{"id":3878,"date":"2019-07-12T20:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-13T03:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=3878"},"modified":"2019-07-07T18:34:38","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T01:34:38","slug":"1chronicles_15_25-16-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1chronicles_15_25-16-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Be a Participant in Worship, Not a Spectator"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Chronicles 15:25-16:6\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:6.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

1 Chronicles 15:25-28 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing.
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.
\n27\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 26-28:\u00a0\u00a0Here David leads all of Israel in welcoming the ark into Jerusalem with rejoicing (v25), sacrificing (v26), singing (v27), shouting (v28) and musical instruments (v28).\u00a0\u00a0If that is the way God\u2019s people in the Old Testament worshiped in God\u2019s presence, how much more do we have reason to rejoice, sacrifice, sing, shout and play music in the presence of the Lord, who died for us, rose again and is alive today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notice that David made sure the Levites and the singers were clothed in fine linen just as he was (v27).\u00a0\u00a0What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0A true worshiper like David makes sure that those who dedicate their full time to serving the Lord are as well clothed as he is.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0May we have the same heart for God\u2019s house and the people who serve in it.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why tithing (giving the first 10% of your income to the house of God) is essential\u00a0<\/strong>if you call yourself a child of God (Leviticus 27:30; Malachi\u00a03:16).\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s about taking good care of God\u2019s house and those who have dedicated their working lives to serving in it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why did David wear a linen ephod (v27)?\u00a0\u00a0The linen ephod was something that only a priest would wear, yet in this case David the king is wearing a linen ephod.\u00a0\u00a0Why?\u00a0\u00a0I believe it is pointing ahead to the day when Jesus Christ the Son of David would come and be both our king and our priest.\u00a0\u00a0I believe it is also pointing ahead to the modern day church when every person who has trusted in Jesus, regardless of their background, tribe or station in life, is a priest in God\u2019s kingdom (1 Peter 2:9).<\/p>\n

1 Chronicles\u00a015:29\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 26:\u00a0\u00a0While all Israel is worshiping God with shouts and music, Michal is just watching from a window and despising her husband David for dancing and celebrating with all his might before God.\u00a0\u00a0Instead of participating in the worship of God, Michal was merely a spectator in worship.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Bible says that after that until the day she died Michal bore no children (2 Samuel\u00a06:23).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t be a spectator in worship; be a participant.\u00a0When you are nothing more than a spectator who watches others worship, you don\u2019t bear any fruit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Chronicles 16:1-6 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of theLORD.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the\u00a0LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise theLORD, the God of Israel:
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals,
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-6:\u00a0\u00a0Notice the effect that being a participant in worship had on David\u2019s life:<\/p>\n