The Completed Temple
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
What did you do this morning to prepare to worship?
I am sure like most people preparing for worship means getting to the building
no fighting, no tired arguing about getting up and coming to church
I am not even talking about the kids…
What did you expect to get out of worship?
We are looking at Solomon
we saw his kingdom firmly established a couple weeks ago
now, he has completed the temple
chapter 6 we see the temple dedicated, we see Solomon’s prayer to the Lord
today’s text, we see the Lord indwelling of the temple and the response of Israel
spoiler alert… it is worship
PRAY!
1 When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
2 The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord.
This is what we want to happen when we pray
the lord to show up in an astounding way, undeniable way
his glory was so thick the priests could not enter the temple…
imagine the Lord so thick in here that we could not come inside, we had to stay and worship outside the church building!
3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord: For he is good, for his faithful love endures forever.
what else would you do at this sight…
this is not out of compulsion, there is nobody making them do this
the glory of the Lod fills the temple… the people drop to their knees
they’re not in awe of a show… but of God
4 The king and all the people were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and goats. In this manner the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple.
142,000 animals!
think of the loud smelly mess that would be
this is not the smells like money like ranchers like to say
this smells like death!
not only the regular smell and sounds of animals
but you have the balling and smell of blood that comes with the sacrifices
and this is by the king… it does not say what was brought by the people
6 The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the Lord, which King David had made to give thanks to the Lord—“for his faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them. Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing.
“His faithful love endures forever…”
remember this is written after the exile, a reminder to the people coming back to Jerusalem of what had taken place before the exile
it is like the writer is tossing in a reminder…
7 Since the bronze altar that Solomon had made could not accommodate the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings, Solomon first consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the Lord’s temple and then offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings there.
So many animals they had to enlarge the area where they were making the sacrifices
they consecrated the outer courts
consecrate = to make holy, set apart for or to make ready for worship
8 So Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly, from the entrance to Hamath to the Brook of Egypt—observed the festival at that time for seven days.
9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar lasted seven days and the festival seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people home, rejoicing and with happy hearts for the goodness the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.
11 So Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. Everything that had entered Solomon’s heart to do for the Lord’s temple and for his own palace succeeded.
An encounter with the Lord compels a powerful response. Consider four reactions from Solomon, the priests, and Israel when the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
Everyone Fell to Their Knees
Everyone Fell to Their Knees
3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord: For he is good, for his faithful love endures forever.
They had heard stories of the Lord leading their ancestors out of Egypt by fire at night, and cloud during the day
I wonder how much they really believed it
this was not just a magic trick with fog machines where some were wondering who the man was behind the curtain
everyone saw this and fell to their knees
This was true worship not mere lip service
it was an acknowledgement of their knowing that what or who they are seeing is greater than they were
it was showing that they were in awe of what they were seeing
Would it help you if you had a physical in person thing to worship, would that stir your affections more
you could not help but raise your hands, drop to your knees
the problem might not be with what you see, but your heart
even physically seeing does not cause belief
parable of Lazarus and the rich man
Thomas believing when he sees the resurrected Jesus
My Lord and my God
29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Everyone fell to their knees because they beheld the glory of God
Sacrifices Were Made
Sacrifices Were Made
4 The king and all the people were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and goats. In this manner the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple.
Notice… not only the king, the one with all the money, was sacrificing…
all the people
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
We are okay with the verse telling us that our lives must be a sacrifice
but not when the preacher tells us that includes our money
have there been and are there still preachers who have taken advantage of the church and money… of course
if our jaws clinch when money comes up from the pulpit, you may have an idol
The amount given by Solomon
most believe it would come out to about 75 million
cattle sheep and goats
Solomon the richest in the world is sacrificing 75 million
that is a cost, a hit
that is what a sacrifice is
It is easy to say I live for Jesus, yet live like the world
Does God need our money, no.
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me.
9 I will not take a bull from your household or male goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
God is after your heart
the tight grip that we have on our money and our things reveals what we truly hold dear.
what we truly love in our heart
Singing and Playing of Instruments
Singing and Playing of Instruments
6 The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the Lord, which King David had made to give thanks to the Lord—“for his faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them. Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing.
Who are the priests and levites…
Levite tribe (descendants of Levi) had been set aside to work for the Lord
they received no allotment of land when they entered the promise land and where to have a portion from each tribe
priests were also descendants of Levi, but more specifically, descendants of Aaron
they are in charge of worship and interceding between God and his people
This is not spontaneous worship, they are planned out, prepared to worship
they were standing at their stations
they had the musical instruments that had been made for this purpose, to lead in offering praise
We should not walk in the door and expect worship to happen
Spontaneous worship can happen…
but that is not what this is, that is not what happens on a Sunday
Our worship begins before we ever leave our homes
Lord prepare me and my heart to enter into your presence today!
it is not the churches, the worship leaders or anyone else’s responsibilities to stir your emotions for the Lord
come with a heart prepared to encounter the living God and your heart will cry out in worship
Praise for the Fulfilled Promises
Praise for the Fulfilled Promises
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people home, rejoicing and with happy hearts for the goodness the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.
you do not offer 10’s of thousands of animals in a day… this worship service went on for weeks
at the end of it, they were praising God all the way home for all that he had done
not just in those weeks, but for the people of Israel
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders. His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night. His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm. His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through, His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings— His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan— His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant. His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes. His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature. His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven! His faithful love endures forever.
God had promised the people… a great nation, a place to dwell with him as their refuge
In Solomon’s prayer of chapter 6, he praises God for fulfilling that promise
then the spirit of the Lord comes into the temple
At the end of this, the people go home still praising God for fulfilling the promise
you have done great things…
the spoken word also leads our hearts to praise him
If you only are stirred to praise the Lord through music, but his word is boring to you it may just be that you are in it for an emotional experience, not the Lord himself!
this event included true worship of proclaiming the promises of God, sacrificial giving, music and singing,
and it lasted more than the event, it went home with them
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Great Awakening of the 18th century in America ignited a passion for faith that reshaped the religious landscape. Preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield drew large crowds, speaking with fervor and urgency. As individuals repented and turned to God, their lives began to reflect this newfound faith. This revival did not stop with the individuals; it led to social reforms, including abolition and educational advancements. The legacy of the Great Awakening shows that when God's presence manifests powerfully, the effects endure for generations.
I believe we will see another great awakening
but not starting with big name preachers drawing large crowds
I believe it will be because a generation will rise up wanting to know the truth about God because they see the evil all around them
I am encouraged by the younger generation that we see coming to the Lord
not interested in games or fluff
they want to know the truth, not your opinion on the truth,
they want to know what does the Bible say, not your opinions about what that means
I believe we will see many come to Christ, believing the true gospel
and that it can begin with us, the local church
when we stand in awe of what God has done and how he has fulfilled his promises
when we leave here rejoicing because we have been with the Lord and each other
it will be infectious!
