Roger Lewis – The House of Asaph – Family of Faith and Masters of Music – Class 3 – The Psalms of the House of Asaph

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This is the Shippensburg Bible
School Class 2.

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Our our second speaker this
morning is Brother Roger Lewis

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from the Christchurch Ecclesia,
New Zealand.

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The theme for Brother Lewis’s
class this week is the House of

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Asaph, Family of Faith, Master
of Music.

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Today’s class is entitled The
Spirit of the House of Asaph,

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Brother Lewis.
Thank you, brother Chairman, and

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good morning, brothers and
sisters.

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You’ll recall that in our study
yesterday we left the House of

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Asaph alone in front of the Ark
of God, where for 40 years they

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both sang before the Ark and
pondered its significance.

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And you’ll remember how they
made that crucial leap of

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understanding so that they
learned the lesson.

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They learned the secret of what
it was, what it really did mean

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to enter into the presence of
God in their worship of the

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Father.
Now, it’s in these years, these

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40 years that they were by
themselves that we believe that

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Asaph collaborated with David in
establishing the whole system of

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temple worship that was going to
follow from the days of Solomon

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onwards with the completion,
with the with the complete

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building of the temple itself.
And in fact, what happened is

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that Asaph and David got
together and they formed the

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principles by which the temple
worship would be organized.

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And that system of temple
worship was based upon what we

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have come to know as the 24
courses.

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The whole process, the whole
system of temple worship was

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based upon 24 orders.
So here, firstly, in the first

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of Chronicles chapter 23, we’re
told that there were Levites to

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oversee the work of the House of
the Lord and there were 24,000

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Levites that were divided into
general courses that that work

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of the House of God might be
fulfilled.

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But we’re told in the next
chapter, in the first of

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Chronicles 24, that the priests
who would execute the priestly

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office in the sanctuary were
divided into 24 courses.

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In the next chapter, in chapter
25, we’re told, however, that

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also there would be 20-4 courses
of singers who would give thanks

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and praise in the sanctuary.
In the next chapter and chapter

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26, we’re told that there would
be 20-4 courses of gatekeepers

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who would guard the holiness of
the sanctuary.

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And in the next chapter, in the
first of Chronicles, chapter 27,

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we’re told that there would be
captains to serve the king on

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all matters of business, 12 men,
one for each month of the year,

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and each of those captains would
command 24,000 who would serve

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under them.
So that the whole system of

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worship here that was now
organized by David in

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collaboration with Asaph, and
there was a matching together of

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the court of the priests and the
courses of the singers who

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cooperated together week by week
in the temple services.

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So as the priests burned the
incense so that the incense

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might ascend to the Father, so
also at that very same moment of

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time the singers sang their
praises, and the prayers of the

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priests and the praises of the
singers ascended heavenwards

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together to God as the courses
cooperated together in these

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matters of worship.
So now it’s all been organised,

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you see.
And if we come to the Second of

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Chronicles Chapter 5, we come to
that moment of time now where

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the celebration of the
completion of the temple is

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marked by this marvelous moment
of worship and celebration in

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the nation, that they might
commemorate the greatness of

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what they had done on that day.
In the Second of Chronicles

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Chapter 5, we have in fact the
story of the day that the ark of

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God was taken, not to Zion
there, but taken into the temple

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that Solomon had now built for
it.

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And we’re told in the 11th verse
of the Second of Chronicles

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chapter 5, it came to pass when
the priests were come out of the

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holy place for says the record,
for all the priests that were

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present were sanctified and did
not then wait by course.

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You see, I think what we’re
being told in the 11th verse is

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that on the occasion of this
great day of celebration, all 24

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courses of priests were involved
together, not just the course

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set down for that week.
They were all there on that day,

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says the Second of Chronicles
chapter 5 and verse 11.

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And as with the priests, so with
the singers, because the 12th

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verse tells us also the Levites,
which were the singers, all of

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them, and I think the force of
that phrase, all of them.

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And verse 12 tells us that just
as the 24 courses of priests

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were present, verse 11, so, so
on this day all 24 courses of

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singers were present.
This was such a special moment.

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This was so important an event
in the history of the nation

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that they all came together on
that particular day.

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Of course, you realize what that
meant in reality.

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What it really meant on the 12th
verse was that on this occasion

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the sons of Heman and Jaduthan
now joined the House of Asaph.

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So that together now for the
first time in 40 years, all

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three branches of the singers of
the House of Levi came together

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on this day when the Ark of God
was brought into the temple.

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Do you know that we’re told in
the First of Chronicles chapter

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23 and verse five that there
were actually 4000 singers

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dedicated for the temple
worship?

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First of Chronicles chapter 23,
verse 5 tells us that were 4000

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singers.
I think they were all there this

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day, brothers and sisters, every
one of them.

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Can you imagine what this choir
would have looked like on the

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occasion of this celebration?
Now you know Asaph may or may

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not have been there.
You notice what verse 12 says.

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It doesn’t say that Asaph was
there.

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It says all of them of Asaph.
Because you see this is now 40

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years on from the first of
Chronicles chapter 16.

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Now, depending on how old Asaph
was when David selected him, he

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might now be dead, he might be
very old.

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So whether he was there or not
on this particular occasion,

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we’re not sure.
But what we do know is that the

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House of Asafa there, and in
fact you’ll notice that they

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mentioned first verse 12, says
also the Levites, which were

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singers, all of them of Asaph,
of Heman, of Judithan.

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So who comes first?
Why the House of Asaph?

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You see, the fact that they sang
before the Ark for 40 years on

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their own gives them now the
primacy among the singers.

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The others join with the House
of Asaph, but it’s the House of

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Asaph that are going to lead the
praise.

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So here we have the assembled
choir, all robed in white linen,

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standing with their backs to the
altar facing the entry of the

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temple. 4000 singers and 120
trumpeters, all with their eyes

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riveted on one particular spot.
And the spot they were looking

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at, brothers and sisters, was
the gap between the two pillars,

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Jakin and Boaz.
They had their backs to the

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altar, but their eyes fixed on
the doorway into the temple.

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And the chief musician was
there, ready to lift his hand so

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that the entire choir might
break out into praise and

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celebration.
And what they were waiting for

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was the moment when they saw the
priests who had borne the ark

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into the Most Holy Place come
back out of that door, and the

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moment they saw the priests
coming back out of the door to

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signify that the ark was now in
the holy place.

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Then the choir would begin their
song of praise.

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And so verse 13 tells us it came
even to pass, as the trumpeters

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and singers were as one to make
one sound to be heard in

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praising and thanking Yahweh.
Oh, now by the way, you should

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take a note of those two words.
Do you realize that those two

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words come from the first of
Chronicles 16 to praise and to

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thank.
You see back in the first of

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Chronicles 16 and verse 5, it
says that David appointed

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certain of the Levites to
minister before the ark of

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Yahweh to thank and to praise
the Lord God of Israel.

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And those two words become
keywords for this particular

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family.
They would constantly be

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involved in matters of thanks
and praise.

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And by the way, I think those
two words are different and they

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betoken different ideas.
Thankfulness and praise are not

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the same thing.
So here’s these same 2 keywords

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again.
They are in the in the second of

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Chronicles chapter 5 and verse
13.

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And you see what it says verse
13.

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And when they lifted up their
voice with trumpets and symbols

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and instruments of music, they
praised Yahweh, saying, for He

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is good, for his mercy endureth
forever.

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Now where do those words come
from?

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And the margin is absolutely
correct.

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The margin says they come from.
Why?

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The first of Chronicles chapter
16 and verse 34.

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You see these words come from
the family Psalm of the House of

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Asaph, which they’ve already
been singing for the last 40

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years.
This is their Psalm that they

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sang on this day when the ark of
God came into the temple.

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They thanked God for He is good,
for his mercy endureth forever.

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The House of Asaph knew those
words, brothers and sisters,

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back to front and inside out.
They’d been singing them for a

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generation of time already.
And you know, every little word

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in the Bible’s important.
Just have a look at this verse

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13.
Well, a couple of things.

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Do you notice that part ways
through verse 11 that we’ve got

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brackets in the text?
You notice that it says came to

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pass when the priests would come
out of the holy place and then

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it starts a set of brackets and
those brackets don’t finish

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until the end of verse 12.
So firstly, just note those

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brackets.
And now have a look at a keyword

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in verse 13.
It’s about halfway down the

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verse.
It says they made one sound to

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be heard in praising and
thanking the Lord, and when they

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lifted up their voice when they
did this, and then later on in

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the verse, it says that then the
house was filled with a cloud.

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Now come back and have a look at
verse 11 there and I’m going to

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read what really did happen on
that day by jumping over the

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brackets.
So here it is, the second of

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Chronicles chapter 5 and verse
11.

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It came to pass when the priests
were come out of the holy place,

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verse 13.
It came even to pass as the

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trumpeters and singers were as
one to make one sound to be

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heard and praising and thanking
Yahweh.

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And when they lifted up their
voice with trumpets and cymbals

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and instruments of music and
praised Yahweh, saying for He is

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good, for his mercy endureth
forever, that then the house was

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filled with a cloud, even the
House of Yahweh.

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Do you know what that verse is
telling us, brothers and

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sisters?
It’s telling us that the action

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of the priests in physically
bringing the ark into the Most

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Holy was not as significant as
the action of the singers in

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mentally drawing near to God.
It wasn’t the priests bringing

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the ark into the sanctuary that
drew down the divine glory of

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God’s presence.
It was the singers who sang

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their understanding of what the
ark stood for with united

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hearts.
It was the singers who believed

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that they had entered into the
very presence of God.

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And when the singers sang,
brothers and sisters, we’re told

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in this verse that God sealed
His approval of their spirit by

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the flashing majesty of the
Shekinah glory.

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And God was indeed enthroned
upon the praises of His people

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that day.
What a marvelous moment in time

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that must have been.
We’re told, verse 14, that the

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priests could not stand to
minister by reason of the cloud.

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For the glory of Yahweh had
filled the House of God who led

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the worship on this day.
Brothers and sisters, it was the

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singers.
It was the House of Asif, who

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knew, who knew more than anyone
else in Israel, what this ark

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really represented.
And on that day, in their songs

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of praise, they led the nation
into the very presence of God

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and bowed before His Majesty as
the glory of the Lord filled the

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temple On this occasion.
Now, because of a lack of time,

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I’m not going to go through the
next, the next few kings, but

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we’re going to come straight
from the time of, of, of Solomon

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here to the time of Jehoshaphat.
Now in the Second of Chronicles

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and chapter 20, in the Second of
Chronicles, chapter 20, we come

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now to the time of Jehoshaphat.
Now what we’ve done is this.

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We’ve come from Solomon through
the reign of Rehoboam, through

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the reign of Abijah, through the
reign of ASA, and now we’ve come

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00:15:43,600 –> 00:15:45,720
to Jehoshaphat, who’s the next
king.

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00:15:46,200 –> 00:15:49,320
But if we want to know the
setting of the time, the details

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00:15:49,320 –> 00:15:54,720
are as follows, that the Second
of Chronicles chapter 20 is

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00:15:54,720 –> 00:16:04,320
approximately BC 860, which is
100 years after the Second of

220
00:16:04,320 –> 00:16:08,960
Chronicles chapter 5.
So we’ve now moved on 100 years

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00:16:08,960 –> 00:16:13,400
in time from the moment of the
dedication of the temple.

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00:16:13,800 –> 00:16:17,080
Well, what happens in the Second
of Chronicles chapter 20?

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00:16:17,360 –> 00:16:21,080
We’re told in the first verse,
it came to pass after this also

224
00:16:21,400 –> 00:16:24,720
that the children of Noah and
the children of Ammon and with

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00:16:24,720 –> 00:16:29,560
them other beside the Ammonites
came against Jehoshaphat to

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00:16:29,560 –> 00:16:32,160
battle.
So here they are in the midst of

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00:16:32,160 –> 00:16:35,400
Jehoshaphat’s reign, he faced a
crisis.

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00:16:36,200 –> 00:16:40,040
The nation of Judah was attacked
by a large confederacy, and they

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00:16:40,040 –> 00:16:43,800
lay in great danger.
And as a result of that, we’re

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00:16:43,800 –> 00:16:47,240
told in the 3rd, 1st, that
Jehoshaphat feared and set

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00:16:47,240 –> 00:16:51,160
himself to seek Yahweh and
proclaimed a fast throughout all

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00:16:51,160 –> 00:16:53,560
Judah.
And he stands up in the fifth

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00:16:53,560 –> 00:16:57,200
verse before the congregation in
order that he might offer a

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00:16:57,200 –> 00:17:01,320
prayer on behalf of the nation.
And do you know that when this

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00:17:01,320 –> 00:17:05,040
king stood up and opened his
mouth that he might pray to God,

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00:17:05,359 –> 00:17:09,839
out of the mouth of this king
came the very spirit brothers

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00:17:09,839 –> 00:17:12,480
and sisters of the House of
Asaph.

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00:17:12,720 –> 00:17:15,000
Now let’s just see what
Jehoshaphat prayed.

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00:17:16,000 –> 00:17:21,680
We’re told in the sixth verse.
He said this, O Yahweh, Elohim

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00:17:21,680 –> 00:17:29,720
of our fathers, art not thou God
in heaven, and rulest not thou

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00:17:29,800 –> 00:17:32,200
over all the kingdoms of the
heathen?

242
00:17:33,520 –> 00:17:37,880
And in thine hand?
Is there not power and might, so

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00:17:37,880 –> 00:17:40,360
that none is able to withstand
thee?

244
00:17:41,760 –> 00:17:45,840
Art not thou our God, who didst
drive out the inhabitants of

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00:17:45,840 –> 00:17:49,560
this land before thy people
Israel, and gave us it to the

246
00:17:49,560 –> 00:17:53,400
seed of Abraham thy friend
forever, And they dwelt therein,

247
00:17:53,400 –> 00:17:55,680
and have built thee a sanctuary
therein for thy name.

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00:17:55,880 –> 00:17:59,320
Saying, If when evil cometh upon
us as the sword, judgment, or

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00:17:59,320 –> 00:18:05,840
pestilence, or famine, we stand
before this house, and in thy

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00:18:05,840 –> 00:18:12,560
presence, for thy name is in
this house, and cry unto thee in

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00:18:12,560 –> 00:18:16,920
our affliction, then thou wilt
hear and help.

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00:18:16,920 –> 00:18:20,560
You See here is a man, brothers
and sisters, who understands the

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00:18:20,560 –> 00:18:23,960
supremacy of God.
When you see that spirit in the

254
00:18:23,960 –> 00:18:27,400
prayer of Jehoshaphat,
everything he says is concerning

255
00:18:27,400 –> 00:18:29,920
the majesty and the supremacy of
God.

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00:18:29,920 –> 00:18:33,560
In fact, of course, in the ninth
verse he refers to the great

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00:18:33,560 –> 00:18:37,800
prayer of Solomon himself at the
time of the dedication of the

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00:18:37,800 –> 00:18:40,600
temple.
He claims to be standing there

259
00:18:40,880 –> 00:18:45,520
in the very presence of God as
he pleads for the divine help.

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00:18:45,800 –> 00:18:48,400
And you see, he does the right
thing, does Jehoshaphat, because

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00:18:48,520 –> 00:18:50,560
look what he says in the 11th
verse.

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00:18:51,560 –> 00:18:58,360
Behold, I say, how they reward
us to come to cast us out of thy

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00:18:58,360 –> 00:19:02,360
possession, which thou hast
given us to inherit it.

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00:19:02,360 –> 00:19:06,560
To inherit, O our God, wilt thou
not judge them?

265
00:19:06,880 –> 00:19:09,880
For we have no might against
this great company that cometh

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00:19:09,880 –> 00:19:13,040
against us.
Neither know we what to do, but

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00:19:13,040 –> 00:19:16,760
our eyes are upon thee.
And so you see what Jehoshaphat

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00:19:16,760 –> 00:19:20,920
does here is he pleads the help
of God for the honor of God’s

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00:19:20,920 –> 00:19:23,000
own integrity.
He says, look, we do not know

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00:19:23,000 –> 00:19:25,720
what to do.
This is thy possession, this is

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00:19:25,720 –> 00:19:29,360
thy people, this is thy name.
Wilt thou not help?

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00:19:29,360 –> 00:19:32,000
Oh, God?
Or it was a marvelous prayer,

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00:19:32,200 –> 00:19:34,640
because, you see, he placed the
whole thing in the lap of the

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00:19:34,640 –> 00:19:37,720
Father and sought that the
Father might act, not for the

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00:19:37,720 –> 00:19:40,560
deliverance of the people
specifically, but for the honor

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00:19:40,680 –> 00:19:43,120
and vindication of God’s own
name.

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00:19:43,240 –> 00:19:46,720
You see, he was a man who
understood the spirit of the

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00:19:46,720 –> 00:19:50,480
supremacy of God, who came
before the presence of God in

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00:19:50,480 –> 00:19:54,160
his prayers.
So we ought not to be surprised

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00:19:54,160 –> 00:19:58,440
then, given the spirit of
Jehoshaphat’s prayer, that the

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00:19:58,440 –> 00:20:02,920
record of this chapter goes on
to tell us in the 14th verse.

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00:20:03,880 –> 00:20:11,040
Then upon Jehoshel the son of
Zechariah the son of Benaiah the

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00:20:11,040 –> 00:20:14,080
son of Jehiel the son of
Mataniah a Levite.

284
00:20:15,120 –> 00:20:21,280
Of the sons of Asaph came the
spirit of the Lord in the midst

285
00:20:21,280 –> 00:20:23,800
of the congregation.
And you see, we believe that

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00:20:23,960 –> 00:20:28,640
Jehaziel, the man of this verse,
the man of the sons of Asaph,

287
00:20:28,880 –> 00:20:33,640
was moved by the spirit of the
prayer of Jehoshaphat, which

288
00:20:33,640 –> 00:20:36,280
captured the very spirit of the
House of Asaph.

289
00:20:37,840 –> 00:20:40,600
And the Spirit of God moved
mightily upon a man of Asaph,

290
00:20:40,600 –> 00:20:43,840
And he stood up and encouraged
the nation with the assurance of

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00:20:43,840 –> 00:20:46,320
divine victory.
In fact, what he says is this.

292
00:20:46,480 –> 00:20:51,720
He says at the end in verse 17,
Ye shall not need to fight in

293
00:20:51,720 –> 00:20:56,080
this battle.
Set yourselves, stand ye still

294
00:20:56,280 –> 00:21:00,400
and see the salvation of of
Yahweh with you, O Judah and

295
00:21:00,400 –> 00:21:03,080
Jerusalem.
Fear not nor be dismayed.

296
00:21:03,080 –> 00:21:09,040
Tomorrow go out against them,
for Yahweh will be with you.

297
00:21:09,040 –> 00:21:14,440
And so here now is the assurance
of the Divine Presence from a

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00:21:14,440 –> 00:21:18,320
man of Asaph on behalf of all
the nation.

299
00:21:19,200 –> 00:21:22,960
And Jehotophat bowed his head
with his face to the ground, and

300
00:21:22,960 –> 00:21:28,400
all Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem fell Panim in the

301
00:21:28,400 –> 00:21:31,600
presence of God, worshipping
him.

302
00:21:32,880 –> 00:21:36,160
So here now was a marvellous
answer to the prayer of

303
00:21:36,160 –> 00:21:40,200
Jehoshaphat in this particular
time of crisis.

304
00:21:40,680 –> 00:21:42,400
Well, we’re told that this is
what happened.

305
00:21:42,400 –> 00:21:45,680
Verse 20.
They rose early in the morning

306
00:21:46,360 –> 00:21:48,840
and went forth into the
wilderness of Toccoa.

307
00:21:49,120 –> 00:21:52,160
And as they went forth,
Jehoshaphat stood and said, Here

308
00:21:52,160 –> 00:21:56,280
we, O Judah and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, believe in Yahweh

309
00:21:56,280 –> 00:21:59,360
your God, and socially be
established, believe as prophets

310
00:21:59,360 –> 00:22:02,520
and socially prosper.
And when he had consulted with

311
00:22:02,520 –> 00:22:07,240
the people, he appointed singers
unto the Lord.

312
00:22:07,720 –> 00:22:10,440
Now in the Authorized Version,
we sort of get the idea from

313
00:22:10,440 –> 00:22:14,400
verse 21 that he he appointed
the singers after he had

314
00:22:14,400 –> 00:22:18,120
consulted with the people.
But I think that if we if we

315
00:22:18,120 –> 00:22:21,080
look at another couple of
translations, that is not so.

316
00:22:21,080 –> 00:22:25,800
I think the decision of verse 21
was Jehoshaphat’s alone,

317
00:22:26,440 –> 00:22:30,480
Rotherham says.
And when he had given counsel

318
00:22:30,560 –> 00:22:36,120
unto the people, he appointed
such as should sing unto Yahweh

319
00:22:36,760 –> 00:22:39,880
or the Jerusalem Bible, which
says, then having held a

320
00:22:39,880 –> 00:22:44,000
conference with the people, he
set the can, the cantors of

321
00:22:44,000 –> 00:22:47,440
Yahweh in sacred vestments at
the head of the army.

322
00:22:47,760 –> 00:22:52,200
So you see, I think Jehoshaphat
firstly comforted the people and

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00:22:52,200 –> 00:22:56,720
then he made the decision that
he would send singers in front

324
00:22:56,720 –> 00:22:59,960
of the army.
Now this was a remarkable thing

325
00:22:59,960 –> 00:23:01,760
for the king to do.
When you think of it, fancy

326
00:23:01,920 –> 00:23:06,080
sending a choir at the front of
an army?

327
00:23:07,080 –> 00:23:13,480
What an amazing thing to do.
The most unusual form of of of

328
00:23:13,480 –> 00:23:17,160
warfare.
And you see what it says in

329
00:23:17,160 –> 00:23:19,920
verse 21.
What it said is this.

330
00:23:20,800 –> 00:23:23,400
When he consulted with the
people, he appointed singers

331
00:23:23,400 –> 00:23:26,600
unto Yahweh that should praise
the beauty of holiness as they

332
00:23:26,600 –> 00:23:29,480
went out before the army.
And this is what they sang.

333
00:23:29,720 –> 00:23:37,200
They said they sang.
Praise Yahweh for His mercy

334
00:23:38,320 –> 00:23:43,760
endureth forever.
Oh, now where do those words

335
00:23:43,760 –> 00:23:45,320
come from?
Brothers and sisters?

336
00:23:45,600 –> 00:23:48,160
Why?
Surprise, surprise, they come

337
00:23:48,160 –> 00:23:52,600
from the first of Chronicles
chapter 16 and verse 34.

338
00:23:52,680 –> 00:23:56,120
So guess who might have been the
singers on that occasion who

339
00:23:56,120 –> 00:23:59,000
went forth at the head of the
army, but the House of Asaph,

340
00:23:59,160 –> 00:24:02,400
who told them to sing those
words on that day?

341
00:24:02,400 –> 00:24:06,360
Brothers and sisters, these were
the the words of the family

342
00:24:06,360 –> 00:24:09,440
Psalm of the House of Asaph.
And they went forth.

343
00:24:09,640 –> 00:24:13,840
They marched forth with absolute
conviction that the presence of

344
00:24:13,840 –> 00:24:17,000
God was with them.
It was as if they bore the ark

345
00:24:17,000 –> 00:24:20,520
in their midst as they went
forth on this occasion.

346
00:24:21,320 –> 00:24:23,600
And I’ll tell you how
appropriate it was if you just

347
00:24:23,600 –> 00:24:26,000
hold your hands there and come
back to the first of Chronicles

348
00:24:26,000 –> 00:24:29,480
16.
Just see how marvelously

349
00:24:29,480 –> 00:24:33,840
appropriate it was that they
should sing their family song on

350
00:24:33,840 –> 00:24:36,880
this occasion as they went at
the front of the army.

351
00:24:38,080 –> 00:24:42,560
We’re told this first of
Chronicles 16 and reading from

352
00:24:42,560 –> 00:24:45,720
verse 34, which is what they
were singing.

353
00:24:46,640 –> 00:24:52,080
Oh, give thanks unto Yahweh, for
He is good for his mercy

354
00:24:52,080 –> 00:24:59,280
endureth forever, and say, ye
save us, oh God of our

355
00:24:59,280 –> 00:25:06,200
salvation, and gather us
together and deliver us from the

356
00:25:06,200 –> 00:25:10,880
heathen.
Know that we may give thanks to

357
00:25:10,880 –> 00:25:14,680
Thy holy name.
Oh, what a Psalm they should

358
00:25:14,680 –> 00:25:17,560
sing as they went forth in front
of the army on this occasion.

359
00:25:17,600 –> 00:25:20,160
Do you know what happened in the
Second of Chronicles chapter 20?

360
00:25:20,160 –> 00:25:21,400
Brothers and sisters, come and
have a look.

361
00:25:21,400 –> 00:25:23,960
It’s absolutely remarkable.
This is what actually happened

362
00:25:24,360 –> 00:25:26,440
in the Second of Chronicles
chapter 20.

363
00:25:26,440 –> 00:25:28,880
We’re told this.
We’re told that they marched

364
00:25:28,880 –> 00:25:32,760
forth with the singers at the
front, and the verse 24 says,

365
00:25:33,040 –> 00:25:36,640
And when Judah came toward the
watchtower in the wilderness,

366
00:25:37,280 –> 00:25:41,520
they looked under the multitude,
and behold, they were dead

367
00:25:41,520 –> 00:25:45,320
bodies.
So you see what happened is that

368
00:25:45,320 –> 00:25:47,560
the whole army marched forth
with the choir.

369
00:25:47,560 –> 00:25:50,200
At the start.
The choir began to sing, and the

370
00:25:50,200 –> 00:25:53,760
House of Asaph marched along,
and they sang their songs, and

371
00:25:53,760 –> 00:25:56,240
they sang all the way till they
came to the battleground.

372
00:25:56,320 –> 00:25:58,680
And when they came to the
battleground, the choir stopped,

373
00:25:58,800 –> 00:26:00,840
they looked out, and everyone
was already dead.

374
00:26:02,200 –> 00:26:06,560
What sort of music is this that
vanquishes an army?

375
00:26:07,920 –> 00:26:10,720
And you see, you notice again
the force of the word in verse

376
00:26:10,720 –> 00:26:18,280
22, it says, and when they began
to sing that at that time Yahweh

377
00:26:18,280 –> 00:26:21,880
set the ambushments.
So you see, when their spirit

378
00:26:21,880 –> 00:26:25,600
was right, God moved on their
behalf.

379
00:26:26,440 –> 00:26:29,040
Or you’ve never seen a choir
like this one, brothers and

380
00:26:29,040 –> 00:26:32,120
sisters, singing this particular
song on this day.

381
00:26:32,120 –> 00:26:35,240
And you know that at that
particular time we believe that

382
00:26:35,640 –> 00:26:38,120
one of the Psalms of the House
of Asaph was written.

383
00:26:38,120 –> 00:26:41,400
Now just hold your hand in the
second of Chronicles 20 and come

384
00:26:41,400 –> 00:26:44,080
and have a look at again at
Psalm 83.

385
00:26:44,080 –> 00:26:47,600
Because you see, this Psalm of
the House of Asaph, we believe,

386
00:26:47,800 –> 00:26:50,440
was written at this very moment
of time.

387
00:26:51,560 –> 00:26:54,960
And I wanted to show you how
marvellously the prayer of the

388
00:26:54,960 –> 00:27:00,520
House of Asaph was answered on
this occasion in Psalm 83, which

389
00:27:00,520 –> 00:27:04,000
we’ve already briefly looked at
a Psalm that was written to

390
00:27:04,000 –> 00:27:08,000
commemorate that time when the
children of Lot gathered

391
00:27:08,000 –> 00:27:11,640
together a confederate
confederacy against Israel.

392
00:27:12,000 –> 00:27:17,640
Look at the Prayer of the of the
House of Asaph, Psalm 83 and

393
00:27:17,720 –> 00:27:23,600
reading verse 15.
So persecute them with thy

394
00:27:23,600 –> 00:27:27,320
Tempest, and make them afraid
with thy storm.

395
00:27:28,640 –> 00:27:36,920
Fill their faces with shame, so
that they may seek thy name.

396
00:27:37,600 –> 00:27:42,640
O Yahweh, let them be confounded
and troubled forever.

397
00:27:42,760 –> 00:27:49,880
Yeah, let them be put to shame
and perish, so that men may know

398
00:27:50,040 –> 00:27:55,920
that Thou whose name alone is
Yahweh at the the Most High over

399
00:27:55,960 –> 00:27:58,760
all the earth.
You see the spirit of the of the

400
00:27:58,760 –> 00:28:01,760
sons of Asaph, brothers and
sisters, they pray not for the

401
00:28:01,760 –> 00:28:04,840
deliverance of the nation
merely, but that in the

402
00:28:04,840 –> 00:28:08,640
deliverance of the nation all
those about might know that

403
00:28:08,640 –> 00:28:12,520
Yahweh He is God and that He is
the Most High over all the

404
00:28:12,520 –> 00:28:14,240
earth.
Remember the spirit of our

405
00:28:14,240 –> 00:28:18,680
prayers that if we truly
understand God manifestation, we

406
00:28:18,680 –> 00:28:22,160
will pray not the things for
ourselves, but that whatever

407
00:28:22,160 –> 00:28:26,040
might happen to us should be for
the furtherance of the divine

408
00:28:26,040 –> 00:28:28,400
purpose.
This family knew that principle.

409
00:28:28,440 –> 00:28:33,280
That’s how they prayed.
Now hold your hand in Psalm 83

410
00:28:33,280 –> 00:28:36,480
and come back to the Second of
Chronicles 20 and just see how

411
00:28:36,480 –> 00:28:40,280
marvellously that prayer was
answered on this occasion,

412
00:28:40,440 –> 00:28:44,240
because we’re told this in the
27th verse of the Second of

413
00:28:44,240 –> 00:28:49,360
Chronicles 20.
Then they returned every man of

414
00:28:49,360 –> 00:28:53,320
Judah and Jerusalem and
Jehoshaphat in the forefront of

415
00:28:53,320 –> 00:28:57,760
them to go again to Jerusalem
with joy, for Yahweh had made

416
00:28:57,760 –> 00:29:00,040
them to rejoice over their
enemies.

417
00:29:00,760 –> 00:29:05,000
They came to Jerusalem with
sultries and harps and trumpets

418
00:29:06,000 –> 00:29:08,160
unto the House of God.
Oh, I think the singers were

419
00:29:08,160 –> 00:29:10,040
singing again.
You see, here’s the musical

420
00:29:10,040 –> 00:29:11,880
instruments and and he were the
singers.

421
00:29:11,880 –> 00:29:15,400
They sang on the way home, just
as they sang on the way out.

422
00:29:15,560 –> 00:29:21,720
And verse 29 says, and the fear
of God was on all the kingdoms

423
00:29:21,720 –> 00:29:26,360
of those countries when they
heard that Yahweh fought against

424
00:29:26,360 –> 00:29:28,920
the enemies of Israel.
And the prayer of the House of

425
00:29:28,920 –> 00:29:32,400
Asaph had been, Let them be
confounded, that men may know

426
00:29:32,560 –> 00:29:36,040
that thou, whose name art
Yahweh, are the most High over

427
00:29:36,040 –> 00:29:39,120
all the earth.
And when the sons of Asaph voice

428
00:29:39,200 –> 00:29:42,760
in the prayer of Psalm 83 that
day, brothers and sisters, I

429
00:29:42,760 –> 00:29:45,800
think that Psalm was brought
forth on that very day.

430
00:29:46,000 –> 00:29:51,040
God mightily answered them, and
they won a signal victory over

431
00:29:51,040 –> 00:29:55,000
their enemies by the power of
the singers.

432
00:29:55,640 –> 00:29:59,520
Marvelous, marvelous lesson that
it was.

433
00:30:00,480 –> 00:30:03,200
Now you’ll remember, brothers
and sisters, that at the start

434
00:30:03,200 –> 00:30:07,080
of these sessions we made the
point that there were five key

435
00:30:07,080 –> 00:30:11,360
things that the House of Asaph
looked at in terms of their

436
00:30:11,360 –> 00:30:14,440
music of praise.
And you’ll remember that we’ve

437
00:30:14,440 –> 00:30:17,400
already looked at this one, the
matter of the fact that their

438
00:30:17,400 –> 00:30:20,480
hymns focused on the supremacy
of God.

439
00:30:21,560 –> 00:30:24,560
And we’ve also looked at this
one here, which is the fact that

440
00:30:24,560 –> 00:30:29,080
their hymns focused also on the
pre eminence of principle, that

441
00:30:29,080 –> 00:30:33,760
their music was not based on
emotion so much as intellect,

442
00:30:33,960 –> 00:30:38,960
which then became a motive.
Well, let’s look.

443
00:30:39,040 –> 00:30:41,960
We’re going to look this morning
by way of summary at this one

444
00:30:41,960 –> 00:30:46,560
here, which is the principle of
solemnity of worship, that the

445
00:30:46,560 –> 00:30:50,560
music of the House of Asaph
showed a reverence for the

446
00:30:50,560 –> 00:30:55,880
divine majesty and therefore for
the solemnity that ought to be

447
00:30:55,880 –> 00:30:59,720
present in our songs of worship.
You know, if you come back to

448
00:30:59,720 –> 00:31:03,880
the Second of Chronicles Chapter
7, which takes us back to that

449
00:31:03,880 –> 00:31:08,160
day when they when they sang
that song at the time that the

450
00:31:08,440 –> 00:31:10,720
ark of God was brought into the
House of God.

451
00:31:10,720 –> 00:31:13,800
Just look at the spirit of of
what the nation felt like on

452
00:31:13,800 –> 00:31:17,360
that day in the Second of
Chronicles Chapter 7.

453
00:31:17,760 –> 00:31:20,520
We’re told this in verses one to
three.

454
00:31:21,920 –> 00:31:26,240
Now when Solomon had made an end
of praying, the fire came down

455
00:31:26,240 –> 00:31:29,280
from heaven and consumed the
burnt offering and the sacrifice

456
00:31:29,640 –> 00:31:32,440
and the glory of Yahweh filled
the house.

457
00:31:33,000 –> 00:31:36,320
And the priests could not enter
into the House of Yahweh,

458
00:31:36,880 –> 00:31:41,880
because the glory of Yahweh had
filled Yahweh’s house.

459
00:31:42,960 –> 00:31:47,360
And when all the children of
Israel saw now the fire came

460
00:31:47,360 –> 00:31:52,000
down, and the glory of Yahweh
upon the house, they bowed

461
00:31:52,000 –> 00:31:55,720
themselves with their faces to
the ground upon the pavement,

462
00:31:55,960 –> 00:32:00,600
and worshipped and praised
Yahweh, saying, Why?

463
00:32:00,880 –> 00:32:05,520
For He is good, for His mercy
endure forever.

464
00:32:07,720 –> 00:32:10,280
Now do you think that on that
day, brothers and sisters, when

465
00:32:10,280 –> 00:32:13,200
they sang their songs and they
saw that glory filling the

466
00:32:13,200 –> 00:32:18,400
house, that they would have been
anything other than highly

467
00:32:18,920 –> 00:32:27,200
reverential in their songs?
In the Second of Chronicles

468
00:32:27,200 –> 00:32:32,640
chapter 29, we’re told these
words in the 30th verse in the

469
00:32:32,640 –> 00:32:41,640
days of Hezekiah.
Second of Chronicles 29, verse

470
00:32:41,640 –> 00:32:43,760
30.
Moreover, Hezekiah the king and

471
00:32:43,760 –> 00:32:47,200
the Princess commanded the
Levites to sing praise unto

472
00:32:47,200 –> 00:32:51,200
Yahweh with the words of David
and of Asaph the seer, and they

473
00:32:51,200 –> 00:32:56,480
sang praises with gladness, and
they bowed their heads and

474
00:32:56,480 –> 00:32:58,440
worshipped.
You know that when it says in

475
00:32:58,440 –> 00:33:02,160
the second of Chronicles 29 and
verse 30 that they bowed their

476
00:33:02,160 –> 00:33:06,240
heads, I think that’s a
reference to the singers, that

477
00:33:06,240 –> 00:33:11,680
they sang their songs and bowed
their heads.

478
00:33:12,080 –> 00:33:16,200
You see, they were so overcome
with the thought of ascribing

479
00:33:16,200 –> 00:33:20,040
praise to the Deity that they
they bowed their heads in the

480
00:33:20,040 –> 00:33:23,040
very moment of offering praise
to the Father.

481
00:33:23,200 –> 00:33:26,920
They were in awe of the majesty
of the God that they worshipped.

482
00:33:28,720 –> 00:33:32,680
You know, brothers and sisters,
particular music was different

483
00:33:32,760 –> 00:33:36,640
to sacred music in biblical
times.

484
00:33:38,040 –> 00:33:42,160
The sacred instruments that
David used and that he organized

485
00:33:42,160 –> 00:33:46,720
for this system of temple
worship were different to other

486
00:33:46,720 –> 00:33:49,920
instruments.
They were separated out, they

487
00:33:49,920 –> 00:33:54,560
became special and unique, and
they were only found in the

488
00:33:54,560 –> 00:33:58,320
system of temple worship.
There were only four instruments

489
00:33:58,480 –> 00:34:03,040
that were used in the temple
order of song, and the four

490
00:34:03,040 –> 00:34:09,480
instruments used were the
symbol, the sultry, the harp,

491
00:34:10,600 –> 00:34:13,560
and the trumpet.
They’re the only four

492
00:34:13,560 –> 00:34:17,560
instruments that were associated
with the whole system of temple

493
00:34:17,560 –> 00:34:22,480
song and temple praise, Almost
as if David made these to be

494
00:34:22,480 –> 00:34:25,159
special and different
instruments that were now

495
00:34:25,159 –> 00:34:29,880
associated with sacred music as
opposed to other forms of music.

496
00:34:29,880 –> 00:34:32,960
Of course, the Bible tells us of
a number of other musical

497
00:34:32,960 –> 00:34:36,960
instruments, doesn’t it?
The Bible mentions the dulcimer

498
00:34:37,040 –> 00:34:40,320
and the timbrel and the sack
putts and the drum and the

499
00:34:40,320 –> 00:34:44,440
tablets and the cornets and the
pipe and the organ and the vile.

500
00:34:44,440 –> 00:34:47,880
There’s a few other musical
instruments, but none of those

501
00:34:48,000 –> 00:34:51,080
were used in the temple system
of things.

502
00:34:51,920 –> 00:34:54,280
There has been a suggestion
made, and I think it’s quite a

503
00:34:54,280 –> 00:34:58,960
good one, is that perhaps these
were withheld because of their

504
00:34:58,960 –> 00:35:03,600
associations with Pagan music,
because these were the

505
00:35:03,600 –> 00:35:06,640
instruments used by the
surrounding nations in their

506
00:35:06,640 –> 00:35:10,120
heathen worship, that they were
not to be used or associated

507
00:35:10,320 –> 00:35:12,120
with the music of the worship of
God.

508
00:35:12,240 –> 00:35:15,160
So they never found in the
temple system of things.

509
00:35:16,640 –> 00:35:20,800
But the instruments that were
used were holy and spiritual,

510
00:35:23,520 –> 00:35:26,680
and so they were obviously
appropriate to convey the range

511
00:35:26,800 –> 00:35:30,360
of emotions that are needed in
our songs of praise to the

512
00:35:30,360 –> 00:35:33,960
Father.
And our singing brothers and

513
00:35:33,960 –> 00:35:37,200
sisters does have a whole range
of things that we might wish to

514
00:35:37,200 –> 00:35:42,760
convey.
Majesty, mercy, grandeur,

515
00:35:43,680 –> 00:35:53,680
goodness, dignity, pathos,
contentment, peace, sadness,

516
00:35:54,720 –> 00:36:07,080
love, sternness, joy, happiness,
reverence, compassion, sorrow,

517
00:36:08,760 –> 00:36:12,720
Thanksgiving.
The tremendous range of emotions

518
00:36:12,720 –> 00:36:15,800
isn’t there that is to be
captured in our own songs of

519
00:36:15,800 –> 00:36:19,120
worship and praise, just as it
was in Israel of the past.

520
00:36:19,280 –> 00:36:22,120
But the key to this, brothers
and sisters, is that that the

521
00:36:22,120 –> 00:36:26,720
music that we use and the songs
of praise that we have, although

522
00:36:26,720 –> 00:36:29,720
they convey all of those
emotions and lift them up to the

523
00:36:29,720 –> 00:36:31,880
father.
Here’s the key lesson for

524
00:36:31,880 –> 00:36:34,080
today’s session and today’s
study.

525
00:36:34,440 –> 00:36:37,240
The story is this.
The lesson is this, that we can

526
00:36:37,240 –> 00:36:48,240
be solemn and yet joyful, that
one can exalt with praise but

527
00:36:48,240 –> 00:36:52,240
still be reverent.
And you see, I think that the

528
00:36:52,240 –> 00:36:57,440
House of Asaph always had a
sense of dignity and reverence

529
00:36:57,560 –> 00:36:59,760
as they went about their songs
of praise.

530
00:36:59,760 –> 00:37:03,880
They bowed their heads and
prostrated themselves before

531
00:37:03,880 –> 00:37:07,440
Almighty God.
There was nothing familiar in

532
00:37:07,440 –> 00:37:12,000
what they did.
Now, this is a benchmark for us

533
00:37:12,000 –> 00:37:16,120
to test ourselves against in
terms of the music that we might

534
00:37:16,120 –> 00:37:19,680
have.
Here’s another example of of a

535
00:37:19,680 –> 00:37:23,600
piece of music that it’s
actually a piece of Christian

536
00:37:23,600 –> 00:37:26,040
music again.
And it’s on the subject of the

537
00:37:26,040 –> 00:37:30,120
atonement.
And you can almost tell without

538
00:37:30,120 –> 00:37:33,120
me telling you anything about
the music, what the music might

539
00:37:33,120 –> 00:37:35,640
be like.
Just read the words.

540
00:37:36,720 –> 00:37:38,720
Oh, happy day.
Oh, happy day.

541
00:37:38,800 –> 00:37:44,000
Yeah.
When Jesus was when Jesus was,

542
00:37:44,000 –> 00:37:47,400
when Jesus was wash my sins
away.

543
00:37:47,400 –> 00:37:50,280
Oh, happy day La La La La, La La
La La.

544
00:37:51,920 –> 00:37:54,160
He taught me how to walk to
fight and pray.

545
00:37:54,160 –> 00:37:55,960
He taught me how to live.
Yes he did.

546
00:37:55,960 –> 00:38:01,080
Oh yeah, every day.
And somehow you just know,

547
00:38:01,080 –> 00:38:03,960
brothers and sisters, before
you’ve even heard that piece,

548
00:38:06,760 –> 00:38:12,000
that there is something not very
dignified about it for the God

549
00:38:12,840 –> 00:38:17,600
and we worship.
When you come to the music of

550
00:38:17,600 –> 00:38:19,800
the truth, brothers and sisters,
you’ll find that there are two

551
00:38:19,800 –> 00:38:22,480
things about them.
Firstly is that the music of the

552
00:38:22,480 –> 00:38:26,520
truth seems to have a strong
connection with Scripture, just

553
00:38:26,520 –> 00:38:31,520
in case you hadn’t noticed.
And one of the most marvellous

554
00:38:31,520 –> 00:38:34,080
things about our hymn book and
the hymns that we sing is that

555
00:38:34,240 –> 00:38:37,040
when we sing, we ought to think,
oh, that’s the first of Timothy.

556
00:38:37,040 –> 00:38:40,200
All this is Psalm 89.
All this is Psalm 96.

557
00:38:40,360 –> 00:38:42,880
And all of these Scriptural
thoughts come flooding into our

558
00:38:42,880 –> 00:38:46,760
mind because the very best of
our hymns capture all sorts of

559
00:38:46,760 –> 00:38:49,200
spiritual ideas from the Word of
God.

560
00:38:49,400 –> 00:38:53,040
And when to that, when to those
spiritual thoughts we add the

561
00:38:53,040 –> 00:38:56,080
appropriate music that is
dignified and solemn?

562
00:38:56,240 –> 00:39:00,840
I feel my heart exalted with
praise and I feel joyful, but

563
00:39:00,840 –> 00:39:04,480
never at the expense of
reverence for God.

564
00:39:07,400 –> 00:39:10,440
And somehow we’ve, we’ve got to
find a balance here, don’t we,

565
00:39:10,440 –> 00:39:14,560
in terms of, of that which we
should aspire to in our songs of

566
00:39:14,560 –> 00:39:18,720
praise and songs of worship.
So here are some tests then

567
00:39:18,880 –> 00:39:21,960
concerning the matter of the
solemnity of worship.

568
00:39:22,080 –> 00:39:25,360
Here’s two or three questions
that we might ask that will help

569
00:39:25,360 –> 00:39:28,760
us to test music that we might
think about using.

570
00:39:29,000 –> 00:39:33,520
Here’s the first question.
Is the focus of the piece on the

571
00:39:33,520 –> 00:39:40,320
music or the words?
That’s the first question.

572
00:39:41,880 –> 00:39:49,160
If the focus is on the music,
then the trend is bad is the

573
00:39:49,160 –> 00:39:53,320
second question.
Are the thoughts consistent with

574
00:39:53,320 –> 00:39:59,480
our understanding of the truth?
Does it preserve our heritage of

575
00:39:59,480 –> 00:40:06,760
the faith?
If it doesn’t, then we should

576
00:40:06,760 –> 00:40:12,720
beware.
The third question is, does the

577
00:40:12,720 –> 00:40:17,600
music really help to lift the
words to their proper heights,

578
00:40:20,360 –> 00:40:28,120
or does the music begin to
undermine the truth of the

579
00:40:28,120 –> 00:40:36,160
words?
Is the music modelled on modern

580
00:40:36,160 –> 00:40:40,960
secular sound or modern secular
rhythms?

581
00:40:42,640 –> 00:40:47,080
If it is, then we should
probably avoid it because David

582
00:40:47,080 –> 00:40:50,280
put difference between sacred
and secular music and said

583
00:40:50,280 –> 00:40:54,520
they’re not the same.
We don’t want the same sounds,

584
00:40:55,800 –> 00:41:00,000
don’t want the same rhythms,
don’t want the same

585
00:41:00,000 –> 00:41:04,080
associations.
You see, one of the problems,

586
00:41:04,080 –> 00:41:06,680
brothers and sisters, is that I
can’t tell you exactly where the

587
00:41:06,680 –> 00:41:10,080
line or the limit is because,
you know, even the same piece

588
00:41:10,080 –> 00:41:13,440
can be sung in different ways
depending on the attitude of the

589
00:41:13,440 –> 00:41:17,280
singer.
Perhaps if I give you an

590
00:41:17,280 –> 00:41:24,200
example, if you’ll spare me.
So I apologize for this

591
00:41:24,200 –> 00:41:28,400
rendition and I’m not going to
use the words.

592
00:41:28,400 –> 00:41:30,120
I’m simply going to use the
sounds.

593
00:41:30,120 –> 00:41:33,520
But I, I, I hope that most of
you will be familiar with this

594
00:41:33,520 –> 00:41:35,440
piece.
You see, you can sing a piece in

595
00:41:35,440 –> 00:41:52,680
two different ways,
you know, Or we could sing.

596
00:42:01,880 –> 00:42:08,480
And all of a sudden it’s a
different piece.

597
00:42:08,920 –> 00:42:12,600
So you see, even the same piece
can sound different depending

598
00:42:12,600 –> 00:42:14,720
on, well, what’s our attitude
here?

599
00:42:14,760 –> 00:42:19,240
What’s our spirit?
But you see, the principle is

600
00:42:19,240 –> 00:42:23,720
this, that we want to avoid that
which is frivolous or foolish.

601
00:42:24,280 –> 00:42:27,840
We want to avoid that which is
familiar or casual.

602
00:42:28,280 –> 00:42:31,760
We want to avoid that which is
flippant or showy.

603
00:42:31,880 –> 00:42:35,480
You know, in modern Christian
music, brothers and sisters, God

604
00:42:35,640 –> 00:42:42,200
is the bloke next door and
Christ is our boyfriend.

605
00:42:43,080 –> 00:42:46,760
That’s what it sounds like.
That’s not the God whom we

606
00:42:46,760 –> 00:42:51,720
worship, brothers and sisters,
and it’s not the God whom the

607
00:42:51,720 –> 00:42:57,440
House of Asaph worshipped.
So here’s the golden Rule as

608
00:42:57,440 –> 00:43:00,880
best as I can give it, without
being able to give you anything

609
00:43:00,880 –> 00:43:04,120
more definitive.
I think the Golden rule is

610
00:43:04,120 –> 00:43:11,840
simply this.
As the beat increases, reverence

611
00:43:12,080 –> 00:43:17,680
declines.
Somewhere on a line of

612
00:43:17,680 –> 00:43:25,400
continuum, those two things will
crossover and all of a sudden a

613
00:43:25,400 –> 00:43:29,560
piece won’t be right.
You must judge for yourself.

614
00:43:31,400 –> 00:43:34,520
But I think that when the House
of Asaph sang their song on that

615
00:43:34,520 –> 00:43:37,800
day when the temple was open to
receive the ark of God’s

616
00:43:37,800 –> 00:43:41,720
presence and the glory of God
filled the house, that they

617
00:43:41,720 –> 00:43:44,240
would have not, they wouldn’t
have dreamed of doing anything

618
00:43:44,240 –> 00:43:49,160
other than singing with the
greatest of solemnity before

619
00:43:49,160 –> 00:43:51,600
Almighty God on that day.
So, so here it is.

620
00:43:51,600 –> 00:43:54,000
Let’s just take our closing
summary.

621
00:43:54,920 –> 00:43:58,800
After the first disastrous
attempt to convey the ark to

622
00:43:58,800 –> 00:44:03,840
Jerusalem, all Israel knew the
power of Him that dwelleth

623
00:44:03,840 –> 00:44:07,760
between the Caribbean.
By the flashing forth of the

624
00:44:07,760 –> 00:44:11,760
divine majesty and judgment,
Yahweh signified that mere

625
00:44:11,760 –> 00:44:15,520
feeling and enthusiasm in music
were not enough.

626
00:44:16,960 –> 00:44:22,080
Divine principles must be upheld
and the majesty of of His

627
00:44:22,080 –> 00:44:26,840
Holiness honored.
Even the splendor of the Divine

628
00:44:26,840 –> 00:44:31,120
glory in approval was such an
awe inspiring sight that the

629
00:44:31,120 –> 00:44:34,680
entire congregation were
prostrated to the ground in

630
00:44:34,680 –> 00:44:37,600
humility.
Likewise, the singers themselves

631
00:44:37,760 –> 00:44:41,360
sang praises with the greatest
reverence, worshipping with

632
00:44:41,360 –> 00:44:47,320
bowed heads.
The House of Asaph stood in awe

633
00:44:47,320 –> 00:44:51,200
of the Divine Presence.
That which was familiar or

634
00:44:51,200 –> 00:44:56,240
casual, flippant or catchy, was
to be assumed.

635
00:44:57,120 –> 00:45:02,280
Their music, however joyful, was
never at the expense of the

636
00:45:02,280 –> 00:45:10,880
reverence, solemnity, and
dignity appropriate in praising

637
00:45:10,880 –> 00:45:15,600
God.
In the words of Psalm 99,

638
00:45:15,640 –> 00:45:21,240
brothers and sisters and verse
one, that this is the God who

639
00:45:21,240 –> 00:45:24,640
reigneth, who dwelleth between
the Caribbean.

640
00:45:25,960 –> 00:45:29,080
Let all the earth fear before
him.