Then David said to the whole assembly, "Blessed be the LORD your God." So the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. Sermons I. THE NATURE OF WORSHIP: in what worship consists. Worship of some sort has been general among all nations. Revealed religion directs and consecrates what seems a natural tendency; and both the Old Testament and the New contain many admonitions to, many examples of, true and acceptable worship. 1. True worship is spiritual. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." It consists in the recognition of the Divine attributes, the acknowledgment of the Divine reign, and gratitude for Divine mercies - gifts, forbearance, loving-kindness. Nothing is more hateful to God than the language and posture of worship from which spiritual devotion is absent. Of the insincere he speaks with indignation, "This people draweth near unto me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Silence is compatible with true worship; insincerity is not. 2. A devout heart will find expression for its sentiments. "The people bowed down their heads, and worshipped." Language is an assistance to the intelligent worshipper, though an unuttered aspiration or affection is heard and accepted by God. And attitudes of kneeling, standing, bowing the head, stretching forth the hands, are all appropriate as expressive of the feelings of the devout worshipper. It is only when they are substituted for spiritual worship that they are bad and displeasing to him who searches the hearts and tries the reins of the children of men. II. THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP: to whom worship is due. The congregation of Israel "worshipped the Lord, and the king." Yet the homage offered to David was civil, not religions; and there could have been no danger of confusing the one with the other. Whilst the heathen worship gods many and lords many, to us there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. The Christian adores and blesses God in Christ. Notice that he is: 1. Your God. The Israelites were reminded of this; and we all are summoned to regard him as ours; for he has made us and redeemed us, and by his own Spirit renewed us, so that we are his and he is ours. 2. And he is also your fathers' God. The Hebrews knew him as "the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." And we can exclaim, when we approach him, "Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not." The fact that God made himself known unto the fathers of mankind, that our parents or ancestors knew and acknowledged him, adds a pathos and a power to our prayers. III. THE WORSHIPPERS. David summoned "all the congregation" to worship, bless, and praise the Lord. 1. All men have abundant reason to bless the Lord. He is "good unto all" His bounty, care, watchfulness, and long-suffering, have been experienced by all. No wonder that the psalmist in so many passages calls upon all people - all nations - to praise the Lord; summons young men and maidens, old men and children, to praise the Name of the Lord. 2. All men are in the gospel encouraged to present acceptable worship to God through Jesus Christ. The Saviour reveals the Father as the Object of worship, and himself provides the new and living way of access, and offers the intercession which secures Divine acceptance and approval for the believing worshipper. "I will," says the Apostle Paul, "that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." QUESTIONS. 1. Do you worship God yourselves? 2. Do you admonish and encourage others, especially the young, to bless and praise the Lord? - T.
Now bless the Lord your God. I. THE ABUNDANT ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAISE GOD AFFORDED US IN THE SCRIPTURES.II. THE MOST APPROPRIATE THEMES OF THANKSGIVING. III. THE BEST MEANS OF SHOWING GOD'S PRAISE. (Richard Jones, B. A.) 1. It is acceptable to God Himself. 2. It confers a blessing on him who renders it. 3. It is the joyous occupation of the saints before the throne. II. WHAT SHOULD BE THE SUBJECTS OF OUR PRAISE? His mercies. 1. Creation. 2. Preservation. 3. Redemption. 4. The means of grace. 5. The hope of glory. III. IN WHAT WAY GOD'S PEOPLE ARE TO PRAISE AND BLESS HIM. 1. With our lips. 2. In the life and conversation. (A. Roberts, M. A.) People David, Gad, Isaac, Jehiel, Jesse, Nathan, Ophir, Samuel, Solomon, ZadokPlaces Hebron, Jerusalem, OphirTopics Assembly, Bent, Bless, Blessed, Bow, Bowed, Congregation, David, Fathers, Fell, Heads, Homage, Low, Obeisance, Praise, Praised, Prostrate, Prostrated, Themselves, Worshiped, Worshipped, WorshippingOutline 1. David, by his example and entreaty6. causes the princes and people to offer willingly 10. David's thanksgiving and prayer 20. The people, having blessed God, and sacrificed, make Solomon king. 26. David's reign and death Dictionary of Bible Themes 1 Chronicles 29:20Library The Waves of Time'The times that went over him.'--1 CHRON. xxix. 30. This is a fragment from the chronicler's close of his life of King David. He is referring in it to other written authorities in which there are fuller particulars concerning his hero; and he says, 'the acts of David the King, first and last, behold they are written in the book of Samuel the seer ... with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over all Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.' Now I have ventured … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture That we Ought to Offer Ourselves and all that is Ours to God, and to Pray for All The History Books Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C. Enoch, the Deathless The Exile --Continued. Covenanting a Duty. Chronicles Links 1 Chronicles 29:20 NIV1 Chronicles 29:20 NLT 1 Chronicles 29:20 ESV 1 Chronicles 29:20 NASB 1 Chronicles 29:20 KJV 1 Chronicles 29:20 Bible Apps 1 Chronicles 29:20 Parallel 1 Chronicles 29:20 Biblia Paralela 1 Chronicles 29:20 Chinese Bible 1 Chronicles 29:20 French Bible 1 Chronicles 29:20 German Bible 1 Chronicles 29:20 Commentaries Bible Hub |