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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJabez Burns Sermons: 859. 2Ch 30:23. Delight in Divine Ordinances
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2Ch_30:23. Delight in Divine Ordinances
"And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness."—2Ch_30:23.
Our text refers to a very interesting public religious service, convened by the good king Hezekiah. Apostasy and profanity had fearfully ravaged the nation. A work of reformation was now attempted; and a public service for confession of sin, and a reverential regard to divine ordinances, was convened. "So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return unto the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now, be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified forever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him."—2Ch_30:6-9. The service was duly held. "And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord. And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers."—2Ch_30:21, 2Ch_30:22.
After this protracted service of seven days, the whole assembly took counsel, and they resolved to keep other seven days; and they did so with gladness. This, then, is the subject of our discourse.
We wish to ground two propositions on the text.
I. Why the people of God should delight in religious worship.
And,
II. How they will evince it. Notice, then,
I. Why the people of God should delight in religious worship.
They should do so on account,
1. Of its divine authority.
God demands it. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God" is his great command. He has expressly appointed it; sanctioned it with promised rewards; and disobedience to it he has connected with severe threatenings. The intelligences of heaven worship him; and even inanimate nature is called upon to join in the hallowed service. Hence the Psalmist exclaims—"Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created."—Psa_148:1-5. And, "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul."—Psa_103:20-22.
They do so because,
2. Of its adaptation to man's nature and powers.
A contemplation of the great, and glorious, and good, produces emotions of pleasure. Nearly all the tribes of men worship something. One nation adores the glorious orb of day—another the wind—and another the invisible spirit. Others make idols to represent their imaginary deities. It is obvious that man was destined for religious homage—reverence—prayer—faith—and adoration.
To worship God, is to direct the powers of the mind to the right and only object, worthy of it. Man is thus lifted up into holy contact with his Creator; he comes into spiritual connection with the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity; and this is the summit of human greatness, and the perfection of man's blessedness and glory.
3. Because public worship harmonizes with the social constitution of man.
Secret prayer and meditation are necessary, and truly precious; but man was destined to sympathize most with his fellowmen. Thus they minister to each other's delight; thus they excite and provoke one another to higher and holier exercises. The holy emotion goes from eye to eye, and from heart to heart. The sorrowful lose their griefs amid the sunshine of the service—the joyous have their ecstasies chastened and sanctified, by their communing with the distresses of the sad. The poet has sweetly sung—
"Lo, what an entertaining sight
Are brethren that agree;
Brethren, whose cheerful hearts unite
In bands of piety.
When streams of love, from Christ the spring,
Descend to every soul;
And heavenly peace, with balmy wing,
Shades and bedews the whole."
The atmosphere of worship is evidently adapted to produce social affection, and sympathy, and benignity. Hence, all ranks, and classes, and conditions, are the better for their union and communion in the hallowed services of God's house; and the constant attendant on divine services feels, as he sings—
"Peace be within this sacred place,
And joy a constant guest!
With holy gifts and heavenly grace
Be her attendants blest.
My soul shall pray for Zion still,
While life or breath remains;
There my best friends, my kindred dwell,
There God my Saviour reigns."
4. Divine worship involves the most interesting and sacred exercises.
(1.) The attainment of the highest knowledge. Here they hearken to the oracles of truth and life, and obtain supplies of celestial wisdom.
(2.) The offering of sweet and hallowed praise. Returning God thanks for all his mercies—blessing and exalting his holy and glorious name. Praise for life and being—for health and strength—for mental faculties and moral powers—for food and raiment—for prolonged probation, and for renewed mercies—for the chief of gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ—the precious gospel—the throne of mercy, and the bright hope of a boundless bliss in the world to come. How extensive the sphere of praise! How multiplied the benefits to be acknowledged! And how ardent the heart should be, that is thus employed! How exultingly the pious heart bursts forth—
"Praise ye the Lord! my heart shall join
In work so pleasant, so divine,
Now, while the flesh is my abode,
And when my soul ascends to God.
Praise shall employ my noblest powers
While immortality endures;
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
While life and thought and being last."
(3.) Humble prostration, a sense of unworthiness before God, and devout supplication for mercy and grace. What subject for enlargement! The ignorant seeking knowledge—the guilty seeking pardon—the polluted seeking holiness—the weak seeking strength—the mortal man seeking eternal life, and everlasting glory; besides, all earnestly uniting in prayer, and intercession, and thanksgiving, for all mankind. Oh yes! these services are good and pleasant, and profitable to the soul. No wonder our sacred national bard should portray it so beautiful, when he sings—
"Lord, how delightful 'tis to see
A whole assembly worship thee!
At once they sing, at once they pray;
They hear of heaven, and learn the way."
And when he avers—
"I have been there, and still would go;
'Tis like a little heaven below."
We should delight in it, because,
5. Divine worship is connected with the greatest of all blessings.
Divine and spiritual illumination of soul—conviction of conscience, and sorrow for sin—repentance and reform of life—production of faith, and acceptance with God—sanctification of the soul, and its conformity to the divine likeness—obedience to the divine authority—delight in the divine government—resignation under adverse dispensations—elevation of the soul to heavenly things—and withal an increasing meetness for endless glory.
The house of God is the school of celestial training for the service of the skies. It is the palace of present joy, and the very gate to Jehovah's exalted temple in heaven. No marvel that the Psalmist should exclaim—"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple."—Psa_27:4.
Surely these are ample reasons for delighting in the worship of God.
We proceed then to show,
II. How this delight will be evinced.
It will be manifested,
1. By the holy cheerfulness which will distinguish our attendance.
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord."—Psa_22:1. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."—Psa. lxxxiv
1, 2, 10. The attendance will not be reluctant, or late, or irregular; but cheerful, willing, and constant. They will feel, and sing—
"Sweet is the work, my God and King,
To praise thy name, give thanks and sing;
To show thy love by morning light,
And talk of all thy truth by night."
2. By the spirit which will characterize the worship itself.
It will be reverential and humble—not self-laudatory, and pharisaical. Adoring and grateful; the soul's highest and sweetest emotions will be excited, and presented to God. Spiritual and heavenly—not bodily service merely—not earthly homage; but the employment of the mind and soul, in which heavenly aspirations, desires, and associations, will be cherished and cultivated. It, will be enjoyed as a privilege, and not considered as a duty only. The heart will be really in it, and it will not be wearisome; but there will rather be sorrow and regret when it is over. And as in the text, the worshippers would fain prolong the service, and continue the hallowed exercises; each one exclaiming—
"My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,
And gladly sing herself away,
To everlasting bliss."
3. By the moral fruits of worship which we shall exhibit.
We shall show that it makes us wiser, holier, more heavenly-minded—that it exalts and dignifies the soul—gives moral beauty and celestial loveliness to the spirit—that we carry a sense of God's presence with us, so that the world will take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus. Just as things bear away the fragrant odor of the boxes in which they have been placed; so God's people will carry with them, from the house and services of God, the sweet fragrances of divine things; and they will appear to others as the seed which God has blessed.
4. By giving the interests of divine worship our cordial and liberal support.
How the Israelites did this in reference to the erection of the tabernacle! How most modern instances of liberality are thrown into the shade, by the accounts given to us of the holy zeal and devotedness which they exhibited! "The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses."—Exo_35:29. "And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing."—Exo_36:3-6.
So David, and the nobles, and the people, in reference to the temple. It is worthy of remark, how all orders and classes assisted most cheerfully in the great work. It is said of the king, besides the costly materials he had provided, that he said—"Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the house withal."—1Ch_29:3, 1Ch_29:4. And of the nobles, and chiefs of the people—"Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God, of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found, gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite."—1Ch_29:6-8. And all this was followed by the general offerings of the people—"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy."—1Ch_29:9.
If we love divine worship, we shall freely and liberally support it, as God gives us the means; and we shall ever recognize the pious sentiments of the king of Israel, who devoutly said—"Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee."—1Ch_29:12-14.
Now in proportion to our delight in divine worship, our support will be cheerfully given. This support will also include our time, our influence, and our prayers to God for his blessing. We shall labor, and give, and pray; and do all with a single eye to the glory of God.
Such will be the evidences of ardent attachment to divine worship.
Application
(1.) Let the subject lead us to self-examination. Do we thus love God's house and ordinances? Do we eagerly anticipate them—spiritually enjoy them—and would we most gladly prolong them? Would we, as in the text, "keep other seven days with gladness?"
(2.) Let it excite us to greater attachment. Are we not liable to cool in our ardor—to slacken in our service? And do not earthly things often take away the holy relish for spiritual services? If so, let the subject stir us up, and lead us to a more entire consecration to God's service.
(3.) Let it connect the worship of earth with that of heaven. Soon we shall be present in earthly ordinances for the last time. Every service lessens the number of those exalted privileges, and others will be called to occupy our places, both of responsibility and enjoyment. But let the sanctuary, with its blissful exercises, be spiritually regarded, and then their termination here will be followed by the temple services of glory—by the enjoyment of the grand and endless Sabbath above—and by the ravishing delights and pleasures, which are at God's right hand, for evermore. Oh! realize "then the sentiments—
"Ours, Saviour, may these glories be,
When earthly joys are past;
And having lived on earth to thee,
May we exchange, at last,
This house—these hours of praise and prayer
For holier—happier worship there."