Sunday, May 13th, 2012 (Mother’s Day)
I Chronicles 13; 2 Samuel 6:1-11
“Wrong Worship”
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:15-16
Background Information:
- At the very centre of this whole divinely-dictated religion was the ark. Everything pointed to it. Three matching entrances (26:31, 32, 36, 37; 27:16, 17) led to it–for the purpose of entering the court of the tabernacle was to enter the presence of God himself. Along the path leading to the ark lay the altar of burnt-offering (27:1-8), the altar of incense (30:1-6), and the mercy-seat (the cover or lid of the ark) where the blood of sacrifice was finally sprinkled (25:17ff.; Lev 16:14)–showing that it was only by sacrifice, prayer and the effectiveness of the shed blood that man could come to God.
Inside the ark were the tablets of the law–the supreme verbal statement of God’s holiness (25:16); at one and the same time the reason why God dwelt alone (for none can match his holiness), and why by means of blood a sinner might enter his presence (for the blood speaks of life laid down in payment for sin).
The whole structure of the tabernacle, therefore, speaks clear and splendid truths. It provides a visible summary of the central affirmations of the Bible: that God indwells his people (see 1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:19-22); that he intends his people to worship him according to his will and not their own whim (see Mk 7:6-13); and that only by means of sacrifice and shed blood can sinners ever come to live with the Holy One (see Eph 2:11-18; Heb 10:19-25). (David Alexander, Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, 168)
- These poles were never to be removed (Ex 25:15). This may seem like a minor detail, but like all the details surrounding the tabernacle, it was important. Some of the other furnishing also had carrying poles, but only the ones for the ark were permanent. The reason was very simple: to touch the ark was to die. Remember, the ark represented the holy presence of God. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 816)
- In giving the removal of the ark immediately after David’s coronation and capture of Jerusalem (11:1-9) the Chronicler has departed from the order of 2 Sm, where accounts of David’s building himself a house, and of his family and of his victories over the Philistines (2 Sm 5:11-25), precede the mention of his removal of the ark. The Chronicler has clearly placed this last event first in order to magnify David’s concern for the worship of Yahweh. David’s religious acts are the main thing with the Chronicler. Others are mere episodes in the King’s career. (Edward Lewis Curtis, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Chr, 204)
- The ark’s usual location is in the tabernacle, the portable center of worship used by the Israelites as they traveled. At times, however, Moses had taken the ark into battles because it reminded the people of God’s presence and power. They had no king, so it was the Lord Himself who led them out of Egypt, around the walls of Jericho, and into the promised land.
But after being in the land for a while, the people fail to acknowledge God’s leadership and everyone did as they wanted (Jgs 21:25). Consequently, God allows Israel’s enemies to overpower them so they will turn back to Him. In one such instance, when the Philistines are the opposing force, the Israelites decide to carry the ark into battle with them as Moses and Joshua had done previously. But God was not fighting for his disobedient people that day, and the ark was captured (1 Sm 4:1-11).
However, the newly acquired ark is the source of nothing but trouble for the Philistines, and they soon decide to send it back to Israel (1 Sm 5-6). Some of the Israelites unwisely decide to look inside it while they have the opportunity, and a plague breaks out that kills many of them. Afterward the ark is taken to a nearby house, and a person is consecrated to care for it. There it remained for 20 years (1 Sm 6:21-7:1). (Dr. Tremper Longman, Quicknotes, 1 Chr Thru Job, 26)
- It was taken by the Philistines in the battle of Ebenezer (1 Sm 5) and caused them no end of trouble. So they resolved to send it back to Israel with a guilt offering (1 Sm 6:1-9). When it arrived at Beth-shemesh, the men there “looked into it” and in consequence suffered death (1 Sm 6:10-20). Messengers were dispatched to Kiriath-jearim requesting the people of that town to take it away, which they did (1 Sm 6:21-7:1). There it was placed in the house of Abinadab where it remained for a long time, in fact until the time of David as related in this chapter and its parallel in 2 Sm 6. Thus during the lifetime of Saul it remained in obscurity, from which David rescued it. The implication is clear that the reason for Saul’s misfortune was due to the neglect of the sacred symbol of the presence of Yahweh. (Jacob M. Myers, 1 Chronicles, a New Translation, 101-02)
- For a generation the ark had languished at a place some eight miles away from Jerusalem, for reasons the Chronicler can assume his readers know from 1 Sm 4:1-7:2. Now that a new era had dawned with David, this situation could be tolerated no longer. The restoration of the ark was necessary. It was a symbol of putting God at the heart of the community’s life. (Leslie Allen, Mastering the OT, 1, 2 Chr, 98)
- More than 70 years had gone by since the ark of the covenant had occupied its rightful place at the center of Israelite worship. We do not need to trace its wanderings since that time when Israel lost it in battle to the Philistines. It is enough to say that the Philistines captured the ark, held onto it for a while, and then sent it back because it had proved to them to be more trouble than it was worth. It came to rest in the house of Abinadab, in Kiriath Jearim, a village about ten miles west of Jerusalem. For the complete story the reader will want to consult 1 Sm 4-6. While the ark rested in obscurity in Abinadab’s house, it was unable to serve its purpose as the focal point around which Israel could gather to worship God. Since God had given the ark to his people as the visible sign of his gracious presence among them, this was a very great loss indeed. For all those years something sacred had been missing in the heart of Israel. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 150-51)
The questions to be answered are . . . What is the Chronicler’s purpose in including this horrific blunder by David and the Levites in 1 Chronicles 13? What does this have to do with us 3000 years later?
Answer: The Chronicler is attempting to demonstrate that it is not enough simply to be sincere about your worship. You must be sincerely holy. Given the imaginative creativity of modern man’s idea of what constitutes genuine Jehovah worship, the implications for today are probably more pertinent than they were for the Chronicler’s original audience. We MUST be holy and regard the Lord as holy.
The Word for the Day is . . . Holy
Was David sincere in his desire to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem?:
I. David was sincerely right in his seeking of counsel to bring the Ark to come to Jerusalem. (1 Chr 13:1-2, 4)
The entire assembly of representatives agreed that such an action had priority (13:3), so David gathered people from the far south (the Shihor of Egypt) to the far north (the entrance of Hamath) to help in the project. (Joe O. Lewis, Layman’s Bible Book Commentary, Vol. 5, 138)
The Chronicler’s normal understanding of the full extent of the land of Israel is from Beersheba to Dan (cf. 1 Chr 21:2), while the wider area defined here seems rather to cover his understanding of the empire. His concern at this point is thus to maximize the extent of support for David’s action. (H.G.M. Williamson, The New Century Bible Commentary, 1 & 2 Chr, 115)
David asks his commanders for their support in this enterprise. He is resolved to bring the ark to Jerusalem, but he will do this only “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the LORD our God” (13:2). Ominously, Chronicles assures the reader only of the first condition. “The whole assembly agreed to do so, for the thing pleased all the people” (13:4). The failure to ensure God’s will in this matter will have tragic consequences. (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 55-56)
II. David was sincerely right in his desire for the Ark to come to Jerusalem for God to be “with him”. (1 Chr 13:3, 14; Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23)
Bringing the ark to the city was David’s way of joining his throne to the throne of God. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 128)
The Ark of the Covenant was where God manifested His presence on earth. The Ark went ahead of the Israelites wherever they traveled. Not only was it the center of worship when it resided in the tabernacle, but the Ark also protected the Israelites in battle, supernaturally defeating any adversaries that came before them (Josh 6:3-4). The Israelites also went to the Ark to seek God’s guidance and wisdom for the nation (Nm 7:89, Ex 25:22). The Ark of the Covenant was more than just a special furnishing with supernatural powers — It was also the Israelites’ means of relating to God.
The mercy seat covered the ark which contained the three emblems of man’s rebellion: the golden pot of manna — man’s rebellion against God’s provision, Numbers 11; two tablets of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments — man’s rebellion against God’s standard and laws, Exodus 32; and Aaron’s rod — man’s rebellion against God’s authority and His chosen priesthood, Numbers 17. Putting all three significant historical objects in a box, assembling much like a coffin and with the Lord’s own presence over it; God is essentially putting to death, not man but man’s total rebellion against Him! What a beautiful picture!
Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed animal on the mercy seat and so make propitiation for the sins of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant played a key role in the forgiveness of sins. At first glance, the blood sacrifices associated with the history of the Ark of the Covenant may seem somewhat disturbing. Slaughtering animals and offering their blood on an altar. It is important to note, however, that these sacrifices were not intended to appease the wrath of a bloodthirsty deity. God does not desire the blood and suffering of helpless lambs (Heb 10:8). The biblical text repeatedly shows that where there is sin, the unavoidable result is death. The sacrifice of the lamb points to the severity of sin. Sin must always be atoned (paid) for in order for God to be just (Heb 9:22). God’s compassion enabled the sins of Israel to be transferred upon the lamb.
More importantly, these sacrifices were foreshadowing a greater sacrifice yet to take place — the sacrifice of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. God knew that these continual sacrifices would be insufficient to pay for the sins of Israel, much less the sins of all humanity. Therefore, God provided Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, which became the greatest act of love in all history. A Roman cross became the ark on which Christ was sacrificed. The blood of Christ, once and for all, atoned for the wrongs of all who would accept Him as their Savior (Jn 3:16).
Today, it is not the blood of animals that makes propitiation for our sins, but the holy blood of the Son of God. (Rom 3:24–25) Christ is our present day mercy seat. His blood speaks for us and puts God on our side. God does not see our rebellion. He sees the blood of His Son and accepts us! That is why we can come boldly to the secret place of the Most High, in Christ, and feel secure that we have every right to be in God’s presence. We can come boldly to Him to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:16)
And because Christ, our mercy seat, covers us with His blood, we are under God’s protection. We are in the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. Here, no evil will befall us, nor will any plague come near our dwelling (Ps 91:9–10). In the secret place of the Most High, we are favored and kept safe from all harm!
The Ark of the Covenant disappeared from the Jewish Temple somewhere before or during the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 BC. In anticipation of the Ark’s disappearance, the prophet Jeremiah wrote: (Jer 3:16). Even before Jesus, Jeremiah’s prophecy revealed that there would be no more need for the Ark of the Covenant in the future. God had a better covenant He would bring to pass — the new covenant in His Son, Jesus Christ. (http://kingdavid.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/the-ark-of-covenant-and-of-jesus-christ-1/)
In order to teach his people to revere his majesty, God had designated the ark as the special place of his earthly presence. Therefore, it was not to be touched! When it needed to be moved, the priests were supposed to use the poles, being very careful not to touch the ark itself. Therefore, the poles needed to stay in place all the time. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 816)
III. David was sincerely right in his concern that bringing the Ark to Jerusalem be given proper “pomp and circumstance”. (1 Chr 13:5-8)
Perhaps the euphoria of the celebration has dulled the “theological senses” of both king and people. The physical separation of the ark from the sacred shrine still located in Gibeon (cf. 1 Chr 16:39, 21:29-30) may have contributed to an unhealthy familiarity with this piece of sacred furniture normally viewed but once a year by the high priest. (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 230)
Whereas it took God only six days to create the world, it took him forty days to explain how to build the tabernacle! Obviously God wanted his holy dwelling to be put together exactly the way it was designed. He said to Moses, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Heb 8:5). The reason God was so attentive to detail was that this building was designed to teach something about his character and about what it means to have a relationship with him. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 814)
IV. David was sincere in his desire for the Ark to come to Jerusalem properly . . . but he was sincerely wrong because David failed to regard the Lord as holy. (1 Chr 13:9-10; see also: Num 4:15-20)
God’s action was directed against both David and Uzzah. David placed the ark on a cart, following the Philistines’ example (1 Sm 6:7, 8) rather than God’s commands. Uzzah, though sincere in his desire to protect the ark, had to face the consequences of the sin of touching it. Also, Uzzah may not have been a Levite. As David sought to bring Israel back into a relationship with God, God had to remind the nation dramatically that enthusiasm must be accompanied by obedience to his laws. The next time David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem, he was careful to handle it correctly (1 Chr 15:1-15). (Tyndale House Publishers, Life Application Study Bible, 502)
The joy was there, the excitement was there, the music and celebration were great, but God’s presence was not being properly acknowledged. All the music and singing was a hollow substitute for an attitude of deep respect for the presence of God. (John Sailhamer, Everyman’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 39)
In frustration, he aborted the attempt to move the ark up to Jerusalem and let it, instead, be taken to the homestead of Obed-Edom, who belonged to the line of the Levites (15:18; 26:4) and who was subsequently blessed by God’s presence. (Broadman & Holman Pub, Shepherd’s Notes, 1, 2 Chr, 26)
We may be sure that it was set down with the utmost reverence in the house of this man from Gath, whose pagan Philistine relations had already learned by experience a greater respect for the ark than the Israelites themselves had (see 1 Sm 5:8ff.). (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chr, 67-68)
The first stage of the transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem was marked by both tragedy and joy. If God’s people lose sight of who He is, even for a moment, the consequence can be tragic. Taking God’s word seriously in faith and obedience is the remedy for neglect. David and all Israel had failed to carry the Ark in the right way. They had neglected the proper ritual (1 Chr 15:13), and that had led to an empty ritualism. They had shown great interest in the celebration of song and music. They were apparently making a great display of their moving the Ark. All of that was good, but it did not take the place of an inward attitude acknowledging the presence of a holy God in their midst. (John Sailhamer, Everyman’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 40)
Why David did not carry out that command, we do not know. Was it simply ignorance on his part? Did he know of it but not think it important enough to bother with? The first possibility seems the more likely, but it does not excuse David’s failure. He still had shown a disregard for the holy things of God and for God’s holy Word. He had consulted with his princes and his people, but he had not consulted God nor listened to his Word on this matter. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 154)
This entire affair had renewed in him a sense of what a holy God Israel had, how he stood apart from sinners, and how he would not let the guilty go unpunished. David had learned to be suspicious of his own will and less inclined to follow his own thoughts and desires, however pious they might have seemed to himself and to others. David had also learned that God’s will was to be eagerly sought out and then conscientiously carried out in every matter. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 156)
David and all Israel (as well as the Chronicler’s audience) need to know that the transgression against God was not the transfer of the ark itself but the faulty way in which it was carried out. God demands proper “means” to achieve good and right “ends.” (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 231)
This scene dramatically warned the Chronicler’s readers against inappropriate worship in their day. The hesitation of the early returnees to re-establish proper worship led to sharp rebukes from Haggai (see Hag 2:10-14). In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, impurity in worship rose to new heights (see Ezra 9-10; Neh 9; 13:15-31). (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 129)
Even David was judged when the worship of God was not pursued according to divine regulations. If the plans of David himself were spoiled by neglecting God’s holiness, how much more must restored Israel be sure to attend carefully and faithfully to the worship of God. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 130)
God’s presence is a blessing or a curse depending upon the audience’s reverence towards God.
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: How should understanding 1 Chronicles 13 affect my worship of Almighty God?:
A- Your worship, like David’s, ought to be guided by the fathers of the faith throughout the ages. (Prv 15:22; 1 Cor 10:1-6; Heb 12:1)
B- Your worship, like David’s, ought to be driven by a desire to have intimacy with God. (Dt 4:29; 6:5; 10:12; 11:13-14; 26:16; 30:6-10; Josh 22:5; 1 Sam 12:20-24; Isa 29:13; Jer 29:13; Joel 2:12; Zep 3:14; Mt 15:8; 22:37; Mk 7:6; 12:30; Jn 4:23-24; Col 3:23)
God’s presence associated with the tabernacle and symbolized in the cloud of glory that resided there (Ex 40:34-38) was part of the developing “Immanuel theology” of the OT. This progressive revelation of an incarnational divine presence aimed at restoring the intimate fellowship enjoyed by God and humanity in the pre-Fall garden experience. The “Immanuel theology” of the OT was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14; cf. Isa 7:14). (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 246)
The “name” of God indicates the nearness of God, the divine power dwelling in the temple and accessible through prayer and sacrifice (16:10; 22:7, 8, 10, 19; 28:3; 29:16; 2 Chr 2:1, 4; 6:5-10, 20, 32-38; 7:16, 20; 12:13; 20:8, 9; 33:4, 7). The NT teaches Christians to pray “in the name” of Jesus, meaning “by authority of” Jesus (Jn 12:28; 14:13, 14; 16:24). (Luder Whitlock, Jr., New Geneva Study Bible, NKJV, 579)
C- Your worship, like David’s, ought to be desirous of giving God the glory due His name. (Lev: entire bk; 1 Chr 16:29; Ps 29:2; 51:16-19; 96:8; Isa 1:10-17; 40:16-17; 43:22-24; Jer 14:11-12; Amos 5:21-27; Hag 1:2-11; Mal 1:6-10; Jn 4:23-24; )
William Temple’s definition of worship is helpful: “ To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Acts: The Church Afire, 349)
He says that if on entering church we remember an unresolved quarrel with anyone, we had better delay our worship until we have cleared up the misunderstanding; because God can neither hear nor bless the man who comes to offer praise or claim a mercy, but at that moment has something on his conscience about a fellow man. It is at this point that the voice of Isaiah reaches us across the centuries and bids us look into our own heart before we come to God.
Wash yourselves clean
Take out of my sight your evil deeds (Isa 1:16).
“Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Mt 5:24). If that word were obeyed, there would be a sudden exodus from our churches, for so many lives are burdened with unconfessed wrongs done to others. But if it were indeed heeded, there would be a new note in our praise, a new expectation in our petitions, because by being right with our brethren we would have authority to speak to our Father. (The Interpreter’s Bible: Volume V, 173-74)
Men and women, with their pride of intellect, want to understand everything. They say, ‘I’m not going to believe a thing if I don’t understand it. You say I must believe in God, but I can’t understand him.’
…If you could understand God, you would be equal to God! By definition, God cannot be understood. What you do in the presence of God is not try to understand, but bow down and worship–mystery! (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Way, Not Ours: Isaiah 1, 116)
Scripture itself condemns worship that is based only on human ideas: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isa 29:13). This word of God through Isaiah was repeated by Jesus in Mt 15:8-9 and Mk 7:6-7. Paul in Col 2:23 condemns “self-imposed worship,” worship unauthorized by God. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 39)
In the OT, God condemned formal worship that was not accompanied by a concern for compassion and justice (see Isa 1:10-17; Mic 6:6-8). In Hos 6:6, God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” God did, of course, desire sacrifice; this is a rhetorical exaggeration or hyperbole. But the point should not be missed that authentic worship includes a life that is obedient to God. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 9)
That human emotions and reactions are involved in worship is, of course, undeniable. Awe, fear, gratitude, and love may all be experienced in worship. The point is, however, that these are not the controlling factors. They do not constitute the true essence. In the Bible the beginning lies in the object of worship rather than the subject. Nor is this an indefinite object. It is not the mystery behind the universe. It is not the universe itself. It is not an unknown factor. It is not man’s own potentiality. The object of worship, at once its starting-point and controlling factor, is not a projection of man. It is God. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 975)
If you don’t see the absolute holiness of God, the magnitude of your debt, the categorical necessity of God’s just punishment of your sin, and therefore the utter hopelessness of your condition, then the knowledge of your pardon and deliverance will not be amazing and electrifying! — Tim Keller
D- Your approach to worship, unlike David’s, ought to sincerely and comprehensively search the Scriptures to see what they have to say about your worship so you can worship the Lord in holiness (see Lv; 1 Chr 15:13; Ps 51:17; 89:7; Isa 8:13; Acts 17:11)
Herein is terror for the wicked. Those who defy Him, who break His laws, who have no concern for His glory, but who live their lives as though He existed not, must not suppose that, when at the last they shall cry to Him for mercy, He will alter His will, revoke His word, and rescind His awful threatenings. Lo, He has declared, “Therefore will I also deal in fury: Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them” (Ezek 8:18). God will not deny Himself to gratify their lusts. God is holy, unchangingly so. Therefore God hates sin, eternally hates it. Hence the eternality of the punishment of all who die in their sins. (Arthur W. Pink; The Attributes of God, 40)
However important and exciting the ark may be, it is clear that there is also something perilous about it. The fate of Uzzah is a fearful warning against over-familiarity with God. His attitude to the thing should have been as reverent as his attitude to the Person. That, indeed, is the meaning of holiness. The ark belongs to God. It is specially his, consecrated to him. Therefore it is to be regarded with appropriate awe, and treated with appropriate respect. It is holy. (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chr, 67)
We no longer have God-prescribed “holy furnishings” to reverence as did God’s OT people. Living in the times of fulfillment, we no longer see God acting in judgment at all times with quite the same immediacy when the line of his will is crossed. (Although as the account of Ananias and Sapphira makes clear, God certainly hasn’t tied his hands behind his back!) The Apostle Paul says that God is pleased to treat us as “grown-ups,” no longer as children in elementary school who need a stricter discipline (see Gal 3:4 to 4:6). Led by the Spirit of Christ, we have great freedom in the outward, ceremonial aspects of worship.
Yet in speaking of another OT account in which God intervened to punish sin, Paul also wrote, “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did” (1 Cor 10:6). Across the ages, the Chronicler speaks to believers in the NT with great clarity. He tells us, “Don’t kid yourselves. God is serious about his law. He expects it to be obeyed.” (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 155)
The temple does not contain God as a cage contains a bird! God has been neither trapped nor tamed. Rather, God’s true home is beyond this created world, and His name is set upon the temple as a spiritual representation of Him (2 Chr 6:18, 20). The same theological point is evidently being made in the description of the ark as a place “where His name is proclaimed” (13:7). Both truths are affirmed, each one qualifying the other, lest too great or too little significance be attached to this dynamic representation of God. (Leslie Allen, Mastering the OT, 1, 2 Chr, 97)
Carelessness about the forms of religious practice may have indicated triviality about holy things. But equally out of place, and very frequent, is a superficial solemnity. It is a mood which derives from crude ideas of the Deity. There is a world of difference between such solemnity and true reverence. The former we can put on like a garment and plume ourselves that we are properly dressed for Sunday. The spiritual consequence of such an attitude of mind is apt to be only increased self-approval. Our need is an awareness that to God the secrets of our hearts are open, and consequent consciousness of what truly is sacred in his sight. The famous saying in Prv 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” would be better translated, “reverence for God . . . . “ Perhaps we may infer that as a result of poor Uzza’s death David began to be really reverent. (The Interpreter’s Bible: Vol III, 395)
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
That God should be dangerous, terrible and terrifying, may disturb many readers. However, the Bible often describes an encounter with God as terrifying. For example, following his dream at Bethel, Jacob “was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome [the KJV reads, ‘How dreadful’] is this place’” (Gn 28:17). At the burning bush, Moses “hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (Ex 3:6). In the NT, the disciples fall to the ground in terror when God speaks from heaven, affirming that Jesus is his son (Mt 17:6). They are also terrified when Jesus reveals his power by stilling the storm (Mk 4:40-41).
The point, in all of these texts, is that standing in the presence of God is at once wonderful and terrifying. Religion scholar Rudolf Otto (1958, 12-19) has defined the Holy as the Mysterium Tremendum, Latin for “the terrible mystery.” The holiness of God is awful in the ancient sense: full of awe; wonderful and terrible at the same time. We are at once drawn to God by strong cords of love and adoration, and frightened of God, filled with the overwhelming awareness that God is GOD, after all, and entirely unlike anything in our world. (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 56-57)
There is no subtler perversion of the Christian Faith than to treat it as a mere means to a worldly end, however admirable that end in itself may be. The Christian Faith is important because it is true. What it happens to achieve, in ourselves or in others, is another and, strictly speaking, secondary matter. For the Christian Faith will remain true whether we who profess it turn into heroic saints or into even more miserable sinners. We must insist that we worship God because he is God, not because we want something out of him. What a mean blasphemy it would be, to go through magnificent acts of public worship always with the dominant intention at the back of the mind — “This is really going to make a better chap of me!” What arrogance and presumption, to treat eternal God, throned in glory, as a visual aid to moral self-improvement. (Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think?, 110)
It is even possible that in so coming some of the worshipers were sincere. Sincerity, however, is not sufficient; it is no substitute for obedience to God’s commands. Unless one worships God in the manner, and only in the manner, which God Himself has prescribed, he will profane the LORD’s courts. (Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, Vol. 1, 64)
The debate gets so hot, it’s sometimes called ‘the worship wars.” Some churches are fighting for traditional forms of worship, and others are fighting for contemporary forms of worship. The traditional people accuse the contemporary people of being superficial, and the contemporary people accuse the traditional people of being irrelevant.
Isaiah points the way out of our wars into God’s peace by helping us think in God’s categories. His categories are not traditional versus contemporary worship but, more profoundly, acceptable versus unacceptable worship. And he has told us what kind of worship he considers acceptable: “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit” (Ps 51:17 NRSV). Acceptable worship is sweetened with a spirit of repentance. (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Preaching the Word: Isaiah, God Saves Sinners, 33)
Not only have the Israelites filled themselves with the world’s learning; they have filled themselves with the world’s values: wealth and power. In Isaiah’s time “horses” and “chariots” represented the most powerful weapons of war available. For a king to have a large chariot force was a sign of his wealth and power. This is why God forbade their multiplication in Dt 17:16 and why Solomon’s disobedience (1 Kg 10:28) was so serious.
Placing a premium on human wisdom and human values issues in human self-worship, and the outcome is idolatry–conceiving of the divine in human terms. Again and again throughout the book, Isaiah mocks the practice of idolatry as the use of human hands to make gods and questions how something made by us can possibly take care of us (17:8; 30:22; 40:18-20; 44:9-10; 46:5-7). Putting our trust in the creation instead of the Creator and trying to elevate ourselves to the place of God can only result in humiliation when the true God is revealed. (John N. Oswalt, The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah, 96-97)
To worship God is also to bow before his absolute, ultimate authority. We adore not only his power, but also his holy word. Psalm 19 praises God first for revealing himself in his mighty acts of creation and providence (vv. 1-6) and then for the perfection of his law (vv. 7-11). When we enter his presence, overwhelmed by his majesty and power, how can we ignore what he is saying to us? So, in worship we hear the reading and exposition of the Scriptures (see Acts 15:21; 1 Tm 4:13; Col 4:16; 1 Thes 5:27; Acts 20:7; 2 Tm 4:2). God wants us to be doers of that word, not hearers only (Rom 2:13; Jas 1:22-25; 4:11). (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 4)
As early as Gn 4, we learn that God “did not look with favor” on Cain and his offering (v. 5). In Lv 10:1-3, God destroys Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu because they “offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command.” (See also 1 Sm 13:7-14; 2 Sm 6:6-7 [compare 1 Chr 13:9-14; 15:11-15]; 1 Kgs 12:32-33; 15:30; 2 Chr 26:16-23; 28:3; Jer 7:31; 1 Cor 11:29-30). (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 37)
At its most elemental level, worship may be defined (as by E. Underhill, Worship, ch. 1) as “the response of the creature to the eternal” or “an acknowledgment of Transcendence.” That response or acknowledgment is best interpreted and expressed in terms of adoration as the worshiper, conscious of his or her creatureliness and finiteness, bows before the transcendent and wholly other being who is God. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. Four, 1131)
The OT rituals and ceremonies heavily accent this need for the worshiper’s preparation for and participation in the various prescriptions and requirements that have to be met. Consider David: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing” (2 Sm 24:24). “You cannot serve the Lord” was Joshua’s admonition (Josh 24:19) to a people who in their easygoing, idolatrous ways had forgotten that “he is a holy God; he is a jealous God,” who requires a whole-hearted and unshared dedication to His name and a commitment to His cause in terms of a full allegiance and avowal. Put into modern terms, these biblical verses stress the seriousness of our worship and the imperious claim it lays upon us. A flippant attitude to worship is obviously out of place and shows only that we have not yet even begun to understand what the worship of God is intended to be and do. Conversely, a deep sense of privilege in our approach to God will mean that our worship will be ordered with careful thought and thus will be acceptable to Him. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. Four, 1131)
If there is no wonder, no experience of mystery, our efforts to worship will be futile. There will be no worship without the Spirit.
If God can be understood and comprehended by any of our human means, then I cannot worship Him. One thing is sure. I will never bend my knees and say “Holy, holy, holy” to that which I have been able to decipher and figure out in my own mind! That which I can explain will never bring me to the place of awe. It can never fill me with astonishment or wonder or admiration. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 85)
When the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies, there was no levity, no laughter, no dirty stories, no talking about the outside world, no talking about his job, or what he was going to do next week. It was the most solemn event in his year. If there was sin in the priest’s life and if his life was not atoned for before he went in, God would strike him dead. The ancients inform us the High Priest had a rope tied on his leg and if God struck him, he was to be dragged out of the Holy of Holies. This was because no man could enter into the Holy of Holies to retrieve his body. There are always conditions put on our entering into God’s presence. Paul reminds us:
“That no flesh should glory in His presence” (I Cor 1:29).
Until we have dealt with the flesh, we cannot enter into the Holy of Holies, and glory in His presence. Paul asks: “. . . what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Cor 6:16-18).
God has admonished us to, “Be ye separate…Come out from among them.” Do not have anything to do with that which is unclean before God. Then God will receive us. Then we shall become His sons and daughters. Sons and daughters have the privilege of coming into the presence of their Father. (http://www.newfoundationspubl.org/mercy.htm)
The shocking story of Uzzah’s sudden death shows how holy the ark was, and thus it teaches us not to trifle with the holy things of God. Everything associated with God is holy; his name, his Word, and his worship. We must be very careful not to treat such holy things carelessly. We are in the presence of God. We should honor his name. We should hear his Word. We should revere his worship. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 816-17)
If worship is to be what it was meant to be, then there has to be knowledge of God, true faith in Him, a humble walk before Him, a recognition of His gracious acts, a commitment to His will and ways. When these are present, and only when they are present, true worship is possible and has its proper place. Worship by its very nature is confession and service. On the other hand, the forms of worship cannot be substitutes for the inner core of faith and obedience. To put it simply, offering and festival are of no value without a penitent, faithful, and obedient heart. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 982)
BOTTOM LINE: You can ONLY worship the Lord in holiness by being “IN CHRIST” (as the mercy seat -“hilasterion”- above the Ark) (Rom 3:25; 12:1-2; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:7-9; Heb 2:17; 7:23-28; 9:11-28; 10:1-25; 1 Pt 2:5; 1 Jn 4:10)
The NT often describes the saving work of Jesus Christ in terms of the mercy seat. It says that Jesus came to “make atonement for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17). It says, “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Rom 3:25). It says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 Jn 4:10). The word that the Bible uses in each of these verses (hilasterion) refers specifically to a sacrifice poured on the mercy seat. The cross of Christ is our mercy seat. It is the place where the blood of an atoning sacrifice reconciles us to God by coming between his holiness and our sin. The cross is the place where sinners can find mercy. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 821)
What the world needs is not knowledge; it is not teaching; it is not information; it is not medical treatment; it is not psychotherapy; it is not social progress; it is not punishment, even. It is none of these things.
What men and women need is a new heart, a new nature, a nature that will hate darkness and love the light, instead of loving the darkness and hating the light. They need an entire renovation, and, blessed be the name of God, it is the very thing that God offers in and through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Son of God came and took unto himself human nature. He united it to himself in order that he night give us that nature. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Way, Not Ours: Isaiah 1, 67)
That ark was the type of Jesus Christ, and it was the sacred depository of the law of God. The first time the law was given at Sinai and the tables were committed to the hands of Moses, as we read in the narrative, he let them fall upon the rocks as he descended from the mount, and they were broken. This was no mere accident, but it was the sad symbol of the broken law which man had already shattered by his transgressions. The second time that law was given by God on Mount Horeb and written on new tablets of stone, but this time He did not commit them to Moses to keep, but He commanded them to be put in the ark and there preserved. The ark, therefore, was the repository of the law. In this it is a perfect type of Christ, our Sanctifier. God gave us His law the first time and we broke it. He does not now in our sanctification trust us with it, for we should break it again; but Jesus keeps it for us, and keeps it in us. We receive Him into our hearts as an indwelling Presence, as our holy Ark, and in His heart that law is hidden and kept; and He, keeping it in us as once He kept it for us, becomes our sanctification. (A.B. Simpson, The Christ in the Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, 309-310)
In fact, all the commandments reflect the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the true God and as such is Himself the divine standard that we are called on to imitate. Jesus Christ is also true man and as such was perfectly obedient to God. He perfectly reflected God’s standard in human life. He alone of all human beings consistently and thoroughly served God and no idol. He alone kept pure the proper way of worshiping God, following God’s own commandments. He alone perfectly honored the name of God by perfectly revealing God in human form. He alone perfectly kept the Sabbath by accomplishing the re-creation of the world, the purpose to which the Sabbath pointed forward. He alone perfectly honored not only His human parents (Lk 2:51) but His Father in heaven. He alone single-mindedly sought and perfectly embodied the divine ordering and not the disordering of human life, sexuality, possessions, speech, and desires of the heart. All His achievements came to a climax on the cross. In obedience to God the Father, He surrendered to destruction and death His human authority, His life, His sexuality, His possessions, His power of speech, and His heart, in order that the Father would be obeyed and honored, and the disorders and death of humanity and creation be remedied. (Vern Poythress, Ph.D., The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, 92)
Satan would have us define ourselves as holy by the Law, when God gave us the law to define us as sinners. (Charles Swindoll, Insight for Living radio broadcast 9-9-98)
Jesus was zealous for the purity of worship–worship that he was going to make universally available through his death. Only by clarifying how the old system was intended could the new system have a place. Only by “destroying the temple” would Jesus be able to offer all believers personal access to God. Only by fulfilling the system of sacrifice could he become the perfect and final sacrifice for all mankind. The eventual destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. was the final evidence that the old system had been superseded by Jesus’ work on the cross and in the lives of those who believe in him. (Bruce B. Barton, D.Min., Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 46)
Worship point: We fail to worship when we fail to see the Lord as holy. We fail to worship when we fail to see that God made us in His image and we TOO are to be holy. When you see the Lord as He really is, you will not have to muster worship.
“The more we encounter the holy God in our worship, the more we will recognize our utter sinfulness and be driven to repentance. This, too, is an essential part of our praise.” (Marva Dawn, Reaching Out without Dumbing Down, 90)
Spiritual Challenge: Don’t make David’s mistake of failing to see the God of the Universe as holy. God is NOT the man upstairs, the big guy, or even a cosmic Santa Claus. The Lord is God Almighty. He made the universe by merely speaking a word. Without proper shielding (by our being clothed by the righteousness of Jesus) everyone of us would instantly perish in His presence. Never fail to regard the Lord God Almighty as holy, holy, holy. And trust in Jesus and HIS holiness to remake you into the image God intended for us to have: Holy.
Quotes to Note:
To “worship in spirit,” is to worship spiritually; to “worship in truth,” is to worship truly. They are not two different kinds of worship, but two aspects of the same worship. To worship spiritually is the opposite of mere external rites which pertained to the flesh; instead, it is to give to God the homage of an enlightened mind and an affectionate heart. To worship Him truly is to worship Him according to the Truth, in a manner suited to the revelation He has made of Himself; and, no doubt, it also carries with it the force of worshiping truly, not in pretense, but sincerely. Such, and such alone, are the acceptable worshipers. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 206)
They seek a purification of worship, not by its curtailment or reconstruction, but by concentration on the basic essentials. If worship is to be what it was meant to be, then there has to be knowledge of God, true faith in Him, a humble walk before Him, a recognition of His gracious acts, a commitment to His will and ways. When these are present, and only when they are present, true worship is possible and has its proper place. Worship by its very nature is confession and service. On the other hand, the forms of worship cannot be substitutes for the inner core of faith and obedience. To put it simply, offering and festival are of no value without a penitent, faithful, and obedient heart. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 982)
Although we today no longer offer blood sacrifices, we run the same danger as the people in OT times. That is, because we have performed certain religious activities, we believe God must do our will. We have prayed long and fervently; therefore, God must heal our child. We have gone to church every Sunday for months; therefore, God must give us a good job. We have read the Bible and prayed every day for weeks; therefore, God must lift our depression. These are not acts of worship but attempts at manipulation. We do not want God in our lives; we want what he can do for us. (John N. Oswalt, The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah, 332)
Because it is God they have insulted, and his law they have flouted, Isaiah can quite rightly assert that he has blinded them. Their spiritual insensibility is the result of the sheer hypocrisy of their religion. To such a people God’s words are unintelligible, the book is closed to them, they are spiritually illiterate. They go through the motions of worship, they have memorized the liturgy, but it is all meaningless to them, and God is a name and nothing more. Therefore he must speak through deeds of which there shall be no misunderstanding. Where words are unavailing, the sword shall give tongue to God. (The Interpreter’s Bible, 325)
There can be no more frightening motivation to listen to God than this, the thought that if you refuse to hear today, one day you might no longer be able to hear (Acts 28:26-28; Rom 1:24, 26, 28; Heb 4:1-11). (John N. Oswalt, The New International Commentary on the OT: Isaiah Chapters 1-39, 531)
To sanctify God’s Name is to regard that Name as holy and to act accordingly. It is to acknowledge Him as the Holy One of Israel, the One who is indeed the God of gods, utterly distinct from His creatures and separate from all evil, and to submit oneself to Him and His ways in all things. The mark of a true victory on God’s part is that men will sanctify His Name. (Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, Vol. 2, 332)
When God surprises you so that you can’t see through what God is doing in your life into the reason behind it, when he becomes opaque and mysterious, you are seeing something. You are seeing that God is God and you are not God. You are encountering him at a new level of profundity. You are discovering what it means to trust God and surrender to God rather than control him. If God never shocked you, you wouldn’t really know him, because you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between your notions of God and the reality of God. (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Preaching the Word: Isaiah, 160)
We need to do serious business with God more than we know. Isaiah doesn’t even bother mentioning the Assyrians, the obvious candidates to fit into a scenario of Jerusalem under siege. God himself is so immediately involved, we can look beyond the obvious. If we are under siege, God is the one we must reckon with. (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Preaching the Word: Isaiah, 161-62)
Their religion is found to be only verbal. It lacks heart, mind, and will. This affects the character of their worship. “Their fear,” means their attitude in worship. It should be founded on a divinely inspired awe, deep respect of the Holy One, but it has become “a human command,” which can be taught and recited without involving the will. (John D. W. Watts, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 1-33, 454)
The priests and Levites put a great deal of time and care into worship. Not only did they perform rather complicated tasks (described in Lev 1-9), they also took care of many pieces of equipment. Everything relating to worship was carefully prepared and maintained so they and all the people could enter worship with their minds and hearts focused on God.
In our busy world, it is easy to rush into our one-hour-a-week worship services without preparing ourselves for worship beforehand. We reflect and worry about the weeks’ problems; we pray about whatever comes into our minds; and we do not meditate on the words we are singing. But God wants our worship to be conducted “in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Cor 14:40). Just as we prepare to meet a business associate or invited guests, we should carefully prepare to meet our King in worship. (Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1991, 679)
It is not safe to treat God as an object of idle curiosity. — David Alexander, Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, 234
Christ:
our holy covering
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