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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 
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. 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.