Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.719
Well, let's hear God's word now. Remain standing if you are able.
2
00:00:07.190 --> 00:00:18.070
From first chronicles sixteen, four through
seven, then he up, that is
3
00:00:18.070 --> 00:00:23.339
David. Then he appointed some of
the Levites as ministers before the Ark of
4
00:00:23.379 --> 00:00:27.940
Jehovah, to invoke, to thank
and to Praise Jehovah, the God of
5
00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:34.700
Israel. Asaf was the chief and
second to him, where Zechariah, Jel
6
00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:43.289
Shemari, Shem Sheemery, moth Jehiel, Matahafia Eliab ben and IAH, Obed
7
00:00:43.369 --> 00:00:49.090
Edom and Jet Eel, who were
to play Harps and liars. Asaf was
8
00:00:49.170 --> 00:00:53.439
to sound the symbols, and Ben
and Iyah and Jahaziel, the priests,
9
00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:59.320
were to blow trumpets regularly before the
Ark of the Covenant of God. Then
10
00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:03.989
on that day, David a first
appointed that Thanksgiving be Sung to to Jehovah
11
00:01:04.430 --> 00:01:10.950
by ASF and his brothers. May
God bless his word to us. Please
12
00:01:11.069 --> 00:01:21.379
be seated. As we have been
going through these chapters and first chronicles,
13
00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:26.459
the chronicler has been recording for us
this history, a history of God's people,
14
00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:33.010
first beginning with a number of genealogies, then moving to the downfall of
15
00:01:33.170 --> 00:01:38.489
Saul and then contrasting Saul's great downfall
as the king over Israel, with David's
16
00:01:38.489 --> 00:01:44.530
ascension as the king over Israel in
large part of very happy ascension, a
17
00:01:44.810 --> 00:01:52.560
good a good thing, and in
that we have been seeing how David points
18
00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:59.519
US forward to our own king,
King Jesus, who sits on his throne,
19
00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:04.390
having ascended to the right hand of
God, the Father Almighty, who
20
00:02:04.510 --> 00:02:09.990
rules and reigns over his people,
who fills the sanctuary with his spirit,
21
00:02:10.629 --> 00:02:17.939
yes, even us. And as
we have seen this happen in Chapter Sixteen
22
00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:23.539
in particular, we're seeing some of
the particulars of what that means, what
23
00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:30.650
it means to belong to a kingdom
that is ruled by God and ruled by
24
00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:36.969
his anointed servant. In the first
three verses of Chapter Sixteen we considered God's
25
00:02:37.009 --> 00:02:43.409
great provision for his people, the
blessings that come from the king ascended on
26
00:02:43.530 --> 00:02:47.680
high. We considered it in various
ways, in their communion with another,
27
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:53.280
with one another, the blessing that
they received from the Lord, in the
28
00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:58.710
ways in which he provides for them. Now, in Chap and now in
29
00:02:58.750 --> 00:03:04.270
Chapter Sixteen, in verses for through
seven, we see another aspect of that
30
00:03:04.509 --> 00:03:08.870
kingdom, another aspect of what it
means to belong to God, to be
31
00:03:09.069 --> 00:03:17.139
blessed by him under his anointed King. In particular, we see David appointing
32
00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:22.620
some of the Levites. You remember, the Levites are a particular tribe and
33
00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:30.009
Israel devoted to helping and serving before
the Lord. He appoints some levites as
34
00:03:30.250 --> 00:03:37.250
ministers, as servants before the Ark
of the Lord, the Ark of Jehovah,
35
00:03:37.289 --> 00:03:42.800
or Y'All way, he appoints these
levites in particular to do a particular
36
00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:49.879
thing, to serve in a particular
way God. They're being represented and in
37
00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:57.270
the Ark and connected to it by
his promises calls. The calls David to
38
00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:01.870
appoint these Levites to Minister and serve
in three particular ways, to invoke,
39
00:04:02.669 --> 00:04:09.469
to thank and to praise. This
is their job. Now you can see
40
00:04:09.509 --> 00:04:13.939
why it's so great to be a
minister. You get to invoke and praise
41
00:04:14.259 --> 00:04:19.420
and thank and service to the Lord. The Levites, in having no land
42
00:04:19.459 --> 00:04:24.810
of their own, had nothing to
complain about out they had a great and
43
00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:30.449
wonderful task. But you notice a
very not only are they told to do
44
00:04:30.689 --> 00:04:35.170
these particular things, invoke, thank
and praise, but there to do it
45
00:04:35.250 --> 00:04:43.879
in a very particular way. In
music, Asath and his brothers, as
46
00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:48.360
they're called in verse seven, are
appointed to these particular tasks, singing and
47
00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:55.949
playing, making music. Even some
specific instruments are listed, Harps, liars,
48
00:04:56.350 --> 00:05:00.670
symbols and other portions of God's word. We read of even other instruments.
49
00:05:01.110 --> 00:05:05.990
Throughout the psalms there are commands to
worship God and play to him,
50
00:05:06.740 --> 00:05:13.819
to make music with these various instruments. This is how they were being called
51
00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:19.339
to serve, this is how they
were called to minister, and it's important
52
00:05:19.379 --> 00:05:26.769
thing to observe for a number of
reasons which will consider this evening, but
53
00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:33.329
I'll begin by just noting that music
is something that is very important to the
54
00:05:33.569 --> 00:05:40.800
Lord. There's a reason that we
don't just invoke and thank and praise with
55
00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:46.560
speaking, but with singing, playing
instruments. It's a part of who we
56
00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:53.910
are. It's how we express our
selves. That's how God desires us to
57
00:05:54.389 --> 00:06:00.910
express ourselves and even to move us
in particular ways. From the Scriptures and
58
00:06:01.149 --> 00:06:04.740
outside of the Scriptures, we know
that in the from the very earliest parts
59
00:06:04.779 --> 00:06:12.019
of human society, when humans were
first establishing culture, they made music.
60
00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:17.459
Now we see that, particularly in
the first place among canes, line and
61
00:06:17.569 --> 00:06:20.769
his family. They are the ones
that do that work and by and large,
62
00:06:20.810 --> 00:06:24.250
they are the ones that do the
bulk of the cultural work. They're
63
00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:29.930
at the beginning. But just because
it begins and originates among those people doesn't
64
00:06:29.930 --> 00:06:32.680
mean that it doesn't belong to God's
people as a part of who they are,
65
00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:38.319
as a part of what they do
and part of their lives. Throughout
66
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:43.600
the Scriptures we see God's people singing
and playing instruments and various contexts, both
67
00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:46.870
in and out of worship. One
of the first examples we see of this
68
00:06:46.990 --> 00:06:51.910
is an exodus fifteen, when we
read that Miriam and all the women went
69
00:06:53.069 --> 00:07:00.230
out singing with T or dancing with
tambourines. I suspect that all the women
70
00:07:00.459 --> 00:07:04.860
is not meant every single woman,
but even if it's a lot of women,
71
00:07:04.980 --> 00:07:11.339
that's a lot of Tambourines, a
lot of tambourines that belong to Israel,
72
00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:15.259
a part of who they were.
In other places we have mentions of
73
00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:19.689
flutes and stringed instruments, all kinds
of things. Now there are ways in
74
00:07:19.810 --> 00:07:25.689
which music in the life of Israel
and other parts of the ancient world was
75
00:07:25.769 --> 00:07:30.759
different than it is today. Today, music is primarily a performance kind of
76
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.879
thing. It's something you go and
watch. For most of human history,
77
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:39.920
music is something that you participated in. When I taught music lessons, every
78
00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:45.629
now and then I would see someone
would come in who had never there,
79
00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:49.670
had never heard a Lullaby, had
never been sung to by their mother or
80
00:07:49.870 --> 00:07:57.069
father. Their first experiences participating in
music were there at ten, twelve years
81
00:07:57.069 --> 00:08:01.819
old, picking up a cello for
the first time. Up till then it
82
00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:05.860
was very it's it was very much
just watching kind of thing. In the
83
00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:09.939
ancient world it was very different.
Music was a part of worship, it
84
00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:13.689
was a part of work, it
was a part of I'm telling stories,
85
00:08:13.730 --> 00:08:18.689
a part of all woven in as
a part of all of life. We
86
00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:24.730
read of various instruments particularly attached to
the worst it worship of Israel. The
87
00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:30.360
high priest, for example, was
to have bells, bells sewn around his
88
00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:35.639
garment, his robe. We read
that David made instruments, that he used
89
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:41.590
an instrument to soothe saul when he
was a troubled and even in heaven.
90
00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:45.830
We read that there are twenty four
elders. John has this vision of twenty
91
00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:50.710
for elders who have harps in one
hand and bowls of incense, which are
92
00:08:50.750 --> 00:08:58.860
the prayers of saying at the saints
in the other why music then? Why
93
00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:03.779
not just invoke and thank and praise
the Lord? Why does God want to
94
00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:13.690
attach that to song and Melody?
Well, there are reasons that scripture gives
95
00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:18.169
us for these things, reasons that
are probably fairly obvious to you, but
96
00:09:18.370 --> 00:09:22.809
just to say them. Music is
a powerful thing. It has a powerful
97
00:09:22.809 --> 00:09:28.120
effect on us. It does things
one way. Music is used as simply
98
00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:33.039
as a signaling kind of thing.
In the psalms we read of horses being
99
00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:39.509
signaled or people being signaled to come
and do something with trumpets or other things.
100
00:09:39.389 --> 00:09:43.230
The trumpets in particular were used in
Israel to call people to worship.
101
00:09:43.750 --> 00:09:52.429
I'm to announce victory over an enemy. But music also has an emotional power.
102
00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:58.500
It moves us, affects us,
and God's speaking to this musical aspect
103
00:09:58.539 --> 00:10:01.299
of our lives is one of the
ways which we are reminded that we are
104
00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:07.210
not just thinking creatures, but we
are emotional creatures as well, and that
105
00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:11.970
when God works in us, he
works on all of us. I'm not
106
00:10:11.009 --> 00:10:16.250
just one part of us. The
power of music, I hope, is
107
00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:22.159
something that you've experienced in your own
life, whether that's in worship or out
108
00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.360
of it. Out of worship,
I remember being at any use summer music
109
00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:33.399
camp and hearing Samuel Barber's knoxville summer
one thousand nine hundred and fifteen and being
110
00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.870
however old a eighth grader is,
I think I was crying. It was
111
00:10:39.950 --> 00:10:43.710
just so beautiful. Other pieces like
that of hit me that way, Greky's
112
00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:50.220
third symphony and other things. Earlier
this week someone was telling me about queuing
113
00:10:50.259 --> 00:10:56.820
up Aaron Copeland's fanfare for a common
man as they came driving up into a
114
00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:01.740
national park. That tune, by
the way, Aaron Copeland's Fan for for
115
00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:07.450
a common man is purposefully meant to
be very grand. He uses it to
116
00:11:07.490 --> 00:11:13.210
speak against the Nazism and they sort
of Supermann that was being applauded in certain
117
00:11:13.289 --> 00:11:18.169
parts of the world. Aaron Copeland, this American composer, says no,
118
00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:22.799
I write a fan for for the
common man. He wants to announce what
119
00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:28.080
it means to just be human and
it moves us, it affects us,
120
00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:37.110
and these are just cultural examples,
things that move us powerfully. Perhaps you've
121
00:11:37.149 --> 00:11:43.269
experienced this in worship as well.
I'm chills going up and down your spine,
122
00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:50.100
saying and can it be, or
some other tune that speaks of God's
123
00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:56.500
grace, of his glory, of
the things that he has done. Music
124
00:11:56.580 --> 00:12:03.490
has a very powerful effect on us
and it's an effect which some people have
125
00:12:03.769 --> 00:12:11.129
capitalized on and abused and some people
have feared. You remember Daniel, for
126
00:12:11.289 --> 00:12:18.879
example, in Babylon and and the
people of Israel being called by Nebuchadnezzar two
127
00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:24.799
at the sound of all the instruments, bow down and serve an idol.
128
00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:28.799
Instruments are, of course, used
in all kinds of terrible ways. They're
129
00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:35.470
used to manipulate people and affect people
and very powerful ways. But Abuse,
130
00:12:35.870 --> 00:12:43.350
we must remember, does not determine
use and unfortunately many in the Christian church
131
00:12:43.549 --> 00:12:50.460
have felt that way have had this
very negative reaction to instruments in general.
132
00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:56.539
This is true not only of really
from all circles of the church. Thomas
133
00:12:56.580 --> 00:13:01.809
a Quinas, for example, which
a many people quote, a speaks of
134
00:13:01.929 --> 00:13:07.330
instruments as being only good for pleasure, instruments not doing any good and creative
135
00:13:07.490 --> 00:13:13.879
increase, creating good dispositions within the
soul. I'm braw a Dabney a southern
136
00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:20.000
Presbyterian talks about instruments. Is Merely
a dead, lifeless mechanical thing that can
137
00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:28.590
do no good. But God speaks
differently. God commands these servants of his
138
00:13:28.669 --> 00:13:33.789
to lift up their mouths and blow
trumpets, to take their fingers and play
139
00:13:33.830 --> 00:13:39.710
the strings, to sound the symbols
together, all in honor and glory and
140
00:13:39.789 --> 00:13:43.779
him. This is one of the
first places we see it. There was
141
00:13:43.940 --> 00:13:48.740
once more a little bit earlier in
first chronicles. This is one of the
142
00:13:48.940 --> 00:13:50.620
places we see it here and it's
going to be a theme that comes up
143
00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:56.250
a few other times, even as
David passes on the Kingdom to Solomon and
144
00:13:56.690 --> 00:14:01.090
the glory of the Lord descends on
the temple, as the people are playing
145
00:14:01.809 --> 00:14:07.450
and making and music and singing,
these things remind us that, yes,
146
00:14:07.490 --> 00:14:15.679
music is very powerful and it has
been abused and it has a been used
147
00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:20.320
for great evil, but it is
a tool which, in the hands of
148
00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:26.350
the Lord and his people, can
do good, and God intends it to
149
00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:31.110
do good here, as he institutes
his kingdom, as he brings his king
150
00:14:31.230 --> 00:14:37.070
to the throne, as he establishes
himself, as the ARC is placed there
151
00:14:37.230 --> 00:14:43.899
in Jerusalem, He commands that music, this powerful aspect and thing that has
152
00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:50.940
an effect on our emotions would be
attached to his worship, and he commands
153
00:14:52.019 --> 00:14:58.289
it in these various ways. So
you can see why God is pleased with
154
00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:03.090
the music of our mouths, of
our fingers. It's in this passage and
155
00:15:03.169 --> 00:15:11.759
similar passages like this, that Bach
stood himself firm against various Lutheran pietists and
156
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:18.200
stood with the Orthodox, finding his
calling and service to God. But this
157
00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:24.429
passage is more than God's Amen to
music and music and worship. As we
158
00:15:24.549 --> 00:15:31.110
began with, you remember that David
prefigures Jesus, and so this kingdom looks
159
00:15:31.149 --> 00:15:37.059
ahead to the kingdom to come.
When you think about that, I hope
160
00:15:37.139 --> 00:15:43.779
that sparks a little bit of thrill, a little bit of anticipation and excitement
161
00:15:43.419 --> 00:15:50.610
to know that one day you will
hear the heavenly angels, the choires of
162
00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:56.889
Heaven, your own voice resounding with
them in praise and glory of God.
163
00:15:58.409 --> 00:16:04.080
These harps and perhaps other instruments of
being played, worship and music pointing together,
164
00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.759
we see that God is concerned not
only with words being rightly spoken,
165
00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:18.909
but our hearts being rightly moved.
I'm going back to Psalm Ninety six,
166
00:16:18.029 --> 00:16:23.789
which we heard earlier, begins.
Oh, sing to the Lord, a
167
00:16:23.950 --> 00:16:27.590
new song, sing to him all
the earth. And then it gives this
168
00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:33.700
reason. Splendor and majesty are before
him, strength and beauty are in his
169
00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:41.700
sanctuary. These things are connected.
Because of God's splendor, because of his
170
00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:52.850
beauty. Song, music, has
a right place before God. It should
171
00:16:52.850 --> 00:17:00.370
affect us in this way. The
songs that we've Sung, songs that I've
172
00:17:00.409 --> 00:17:03.680
chosen, all of them thus far, have spoken in one way or another
173
00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:07.480
of this kind of thing, either
a command to sing and make music or
174
00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:12.799
a call about making music. And, unsurprising to me, in the three
175
00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:18.789
hymns you chose before worship also all
spoke to that in some way or another.
176
00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:26.869
Oh for a thousand tongues to sing
right, or Psalm one, which
177
00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:33.900
called about called us to make to
sing to the Lord with a cheerful voice,
178
00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:40.819
or the hymns that are anticipated with
the Kingdom of God. You See,
179
00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:44.849
this is a natural and wrapped up
part of our lives as Christians.
180
00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:52.009
My point is it's not an accident
that we sing, it's not an accident
181
00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:56.369
that we make music and it's not
an accident that we attach to the things
182
00:17:56.450 --> 00:18:06.960
that we do tunes and melodies.
It's because God is glorious, because he
183
00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:11.960
is full of splendor and majesty.
And if that's true of David and his
184
00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:15.910
temple, how much more true is
that with Jesus, in the kingdom that
185
00:18:15.990 --> 00:18:23.589
has come in him? Now?
There are times in which that Kingdom of
186
00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:30.420
God, this Kingdom which Christ has
now rules and reigns over, is hidden.
187
00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:36.940
Many of the outward manifestations of his
glory and his beauty that we see
188
00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:42.289
there externally in the Old Testament are
in many ways hidden today. But that
189
00:18:42.410 --> 00:18:47.529
doesn't mean we ought to bury them. It doesn't mean that we ought to
190
00:18:47.650 --> 00:18:52.809
just become thinking people and not emotional
people either. And as music is very
191
00:18:52.849 --> 00:18:56.640
much attached to this, we are
right to lift our hearts not just in
192
00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:03.960
poetry but in song. There are
some things that pass away with the new
193
00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:10.589
covenant, the sacrifices in particular,
and many, many other things, but
194
00:19:10.710 --> 00:19:14.670
there are other things that belong to
the old covenant that also belong to the
195
00:19:14.829 --> 00:19:21.349
new, and music is most certainly
a part of that. Even in this
196
00:19:21.549 --> 00:19:25.220
passage here, think of the number
of things we have mentioned in verses four
197
00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:29.740
through seven. We have the ARC, we have the Levites, we have
198
00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:37.259
people, we have we have the
worship of the Lord. Some of these
199
00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:41.289
things are indeed, for us,
fulfilled in Christ and we no longer return
200
00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:48.490
to but there are other things and
which continue to continue on is both a
201
00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:56.559
necessary and important part of worship.
Are Singing is like that. It while
202
00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:00.599
we should still sing with reverence and
awe, we should still play in a
203
00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:06.200
skillful way. We no longer play
in connection with the sacrifices, and just
204
00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:10.710
as the buildings we worship in are
no longer connected to the Ark. Buildings
205
00:20:10.750 --> 00:20:15.069
are not prohibited and are a good
and necessary part of worship. We still
206
00:20:15.109 --> 00:20:21.390
sing. Two songs are a way
in which we lift our hearts up to
207
00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:26.900
the Lord, in which our hearts
are tuned to Sing His grace. And
208
00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:32.940
so when we think about our worship, we don't do it as a performance,
209
00:20:33.420 --> 00:20:37.890
we don't do it is just a
emotional exercise. We do it in
210
00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:45.130
particular response, in direct response to
the glory and splendor and majesty of Jesus
211
00:20:47.049 --> 00:20:51.279
and what he has done for us. We may not always have a building
212
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:55.599
to worship him, we may not
always have instruments to play or voices that
213
00:20:55.799 --> 00:21:00.640
work, but when we do it
is right and good to use them and
214
00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:06.750
to use them for the Lord.
And when we consider our emotions, when
215
00:21:06.750 --> 00:21:11.150
we consider our hearts, let us
not fear that either, but, by
216
00:21:11.269 --> 00:21:15.509
God's grace, ask that he would
move our feelings, move our emotions towards
217
00:21:15.589 --> 00:21:23.460
holiness, to reverence, to joy
and awe, wonder, dependence comfort.
218
00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:30.259
We ought not to fear our emotions
and the expressions of them that we make
219
00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:36.250
through music, but use them in
service to God, with thankfulness for the
220
00:21:36.289 --> 00:21:41.170
kingdom that we have received and anticipation
of the kingdom that is to be revealed.
221
00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:47.559
May God help us to understand him
as he ought, as we ought,
222
00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:52.359
and help us to worship him as
he as pleases him. Let us
223
00:21:52.400 -->
pray
