A Blessed Household

Then we're going to begin our worship and we're singing firstly in Psalm 125, Psalm 125 in the

Scottish Psalter, page 419. Today we're singing Psalm 125, 126, 127 and 128, just as a series of

psalms. So 125, they in the Lord that firmly trust shall be like Zion Hill, which at no time can be

removed but standeth ever still. And so on to the end of the psalm. We stand to sing if you're able to stand.

Time can be removed but standeth ever still. As round about Jerusalem, the merchants stand all way.

The Lord is full, the compass so, from henceforth and foray.

For ill men's rod upon the road, all just men shall not lie.

Lest righteous men set forth their hands unto iniquity.

Do thou do all those that be good, thy goodness for him far.

And do thou good to those that are upright within their heart.

God shall lead for the world, even if they are iniquity.

But as for such as turn aside, after their crooked way, God shall lead for the wicked men.

Let's join together now in prayer, a prayer especially for the children and for the young folks just now.

Lord, our God, we thank you on this lovely bright day that we come before you as a people who worship you and to confess you as our God.

And we thank you today that this is an opportunity, Lord, for us to worship you and in the worship find further fellowship with you and knowledge of you.

We thank you today that you give us these opportunities to draw aside from our normal course of activity in the world and to come together on the Lord's day to worship the Lord, to be together as his people and to share in that fellowship with him and with each other.

Bless our children, we pray today.

Lord, be with them during these times and grant to them again that they may increase in the knowledge of your own will and of your word and that they may find by your grace that they apply these things to their lives each and every day.

Remember them, we pray, from the youngest in creche through to those in Bible school, Bible class, we pray that your blessing will be with them.

And we ask that they will know day by day of the power of your truth working in their lives.

And so receive our thanks, we pray.

Continue to guide us and bless us and pardon our many sins for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

In Psalm 142, it's just for the children and young folks, Psalm 142,

we find David in a cave.

He was being chased by his enemies.

He found refuge in a cave.

And this was a psalm that he wrote while in the cave or thought about in the cave.

It's really a prayer that he made from the cave to God.

And in verse 3, he says,

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way.

Now there's a wonderful verse for memory for those in the Sunday school and for children always looking for verses to learn.

Here's one verse you could learn.

It's quite short, but it's also important.

It tells us about how God looks after his people in all their situations.

Even though David was in danger and hiding from his enemies, he said to God,

When my spirit faints within me, in other words, when I'm really afraid, you know my way.

God's eye is upon him.

God knows his way.

For my recent birthday, the family got together and actually got a wonderful gift for me.

It's a bird feeder.

And you might say, what's wonderful about a bird feeder?

A bird feeder is available from many sources.

But this bird feeder is good because it has a hidden camera in it.

And it takes videos.

As soon as a bird lands on the tray, it triggers the camera.

The camera takes a video as long as that bird is moving.

The movement begins the camera.

When the movement stops, the camera stops.

And it records it onto a little card inside the camera.

And it's been absolutely wonderful to see close up these birds who have no idea they're being filmed or videoed.

But you can see all the birds that land there.

So far, we've seen chaffinches.

Even a turtle dove the other day or a collared dove actually landed on there.

There's been green finch.

There's been sparrows.

Different kinds of birds over the course of these few weeks.

And it reminded me about some things that are important for us in our spiritual understanding as well.

Such as the verse I've just read.

Here was David saying in the cave.

Nobody was seeing him there.

He was safe from his enemies.

He was hiding, at least, from his enemies.

And yet he says,

Whatever our circumstances are like, however difficult your lives may be,

whatever challenges you're facing as children or young people,

be thankful that God actually knows exactly where you are, exactly what you're doing.

He's seeing you all the time.

You might say that although he sees you all the time,

there are special occasions, especially when we have a need of really being helped.

That is, I is special.

Just like the camera is triggered by the movement of the birds,

so God's heart is moved when he finds us crying out to him

out of circumstances that are challenging and difficult.

You know, he said, my way.

Now, there's another side to that as well.

Well, just as that camera picks up the movement of the bird without them knowing about it,

so God is watching our lives all the time.

And as well as being really comforting for us

to know that God is looking over us when we have difficulties in our lives,

it's also a challenge for us to know that God is looking in on our lives

at every time.

Whatever we're doing, God sees it.

And that should be a means of keeping us from doing things which are wrong,

keeping us from even thinking wrong thoughts.

God sees into our minds.

And as he sees into our minds, the Bible reminds us that he reads our minds.

He knows our thoughts.

So I hope today that that little bird table and its camera

are a symbol for you or a picture for you

of something very, very comforting, very assuring,

that God watches over us when we place our trust in him,

but also that God looks in on our lives

just to actually see what we're doing

from day to day, from moment to moment,

every time he's looking in on us.

So there's a very important verse for us to remember.

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way.

So practice that through the day to day.

And as you do so, let that word, let that verse sink into your mind

and use it in your life so that when you have a difficulty,

you'll turn to God and say,

Lord, I'm thankful that you know my way,

that you know my circumstances.

So now let's say the Lord's Prayer once again together.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Now we're going to sing again.

This time we're singing Psalm 126.

Again, it's on page 419.

When Zion's bondage God turned back,

as men had dreamed were we,

then filled with laughter was our mouth,

our tongue with melody.

And you can see in this psalm

that even people who don't follow the Lord

can actually know and see

when the Lord has blessed his people.

It says there in verse 3,

among the heathen,

they said the Lord great things

for them has wrought.

In other words, the world,

people who watch us all the time,

can see when God has blessed our lives

and we tell them

about how God has been good to us.

So Psalm 126,

When Zion's bondage God turned back.

When Zion's bondage God turned back,

as men that dreamed were we,

then filled with laughter was our mouth,

our tongue with melody.

They among the heathen said the Lord,

great things for them hath brought.

The Lord hath done great things for us,

when joy to us is brought.

As streams of water in the sun,

our bondage Lord recall,

whose soul in tears and reeping time,

of joy in joy they shall.

that man who bare in precious seed,

in going forth the poor,

he does bring him back his sheep,

rejoice in shall return.

Our reading of God's Word this morning

is from 2 Samuel,

the second book of Samuel,

and chapter 6.

And we're reading from the beginning.

That's the second book of Samuel,

and chapter 6,

it's around about page 310 or so,

in your church Bibles,

if you're using these.

So we'll read verses 1 to 19.

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel,

30,000,

and David arose and went with all the people

who were with him from Baljudea

to bring up from there the ark of God,

which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts,

who sits enthroned on the cherubim.

And they carried the ark of God on a new cart

and brought it out of the house of Abinadab,

which was on the hill.

And Uzzah and Ahio,

the sons of Abinadab,

were driving the new cart

with the ark of God.

And Ahio went before the ark.

And David and all the house of Israel

were making merry before the Lord

with songs and lyres and harps

and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon,

Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God

and took hold of it,

for the oxen stumbled.

And the anger of the Lord

was kindled against Uzzah,

and God struck him down there

because of his error,

and he died there beside the ark of God.

And David was angry

because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah,

and that place is called Perez Uzzah

to this day.

And David was afraid of the Lord that day

and said,

How can the ark of the Lord come to me?

So David was not willing

to take the ark of the Lord

into the city of David,

but David took it aside

to the house of Obadedum the Gittite.

And the ark of the Lord remained

in the house of Obadedum the Gittite

for three months.

And the Lord blessed Obadedum

and all his household.

And it was told King David,

The Lord has blessed the household

of Obadedum,

and all that belongs to him

because of the ark of God.

So David went and brought up

the ark of God

from the house of Obadedum

to the city of David

with rejoicing.

And when those who bore

the ark of the Lord

had gone six steps,

he sacrificed an oxen

and a fattened animal.

And David danced before the Lord

with all his might.

And David was wearing

a linen ephod.

So David and all the house of Israel

brought up the ark of the Lord

with shouting

and with the sound of the horn.

As the ark of the Lord

came into the city of David,

Michal, the daughter of Saul,

looked out of the window

and saw King David

leaping and dancing

before the Lord.

And she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in

the ark of the Lord

and set it in his place,

inside the tent

that David had pitched for it.

And David offered

burnt offerings

and peace offerings

before the Lord.

And when David had finished

offering the burnt offerings

and the peace offerings,

he blessed the people

in the name of the Lord of hosts

and distributed among

all the people

the whole multitude of Israel,

both men and women,

a cake of bread,

a portion of meat,

and a cake of raisins

to each one.

Then all the people departed,

each to his own house.

May God again follow

with his blessing

of reading that portion

of his word.

Let's again engage in prayer.

We do give thanks,

O Lord, again for your word

and for every portion of it,

for we recognize

your own hand

as the one who has authored

and produced this word for us

and caused it

to be put into writing

in a language

that we ourselves

can understand.

We thank you today, Lord,

for the value

that's placed upon your word

by your people now

and having been the same

throughout all generations.

We thank you for the liberty

that we have

to read your word in peace,

the liberty we have

to hear it explained,

to find it for ourselves,

a word that speaks to us

of our own lives personally

and of the world

in which we live.

It speaks to us

of things past in history

and things to come

in your prophecy.

We bless you, O Lord,

that every aspect of your word

remains the truth,

however much things may change

from one generation to another.

We bless you

for your unchanging word today.

We thank you

for its relevance

to our own situation today.

We bless you

that it never loses

its relevance.

And we thank you, Lord,

that however many

may turn aside from it

or cast it aside,

we pray, O Lord,

for grace to retain your word

with relish

and with love in our hearts.

That we might be like the psalmist

to hid your word in his heart,

to hide it not only

in a way that treasured it there,

but also so that it might

be seen through

in the life that he lived

in accordance with your word.

We ask, Lord,

that you would give us

an increased burden

for this in our own lives.

And for we need a world

in which your people

are shown to be

a people of your word,

a people in which

your word shines out,

and a people who come

to speak of that word

approvingly to the generation

they belong to.

We ask, Lord,

as a people,

as a congregation,

that we may indeed be,

as Paul would say

to the Philippians,

holding forth

the word of life,

so that we may hold it forth

for our own use

and for the knowledge

of those around us.

Lord, help us never

to be ashamed of your word.

Help us never to be

in a frame of mind

that would doubt

the veracity,

the truthfulness,

or the authority

of your word.

Help us always

to be sure

that your word

is superior

to every human ideology,

every human source

of knowledge

that we have.

We thank you, Lord,

for all that we come

to learn during

the course of our years,

and yet we pray

that your word

may continue

to be fundamental

and foundational

to our thoughts

and our conclusions

and our way of life.

And so,

blessed to us,

we pray today,

as we gather once again

here to hear

what the Lord God

would say to us.

Bless us,

we pray,

that we may speak

in your name

and hear in your name,

that we may come together

to realize,

O Lord,

that this itself

is such an important occasion

because it is so intimately

connected to eternity

and to our meeting

with you at last.

And we pray

that your word

may continue

to prepare us

for that great eventuality,

for we know

that after we leave

this world,

we will not have

the opportunity

of having your word

declared to us

or preached to us

or read for ourselves.

We thank you

for the opportunities

we have through life

to know you in word

and in providence.

Lord,

we pray that you,

by your Holy Spirit,

enable us to profit

from those great opportunities

we have.

Bless us,

we pray,

in the world

in which we are set.

Bless us in our life

as a congregation.

We ask,

O Lord,

that you would be pleased

to once again

continue to provide for us.

Provide for us,

we pray,

spiritually,

morally,

financially.

Provide for us,

Lord,

encouragement

that would strengthen us

from day to day.

Provide for us

in the teaching

of our children.

We ask,

Lord,

when the Sunday School

requires more resources

in terms of those

who would teach

our young people,

Lord,

we ask that you would

lay this upon

the hearts of those

you would want to come

and help out

with the teaching

of the children.

And we ask,

Lord,

that in the search

for suitable teachers

for the Sunday School,

you would help those

who presently serve,

grant to them,

Lord,

that they may know

that we value them

and that they are

so precious to us

as they give off

their time so readily

to this important work.

And we ask

that those who are taught

will come themselves

one day

to take the place

of teachers,

Lord,

over young people

yet to be born.

And we pray

that you would

continue to provide

for us as a people

so that through the gospel,

not only may

our own lives flourish,

but that of our community

as well

as we come under

your blessing

as we pray.

And so we ask

your blessing now

for all of our number

today who are

in specific needs.

We think of those

who are ill

and ask that you

would bless them,

some in hospitals,

some in care homes,

some in their own homes.

We pray your blessing

upon them,

lay your good hand

upon them

for their healing

if it please you.

And grant,

Lord,

we pray to those

too who have

mental health issues

and struggle at times

through the course of life.

Be pleased,

Lord,

we pray to help them.

We ask for any,

O Lord,

today who have

troubles with addictions

of various kinds.

We ask that you

bless the efforts

made to help them.

And we pray

that you would

release them,

Lord,

from such addiction

if it please you.

And we ask

that the help

they receive

may truly be

of benefit to them.

and we ask

that you would

bless all who help

in that way.

We pray that you

would bless

our health centers,

bless our hospital

and our hospice

and our care homes.

Lord,

we ask that you

would be pleased

to continue

to bless us

and to provide

resources for us

in regard to

this important aspect

of our life

in this community.

Remember those

who are in authority

over us today.

Bless them here

locally in the Corlea.

Bless them also

nationally

in Edinburgh

and in London

and Westminster.

Gracious Lord,

we know from

your providence

that we live

in tumultuous times,

times when we

can look back

upon a great shift

of thinking,

a great shift

in those things

that are regarded

as priorities

compared to past ages.

Lord,

we pray that

you would provide

for us.

And we pray

when there is

so much uncertainty

and indeed

at times turmoil

amongst those

who rule over us.

We pray

that you would

bring stability

through the gospel,

that you would

turn people

to yourself,

that those who

exercise government

over us

and high office

in our land,

O Lord,

our God,

that they may come

to be guided

by your truth

and set in your ways

and come to commend

you to the people

over whom

you have set them.

Graciously,

Lord,

hear us

as we pray

for them.

We know

that it is

our privilege

as well as

the instruction

of your word

to pray for those

who are in authority

over us.

Lord,

we do so

willingly today.

We ask

your blessing

to be with the world

in which we live.

We extend our prayers

today,

Lord,

to this world

and to its many,

many troubles.

We pray

for places

where there is

today war

and the threat

of terror,

loss of life,

different places

in the world

where we find

this constantly

before us

in your news reports.

Lord,

we pray

that all the efforts

made for peace

might truly

prove successful,

but we pray

especially

for the peace

that only you

can create,

the peace of Christ,

the peace that

comes through the gospel.

Lord,

we pray

that you bless

every evangelistic

endeavor,

even in these

very difficult

circumstances

in these places

in the world.

Bless your word

there too,

we pray,

and bless your

believing people

as they continue

and struggle

against so many

different types

of adversity

to hold true

to your word

and, Lord,

to know your blessing,

keeping them

and guiding them

and blessing them.

And so we pray

now that your blessing

will continue

with us here.

Hear us in our prayer

and cleanse us

from our sin.

For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

We'll sing once more

to God's praise

this time,

Psalm 127,

before we turn

to a verse or two

in 2 Samuel

where we read.

Psalm 127,

page 171,

and sing the whole

of that psalm again

from verse 1.

Unless the Lord

builds up the house,

its builders toil

in vain.

Unless he keeps

the city safe,

they vainly watch,

maintain.

in vain you rise

before the dawn

and late hours

vainly keep,

that you may toil

for food to eat.

He gives his loved ones

sleep.

Psalm 127,

Unless the Lord

builds up the house.

unless the Lord

builds up the house,

its builders toil

in vain,

unless he keeps

the city safe,

the city safe,

they vainly watch,

maintain.

In vain you rise

before the dawn

and late hours

and late hours

vainly keep,

that you may toil

for food to eat.

He gives his loved ones

sleep.

Sons are a precious

heritage,

a blessing from the Lord.

The children that are born

to us

are truly his reward.

like arrows in a warrior's hand,

our children of one's youth,

the man who's quivered

full of them

is blessed by God in truth.

Such men will not be poor to shame,

that will not be their fate,

when they condemn

against their foes,

who face them in the gate.

Well, please turn with me now

to 2 Samuel chapter 6.

2 Samuel 6 · chapter mention

Reading again at verse 11,

2 Samuel 6 at verse 11.

And the ark of the Lord

remained in the house

of Obadedam the Gittite

for three months.

And the Lord blessed Obadedam

and all his household.

And it was told King David,

the Lord has blessed

the household of Obadedam

and all that belongs to him

because of the ark of God.

I want to take these two verses

under the heading today

of a blessed household.

We've seen a massive shift

in Western civilization

over many years now, sadly,

in terms of what are set out

as principles and values

that people hold to in their society.

And that massive shift

has meant that

as the Bible has been rejected

increasingly,

so what we call

moral absolutes,

in other words,

absolute truth,

the truth of God

has set out for us

in the Bible

as that has been discarded

increasingly or set aside,

so other things have followed

where throughout society

you can see a great shift

in people's thinking

as to what is important,

what should be foundational

for individual life,

for communal life,

for national life, indeed.

The more the Bible

has been set aside

and replaced

with human ideologies

and other ideologies

of different kinds,

so the more we've seen

that massive shift in value

in terms of principles

and what is important

for our way of life.

And that's had

a drastic effect,

that redefinition

of such things

as truth itself.

Ask anybody

in the street today

what they think truth is,

and you're very seldom

going to get them saying,

well, truth is

especially

what God has set out

for us

in Holy Scripture.

Truth is,

in many ways,

people's thinking

of truth is

truth is what you make of it.

Truth is what works for you.

Truth is what is

really maybe

the view of a majority

as to what ought to be

the principles

and values of society.

And it's not just that.

It's been

a time of redefining

not just truth,

but redefining

other things

follow on from that,

redefining marriage,

for example,

redefining gender,

and the whole concept

of what a family is

is part of that great shift

part of that great change,

part of that thinking.

And that's what I want

to focus on today,

how you get from

these verses

things which are important

in our thinking

of what is a family,

what is a family for,

what are the benefits

of family life,

what should be

the starting point

for family life,

and of course

that has to be Scripture.

That's why we're going

to Scripture,

where we're going

to these verses today.

What does God say

about the family,

what constitutes

a family,

and what other things

are related to

the concept of a family

as far as the Bible

is concerned?

So we're looking at that

under the heading

of a blessed household,

because that's what

this household became

and was due to the ark,

as David was told

here in verse 12,

the Lord has blessed

the household of Obidadum,

and all that belongs to him,

because of the ark of God.

I will look more

into what that means,

the ark of God,

what that signified,

and why it's especially

related to the blessing

of Obidadum's house.

First of all,

I want to look at this word

household itself.

A blessed household.

There isn't any single word

in the Old Testament

for family,

and not as the equivalent

at least of the word family

as we use it.

The nearest thing to it

is this word household.

You find that often,

of course,

in the Old Testament,

also in the New Testament.

The word household

encapsulates what the Bible

means by family

and by family life.

And it means,

when you use the word household,

and you find it this way

in the Bible,

it actually means

all who live

in one home

or under one roof.

And of course,

in those days,

and even to this day,

it means more than just

a father and mother

and children.

It also means

servants,

relatives.

In the Old Testament days,

there were

especially well-off families

like Abraham's family,

for example.

He had a steward,

somebody who looked

after the household,

who was charged

with managing

the household.

And they became

part of the household.

And also,

you had other servants

or slaves

in the household as well.

So,

all that came under

that one roof

are regarded as

the household.

They are the family

in the extended sense,

you might say.

And that carries

into the New Testament

as well.

You remember,

perhaps,

in Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

sorry,

Acts chapter 10

Acts 10 · chapter mention

and verse 2,

the household there

of Cornelius.

There was a man

in Caesarea,

a centurion,

a devout man

who feared God

with all his household.

And it describes

later on

how that household

was brought together

to hear the preaching

of God's Word

from Peter

and how that household

comprised not just

Cornelius

and his immediate family

but his servants

and all those

who comprised

that group of people

known as his household.

So,

a household

is somebody,

is everybody really

living under the one roof,

the immediate family,

and those others

in connection

with that family.

That's what you say

is the meaning

of household

in the Old Testament.

Now,

I'm not going to go into this

in terms of applying it

to the church,

but you realize that,

you know yourselves,

that the description,

the household of God

is actually used

for the church.

The household

of God.

In other words,

it is the dwelling place

of God,

but in that dwelling place,

the church is

the home,

if you like,

of God

where all his people

also live together

or are gathered.

That, of course,

is a spiritual meaning

of household.

But the household,

literally,

is like Obadadum here.

The household

of Obadadum

was himself,

his immediate family,

servants,

all others

who lived

under that roof.

And secondly,

let's think of that household

as the basic unit

in human society.

The basic unit

in human society.

Around the household

of Obadadum

were other households.

And together,

all of these households

made up that community

of which the household

of Obadadum

was a part.

And every household,

as it forms part

of a community,

that household

is itself

a basic unit

of that wider structure.

And you can apply that,

really,

to the whole

of human society.

Now,

let me just take you back

to Genesis,

to the beginning of things,

to the creation

of human households,

beginning with the creation

of marriage.

Genesis 2

and from verse 18.

Then the Lord God said,

It is not good

that the man

should be alone.

That was Adam.

I will make a helper

fit or suitable for him.

So out of the ground,

the Lord God formed

every beast of the field,

every bird of the heavens,

brought them to the man

to see what he would call them.

And you read down

through there

until he discovered

or Adam proclaimed

there was nobody

like himself.

Until he actually found

this woman

that God had created.

He took one of his ribs,

closed up its place

with flesh.

He made into a woman.

He brought her to the man

and the man said,

This at last is bone

of my bones

and flesh of my flesh.

She shall be called woman

because she was taken

out of man.

Therefore,

see the next thing,

therefore,

a man shall leave

his father

and his mother

and hold fast

to his wife

and they shall become

one flesh.

What's happening there?

Well,

it says there's a man

leaving his father

and mother.

There is the household

he belongs to

and in order to have

a marriage

and to cleave to his wife,

he leaves that household

he belonged to

and he sets up another one.

Another household

beginning with the marriage

of himself

and his wife.

And then,

of course,

as you go through

the book of Genesis,

you'll find children

born to that couple

and therefore becomes

a household

in the sense of having

husband,

wife,

children

and eventually

servants as well.

So,

the ideal

in a family

is father,

mother,

children.

That is,

you might say,

the nuclear family.

The nucleus

of the wider household

is in the marriage

relationship

and the children

that are born

to them

in that marriage.

Ideal is the father,

the mother,

the children

and others then

are added on to that

household.

Now,

you have blameless,

I'm calling it

blameless exceptions

and the Bible

takes account

of these

and these blameless

exceptions are,

for example,

singleness

where there is

no marriage.

That's not a

dishonorable situation.

That's not a

dishonorable thing

in the eyes of God.

In fact,

when you go to

Paul's writings,

he actually says

that being single

and unmarried

has great advantages

spiritually

and certainly

in terms of

serving the Lord.

It's not far

from being despised,

far from something

that makes you

of a lower status.

It actually gives you

many advantages

rather than have

a household

where there's a marriage

where you look

after your children

where that takes up

your time

and your resources.

However,

that's,

you might say,

a blameless exception.

The other blameless

exception

that comes to mind

is a marriage

where there are

no children,

children,

where children

can be adopted,

of course,

but what I mean

is where there

are no natural children.

That, again,

is not to be seen

in any way negatively

as if God was cursing

that relationship.

It's not to be seen

as other than just

with God's arrangement.

And it brings

its own challenges

but also its own

benefits as well.

But then we live

in a fallen world.

And while there are

these blameless

exceptions,

we know very well

ourselves

that there are

other exceptions

where sin,

the sin that is

in each one of us,

the sin that came

into the world

and set about

destroying relationships

and destroying

individuals

in their own lives

too,

where that is set in

as we live

in a fallen world.

So we've seen

exceptions

to the family

as God's ideal

over the years

that set in

from the time

of the fall

of Adam onwards.

In other words,

an increase

in such things

as divorce,

cohabitation,

and same-sex relationships,

and especially

in our own day,

those things

have been multiplied

sadly more so

than at other times.

We live

in that fallen world

and are susceptible

to all of these

breakdowns

in marriage

and homes

and families

and households

and we're very much

aware of that

in our own day.

So you see,

the household

is no longer

regarded widely

as the basic unit

in human society

because the redefinition

of family

has really redefined

household as well.

We're living in times

when people say,

well, you know,

you should get rid

of this idea

of the nuclear family

of father,

mother,

and children

if God blesses them

with children

or father

and mother,

husband and wife.

These things

are outdated.

We need something new

for this century

we belong to.

We need something new,

something fresh,

something different

to what the Bible

actually says,

something different

to these Old Testament

ideas or New Testament

ideas.

You need to redefine things.

Come on,

keep up with the times.

That's not what people

want nowadays,

so we need to reject

all of these previous

models or ideals

of family life

of what a household

is like

and what it's for.

Way back in 1980,

nearly a quarter

of a century ago,

a book came out

called

Who Needs the Family?

Written by a man

called Olaf R. Johnston.

And in that book

he says as follows,

the family chronicles

of Genesis 11 to 50,

verses,

that's chapters 11 to 50,

are packed

to the very end

of the book

with intense

personal records

of family life,

jealousy,

hatred,

betrayal,

revenge,

scheming,

and deception,

as well as

forgiveness,

faithfulness,

and joy.

And he went on

to say,

few can fail

to sense

the utter modernity

of this ancient account

full of deep perception

of the dynamics

of family relationships.

It is no mere

modern discovery

that the family

can be the focus

of destructive urges,

a place of damage

and despair,

as well as of love

and security.

Scripture constantly warns

about the way

human sin

can turn the source

of great blessing

into the source

of greatest damage

and torment.

that was 1980.

How much more

is it the case

that his words

are true

in the generation

that we actually

belong to,

where the household,

where the basic,

where the nuclear unit

of the family

has been so redefined

and indeed

in many places

so despised.

You,

friends,

have the benefit

of knowing the gospel,

of having your Bibles,

of knowing the teaching

of your Bibles.

You live in a society

that's largely

discarding those things,

that's shedding

the influence

of that truth

day by day.

You have the benefit

of knowing

what your Bible

teaches you

about family life,

about what a family

consists of,

what a household is

and what it's for.

And we have to express

our thankfulness

to God

that we are in

this privileged position,

but we have to do it

by living out

the ideals

of God

in a family setting,

in family life.

Because the household

remains the basic unit

of human society,

even if we find it

largely discarded

as an ideal.

For us as Christians,

for us who follow

the gospel,

for us who value

the truth of God,

it must remain

this way.

And the more you see

the family broken up,

the more you see

the ideal of the family

discarded,

the more fractured

human society

will become.

You can see that

in the generation

we belong to.

It's not the only reason,

but one of the main reasons

why you find

so much

of a breakdown,

so much

in society

of fractures,

of tensions,

all of the things

that follow on

from a family unit

being broken up.

And the ideal

of the family

at the center

of society

being discarded.

Friends,

we have to

counter that

with our own

family lives.

Here's the challenge

for us today

as we live

as husbands,

wives,

children,

that we follow

the ideal

that God has given us

in His Word

where the household

is to be the basic

unit of human society.

And where the more

that's the case,

and especially the more

like the household

of Obidadum,

was blessed by God

where there's a blessed

household due to the

presence of God

as we'll see in a minute,

that proves to be

so influential

in any community,

in any society.

Household,

what it means.

People together

under one roof.

People in the structures

that God Himself

has defined for us

at His creation.

Husband,

wife,

father,

mother,

children,

others in the

extended family.

Household.

The household

being the basic

unit of human society

all the way

through the Bible,

you will find that

in some way or other

mentioned as

significant.

How the household

proves to be

part of the gel,

if you like,

that holds human society

together

in a proper way.

And the more

the household disappears,

the more that gel

is lost

and the influence

is lost

until the household

continues to be

the basic unit

in human society.

Thirdly and finally,

what is a blessed household?

Well, let me take you

back to the words

of our text today.

The ark of the Lord

remained in the house

of Obidadim,

the Gittite,

for three months

and the Lord

blessed Obidadim

and all his household.

And it was told

King David,

the Lord has blessed

the household

of Obidadim

and all that belongs

to him

because of the ark

of God.

That was the reason

why the Lord

blessed this household,

because the ark

of God

was stationed there

for these months.

And as long as

the ark was there,

the blessing of God

followed.

Now, what was the ark?

Well, the ark,

of course, you know

from Exodus chapter 25

Exodus 25 · chapter mention

is that wooden chest

made of acacia wood

overlaid with gold

in which Moses

was instructed

to make for the tabernacle.

It was one of the most important,

if not the most important,

article of furniture

in the tabernacle

where above the box,

above the ark itself,

was placed the mercy seat

with the cherubim.

And it was there

that God revealed himself,

the cloud that dwelt

above the mercy seat,

indicating the presence

of God.

The ark is always associated

with the presence of God.

And where you find at times

the people of Israel

putting their trust

in the ark,

but not having

the presence of God,

having disobeyed God,

having gone away,

as on one occasion,

fighting the Philistines,

where the ark of God

was captured,

where the sons of Eli,

Hophni and Phinehas,

were killed.

When the news came back

to old Eli

as he sat waiting

for a report of the battle,

what made him fall

off backwards

off his stool

to his death,

eventually,

difficult though it was

to know that his sons

had died,

what really struck him

was the fact

that the ark of God

had been captured

by the Philistines.

The very thing

that indicated

the presence of God

was gone.

And so,

that word,

Ichabod,

as a name for one

of the children born

then,

was actually given

in relation

to the loss

of the ark.

So,

the ark

associated always

with the presence

of God,

and you take that

on board

when you look

at what these verses

are saying.

Verse 12,

the Lord has blessed

the household

of Obidadim

because of the ark

of God.

That's,

of course,

fulfilled

in the New Testament

because the presence

of God

is no longer

above a wooden chest

like the ark.

it's now in his people.

He lives in their hearts.

God actually comes

to make a dwelling place

for himself

in the hearts

of his people

so that together

they constitute

the home

God has made

for himself.

John 14,

John 14:23

verse 23.

That's the blessed household,

the household

that has God

at its heart,

the household

where God lives,

where God is real,

where God is worshipped.

What is it,

can we say,

about that household

that makes it special?

Why is a household

as the household

of God

so distinct

and so important

in this day

and generation

we belong to?

Well,

four things,

I think,

at least,

you can mention.

We can mention

other things

related to that

you could think

of yourselves too.

A blessed home

has God

at its heart

and one of the

significant elements

there is parental faith,

the faith

of the parents

or parent,

the faith

that actually

teaches children

the importance

of the Word of God

and the worship of God.

What has to be

in our homes

must begin,

first of all,

in our hearts.

Where our hearts

don't have the presence

of God,

our home is not going

to have the presence

of God.

Where our hearts

have God present,

if this is dwelling place

of God

in our souls

individually,

in the souls

of fathers

and mothers,

then that's passed on

to the children

by way of them

being taught

these things of God.

The fact that God

is in that home

makes all the difference.

That's why it's wonderful

to have

Christian families,

families

who profess God

as their God,

who want God

to be the God

of their children,

their grandchildren.

We're blessed

with having many of those

families,

and it's something

we need to pray over.

Pray for God's protection

over parents

who are seeking

to bring up children

in a way that

teaches them

the things of God

in a generation

that largely

doesn't want to know,

and not only

doesn't want to know,

but it's really

against those ideas

and those ideals.

Parental faith

at the heart of things,

first of all,

and then the home

benefits from that.

You see many instances

in the Bible

where a home

has benefited

from the fact

that the parents

or a parent

has had faith in God.

That brings blessedness

into that home.

The second thing

is worship.

A blessed home

is a home

where worship

exists meaningfully,

where the Word of God

is read,

where the Word of God

is explained,

where the Word of God

is important,

where prayer

is exercised,

where praise

to God

is exercised.

It's a miniature,

really,

of the life

of the church.

The household

of God

that the church

is has its miniature

in the home

as the household

where father,

mother,

children together,

and others maybe

share in the Word

of God

with each other.

Worship

in our homes

is crucial.

How many homes

in Stornoway today

have worship

as a feature

of their life?

I'm quite sure

they're in

a majority

compared to those

that do.

But as it was

for Joshua,

as he declared

at one time

in the book

of Joshua

Joshua 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24,

choose this day

whom you will serve,

he said to the people.

As for me

and my household,

we will worship

the Lord.

We will have

the Lord

as our God.

We will serve

the Lord.

That's the conviction

of your heart

surely today.

That's the conviction

of the hearts

of all today here

who are parents

or grandparents

who want their homes

to be blessed,

who want their homes

and their children

and their relatives

to be blessed.

It begins in your own heart,

it moves from your own heart

to your practice

in the home

of having the Word read,

having the Word explained,

taking time with the children

to explain it,

which I know many of you do.

I'm not saying this

because it's not the case.

But just to reiterate

the importance

of those issues

for ourselves today,

there's parental faith,

there is worship,

the worship of God,

and there is what I'm calling

shaping of lives.

The shaping of lives,

for example,

in Ephesians especially,

the Apostle Paul wrote

to families,

but he differentiated there.

He gave a word firstly

to husbands and wives

and their marriage relationship.

He then passed that on