2; 88; 89; 96; 105; 106-107; 122
• Matthew 16
• Acts 2:37-42
• 1 Timothy 3:14-16
• Hebrews 7-8; 9:1-10:19; 10; 12:18; 12:28-29
• Revelation 1