PRECEPT AND PRINCIPLE
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
In order to introduce you to what I want to discuss in this lesson, I would to set before your mind two words: precept and principle
In order to introduce you to what I want to discuss in this lesson, I would to set before your mind two words: precept and principle
A precept is a law. For instance, a sign posted on a certain road that says 35 mph warns us of a precept or law that limits the speed on that road.
A principle has to do with the good-sense reason behind the precept or law. Apparently, there was some reason behind why that piece of road was posted with a 35-mph sign. In this case the principle behind the lower speed is for the safety of others – walking or driving.
The truth is, we need both the sign and an understanding of the good sense behind the sign (the precept and the principle) to ensure maximum safety on the road.
I want you to file these two concepts (precept and principle) in an easy to get to spot in your mind.
I want you to file these two concepts (precept and principle) in an easy to get to spot in your mind.
In our lesson we are going to show that we need both precept and principle in the spiritual highway of life in order to be right with God.
Wanting to please God is good
But pleasing God the way He wants to be pleased is crucial
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We find David now as the new king over all of Israel, and one of his items of priority was to bring spiritual worship back to God’s people.
To initiate this dramatic change in direction, David decided that the Ark of the Covenant should be brought up to Jerusalem and placed in a prominent spot.
You will remember that the ark was captured by the Philistines
Later sent away to house of Abinadab because of the trouble it brought the Philistines …
It had been there for 20 years! (1 Sam. 4-6).
DISCUSSION
DAVID’S GREAT JOY IN BRINGING THE ARK TO JERUSALEM
DAVID’S GREAT JOY IN BRINGING THE ARK TO JERUSALEM
1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. 3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
So it was a time of great rejoicing, and 30,000 of Israel’s choicest men supervised and assisted. Music and celebration filled the air
Notice with me David’s motives – they are pure.
He thought what he was doing was to the pleasure of God.
There many today who think they are doing various things to please God
But there is a problem - they “think” they are pleasing God - they have a good motive, but their actions are wrong
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
But with David, something happened that was totally unexpected.
It shocked David to the core of his being and taught him a lesson about God that he would never forget
This is a lesson we need to learn as well
It is a lesson that many are ignoring in the religious world, and sadly even in the church
GOD’S INTERVENTION IN THE CELEBRATION
GOD’S INTERVENTION IN THE CELEBRATION
6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
The description makes it sound like perhaps the oxen were spooked and lurched ahead suddenly, and the ark started to slide off the cart.
Uzzah, not wanting to see the ark fall to the ground, put his hand against it so that it would not fall.
That sounds like a good thing to do. Right? … but notice...
7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
Whoa! What is this?
God kills Uzzah for trying to stop the ark from falling to the ground?
Doesn't that sound a bit harsh? Apparently, David thought it was.
8 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day.
Now, can you imagine what happened to the festivities in progress?
Suddenly they stopped dead as the lifeless body of Uzzah was carried away.
David was confused and angry.
Maybe we might have been angry too.
What’s going on? David “thought” he was doing something to please God - and this is how he is rewarded?
9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? 10 So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
You see, David had done all this in great sincerity and concern for the things of God.
His motives were pure. He wanted to please the Lord.
Then to see the Lord reach out and slap it all down – it was a great shock to David.
How could God do such a thing to Uzzah for just trying to keep the ark from falling?
He thought he was doing a good thing
He thought God would be pleased
I will explain to you what had happened in just a few minutes.
There is more here than meets the eye.
For now, let’s just say that it had to do with those two little words I gave you in the introduction.
Remember them? Precept and Principle.
So the plan to move the ark to Jerusalem is abandoned, and everyone went home bewildered.
2 Samuel 6:12a (KJV 1900)
12 And it was told king David, saying, The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God...
Obed-edom is rolling in blessings – the Lord had blessed his household in some marvelous way
So David is determined to try again to move the ark to Jerusalem
DAVID TRIES AGAIN TO BRING THE ARK INTO THE CITY
DAVID TRIES AGAIN TO BRING THE ARK INTO THE CITY
2 Samuel 6:12b–15
...So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
Amazingly, this time David succeeds
16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
Well, what can we make of this?
David’s first attempt at bringing the ark to Jerusalem blew up in his face and the second attempt came off without a hitch. Why?
Well, if all we had to read was 2 Samuel we might be left only to wonder. You see...
God had given instruction concerning the carrying of the ark…
God had given instruction concerning the carrying of the ark…
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
David had failed in doing it God’s way
David had failed in doing it God’s way
12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.
David had the right principle but ignored the precept
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
TWO VALUABLE LESSONS LEARNED
TWO VALUABLE LESSONS LEARNED
God cares about both the principles and precepts of His word.
God cares about both the principles and precepts of His word.
It seems that the church is full of people who what to emphasize one of these requirements to the exclusion of the other – this often makes the church into a battleground
This mentality promotes division in the church
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
It is important to do things God’s way, but some can become so concerned about precepts that they become as the Pharisees and make laws where God had not made them… anti-ism
It is important that we do forget the reason behind doing something
On the other hand, some emphasize principle to the neglect of precept – they are opposed to keeping legalistic rules and regulations… liberalism
We must not be caught up in either extreme.
God does not want us to be a bunch of Pharisees
But neither does He want people who does not take His word seriously
Good intentions are not sufficient to justify disregard for the areas where God has clearly spoken
Good intentions are not sufficient to justify disregard for the areas where God has clearly spoken
What motivated David to want to bring the ark to Jerusalem?
He loved the things that God loved.
That is a great principle!
There is freedom to range into all kinds of applications of the principle
Provided we don’t transgress the precept
The minute we violate precept we sin - no matter how good our intentions are
I want you to look in your mind again at Uzzah as David stands looking over his lifeless body, and ask... “Does it really matter if we do things God’s way?” Of course, it does!
CONCLUSION
We must be very accurate with the word of God, but we must not go beyond what is written.
We must be very accurate with the word of God, but we must not go beyond what is written.
32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
6 Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
We must be concerned with precept and principle
We must be concerned with precept and principle
We must avoid extremism
We must avoid liberalism and anti-ism
One can fall of a log on either end