Sermon Outline, August 1

Sermon Outline, August 1 July 28, 2004

Glory and Song, 2 Chronicles 5:1-14

INTRODUCTION

As we close out this brief series on worship, we will be looking at two separate but related issues: the glorification of worship, and music in worship. These are related in several ways: Music is itself a means of enhancing or glorifying worship; song calls God to draw near in glory; and song imitates the sound of God?s glory.

THE TEXT
?So all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated; the silver and the gold and all the furnishing. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God . . . .?E(2 Chronicles 5:1-14).

GLORIFICATION OF WORSHIP
Last week, we saw that the NT teaches that being saved involves giving up using our bodies for idolatrous worship and beginning to use our bodies to worship the true God rightly. This is part of our participation in Christ?s resurrection (Romans 6). Since we already participate in Jesus?Eresurrection, we also already participate in His glory. Our worship should reflect that.

This has often been frowned upon in some Protestant circles, particularly in some Reformed churches where the tradition has been to make sure that the place of worship is as drab and ordinary and un-glorious as it could possibly be. The minister, it is said, should not be adorned in any way, the room for worship should be plain, there should be no candles or cloth on the table, and we should not use expensive or fancy dishes or chalices.

This was an understandable reaction to trends in late medieval Catholicism, where the trappings of worship could overwhelm the actual worship. And it is true that God is more pleased with honest worship from catacombs than He is with hypocritical worship from cathedrals. Yet, Scripture shows that glory is an important feature of worship. We exist to beautify the creation, and we should begin by beautifying the place of worship and by beautifying the liturgy.

Of course, the beauty of the place of worship should be consistent with the activity of worship. Certain kinds of beautification are not liturgically sensitive, and some are idolatrous. But, when the adornments are consistent with the purposes of worship, this glorification is good for the church. For example:

-The Lord?s table is a place for a feast, and we can adorn it in any way that is consistent with the fact that it?s a table. We put candles on our tables at home, for instance, to accent a special occasion, and that is appropriate for the feast of a king.
-The priests of the OT were clothed in garments of glory and beauty (Exodus 28). They were identified by their clothing, and it is useful for ministers in the church to wear a uniform that makes their office and calling visible.
-Historically, it has been common for the church year to be marked by changing liturgical colors. Colored paraments on the pulpit mark each season of the year, and the minister wears colored stoles with his robes.
-The sanctuaries of the OT were adorned with garden motifs, and contained expensive and beautiful furniture (Exodus 25-31; 1 Kings 6-7).

SONG AND GLORY
When we compare the temple dedication to the dedication of the tabernacle, there is a striking divergence with regard to the appearance of Yahweh?s. In Exodus, the cloud covered the tent as soon as Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, installing the priests, and offering sacrifice. In 2 Chronicles 5, the glory appears in response to the Levitical song and music (2 Chronicles 5:11-14; contrast 1 Kings 8:10-11). Elsewhere, song is a response to Yahweh?s glory (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

More broadly, music can be understood as a glorification of language. All our speech has musical qualities: People speak with a certain rhythm, the pitch rises and falls to make a point or ask a question, the timbre of speech also changes depending on the intention of the speaker. Putting speech to music enhances these features of speech. Song is glorified speech.

SONG AND EDIFICATION
2 Chronicles 29:30b reads, ?So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.?E But it is likely that the phrase ?with joy?Emeans ?until there was rejoicing.?E Thus, according to one commentator, ?the Psalms of David and Asaph are said to have been performed during the presentation of the burnt offering to produce rejoicing.?E That is, the song was not an expression of joy already achieved, but a means for producing joy. Song is one of the Spirit?s means for producing His fruits, and the Spirit comes near in glory to fill those who seek Him with gladness.

Along similar lines, the Spirit communicates His power through praise (see 1 Samuel 10). In 2 Chronicles 30:21b, the instruments of music are called ?instruments of power.?E Though this phrase could be understood in a variety of ways, one dimension of its meaning is that the instruments, and the song of the instruments, empowered the singers and musicians. Song is a memorial, primarily before Yahweh, but also a memorial that reminds the singer of the Lord?s mighty acts. As we remember His works in song, our faith is strengthened and we are assured that He will perform similar mighty acts for us.

SONG AND SACRIFICE
A number of terms used for sacrificial worship in the Pentateuch are applied to song in Chronicles. Typically, priestly ministry was summarized in the Law by the phrase ?standing to serve?E(see Numbers 16:9; Deuteronomy 10:8; 17:12; 18:5; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 5:14; 29:11; Ezekiel 44:11, 15). In 1 Chronicles, this language is adapted to describe the musical ministry of priests and Levites (1 Chronicles 6:31-33; 15:16-17). Levitical singers, moreover, were organized into mishmeret or ?watches?E(1 Chronicles 25:8). The Hebrew noun comes from the verb shamar, which means ?to guard,?Eand the noun and verb are used together in several passages in Numbers to refer to the guard duty of priests and Levites at the Mosaic tabernacle (1:53; 3:7; 8:26; 18:3-5). According to 1 Chronicles 16:37, Asaph and his brothers sang before the ark in Jerusalem ?continually, as every day?s work required,?Eand both ?continually?Eand ?every day?s work?Eare Levitical terms. ?Continually?Etranslates tamid, a technical term for the morning and evening offerings at the Mosaic tabernacle (Exodus 29:41-42). In 1 Chronicles 23:30-32, David tells the Levites that they are to offer praise and thanks along with the daily and festival sacrifices. David?s reorganization of worship involved adding a ?sacrifice of praise?Eto the ?animal sacrifices?Erequired by the law.

The association of song and sacrifice helps us grasp the proper placement of song in the worship service. Song fits into the sequence of sacrifices that we looked at in an earlier sermon. According to 2 Chronicles 29:20-35, sacrifices were offered in the normal sequence: first a purification of seven bulls, seven rams, seven lamps and seven male goats (v. 21); then an ascension consisting of 70 bulls, 100 rams, 200 lambs (vv. 25-28, 32), and finally communion sacrifices (v. 31). No music was played during the purification offering, but after it was completed, Hezekiah set up the Levites and priests, who played during the ascension offering (vv. 26-39). Song is a means of ascent. In the Psalms, furthermore, song is sometimes associated with the peace offering, also known as sacrifices or thank offerings (Psalm 27:6; 107:21-22).

Applied to Christian worship, this means that our ?ascent?Efollowing the confession and absolution should be done through song. And it means that our celebration of the Supper should also include song.


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