Our Heavenly Pattern of Worship

Chronicles. We're going to start off reading from chapter 5.

2 Chronicles chapter 5.

2 Chronicles 5 · chapter mention

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.

2 Chronicles 5 · chapter mention

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.

2 Chronicles 5 · chapter mention

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.

Hebrews 9 · chapter mention

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.

2 Chronicles 5 · chapter mention

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.

2 Chronicles 5:13

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,

Exodus 25 · chapter mention

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,

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.

2 Chronicles 5:2

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

2 Chronicles 5:6

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

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

2 Chronicles 5:7

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

2 Chronicles 5:11

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

2 Chronicles 6:4

chapter 6

verse 4

King Solomon

stands up

and he says

blessed be the Lord

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:4

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

2 Corinthians 4:17

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

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