Chronicles. We're going to start off reading from chapter 5.
2 Chronicles chapter 5.
I'm trying to find a way to stand so that you don't hear the wind so much.
It means you can tell me if you need me any time midway to switch over.
All right, so we're in 2 Chronicles chapter 5.
We're going to read from verses 7 through 14.
I'm okay with it being off-centered if you are.
This seems a little better.
2 Chronicles chapter 5. Let's start reading at verse 7.
Let me give a little bit of context or else you might not have any idea where this is going.
Uriel read from us from Hebrews chapter 9.
He was describing how the Lord had a pattern for heavenly worship in heaven.
What was happening at the command of God in the tabernacle was a copy or a figure of that heavenly pattern of worship.
So we're going to fast forward now in the history of Israel.
This is not Moses. This is King Solomon.
And you're going to hear Solomon dedicating the temple of the Lord.
And they hold a massive worship service for the dedication of the temple.
So as we read these few verses and then we're going to walk through about three chapters together, Lord willing, if we can.
Keep in mind, Solomon stands as the king over the people of God.
Solomon is a picture of Jesus Christ ruling over God's people.
So imagine that as you go.
You're back in ancient Israel.
This glorious temple has been built.
And it had been lost.
And so David and Solomon have recovered what had been lost.
They've searched out very carefully the instructions that God gave Moses.
And they've done their best to implement that now for the people of Israel.
So as I read from 2 Chronicles chapter 5 starting at verse 7.
Remember this is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear and sufficient word.
It's God's very own word for you, his people.
So when I'm done reading these verses, I'll say this is the word of the Lord.
And if you believe it is, then you say thanks be to God.
All right, we're starting at verse 7.
And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place,
to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark,
and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
Verse 9.
And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle,
but that they were not seen without, and there it is to this day.
So he's describing the ark of the covenant.
We'll talk about that in a bit.
That had to be brought in by the priests into the holy of holies.
And no one could see inside, but you could see that it was in its place.
Verse 10.
There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb,
when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.
What are on those two tables?
Kids, you know this.
It's the Ten Commandments, right?
This is the covenant document, the moral law of God written on tables of stone under the old covenant.
Are we at verse 11?
And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place,
for all the priests that were present there were sanctified and did not then wait by course.
Verse 12.
And the Levites, which were the singers, all of them, of Asaph of Haman and Judithan,
with their sons and their children, being arrayed in white linen,
having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar,
and with them and 120 priests sounding the trumpets.
Can you hear that great sound?
And they're standing at the east of the temple.
That's the way the entrance to the temple faced.
So the people of God were spread out behind them,
and these representatives, professional musicians, came forward.
How many trumpets was that?
120 trumpets blasting, calling God's people to worship.
Verse 13.
It came to pass, as 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 the cymbals and the instruments of music,
and praised the Lord, they said,
here's what they were singing.
This is the lyrics they sang.
For he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.
That then the house was filled with a cloud,
even the house of the Lord.
How do you know if this was worship pleasing to God?
Look at verse 14.
So that the priest could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud,
for the glory of the Lord had filled up the house of God.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God indeed.
You may be seated.
The Bible tells us that the grass withers and the flower fades,
but it's the word of the Lord that endures forever.
Let's pray.
Father, will you teach us the type of worship that pleases you?
We exist to glorify you and to enjoy you.
Teach us what that means, Lord.
Even as a church, as a congregation, as we gather according to the pattern of heaven.
We pray that your word will be clear,
that your word will plant itself deeply in our hearts,
but any word that's not of you, any word of man,
will just fall to the earth and pass away.
Thank you for each one that's here, Father.
We pray that your word will minister,
that you will edify,
and that you will cause us to behold your glory.
We ask this for Christ's sake today.
Amen.
Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
my goal today is to walk you through these three chapters of 2 Chronicles
and show you this pattern that God gave Moses.
And it's the pattern we're told in Hebrews,
the pattern of worship in heaven,
and it's put on display in the Old Testament.
And there's something for us to learn here.
That's my prayer.
We're going to get right into it.
I'm going to first try to define worship.
What is it that we're talking about when we say the heavenly pattern of worship?
So we're going to define worship,
and then we're going to illustrate it,
and then I want to try to defend
why I think that this sermon text is appropriate,
even for us as a New Covenant church.
That's setting it up.
Then we're going to walk through 11 elements,
or 11 steps in that heavenly pattern of worship.
So what is worship?
Jerry Bridges defined it this way.
Worship is the act of ascribing to God
the glory, majesty, honor, and worthiness which are His.
So worship is not a style.
Worship is when sinners are called to encounter the living God.
Worship is when sinners can approach the living God that is holy,
and you approach Him on His own terms.
You're worshiping.
Worship is when the Lord God calls you to Himself,
and He paves the way for you to be able to approach Him.
Worship is just that.
It's entering and abiding and dwelling
in the holy presence of God Himself.
Look back at our sermon text.
Look at 2 Chronicles 5, verse 13.
Did you catch what happens
as they follow this pattern God gave them?
Verse 13 says,
This illustrates what it is to worship.
In verse 14,
this cloud was so intense.
It's the glory presence of God.
It was so powerful that the priest could not stand
to minister because of the cloud.
For the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
Isn't that what we long for?
What we desire every time we worship?
Every time we gather as God's people?
We desire nothing less than that,
that His presence will be with us,
His people,
that we will know He is pleased and accepts us,
and He is with us.
That's what we desire.
The Old Testament uses the Hebrew word Shekinah,
and this is referred to as the Shekinah glory of God.
Shekinah means to dwell.
So it's the glory of God who is spirit.
He doesn't have a body,
but His spiritual glory,
His essence dwells,
and it rests in the middle of His people.
The holy God dwelling with His people.
Isn't that what you desire?
Sinclair Ferguson said that where God is at the center,
worship inevitably follows.
We've also been to gatherings that there was no true spirit of worship,
haven't we?
We've probably all been to times where we felt like,
I, in good conscience,
I need to walk out of here,
walk out of this place,
whatever it is,
because they might be worshiping a different God,
a lesser God,
maybe an idol.
It's not the Lord God of the Bible.
Sinclair Ferguson says,
when the spirit of God is not with His people,
that means God has been displaced.
Something else is being worshiped.
He says that spirit worship does not chase emotions.
It's not a feeling or a worshipful atmosphere.
Jesus says,
worship in spirit and in truth.
We worship in spirit when the spirit of God dwells with His people.
That's what it means to worship in spirit.
It's that God Himself dwells and is at the center of our worship.
And to worship in truth means that it's not a made-up God.
This is the God of the Bible.
This is the God who we know is true because of how He's revealed Himself to us.
So Ferguson says,
worship is theological.
It's never something man can work up.
It is something that God must bring down to us.
Something that flows from the character of God Himself.
Jesus said in John 4.23,
the hour is coming and is now here
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth
for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
That's what Jesus came to reveal.
The Father wants you to worship Him.
And He doesn't want you to worship Him on your own terms.
He wants you to approach Him the way that He has provided.
And it's only through the mediation of Jesus Christ.
He says,
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
So when we talk about worshiping according to the pattern that is of heaven,
it's Jesus Christ.
It's Jesus Christ through every single element.
And I believe that this is what we're told to do.
We're supposed to go back and read the Old Testament
and to see Jesus Christ held out to us with each one of these steps.
Some will maybe say,
well, we can still, we're in the New Covenant.
We can approach God any way we want now.
I want you to reflect if that is the biblical pattern ever.
Think of Cain.
Abel followed what his parents trained him to do.
Slayed a sheep through the shedding of blood.
He worshiped and the Lord was pleased with Abel's sacrifice.
Cain tried to offer the work of his own hands.
And God did not accept it.
The priest Eli.
This is how close we can be to the true worship that God calls for.
The sons of Eli approach God with a strange fire.
They rejected what God had made clear to them.
And they were found dead,
entering the Holy of Holy on their own terms.
And that's not just an Old Testament pattern.
Jesus Christ himself said,
many will do signs and deeds in my name.
And I will tell them,
away from me, you evildoers,
for I never knew you.
So you and I worship in spirit and truth.
We do it by studying God's word
and submitting to what God has revealed.
We learn from all of God's scripture.
And God calls his people in Romans 12 to be transformed.
How?
By the renewing of your minds.
So to worship God in a way that pleases him,
we must know God's will.
Okay, worship defined.
Next, let me defend why it's appropriate for us
as a new covenant people to learn from this pattern
that God showed Moses because it reflects heaven.
And why can't we turn to 2 Chronicles
and see a heavenly pattern of worship
even for the church today?
We read Hebrews 9,
but Hebrews 8, 5 says that
Israel, under the old covenant,
they served a copy and a shadow
of the heavenly things.
For when Moses was about to lift up the tent,
he was instructed by God saying,
see that you make everything
according to the pattern
that was shown to you on the mountain.
What this means is the New Testament
is interpreting what God did.
Moses was called up onto the holy mountain of God
and God revealed to him the worship of heaven.
God showed him in heaven
the pattern of worship that pleases God.
And then Moses was to come down
and teach the people
and set up through the Mosaic law
the heavenly pattern.
So we really have like a triangle.
In the new covenant,
where we are as a church,
we don't just look back to the Old Testament
and try to imitate
or bring Old Testament law
that's been abrogated.
It's faded away.
We saw that in Hebrews 8.
And that was part of this series as well.
We don't just look there
and try to translate over.
What we do want to do is
look to what God did through Moses
and then it got lost.
And so David and Solomon brought it back
and we want to see
what was reflected in the pattern of heaven from this.
And then we want our worship
to be following that same pattern of heaven now
through Jesus Christ in the full revelation.
So in Exodus chapter 25,
it's where the Lord God called the people of Israel
and through Moses standing as the mediator
and he called them to the base of the mountain
and we see a worship service there.
My sermon text is not Exodus 25,
but we'd see that same pattern there.
If we go to the book of Revelation,
you see the same pattern.
And when we think about our order of worship,
our liturgy,
it's the exact same pattern that follows.
So I want to invite you to even look
and try to figure out
as we're going through 2 Chronicles,
where are we in our order of worship,
in our liturgy?
The other reason I think 2 Chronicles is appropriate for us
is because this pattern of worship
that we are trying our best to follow,
this is the consistent pattern
from the second century of the church
all the way to the 17th century.
Consistent pattern.
It was lost in the Middle Ages.
That's why the Reformation was so powerful.
But also consider your experience.
This pattern has been lost again now.
And we need another reformation of the church
returning to heaven's pattern of worship.
And Hebrews 10, 1 says that
this pattern was a shadow
of the good things to come
instead of the true form of these realities.
Jesus Christ is the substance.
And the substance is what casts a shadow back.
It was foreshadowing the finished work of Christ.
So we need to uphold Jesus Christ
and trust that through Christ,
what we're told in 2 Timothy 3 is right,
that all of Scripture,
even 2 Chronicles,
is profitable to the church
for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training up in righteousness.
We need to see Jesus Christ
foreshadowed in every element
of the worship pattern of Israel
because it's patterned after heaven.
All right, we've defined worship.
I've tried to defend why this text
of the Old Testament is still good for us today.
So now we're ready for those 11 movements.
You're going to need to really keep your eyes
on your Bible as we go through this.
Let's start off with 2 Chronicles 5,
but let's go back to verse 2.
We read in verses 2 and 5
that the king had to finish his work
so that the people could worship God.
Now, in this text, it's Solomon.
Solomon is the king.
But fulfilled in Christ,
Jesus Christ, the king,
is who Solomon is standing
as a representative of.
We read that all the work
that Solomon did
for the house of the Lord
was finished.
Solomon brought all the silver,
all the gold,
all the vessels
that David and his father
had dedicated,
and he stored in the treasuries
of the house of God.
He brought it out
into the new temple now
and put everything in place
according to the details and instructions
that God revealed to Moses
on the mountain.
The king had to make sure
the preparations were made
and that all the work
to reflect the pattern of heaven
was finished.
Do you see Jesus Christ in that?
Before we go straight to Christ,
let's touch base
on one other minor prophet on the way.
Haggai.
Haggai told the people of God,
you know the glory.
You've heard legendary stories
about the worship
in the tabernacle
at the mountain.
You've also heard about
the temple under Solomon.
And even after Ezra and Nehemiah
came back and built that temple,
it was nothing compared
to the former glory
that we just read about.
In Haggai, in chapter 2,
he says,
who is left among you
this generation now
that rebelled against God
who saw this house
in its former glory?
See how legendary
this event would have been
for all of the history
of God's people?
And in Haggai,
he reads that the prophecy
of God to his people
is this.
God says,
I am with you too.
He declares the Lord of hosts,
according to the covenant
that I made,
fear not,
there is an hour coming.
And I will shake the world.
And our Lord Jesus Christ,
on the cross,
there was an earthquake.
And there was darkness.
The hour had arrived.
Hebrews 9.23 says that
these were copies
of heavenly things.
These copies under Solomon,
all the work that King Solomon
did to finish
and make the temple ready,
it still needed to be purified,
according to Hebrews 9.
So how did Jesus Christ
purify these copies
of heavenly things?
Our Lord Jesus Christ
gathered up the treasures
that the Father commanded.
The Father had a moral law
that He needed His Son
to accomplish.
Each act of Christ's obedience
in the flesh
was in the place
of those He would redeem.
Our Lord Jesus Christ
brought all that His Father
had set apart
for Him to do.
Just as Solomon took
all that David,
the man of war,
had set apart
as sacred to the Lord,
Solomon came and arranged it
and presented it back to God
as worship.
And Jesus presented
His righteousness
to the Father
on behalf of the people
He came to redeem.
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
then He declared
from the cross,
It is finished.
All the work
that King Jesus did
for the house of God
was finished by Him.
We sing this,
It was my sin
that held Him there
until it was accomplished.
His dying breath
has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.
You get to worship God
because King Jesus
finished the work
His Father gave Him to do
so that you could dwell
in His glory.
And He dwells in you now,
His holy temple.
That's the first one.
Here's the second one.
The King summons God's people
to worship next.
Look at 2 Chronicles 5, verse 2.
Then Solomon assembled
the elders of Israel
and all the heads
of the tribes,
the leaders
of the fathers' houses
of all the people
in Israel
in Jerusalem.
The King sends out
a proclamation,
a royal decree.
All the leaders,
all the representatives
of every tribe
and household
must gather
at the temple of God.
The King orders you
to gather
as His people,
as the people of God
so that you can worship.
You are called
and summoned
by the King
to worship.
You see what this means?
If the head
of a household
or the leader
of a tribe
refuses
to worship the King,
not the King,
but the King's order
to worship God,
that man stands
committing treason.
If the Creator
calls all
to worship Him
and He summons
all His people
to worship
and dwell
in His glory presence,
anyone who refuses
that call
is rebelling.
They're committing treason
against Jesus Christ,
the King of kings.
Our Lord Jesus Christ
is the King
and He summons,
He summons you.
He summons
every nation,
tribe,
people,
and tongue.
He summons
the leaders,
the fathers,
the husbands.
He summons
every soul
to bring your people
before the Lord
and worship Him.
The Bible teaches
that all creatures,
O God,
that worship
do His name.
Why?
Because He's the Creator
and He's the King
and Ruler
over all that He created.
But the problem
is that ever since
the fall of Adam,
no cursed sinner
may approach
the holy,
holy,
holy God
except by God's
own gracious provision.
A sin-damaged creature
like me and you
may not worship
unless God
prepares the way,
unless God
through Jesus Christ,
the only mediator
between God and man
makes it possible.
So the King
finished the work.
The King summons
the people to worship.
Number three,
the King
makes sure
that the sin
of God's people
is atoned.
The King
makes sure
that the sin
of those called
to worship
is paid for.
And what it requires
according to the pattern
God has given
is a penal
substitutionary
sacrifice.
Penal means punished.
The sin
we've committed
needs to be punished
because God
is just.
You don't want
to worship
an unjust God.
But it's gracious
because God
will accept
a sacrifice.
Look in 2 Chronicles
chapter 5 verse 6.
Sin must be
addressed.
At the dedication
of the temple,
the people of God
under the command
of the King,
they sacrificed
so many sheep
and oxen
that they could not
even be counted
or numbered.
The greatness
of the sacrifice
reflects
the greatness
of their sin.
This is a people
repenting.
Now,
it was limited.
It was only a shadow
and a copy.
Hebrews 9.9
tells us that
the gifts and sacrifices
that were offered,
they could not
perfect
the conscience
of the worshiper.
So the people of Israel
could not have
a clear conscience.
They could not have
an assurance
of pardon
like we just had.
For the Holy Spirit
ministers
the righteousness
of Christ
in your place.
Hebrews 10.4
says,
it is impossible
for the blood
of bulls
and goats
to take away
sins.
Those are only
gracious
substitutes
that are pointing
to the heavenly pattern
of the only
acceptable blood
that God
would receive.
And that's the blood
of His very own Son
being God
in the flesh.
Like we sing,
behold
the man
upon the cross,
my sin
upon His
shoulders.
Ashamed,
I hear
my mocking voice
call out
among the scoffers.
But Hebrews 10.12
says that
our Lord Jesus Christ
offered
for all time
a single sacrifice
for sins.
Then Jesus
sat down
at the right hand
of God
the Father.
A priest
never sat down
until all
their work
of atoning
for the sacrifice
of the sin
of people
was completed.
And Jesus
one time
sacrifice
sits down
because there's
no more need
of substitutes.
He is the only
substitute
to save sinners.
That's why we can
worship today
with a clean conscience
if you are in Christ.
Because our worship
is possible
through the life,
death,
resurrection,
ascension,
and then the
session of Jesus Christ.
He sits on the throne
ruling over
all of his creation.
We may worship
because Christ
has obtained
this better ministry
for us
as our
everlasting
priest.
That's what we read
in Hebrews 8.
I love how
Puritan
Pastor Jeremiah
Burroughs
put it.
He said,
every time we
approach God
and worship,
it's Jesus Christ
who takes you
by the hand
and brings you
into the presence
of God
so we can
worship Him.
That's the work
of Christ
as our mediator
and as our
everlasting
priest.
Well, we've seen
four of the steps
in the pattern.
Let's go to number
four next.
Number four.
The priests
must present
the ark
to God
before the people
can be
in God's
presence.
So the ark
of the covenant
had to go in first.
It had to be carried
by the priests
because they had been
consecrated,
set apart
for that purpose.
Only then
could the nation
and the people
approach God
to worship
as well.
Look at 2 Chronicles
chapter 5 verse 7.
Then the priest
brought the ark
of the covenant
of the Lord
to its place
in the inner sanctuary
of the house
of the most holy place.
Verse 10 says
there was nothing
in the ark
at this time
except the two tables
that Moses put there.
The ark of the covenant
is a picture
of Jesus Christ.
This is an ark.
It's a vessel
that could hold
these tables
of the covenant.
And it could be
transported.
In a time of war
when the ark
of the covenant
was with God's people
God's power
made them victorious
in battle.
When the ark
of the covenant
was not with God's people
they were cursed.
The ark
of the covenant
had to be carried in
by those who were
cleansed.
They had to usher in
this representation
of the heavenly
presence of God
with his people.
And what is it
that could contain
that could hold
the ten commandments?
What is it that could
have inside
actually holding
the ten commandments
except for God
himself
the only one
who can keep
his moral law?
Our Lord Jesus Christ
is the fulfillment
of the ark
of the covenant
this copy
this shadow
this figure
because God's
moral law
was hidden
inside of Jesus.
he was the only one
who could bear
to hold
the perfect law
of God.
Jesus was full
of the law
of God
and it played
out in everything
he did.
Jesus was so held
by the moral law
that he could not
sin against God
though he was tempted
like every man.
The priests
present the ark
to God
before anyone
can approach
the holy presence
of God.
Well who are
the priests
now fulfilled
in Christ?
Who are these
priests that present
Christ himself?
Revelations 1-5
answers that question.
Our Lord Jesus Christ
loves us
and has freed us
from our sins
by his blood.
Verse 6 says
Jesus has made
us
church
Christians
a kingdom
and priests
to God
and our Father.
We are the priests
who carry Christ.
We usher Christ in.
And we call
the nations
that are sinful
to follow
this procession
into the Holy
of Holies.
Christ himself
the only one
who can give access
to the Holy
of Holies.
But we are the
priests now.
Every single one
who is united
to Christ
is cleansed.
We are his kingdom
and we are his priests.
We minister Christ
to the lost.
In Revelation
I mentioned
the book of Revelation
has this same pattern.
And you know
the part in Revelation
where the Apostle John
is weeping.
Why is he weeping?
He is weeping
because there was
no one
worthy
to open the scroll
except for
the Lord Jesus Christ
himself.
In Revelation
he is depicted
as the lion lamb.
He is a lion
and he is a lamb.
He is the lion lamb
the mediator.
He fulfills
this pattern
that we are given
in a shadowy form
in 2 Chronicles.
That's why
the Puritan
Thomas Watson
said
in every part
of our worship
we must present
Christ
to God
in the arms
of faith.
That's what we're doing
when we gather
when we worship.
We're saying
Lord
it's only through Christ.
He must be the one
that draws us
into the holy of holies
and we long
to communion with you
not because the moral law
is kept by us externally
but because it's
possessed by Christ
and it works its way
in those who are united
to him.
Number five
having been called
gathered
and forgiven
God delights
in the grateful
singing
of his people.
Look at 2 Chronicles
chapter 5
verse 11
when the priest
came out of the holy place
verse 12 says
all the Levitical singers
stood on the east
that's the entrance
facing the ark
of the covenant
the holy presence of God
with his people
gathered in the temple.
Verse 13 says
it was their duty
to make themselves
heard in unison
in praise
and thanksgiving
to the Lord.
I said worship
is not a style
but listen to some
very specific
descriptions
of what
godly worship
should feel like.
What did they sing?
They sang
he is good
for his steadfast love
endures forever.
In these verses
we see that
the people of God
singing in gratitude
they sing loudly
because it says
they were to be heard
and they sing
together
because they sing
in unison
as one voice.
They sing with
thanksgiving
and what are they
thankful for?
They're thankful
for God's character
he is good
his steadfast love
endures forever.
God's people
testify
I know
and you know
that God
is good.
We're singing it
to each other
and to God
it's directed
upward
and outward
God is good.
Every time we're singing
we're declaring that
we're reminding
one another
we're strengthening
each other
in the faith
and how do we know
that God is good?
Because we know
his steadfast love
endures forever.
We know that
from the scripture
look at his faithfulness
to his covenant
look at how
everything he's done
was reflecting
a heavenly pattern
that Christ fulfilled
and we get to be
part of this.
That's why we know
that God is good
that's why we know
his steadfast love
endures forever
from heaven
Christ ministers it
to it
to those on earth
who belong to him.
The Lord was pleased
we know he's pleased
because of what happens next
look at verse 13
the house of the Lord
was filled
with a cloud
verse 14
the priest could not stand
to minister
because of the cloud
and the glory
of the Lord
filled the house.
This is what we should
pray for
this is what we should
imagine
when you think of worship
that's it.
This is
this same reference
is going to come up
in chapter 7
when this entire
worship service
is done
and to me
that signals two things
the Lord is
very pleased
when we recognize
Christ
and our need for him
in atoning sin
but the worship service
isn't over
we just saw 5 out of the 11
and at the end
once the final
complete work is done
and pushed out
and the people
are blessed
as they go back
to their homes
the Lord is pleased
he's pleased with
the whole thing
but especially
in the work
of Christ's son.
So number 6
what we see next
is that the king
proclaims God's
covenant promises
to his people.
The king preaches
a law and gospel sermon
that's exactly
what Solomon does.
I'm just going to read
one verse
turn to chapter 6
2 Chronicles
chapter 6
verse 4
King Solomon
stands up
and he says
blessed be the Lord
2 Chronicles
chapter 6
verse 4
blessed be the Lord
the God of Israel
who with his hand
has fulfilled
what he
has promised.
King Solomon
is standing
like a preacher
and he's declaring
to the people
of God
you saying
that God's
steadfast love
is forever
I'm testifying
that this is true
look at what
God has done
he's given us
peace on every side
he's brought
wealth and prosperity
from all the other
nations
to tiny little Israel
why has God
done this?
It's because
he is faithful
to his covenant
what Moses
could have never
dreamed would have
happened before
the people
entered the promised land
look where we are
now people of God
that's what Solomon
is declaring
in this sermon
that's number 6
the king is the one
who preaches
a law and gospel
sermon
and through the
words of
saved sinners
members of our
congregation
regular men
that you know
we're the ones
you guys are
playing softball
we're doing all
these other things
that regular guys
do
it's through
vessels like that
that the foolishness
what seems to the
world foolishness
we're preaching
the law and gospel
we're testifying
to the faithfulness
of God
just like Solomon
did
number 7
the king prays
a prayer
of intercession
for his people
King Solomon
preaches
and then he prays
to God
on behalf
of his people
look at chapter 6
verse 12
then Solomon
stood before the
altar of the Lord
in the presence
of all the assembly
of Israel
and he spread out
his hands
we should
we should be willing
to do these same
things
here stands the king
before his people
declaring God
you are the king
of your people
and then verse 13b
Solomon kneels down
on his knees
in the presence
of all the assembly
of Israel
the king
kneels down
before the true king
and he spread out
his hands
toward heaven again
and look at what
he prays
in verse 14
oh Lord
God of Israel
there is no God
like you in heaven
or on earth
keeping covenant
and showing steadfast
love to your servants
who walk before you
with all their heart
he's praising God
he's interceding
on behalf of these
sinners
who need God's grace
and thanking the Lord
for showing that grace
to them
see
we read in Hebrews
that our Lord Jesus Christ
lives
to intercede
for his people
he is the king
who prays
prayers of intercession
prayers lifting you up
your needs
to the father
and as Christ
prays for you
and for me
he conforms you
he reforms you
he reshapes you
to obey
what God
desires
for you
that's why it's a joy
to let God change us
it's a joy
to be more and more
conformed
not to the patterns
of the world
but being transformed
because Christ is praying
that that will take place
in our life
and our response
when we realize
it's Christ who's praying
to change me
it should be like
William Perkins
he said
love keeps itself
to the word
and the will of God
things done without
a word from God
are not out of love
for love
is
the fulfilling
of the law
according to Romans 13 10
so the king
prays
for his people
number eight
God's glory
then
dwells with his people
after
his wrath
consumes
the substitute
for their sin
turn to chapter 7
and let's look at verse 1
2nd Chronicles chapter 7
verse 1
we read that
as soon as Solomon
finished his prayer
do you follow
what they've done so far
he preached
he prayed
thanked the Lord
as soon as he was done
praying
which is proof
that God
is listening
closely
when we pray to him
because as soon as Solomon
was done praying
fire came down
from heaven
and consumed
the burnt offering
and the sacrifices
and the glory
of the Lord
filled
the temple
chapter 7
verse 2
says that
again the priest
could not enter
the temple
because the glory
of the Lord
filled
his house
doesn't it make you
wish you could have
been one of those
priests
even to try to
imagine or describe
how would you describe
that
why couldn't you
go into the temple
God is spirit
why couldn't you
go in there
this is a mystery
and it is a mystery
how this is a pattern
in heaven
but I think we get
some light
from the New Testament
on this shadowy
description
of what God did
and that comes
from 2 Corinthians
chapter 4
verse 17
God also had given
Paul glimpses
of this heavenly reality
this heavenly pattern
of worship
and Paul says
there is an eternal
weight
of glory
beyond
all
comparison
what is the
Shekinah glory
of God
Paul described it
as an eternal
weight
of glory
beyond all
comparison
so don't even
try to bring in
earthly
creaturely
examples
it's beyond
comparison
the love
of God
is an all
expulsive
love
God is love
God is spirit
God is
concentrated
glory
and it expels
anything
less
when you have
the love
of God
in your
hearts
Jesus Christ
it expels
anything
it burns
up
it refines
like a fire
anything
that's
less
that's the
eternal
heavenly
unending
transcendent
unchanging
glory
of God
you can feel
it
you physically
cannot approach
it
it expels
anything
that is
less
that's the
weight
of the
glory
of God
Sinclair
Ferguson said
we might say
that worship
is simply
theology
going into
top gear
instead of
merely thinking
about God
we tell God
in prayer
in praise
in song
in preaching
how great
and glorious
we believe
we experience
him to be
that's what
worship
is
God's
glory
dwells
with his
people
after his
wrath
consumes
the substitute
for their
sins
number nine
when God's
people behold
the justice
and grace
of God
they sing
his praise
again
they see
his justice
because the
fire of God
consumes
the sacrifice
he hates
the sin
but he
consumes it
there's
nothing
left
there's
nothing
to go
pull through
and try
to pull
out
and be
reminded
of
or have
it
hanging
over
you
there's
no sin
left
God's
holy
loving
presence
his glory
consumes
it
like a
fire
see his
justice
and his
love
that's
the glory
of God
look what
they do
then in
chapter 7
verse 3
when all
the people
of Israel
saw the
fire
come down
and the
glory of
the Lord
on the
temple
they bowed
down
with their
faces
to the
ground
on the
pavement
and worshipped
and give
thanks to
the Lord
and they
sing that
same refrain
again
for he
is good
and his
steadfast
love
endures
forever
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
leads
his
church
in the
ministry
of
worship
and
Jesus
Christ
himself
fulfills
what God
said he
would do
in Zephaniah
317
which is
this
the Lord
your God
is in
your
midst
a mighty
one who
will save
he will
rejoice
over you
with gladness
he will
quiet you
by his
love
he will
exult
over you
with loud
singing
the Lord
himself
in your
midst
singing
over his
people
he's
praising
God
for you
the gift
that God
gave him
the ransom
the bride
so would
we sing
to God
in worship
Jesus
Christ
himself
in our
midst
is our
worship
leader
number
10
the king
hosts
his people
in a
magnificent
feast
what they
do next
it's not
a sacrifice
to pay
for their
sins
that's
already
happened
remember
the fire
that consumed
it all
this is what
God told
Moses to do
as peace
offerings
and the peace
offerings
weren't burnt
it was a
communion
meal
the peace
offerings
come after
the forgiveness
of sin
the communion
with God
is now
possible
and it's a
delight
look at
chapter 7
verse 5
this peace
offering
included
22,000
oxen
I just
imagine what
that would
sound like
and it
included
120,000
sheep
verse 8
of chapter 7
says
at that time
Solomon held
the feast
for seven
days
it could have
been longer
but seven
is a
number
of
completion
you see
what this
is
foreshadowing
the king
will feast
and host
his people
for the
complete
fullness
of time
and all
of Israel
was with
him
in a
great
assembly
children
what part
of our
weekly
service
do we
celebrate
that shows
us this
same thing
we look
forward to
this same
feast
what is
it
yes
it's
the
Lord's
supper
King
Jesus
will host
his
people
2 Corinthians
2 15
says that
we are
the aroma
of Christ
to God
we have
been saved
who are
perishing
now we
are the
aroma
and as
you picture
seven days
the entire
nation
with so
much
delicious
food
maybe you've
been to
the best
type of
steakhouse
that there
is
which is
of course
the Brazilian
steakhouse
and you've
seen them
grilling
the mutton
or the
lamb
and they
come around
with that
lamb
and just
shave off
that crispy
outer edge
the aroma
of this
feast
and the
oxen
that would
be like
probably
a gamier
cow
is probably
what it would
taste like
maybe some
of you
have tried
it
but for
Israel
this is a
picture
of the
best
feast
you could
imagine
you're
going to
eat a
pretty
simple
basic
diet
for most
of the
year
but when
you get
to be
part of
a celebration
like this
the king
himself
is hosting
you
and it's
the lavished
generosity
given to
you
things you
would have
never been
able to
afford
on your
own
the king
invites
you to
his table
you're
feasting
together
in the
presence
of the
king
and that's
what we
do
with the
Lord's
supper
because
it's
preparing
us
for the
great
wedding
all
eternity
the
fullness
of
time
and time
without
end
that brings
us to
our last
one
the number
11
after
this
glorious
feast
you wish
it could
just
continue
and never
stop
but while
we're on
this earth
and our
faith is
not by
sight
we do
get sent
back home
we get
sent back
into the
world
back to
our
workplaces
but we
don't go
like we
were before
we came
we go as
changed
people
the Lord
is changing
us by
his love
love
so the
11th
one is
this
the king
sends his
people
back home
in peace
they have
peace with
God
this is
their
benediction
they have
beheld
and experienced
God's glory
now look at
chapter 7
verse 10
the king
sent the
people to
their homes
and how
were they
as they
traveled
back
they were
joyful
filled
with joy
from heaven
itself
they were
glad of
heart
for the
prosperity
that the
Lord
had
given
them
they got
to taste
it
they got
to celebrate
God's
goodness
in their
midst
if you're
one of the
priests
who is
that close
to the
Shekinah
glory
you might
have not
even had
an appetite
you don't
even want
this delicious
lamb
you want
heaven
you're so
close to
God
and this
life is so
short
we're almost
home
but what
a foretaste
this is
where
heaven's
pattern
that God
gave us
very clearly
in numerous
places of
the scripture
where his
pattern is
not followed
in the
gathering of
his people
on earth
we cannot
expect
his glory
he might
surprise us
of course
he's God
he'll do
whatever he
wants
praise God
when he
does
but as
his light
of scripture
reforms
our thinking
we need to
be aligning
ourselves
to what
God has
shown
and when
we focus
on Christ
at the
center
we try
to align
what's
happening
on earth
with what
happens
in heaven
debates
about style
fade away
when our
pattern of
worship
is conformed
to the
heavenly
pattern
the result
is that
our lives
are being
transformed
to the
heavenly
pattern
of Christ
by the
glorious
power
of God
with us
ministering
to us
as his
people
our
flesh
creeps
in
we're
so
weak
we need
the help
of the
whole
church
to do
this
well
don't
we
and we
ask God
together
Lord
be thou
my vision
oh Lord
of my
heart
high king
of heaven
my victory
won
may I
reach
heaven's
joys
oh bright
heaven's
sun
thou
my best
thought
whatever
befall
still
be my
vision
oh ruler
of all
that's what
we're asking
every time
we worship
so may
Christ
our
mediator
our
worship
leader
our
king
himself
dwell
in you
his
covenant
people
richly
and may
his
steadfast
love
abide
with us
as we
worship
him
in the
heavenly
pattern
he's
given us
in his
word
would you
pray with
me
oh
our
Lord
Jesus
we
ascribe
to you
all
the glory
the majesty
the honor
the worthiness
which are yours
for you
are good
and your
steadfast love
endures
forever
glory be to the
father
glory be to the
son
and glory be to
the spirit
amen
to you
know
and