Kings 8, and that's page 344 of the Church Bible.
That's 1 Kings 8.
Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel,
all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families,
to bring up the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Zion, the city of David.
All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Eternim,
the seventh month.
When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the Ark,
and they brought up the Ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it.
The priests and Levites carried them up,
and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him
were before the Ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
The priests then brought up the Ark of the Lord's Covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple,
the most holy place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.
The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the Ark and overshadowed the Ark and its carrying poles.
These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary,
but not from outside the holy place, and they are still there today.
There was nothing in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb,
where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
When the priests withdrew from the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord,
and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud,
for the glory of the Lord had filled his temple.
Then Solomon said,
The Lord has said that you would dwell in a dark cloud.
I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.
Thank you, A.V.
Well, let's keep our Bibles open there and we'll pray.
Father, thank you for your word,
and we pray that you would bring great understanding and clarity where we do not understand.
We pray that your Holy Spirit would help us
to not only see and hear about your faithful love,
but that each one of us would experience your faithful love in our hearts today.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, before we start, just a brief reminder.
Last time we were looking at Kings,
we were looking at chapters 5 to 7,
which was all about,
it was like walking into a construction site,
the building of the temple,
a place for God.
And, well, we continue on that theme.
As God comes to be with his people.
So, the title we've given it is The Perfect Marriage.
I hope it will all come clear as we go along.
Will you take her as your wife in marriage?
Will you love her,
comfort her,
honour and keep her,
in sickness and in health,
and be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
I will.
Maybe you have spoken those words.
Marriage is a very special but yet solemn occasion.
Man and woman stand before the congregation
and make their vows and promises.
From this day forward,
as long as we both shall live,
and before God,
I give you my word.
Now, marriage is the primary way
in which the Bible describes
our relationship to God.
And chapter 8,
the whole of chapter 8,
verses 1 to 66,
is like a celebration
of God's marriage
to his people.
It's a reminder of God's
faithful love.
Look at verse 23.
Lord,
the God of Israel,
there is no God like you
in heaven above
or on earth below.
So what is it that distinguishes God
from anything else
or anyone else?
Here it is.
You who keep
your covenant of love
with your servants,
who continue wholeheartedly
in your way.
You have kept your promise
to your servant David,
my father.
With your mouth,
you have promised
and with your hand,
you have fulfilled it
as it is today.
God's covenant love,
his faithful love.
Now, for a marriage,
any marriage,
if it's to last,
demands that both parties
remain loyal
and faithful.
But what keeps
our marriage relationship
to God
is not our faithfulness,
but God who keeps
his covenant love
with us.
What will keep
our marriage relationship
to God intact
is not our faithfulness,
but God
who keeps
his covenant love.
because when God
promises to be faithful,
we can depend upon it.
There's four things
we're going to see
about this marriage.
First,
our marriage to God
is dependent
on God's covenant
faithfulness.
It's dependent
on God's covenant
faithfulness.
You may have
a little title
at the beginning
of chapter 8
in your Bible
which says
something like this,
the ark
brought to the temple.
Well, a better title,
and again,
the titles in our Bibles
like the chapter headings
are not inspired,
but a better title
would be
God moves in
with his people.
Look at verse 1.
Then King Solomon
summoned
into his presence
at Jerusalem
the elders of Israel,
all the heads
of the tribes
and the chiefs
of the Israelite families
to bring up
the ark
of the Lord's covenant
from Zion,
the city of David.
The first 13 verses
that were read to us
are all about
the ark.
Now, the ark
isn't to be confused
with Noah's ark.
They're not,
you know,
kind of carrying
this huge,
big wooden boat up.
The ark
is a wooden box
overlaid with gold
which symbolised
God's presence
with his people.
And now that the temple
has been built,
chapters 5 to 7,
the ark
is being brought
to the temple.
God is moving in.
Verse 6.
The priest
then brought
the ark
of the Lord's covenant
to its place
in the inner sanctuary
of the temple,
the most holy place,
and put it beneath
the wings
of the cherubim.
Cherubim were angels,
again,
a symbol
of God's presence.
Now, before
Kirsty and I
got married,
we lived in
separate homes.
But when we got married,
after we had made
our vows
and our commitments
to one another,
we moved in
to the same house.
Our marriage
brought us together
in a lifelong union.
And here God
comes to
move in
to live
with his people.
Verse 10.
When the priest
withdrew
from the holy place,
the cloud
filled the temple
of the Lord
and the priest
couldn't perform
their service
because of the cloud
for the glory
of the Lord
filled his temple.
You may remember
from other accounts
in the Old Testament
when God appears,
very often
it's in a cloud.
God's presence
has come
to the temple.
Verse 12.
Then Solomon said,
the Lord said
that he would dwell
in a dark cloud.
I have indeed
built a magnificent
temple for you,
a place
for you
to dwell
forever.
So God
moves in
with his people.
The marriage
relationship.
But what makes
this marriage
possible
is God's
faithfulness.
Have a look back up
at verse 9.
There was
nothing
in the ark,
there was
nothing
inside
this
wooden box
except
the two
stone
tablets
that Moses
had placed
in it
at Horeb
where the
Lord had
made a
covenant
with the
Israelites
when they
came out
of Egypt.
Now the
stone
tablets
you remember
were written
or what
was written
on them
were the
ten commandments
and they
were placed
inside
the wooden
box.
The commandments
were
God's
covenant
with his
people.
It's like
a marriage
contract.
Exodus 20
tells us
what was
written.
It starts
out by
saying
I am
the Lord
your God
who brought
you out
of Egypt.
Here I am.
I am the
God who
loves you.
The faithful
God who
does not
forget his
promises.
I rescued
you.
I am
faithful to
you.
And then we
read down
through the
commandments.
The first
one,
you shall
have no
other gods
but me.
You shall
not make
for yourself
an image
or idol
to replace
me.
I am
your God.
You are
my people.
These
are the
covenant
promises,
the contract
that binds
the marriage
relationship
together.
Now
history tells
us that
God's
people,
Israel,
had done
everything
possible to
break their
vows.
They had
replaced God
with other
lovers.
And yet
despite
their failure,
in chapter
8 we see
God moving
in with
his people.
Not because
they are
faithful,
but because
of God's
faithful love.
Look at how
Solomon responds,
verse 15.
Then he said,
Praise be to
the Lord,
the God of
Israel,
who with
his own
hand has
fulfilled what
he promised
with his own
mouth to
my father
David.
You see,
the ark
was not
just a
symbol of
God's
presence with
his people,
it is a
written
reminder of
God's
covenant
faithfulness.
God is
saying to
them,
you may
break your
vows,
but I
will never
ever break
my promise
to you.
So
first,
our
marriage to
God is
dependent
on God's
covenant
faithfulness.
It was
then,
and it
is
today.
Second,
our marriage
to God
is sustained
by God's
mercy.
Now,
God's
promise to
move in
with his
people sounds
exciting,
and it
was,
but it
was no
small thing
for God
to come
and dwell
and live
with his
people.
Look at
verse 29,
moving on
through the
chapter.
Solomon
says,
may your
eyes,
he's talking
to God,
may your
eyes be
open towards
this temple
night and
day,
this place
of which
you said,
my name
shall be
there,
so that
you will
hear the
prayer your
servant
prays towards
this place.
Now,
you probably
were in your
house outside,
you've probably
got a number
somewhere on
your wall,
or maybe
you have a
name that
identifies your
house,
it tells us
who lives
there.
Well,
it's as if
God has
written his
name,
Yahweh,
on the
front door
of the
temple.
My name
shall be
there.
God is
making it
abundantly
clear.
I live
here,
I dwell
with these
people.
Now,
that might
seem grand
and great,
but it's
also a big
problem.
You see,
the covenant
promises went
something like
this.
The marriage
contract was
like this.
God said to
them,
if you
obey me,
then I
will bless
you.
If you
keep your
promises to
me,
then I
will live
with you.
But if you
disobey me,
if you
walk away
from me,
then I
will curse
you.
If you
fail to
keep your
promises,
then you
will be
removed
from me.
We
can't
live
together.
And
Solomon
knew that.
He knew
that he
and his
people
had a
sin
problem.
So he
begins
to pray,
verse 31.
When
anyone
wrongs
their
neighbour,
so if
anybody
does
something
wrong
towards
their
neighbour,
verse 32,
then hear
from
heaven
and
act,
verse 33,
when
your
people
Israel
have
been
defeated
by an
enemy
because
they
have
sinned
against
you,
verse 34,
then hear
from heaven
and forgive
the sin
of your
people,
verse 35,
when the
heavens are
shut up
and there
is no
rain,
sin,
because
your
people
have
sinned
against
you,
verse 36,
then hear
from heaven
and forgive
the sin
of your
servants,
your
people
Israel.
Not
if we
sin,
but when
we sin.
Solomon's
honesty
only reveals
the depth
of the
problem.
God
moving in
with his
people was
filled
with tension.
To have
the presence
of God
amongst
them
was
both
glorious
and
fearful.
All at
the same
time,
it was a
joyful
experience,
but it
was also
terrifying.
They knew
that if
they broke
their
promises,
it would
mean they
would face
God's
judgment.
God
would banish
his people.
They could
no longer
enjoy his
presence.
You see,
if they
were to
enjoy the
intimacy
of God,
if they
were to
experience
God's
faithful
love,
it would
require the
mercy of
God.
And here
we see
the beauty
of God's
mercy.
Look at
verse 46.
Just jump
on a little
bit.
Verse 46.
Again,
Solomon is
still talking
to God.
when they
sin against
you.
For there
is no one
who does
not sin.
And you
become angry
with them
and give
them over
to their
enemies,
who take
them captive
to their
own lands
far away
or near.
Well,
we know
the story,
don't we?
That's
tragically
what happened.
The story,
the whole
story of
1 Kings
is a
slow
decline
of
increasing
unfaithfulness.
And God
did what
he promised.
300 years
after Solomon
came the
Babylonians.
They came
in,
marched
in,
destroyed
the temple,
destroyed
the ark.
God's
presence
gone
and God's
people
carried off
into exile.
The marriage
relationship
in tatters.
You see,
if they were
to enjoy
God's
intimacy,
mercy,
it would
require
God's
mercy.
So Solomon
continues to
pray,
verse 47,
and if
they have
a change
of heart
in the
land
where they
are held
captive
and repent
and plead
with you
in the
land of
their
captors
and say,
we have
sinned,
we have
done wrong,
we have
acted
wickedly,
and if
they turn
back to you
with all
their heart
and soul
in their
land of
their enemies
who took
them captive
and pray
to you
towards the
land you
gave their
ancestors,
towards the
city you
have chosen
and the
temple I
have built
for your
name,
then from
heaven,
your dwelling
place,
hear their
prayer and
their plea
and uphold
their cause.
Now it's
interesting to
note that
the first
people to
have read
the book
of first
kings,
would have
been those
very first
people who
had been
carried off
into exile.
So you
can imagine
the marriage
relationship is
in tatters,
the temple
has been
destroyed,
the ark
is gone,
the very
symbols of
God's
presence,
and here
they are
in a
different
place,
and they
remember,
they
remember,
if they
are to
enjoy
God's
intimacy,
it requires
God's
mercy.
And so
they cry
out,
verse 50,
and God
forgive your
people who
have sinned
against you,
forgive all
the offences
they have
committed against
you,
forgive us.
You see,
under the
old covenant,
God's people
could never
fully and
enjoy the
blessings of
God.
Their
failure,
their broken
promises,
their wandering
lustful hearts
meant they
were constantly
removed from
God's
presence.
Yes,
God was
merciful,
yes,
he would
take them
back,
yes,
God was
so forgiving
he would
dwell with
them,
but their
sin meant
it never
lasted and
it was
never
enjoyed.
It was a
relationship
whereby they
were kind
of in,
out,
in,
out.
They never
enjoyed God's
love.
And that's
why God
had promised
a new
covenant.
Look at
this from
Hebrews 8.
For if
there had
been nothing
wrong with
that first
covenant,
no place
would have
been sought
for another.
But God
found fault
with the
people and
said,
the days
are coming,
declares the
Lord,
when I
will make
a new
covenant.
For I
will forgive
their wickedness
and will
remember their
sins no
more.
By calling
this covenant
new,
he has made
the first
one
obsolete.
need.
So God
had to
bring about
a new
covenant,
a new
contract,
because they
couldn't keep
their promises.
If they were
to enjoy God's
intimacy,
it needed
something new,
something better.
You see,
the ark of the
old covenant
has now been
replaced.
Look,
we can see it
here before us
this morning,
with the
table of
the new
covenant.
You see,
every time we
eat of this
bread and
drink of
this juice,
we are
reminded of
God's
presence with
us.
But not
just his
presence,
God's
faithful,
committed
and loyal
love.
How?
Well,
because the
bread and
the juice
speak of
Christ's
death for
us.
Jesus,
the God-man
who came
to stand
in for us,
to represent
us fully
and completely
before God,
and as
Christ came,
he took
the blame
for all
of my
unfaithfulness,
all my
wandering,
lustful
wanderings
from God,
all of my
sin.
He takes
the blame.
But not
only that,
but Christ
lives the
perfect life
for me,
and fulfills
and keeps
the vows
of obedience
that I
could never
keep.
He does
it all
for me
and for
you so
that I
can enjoy
God's
presence
forever.
And this
new covenant
is so
great that
even when
I sin,
not if
I sin,
but when
I sin,
God will
never
remove
himself
from me
and I
will never
be removed
from him.
Why?
Because
Christ has
taken my
unfaithfulness
and he
has kept
the vows
of obedience
for me.
Here
we have
a marriage
that is
dependent
not on
my faithfulness
or your
faithfulness
or your
ability
or the
strength
of your
love,
but on
God's
absolute
loyal
and enduring
faithful
love to
you and
to me.
You see,
if we are
to enjoy
God's
intimacy,
it requires
God's
mercy.
And the
table reminds
us to look
again to
Christ on
the cross
where
mercy
continues
to flow
with arms
outstretched
so the
flood of
mercy comes
to God's
people.
So second,
our marriage
to God
is sustained
by God's
mercy.
Third,
our marriage
to God
is nourished
by prayerful
dependence.
Turn over
to,
where are
we,
verse 56.
Our
marriage
to God
is nourished
by prayerful
dependence.
Solomon knew
that if
their
relationship
to God
was to
be enjoyed,
if it
was to
go on
in the
right way,
well then
it depended
on prayer.
And here
we have
like a
marriage
prayer,
and I
want to
commend
this to
you as
a prayer
that we
can pray
ourselves
in our
marriage
relationship
with God.
I'm just
going to
read it
just very
quickly and
just make
some comments
as we
go along.
There's
really five
parts to
this prayer
that we
can pray
in our
marriage
relationship
to God.
First,
praise him
for his
faithfulness.
Look at
verse 56.
Praise be
to the
Lord who
has given
rest to
his people
Israel,
just as
he promised.
Not one
word has
failed of
all the
good promises
he has
given to
us.
How true
is that?
Not one
word has
failed.
God is
faithful and
loyal.
Praise him
for it.
Verse 57.
A desire
and a
longing to
experience
God's
presence.
Verse 57.
May the
Lord our
God be
with us
as he
was with
our
ancestors.
May he
never
leave us
nor forsake
us.
In Christ
he is
never
going to
leave us
and so
we pray
that we
may experience
that more
and more.
Third,
there's a
longing for
deep change
in our
own lives.
Verse 58.
May he
turn our
hearts to
him to
walk in
obedience to
him and
keep the
commands,
the decrees
and laws
that he
gave our
ancestors.
That longing
that God
would change
our hearts
in such a
way that
we love
to obey
him.
Fourth,
we pray
for provision
in our
relationship
with him.
Verse 59.
And may
these words
of mine
which I
have prayed
before the
Lord be
near to
the Lord
our God
day and
night,
that he
may uphold
the cause
of his
servants
and the
cause of
his people
according
to each
day's
needs.
We can
pray to
our
faithful
God
who will
provide
all that
we need
in our
relationship
with him.
And we
pray all
these things
for his
glory.
Verse 60.
So that
all the
peoples of
the earth
may know
that the
Lord is
God and
that there
is no
other.
What a
great prayer.
I just
simply commend
that to
you.
Work through
that prayer
yourself this
week as a
way to
pray our
relationship
to God.
So that's
how we pray.
Why do we
pray?
Well Solomon
knew we need
to pray.
Not to
earn favour
from God
but because
without God
we have
nothing and
are nothing.
You see
through our
prayer we
are admitting
our complete
and utter
weakness.
It is a
dependency
upon God.
One summer
when I was
young our
neighbours
were away
on holiday
and they
asked me
if I would
water their
garden for
them.
They were
away for
two weeks.
Well I
completely
forgot to
do any
watering at
all until
the day
before they
were due
home.
And of
course panic
the garden
was wilting
everything was
dying so I
turned on the
hose early in
the morning and
what did I do?
I forgot to
turn it off.
So the place
was flooded.
I mean the
water was kind
of coming up
to the side
of the window.
It was really
really bad.
Well the
flowers soaked
it up and
they began to
flourish and
they said you
did an awful
lot of watering
when you were
away.
Well the
point is very
simple.
Prayer is
like that.
When we
pray or if
we forget to
pray it's
like having
the tap
turned off.
But when
we pray it's
like the tap
being turned
on.
All that we
need from
God is given
to us so
that the
marriage
relationship can
be nourished
so that it
can flourish
into everything
that it is
meant to
be.
So don't
look at
prayer as
something to
do to
earn God's
favour and
if I pray
ten times a
day God is
going to
bless me.
No through
prayer we are
depending so
we can
nourish.
We can
turn on the
taps and
let our
lives be
flooded with
all that we
need to
nourish our
relationship
with him.
then lastly
our marriage
to God
is enjoyed
through joyful
worship.
Every wedding
that I've been
to and I'm
sure it's the
same with you
when all the
vows and
promises have
been made
there's a
feast,
there's a
party,
everyone
celebrates the
marriage union
and that's
what Solomon
and all the
people do
when God
moves in
as the
marriage as
it like
begins
they throw
a party.
Look at
verse 63.
Solomon
offered a
sacrifice of
fellowship
offerings to
the Lord.
22,000
cattle.
Wow!
And 120,000
sheep and
goats.
So the
king and
all the
Israelites
dedicated the
temple of
the Lord.
talk about
a meat
feast.
No veggie
burgers here.
What a
party!
And look at
all the
people!
Verse 65.
So Solomon
observed the
festival at
the time and
all Israel
with him.
A vast
assembly of
people from
Lebo,
Hamas,
way up into
the north,
to the
wadi of
Egypt,
right down
in the
south.
There were
people from
all over
the kingdom
coming together
for this
great
celebration.
middle of
verse 65,
they celebrated
it before
the Lord
our God
for seven
days,
and that
wasn't
enough.
So for
seven more
days,
14 days
of all,
of eating
and drinking
and feasting,
what a
joyful
celebration.
And look
at the
response of
the people.
Verse 66,
on the
following day
he sent
the people
away,
they blessed
the king,
and they
went home
joyful and
glad in
heart for
all the
good things
the Lord
had done
for his
servant David
and his
people Israel.
Now let me
ask us this,
how much
more can
we be
joyful and
glad in
heart for
all the
good things
the Lord
has done
for us?
How much
more can
we celebrate?
God has
been faithful
to his
promise.
He has
sent his
son who
died our
death and
who keeps
the vows
for us so
that we can
enjoy his
presence without
fear.
We can call
him father.
We can run
to him as
children and
know his
embrace and
he will never
turn us away
no matter
our sin.
And we
can rest.
There is no
more work to
be done
because Christ
has completed
and finished
it all.
We are to
celebrate
and to
enjoy our
relationship
with God.
Here is a
God whose
mercy covers
all our
sin and
who keeps
his covenant
of love.
And in a
moment we
are going to
celebrate.
We are going
to have a
feast.
A feast
that is a
forte.
feast.
An appetizer
of the
ultimate feast
to come.
Of that
wedding feast
when we
will be
with the
Lord Jesus
and we
will reign
with him
forever and
ever and
ever.
God's
covenant
faithful love.
Do you
know it?
Have you
experienced
it?
Can you
rest and
enjoy in
all that
he has done
for us?
Let's
pray.
Fro här
theme
who
have
here
to join
them.
patience
you