Seeking God's Face
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Welcome
Happy 4th of July! Happy birthday America!
Any visitors spending the holiday with us? - We like it when you’re here!
My name is Blair…
Bible in 5 years
Series on 1-2 Chronicles
What is 1-2 Chronicles?
What is 1-2 Chronicles?
Actually one big scroll named Chronicles
Combined, 1st & 2nd Chronicles carry the largest word count of any book in the Old Testament.
Chronicles is so long, that the scroll needed to hold all of these words would have been too large and cumbersome to work with.
Not every synagogue could afford to produce or handle such a scroll.
So they split it in two.
1st & 2nd Chronicles
They did the same thing with 1-2 Samuel & 1-2 Kings.
Another thing to remember is that the Jewish people didn’t study the Old Testament as we know it today.
They didn’t call it the Old Testament.
They called it, the Tanakh - acronym
Torah - Law
Nevi’im - Prophets
Ketuvim - Writings
The last scroll of the Tanakh, the last scroll of the Ketuvim was Chronicles.
Scholars go back and forth over whether Malachi or Chronicles was the last piece of scripture written before Jesus came…
There is some debate…
But the fact still remains that Chronicles was one of, if not THE last book of the Old Testament that was written.
And the Jewish people placed it at the very end of their scriptures.
This is significant.
Chronicles was likely written by a scribe in the Levitical priesthood (many think the author is Ezra).
It is meant to be a summary of all that takes place in the Hebrew scriptures.
The first word of Chronicles: Adam
The last verses in Chronicles point to the coming Messiah.
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The temple was built in 957BC
Israel was exiled in 586BC when Babylon attacked
In 538BC, the last verses on Chronicles tells us that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he releases all of Israel to return to their promised land.
They came home and built the 2nd Temple in 515BC
This scroll is dated to around 430BC.
About 100 years after Israel returned to their homeland.
The hope was that Israel would...
return to the promise land,
rebuild their temple,
dedicate themselves to God,
and God would come down and dwell with them, blessing them, until the coming of the Messiah who would be their King.
All nations would fall under His rule.
None of that has happened yet.
This “chronicler” and all of Israel is looking forward to that Messiah.
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There is one very clear theme you are going to find all throughout Chronicles:
God is going to one day dwell with mankind and reign as King.
God is going to one day dwell with mankind and reign as King.
The “chronicler” takes this as FACT.
You find this truth echoed all over scripture, of course.
And it is very important to remember that prophecies can be true for more than one event.
And this prophecy applies, simultaneously, to 3 different events on the timeline.
Jesus in the flesh, 2000 years ago.
He physically lived with us and was the cornerstone for the kingdom that He is building, a kingdom that He will rule.
The Holy Spirit living in our hearts today, as followers of Christ
The Spirit of God is dwelling with us, inside of us, asking that we surrender to His kingship.
The coming return of Jesus in glory, in victory. The Day of the Lord.
We will dwell with Him for eternity and He will receive all of the praise, glory and honor befit for the King of Kings.
We’re still waiting for that day.
So with that, let’s seek wisdom from the Lord and dive into the text.
prayer
Turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 7.
In chapter 7, we have Solomon’s temple, the first temple, completed.
Solomon takes chapter 6 to make an offering and send up a prayer to God as kind of a “ribbon cutting ceremony” for the temple.
This is how God responds.
1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.
FIRE
What does Fire symbolize in the scriptures?
What does Fire symbolize in the scriptures?
It symbolizes several things:
fire demonstrates his glory and His power over the laws of nature
think Moses & the burning bush
God made it so that the fire burned without using the bush as fuel
He is sovereign over physics and nature.
We often times see fire when God wants to Validate His chosen servants
Elijah and his battle with Baal on Mt. Carmel
Elijah vs Baal, hilarious action movie type of story from 1 Kings 18
We also see fire when God is Executing judgement
Sodom & Gommorah
A story from the book of Genesis
Two wicked cities, God decides to offer judgement in the form of fire.
Utter destruction follows.
But I would argue that there is a more universal truth we can discover from the symbolism we see when God uses FIRE to reveal Himself:
This is what God’s divine fire ALWAYS tells us:
It’s the whole theme of Chronicles:
God wants to dwell with us.
God wants to dwell with us.
Fire from God always shows us this.
Watch.
In John 4:24, Jesus says:
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
And when the Spirit of God takes on physical form, it manifests itself as fire.
Everytime we see fire, we see God stepping into our world and interacting with us directly.
Attempting to bridge a gap for us.
His Spirit is present in the fire.
God led the Hebrews out of Egypt as a column of fire by night.
Shadrack Meshack and Abednego refuse to bow and worship anyone other than Yahweh.
The Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar threw all 3 into a fire.
A fire so hot that the guards that threw them in turned to ash.
The King looks into the fire and what does he see? FOUR men standing in the fire. Unconsumed.
Immanuel, God with Us, AMEN?
At Pentecost, in the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit descending on those gathered as tongues of fire.
If you live with the spirit of Jesus in you and seek Him daily, you will find yourself set on fire.
If you die without the spirit of Jesus in you, you don’t seek Him, you will find yourself, similarly… set on fire. The same fire than will consume Satan and his demons.
FIRE is a terribly important symbol to understand in scripture.
When Solomon and Israel saw fire come from heaven, they did what we all need to do when we see the spirit of God working in our lives, in our hearts, in our friends and families.
They worshiped.
1. God’s people should worship.
1. God’s people should worship.
3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”
Why did Israel choose that specifically to be thankful for?
Mercy?
Why not,
“For He is good, he rescues His people from captivity.”
For He is good, he has proven mighty over our enemies
For He is good, he has given us wealth and power and comfort?
Why did they say, “for He is good, His MERCY endures forever”?
Because when they saw that fire come down…
Holy, heavenly, divine flames that embody the Spirit of a divine creator…
They saw just how small they really were...
… and they knew they didn’t deserve it.
All of Israel knew that THOSE flames…
… the flames of justice…
… should have consumed them instead of their offering.
They did not deserve that which God had given them in His mercy… FIRE.
They didn’t even deserve the offering.
But the Lord accepted it.
Israel did what Americans have stopped doing for a long time now:
They recognized just how undeserving they were of the gifts they have been given.
And they called it what it was:
MERCY.
We are such an entitled country.
Each and every one of us in here, in one way or another, thinks we are OWED some things in this life.
How many of you hit 16 and looked at your parents with your hand out.
Where are the keys, dad? What car are you gonna get me?
Having your own vehicle is mostly expected in this country.
To not have a vehicle is to be on the outside looking in, in our society.
Most of us here grew up and still live with the expectation that every American home needs
Internet
TV
Air Conditioning
Running Water
We have gotten so used to this level of comfort, to deviate from it would be completely… unfair… wouldn’t it?
100 years ago, most of the globe had no access to ANY of those things. And they made it just fine.
We are not OWED these things, just like we are not OWED anything but judgement by God.
In fact, it is us who owes Him EVERYTHING.
Don’t you see that even the very breath you draw into your lungs is another gift, given in excess to us.
A people who live and dwell in tents of rebellion.
We are the ones that have broken the law.
We are the ones that have strayed and turned away.
We are the ones who have been unfaithful.
And in spite of all that…
… the fire consumed, not the people of Israel, not the sinners, but their meager offering.
FIRE. MERCY.
We should take a page from Israel’s book, stained as it is, and worship Him because of His mercy.
And we should let that mercy drive us to repentance.
2. God’s people should repent.
2. God’s people should repent.
12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
Quick note here: God chooses the place for Himself.
There are so many directions we can take that tidbit of wisdom, but here’s one that I want you to keep in mind:
In the NT, Paul tells us that our body is a temple meant to carry the Holy Spirit.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
It’s one of the main reasons God had Israel build a temple in the OT, it was foreshadowing the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit now.
That means we can read 2 Chronicles 7:12 and uncover 2 truths:
God chooses the place where His Spirit will dwell.
God chooses the heart that follows Him.
And nobody that is here today is here by accident.
So if God is choosing you to surrender to Him, you probably already know it. Or feel it. And you’ve probably felt it for some time
God decrees that these places he chooses, these temples, are to be houses of SACRIFICE.
That means that if you want the Spirit of God, if you want the FIRE from heaven to fill you and lead you and move you…
You need to be ready to sacrifice.
Specifically, you need to be ready to sacrifice your love for your sin.
You need to sacrifice your love for control.
You need to sacrifice you hatred for those who have wronged you, terrible as it may have been.
You need to sacrifice… the very things that you cling to, that keep you from getting closer and deeper in relationship with the very Spirit of God.
Sacrifice those pieces of yourself, the pieces of you that were given by the World, and let the FIRE consume them.
MERCY.
Because we should be charged.
Instead, we are saved.
And a true follower of Christ, someone who wants to prepare the way for the Lord…
They will let that fire, drive them to repentance.
Verse 13:
13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
More simply:
“When I bring my judgement upon you”
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. Temple Building (2:1–7:22)
Unlike ancient Israel, America is not a covenant nation. God has made no promise to our physical ancestors that guarantees our national status.
Israel was a covenant nation and had to fulfill these conditions for divine blessing,
America as a nation certainly has no
The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. Temple Building (2:1–7:22)
But for those of us who are Christians, the covenant blessings do apply.
Let me prove it to you:
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. Temple Building (2:1–7:22)
All the promises of salvation, mercy, forgiveness of sins, and spiritual prosperity are ours to claim as long as we remain faithful to God.
We’ll touch more on that in our third point.
The late, great John MacArthur put it this way:
The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. Temple Building (2:1–7:22)
That is why the spiritual state of the church in our nation is the key to the blessing of the nation as a whole. If God is going to bless America, it will not be for the sake of the nation itself. He blesses the nation, and has always done so, for the sake of His people. If we who are called by His name are not fulfilling the conditions for divine blessing, there is no hope whatsoever for the rest of the nation.
John MacArthur is saying, God doesn’t bless America because His favorite colors are Red, White & Blue and He has a soft spot for “good ol’ boys”…
If that were true the Dallas Cowboys would have won a Superbowl in my lifetime.
No…
God blesses America because it is filled with people that seek Him.
John MacArthur continues with this…
The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. Temple Building (2:1–7:22)
On the other hand, if the church is fit to receive God’s blessing, the whole nation will be the beneficiary of that, because the Word of God will be proclaimed with power.
God will add to His church, and spiritual blessings of all kinds will result. And those are the truest blessings of all, [good for all].
2 Chronicles 7:14 is promise that we can take to the bank.
One reason is because it was true for King Solomon.
Solomon’s prayer in chapter 6 pretty much nails the key points in 7:14.
18 “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!
[Humility: the house I have built for you, LORD… IS NOT WORTHY]
19 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you,
[this is Solomon’s prayer, his plea… ]
20 that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house [turn your face], the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.
[…Turn your face to us and listen to the prayers spoken in this house]
21 And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
Hear my prayers, God.
And when you hear my plea, when you hear my begging, when I fold my hands and bow my head…
WHEN I COME BEFORE THE THRONE… FORGIVE.
When your prayers go FROM asking for STUFF…
and instead turn into humble pleas for God to keep changing you, so that you don’t stay the same sinner you were when He found you.…
When you start yearning for forgiveness and reconciliation instead of material wealth, you start sending prayers up that carry a pleasing aroma.
When your faith wins out over your fear, and you choose to trust Jesus even though the trial you are currently in seems insurmountable…
FIRE. MERCY.
God’s desire is not to punish, but to redeem.
God’s desire is not to punish, but to redeem.
15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
Remember, this promise is not just for Solomon and his temple, this is looking forward to the future temples:
The one in your heart
The one that Jesus will rule from for eternity when He comes back.
The next verse takes us to our third and final point this morning:
3. God’s people should stay faithful.
3. God’s people should stay faithful.
Let’s go verse by verse and summarize from an eternal perspective, one that we can relate to in 2026:
17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
If you do the things that I have told you to do...
Which is… to put it very simply…
… choose Him. choose God.
18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’
I will establish a Kingdom and you will be a citizen.
19 “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them,
But if you don’t choose me and instead follow the wishes of other idols…
20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
then I will cast you out and not allow you into my presence, for eternity.
21 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’
People will look at you and know your downfall comes from your rebellion against your maker.
22 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”
because the didn’t choose the Lord, the one who saved them every day of their lives, sent His only Son to die for them… they still chose to follow those other gods… the ones that don’t satisfy…
That’s why calamity has been brought upon them.
This is a giant blinking red warning for everyone here:
BE CAREFUL WALKING AWAY FROM THE LORD…
BE WARNED!!
To walk away from God in the moments of your day is to choose sin over blessing.
To walk away from God as a heart posture is to be cast out. Forever.
Call up worship team
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Today is the 4th of July. America’s 250th birthday.
251 years ago, General George Washington took command of the Continental Army
It was July 3rd, 1775.
The next day, July 4th, exactly 1 year before America declared her sweet sweet Independence to the Fat King George in England, General George Washington wrote his very first General Order for the Army.
The very first order he issues to his new command, was this:
The General most earnestly requires, and expects, a due observance of those articles of war, established for the Government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkeness; And in like manner requires and expects, of all Officers, and Soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine Service, to implore the blessings of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence.
General George Washington, General Orders, July 4th 1775
Day 1 on the job and George is like,
“Okay everybody, we follow a higher power that calls us to act differently than the world. We need to stay faithful to that calling.
And because of that, Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY is going to go to church ever Sunday and pray for help defending America.”
George Washington later says this in his General Orders on the topic of attending church weekly:
While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the HIGHER duties of religion. To the distinguished character of PATRIOT, it should be our HIGHEST glory to add the MORE distinguished character of Christian.
General George Washington, General Orders, May 2 1778
George is saying:
Hey, while we are trying to be good citizens and fight a war at the same time, let’s not forget what’s important here: Religion, relationship with God.
If you consider yourself a PATRIOT, then it should be even MORE important that you strive to be a Christian.
George Washington. He told us to be Christians first, Patriots second.
That is not what Washington tells our country these days.
General Washington finishes with this:
The instances of providential goodness that we have experienced, and which have bow almost crowned our labors with complete success, demand from us the warmest returns of gratitude and piety to the Supreme Authority of all good.
They were at war, and George is saying:
Of all the times we have won the day or narrowly escaped seemingly by fate or luck… that wasn’t by accident.
In fact ALL of the spoils and victories born of our hard work were not won from any of our own effort.
They all come from God.
And knowing that DEMANDS that we return the warmest form of gratitude and worship to the Supreme Authority of all good.
That is the man who helped build this country.
That is the America that I want my children to live in.
An America that has not forgotten her first love.
An America that returns to faithfulness.
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possible ending if over-time.
God’s people should stay faithful.
But the truth is… we won’t.
We will not stay faithful.
Each and every one of us in here.
Adulterers to the Lord.
Every day we have, and we will continue to do so until we are freed from our flesh in death.
But God doesn’t want perfection. He wants worship. He wants repentance. He wants a heart that yearns to be faithful.
This point brings to mind a story, one of the oldest ones we have.
Closing
Closing
We started this message by looking at times when the Lord has chosen to use fire to connect with His creation.
Let me tell you about the very first time He did this.
Abraham. Genesis 15.
God makes his covenant with Abraham
Your offspring will be numbered as the start
I will rescue your descendants from Egypt
Then He has Abraham get a bunch of animals and cut them in half.
What does that mean?
Soldiers going to war
Walking through split animal corpses
“Cutting” a Covenant with the King
If I fail my mission, let me be as these beasts - put to death.
But look at how God takes this common practice and turns it on its head.
Instead of the King making his subject “cut a covenant”, the King cuts the covenant Himself.
He puts Abraham to sleep, in the same way he put Adam to sleep, and the LORD passes between the animals…
AS FIRE.
If either of us breaks this covenant, let me be put to Death.
Of course, the covenent was broken by humanity and God was faithful with His end end of the deal: Death would come for His Son in the form of a cross.
I’ll say it again.
God does not want your perfection.
He wants your worship.
He wants your repentance. He wants your faithfulness.
