Journey's End - Our Everlasting God
Worshiping
the God who is from everlasting to everlasting
(1
Chronicles 16, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, January 14, 2018)
[1]
And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that
David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before God. [2] And when David had finished offering the
burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the
name of the LORD [3] and distributed to all Israel, both men and
women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of
raisins.
[4]
Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of
the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of
Israel. [5] Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah,
Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom,
and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the
cymbals, [6] and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow
trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. [7] Then on
that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD
by Asaph and his brothers.
[8]
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make
known his deeds among the peoples!
[9]
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell
of all his wondrous works!
[10]
Glory in his holy name;
let
the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
[11]
Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek
his presence continually!
[12]
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his
miracles and the judgments he uttered,
[13]
O offspring of Israel his servant,
children
of Jacob, his chosen ones!
[14]
He is the LORD our God;
his
judgments are in all the earth.
[15]
Remember his covenant forever,
the
word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
[16]
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his
sworn promise to Isaac,
[17]
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to
Israel as an everlasting covenant,
[18]
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
as
your portion for an inheritance.”
[19]
When you were few in number,
of
little account, and sojourners in it,
[20]
wandering from nation to nation,
from
one kingdom to another people,
[21]
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he
rebuked kings on their account,
[22]
saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do
my prophets no harm!”
[23]
Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Tell
of his salvation from day to day.
[24]
Declare his glory among the nations,
his
marvelous works among all the peoples!
[25]
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and
he is to be feared above all gods.
[26]
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but
the LORD made the heavens.
[27]
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength
and joy are in his place.
[28]
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe
to the LORD glory and strength!
[29]
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring
an offering and come before him!
Worship
the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
[30]
tremble before him, all the earth;
yes,
the world is established; it shall never be moved.
[31]
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and
let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
[32]
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let
the field exult, and everything in it!
[33]
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before
the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
[34]
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for
his steadfast love endures forever!
[35]
Say also: “Save us, O God of our salvation,
and
gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that
we may give thanks to your holy name
and
glory in your praise.
[36]
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from
everlasting to everlasting!”
Then
all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.
[37]
So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the
covenant of the LORD to minister regularly before the ark as each day
required, [38] and also Obed-edom and his sixty-eight brothers, while
Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.
[39] And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before
the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon [40]
to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering
regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the Law
of the LORD that he commanded Israel. [41] With them were Heman and
Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give
thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever. [42]
Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and
instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to
the gate.
[43]
Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home
to bless his household.
The
king and His people worship
There
can be no meaning to the life of Israel as the covenant people
without Yahweh. The same can certainly be said about the Christian
church. We are a society that was created by God for worship. We are
on a journey to Him, and He is leading the way.
Every
detail concerning life under David when Israel reached journey's end
with the ark safely in Jerusalem has meaning for our life as
worshipers of David's God today. Our King, Jesus, leads us forward in
life and death to the God for whom we were made. United with the
God/Man, we can draw near the Ark of God. We are the tabernacle of
the Holy Spirit, for our God who is in us is the hope of glory
(Colossians 1:27). We are already marked with the destination that
God has prepared for us, for we have the earnest of heaven in the
Holy Spirit. Jesus is the offering through whom we have peace with
God. He is our High Priest and King who gives us a powerful
benediction. We are named with His Name and we eat together at His
table.
It is
our privilege to serve Him as “ministers” who lift up our voices
in praise to Him together with those who play their instruments and
make a joyful noise to the Lord. We are already participants in
heavenly worship, but one day the trumpet will sound and we will see
Him as He is. And we will be so thankful forever.
The
God of their song
Why do
we sing? We are people who believe in God. Who is the God of Israel's
song?
He is
the God who invites and commands His covenant people into the joy of
His worship (8-13). He reminds us of His covenant promises (14-18),
The Lord knows our weakness (19-22), but He also knows His
unstoppable plan that all the earth should sing to Him and His own
unfathomable worthiness (23-27). So, “worship the Lord in the
splendor of holiness; tremble before Him all the earth,” He is our
Creator, our Sovereign Ruler, our Savior. He is and forever shall be
the King of glory (28-34). Now “save us, O God of our salvation,”
for you are God “from everlasting to everlasting” (35-36). “Then
all the people said, 'Amen!' and praised the Lord.
We can
understand why some people think that all this is over the top, but
there comes a moment when every knee will bow and every tongue
confess. (Hawaii illustration) And what hope would we have if the
propositions in the song of 1 Chronicles 16 were false? What then?
But our hope will not put us to shame (Romans 5:1-11).
The
glory that will not be contained
So the
worship of Israel's God continued again in the days of David, because
their hope was real. David left people there before the ark to keep
hope alive through continuous worship. But only God keeps hope alive.
God's hope will not be contained in one little ark. Our God is so
great! May His glory fill every corner of our lives and overcome
darkness all over the earth.
Our
role today is to keep the worship of God alive in a world that may
find that worship tolerable, but can't fathom the fact that it is
delightful. Like the messengers from John the Baptist, the Lord sends
us out with words of hope, and we go as those who believe, though we
need help with our unbelief. But when we give thanks to the Lord, we
remember that “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Old
Testament Reading—Psalm 39 – My hope is in you
Gospel
Reading—Matthew 11:1-19 –
Messengers from John the Baptist
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