“For whatever things were written before time were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might find hope,” Romans 15:4.

Welcome to our series of lessons on Old Testament studies. These lessons are designed to help us learn valuable lessons from the Old Testament, from people's lives, from teachings that never change, of God and His nature, man's relationship, and ultimately to help us live holier- so we can one day have that ultimate hope that Romans 15:4 talks about.

Many times people think that the Old Testament is an old book written to the Jews that has nothing to do with us. Such is not true. The Old Testament is God's inspired word, 2 Timothy 3:16. It is valuable for our lives. The New Testament says it can give us patience and comfort and ultimately help us obtain that hope.

Now as we think about the value of the Old Testament, let's realize as well that sometimes people go too far to the other extreme and think that the Old Testament is our absolute guide in all things. Yes, the Old Testament is valuable. It has a place in the child of God's life and the Christian's life. There are definite boundaries that the Old Testament cannot crossover and that Scripture sets in place.

For example we know that the Old Testament is not going to be our guide today. The major purpose of the Old Testament was to get us to Christ and Christianity. Galatians 3:24, it's our schoolmaster. It's our tutor

bringing us to the point that we can obtain faith in Christ. Galatians 3:24 following says, when we achieve that faith, we no longer need that schoolmaster as an ultimate guide.

Think about Scripture and especially the Old Testament and its value. I want us to think for just a moment again about Romans 15:4. Here is that the premier passage that sets for us the value of the Old Testament. The Scripture says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might find hope.” Notice, those things written before- they’re valuable. They help us to have patience and comfort. They ultimately help me to achieve that wonderful hope that Christianity is all about. The Old Testament is one major boundary is that it was a temporal law for the Israelites. It's not my law today. I'm not an Israelite. God wasn't speaking directly to me when He wrote the old law in its original recipients. I think about Jeremiah 31:31-34. The Scripture says God speaking, “The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” The Old Testament itself proclaims that a new covenant is coming. Let's realize we're under the new covenant of Christ today. Be clear about what the Scripture says in your mind concerning the old being done away with as our law, as our guide, and as our judge on the final day.

Let me illustrate. Look in Hebrews 8:13. The Scripture says, “In that He,” God, “says a new covenant He has made the first obsolete.” Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old and is ready to vanish away? He quotes Jeremiah 31:31. God said ‘a new covenant.’ He made the first obsolete. Think of things that are obsolete. Think about a carriage and a buggy for transportation, a horse-drawn buggy. That's obsolete. Think about a washboard. There are washing machines now for washing clothes. A washboard is obsolete. The same is true concerning the Old Testament. It's not our guide today.

The Old Testament is not our law or judge today. When I stand before God and when people on this side of the cross that his people under Christianity stand before God- they are not going to be judged by the words of Moses. Look at what Jesus said in John 12:48. Jesus said, “He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” Jesus didn't say ‘when you stand before God, if you don't believe in Me, you can be judged by the words of Moses.’ Jesus said the words that He has spoken will be

our ultimate guide. Colossians 2:14, Jesus has broken down the middle wall of separation. He's nailed that old law to the cross, and it's no longer for us today.

The Old Testament is also not valuable for making peace between Jew and Gentile. The Old Testament was given to the Jews, to Israel, to the Hebrew nation, and there was always that wall of separation. Ephesians 2:14-15 His law broke down the wall of separation and all men can be one through the gospel in God's family.

The Old Testament is also not valuable to teach one how to become a Christian. I don't look from Genesis to Malachi to learn how to become a Christian. I don't look to the Old Testament when asked the question ‘what must I do to be saved?’ The New Testament is where we learn how to become a Christian. In Matthew 26:28 Jesus, as He instituted and as He taught about the Lord's Supper said, “This is my blood of the new covenant which was shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” His new covenant, His new blood, that's where forgiveness is. Peter would say in Acts 4:11-12 that “there is salvation in no other name except the name and teaching of Jesus.”

As we think about things the Old Testament is not for, the Old Testament is not the place we look to learn how to worship God today. I am not going to worship God in the way in which they worshipped God under the Old Testament. We don't worship God through a high priest of men today. Christ is our high priest. We don't offer animal sacrifices. We don't keep the new moons and the Sabbath- all those things we don't do because this is not our guide for worship. Colossians 3:17 says whatever we do in word or indeed we've got a do all by the authority or name of Jesus Christ. We're to worship God in spirit and in truth, John 4:24. It's not the way we learn how to worship our God today.

What is the Old Testament Bible for? I believe one of the greatest values we can have in the Old Testament is that it initially and ultimately answers life's most important questions.

For example, the Old Testament answers the questions- Why am I here? What's life all about? What am I doing here? Those are questions that every person sometimes struggles with and needs an answer that is correct. The Bible answers the great question ‘Who am I?’ Think about the

words of Genesis 1:26 and in Genesis 2:7. The Bible says in Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Let him have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Notice Genesis 2:7, ‘And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.’

Who am I? Did I evolve from apes millions of years ago? Did my ancestors come up out of some cesspool of nothing? No- the Scripture says I am the pinnacle of God's creation. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” I am the creation of God made in His spiritual image. The Bible says ‘God breathed into man the breath of life.’

I'm a creation of God. I'm here on this earth, which God created as a place for man to get right with God. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Creation is the way the world in which we live in took place. This creation is a vale of soul making. This is man's one and only shot to get right with God. In fact that answers the next question- why am I here? What are we doing here? Many people meander through life without purpose and without meaning. They have no clue about where they're going or what life is all about.

The Bible says we're here to glorify God and ultimately to get to heaven. Solomon sought meaning in life. He tried it in building things. He tried it in pleasure. He tried it in lust and accomplishments. Look at Solomon's final statement Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. The Bible says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God and keep His commandments for this is man's all or the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment including every secret thing whether good or evil.”

Why am I here? I'm not here to fulfill my lust. I'm not here to see how much I can accomplish or how much money I can gain. I'm here to fear God and to serve Him. Isaiah 43:7 says it this way: God said, “Everyone who is called by My name whom I have created for my glory, I have formed him. Yes, I've made him.” I was made in the image of God to give Him honor, glory, and ultimately make it back to heaven. The Bible says that God is a spirit, John 4:23. The Bible also teaches that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All the way back to the days of creation we

learn that God, the idea of God, includes more than just one personality. Think of the words of Genesis 1:26 again. God said, “Let us make man in our image according to our likeness.” The plural personal pronouns there God is ‘us’- that is the Father. Hebrews 12:9, the Father of our souls, the Son Jesus Christ who is in the beginning with God, who is God, John 1:1, and the eternal spirit, Hebrews 9:12-14.

Another very valuable question we learn is how long will we be here. Am I going to live here forever? Is life just up a big game and all fun? Am I just going to live it up and be here forever? No, anybody knows that- but you know what the Old Testament taught us that long ago? Psalm 90:10-12 David in essence says ‘if we're lucky we got 70 maybe 80 years upon this earth.’ James complements that idea. James 4:14 says, ‘What your life? It's but a vapor that appears for a little while and then it vanishes away.’ Life's brief. I'm not going to be here long, and thus I must I must make sure that I get right with God while I have effort opportunity. If life's brief, that naturally leads into another question that the Old Testament ask- but really doesn't give us the clarity of answer that we find in the New Testament. Job asked in Job 14:14 “If a man dies, shall he live again?” We really begin to see the clarity of what happens on the other side in the New Testament. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:46 that ‘the righteous are going to go away into eternal life and the unrighteous into eternal death.’ Jesus taught us that the grave is not the end. John 11:25-26 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, life in essence He said, Whoever believes in Me will never really die.” In John 5:28-29 Jesus said, “All who are in the grave, will come forth those of done good to the resurrection of life those of done evil to the resurrection of death.” We learn clearly we are creation of God. We're here because of God speaking the world into existence. This is our one chance to get right with God. We don't have very long to make sure that we live eternally with Him forever.

The Old Testament also is valuable because it details man's relationship with God since creation. Have they lived in perfect harmony? What happened to cause sin? How does that come into the world? We learn in Genesis chapter 2 that indeed God created man as a free moral agent. He put man in the garden. Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul.” We're made in the image of God. We have a soul that gives us choices to make in this life. Joshua 24:15 clearly teaches that man is a free moral agent and has a choice to make. Notice the words of Joshua 24:15. The Scripture

says, Joshua speaking, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the God of the Amorite gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Man was created with choices to make. In the garden, man made a bad choice. Genesis chapter 3, God placed us in the garden; He gave one command. ‘You can eat freely of every fruit every tree of the garden. Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,’ for God said, ‘in the day you eat it you'll surely die.’ Adam and Eve both made the wrong choice. They ate of that forbidden tree that God told them not to, and as result, death came to man. The devil tempted Adam and Eve to sin. In Genesis chapter 3 sin entered into the world. Romans 5:12 comments on this idea and says that ‘through one man sin entered into the world and death came to all people because all have sinned.’ Adam and Eve opened the door of sin. Death walked through that door and became a part of man's existence. The consequences of their first choice ever since that first opening of the door of sin, God has been working to get us back to the tree of life and to Himself.

The Old Testament is a journey bringing us to Christ and Christianity. The Old Testament has a lot of laws. It has a lot of teachings. It’s a major purpose is to bring Christ into the world. If you missed Christ in the Old Testament, you've missed the major point of the Old Testament. The point is- Christ is coming; get ready. In Genesis 3:15 you've got that initial promise of the seed of woman is going to crush the head of Satan- ultimately fulfilled in Jesus dying on the cross. You've got the promise to Abraham-‘In your seed all nations.’ Galatians 3:15-17 Christ is that saying He's for Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. You've got the promise to David- 2 Samuel 7:12-14 God said ‘of your seed one will sit upon the throne and of His kingdom there'll be no end.’ Luke 1:32-33 Jesus is the son of David and ‘of his kingdom, of his house, there'll be no end.’ Ultimately the forgiveness and the hope that we have in Christ is seen in promise and prophecy and in preparation in the Old Testament. It details our relationship with God. It details how man opened the door of sin and death- but also it tells us that from that time for God has been working to bring salvation into the world.

Another powerful lesson we learn from the Old Testament is that it

gives us real-life examples of how to live and how not to live. It shows us how people made bad choices and how God expects me to learn from their lesson and not make those choices. For example, take your mind back to Genesis chapter 4- Cain and Abel. One became jealous of the other and murdered him. Cain murdered his brother Abel. We learn from that that God was not at all pleased with what Cain did. I learned that murder and jealousy is not something God wants His people to have. There's a very valuable life lesson learned there. I cannot let myself get caught up in jealousy, family struggles, and quibbles. I need to make sure that I strive for peace. Exodus 20 God placed it in the 10 Commandments. “You shall not murder.” Jesus also taught us murder was wrong. Matthew chapter 5 He describes the love we should have for one another.

I learn about life lessons from real people and about the wrath of God in the Old Testament. Think about Noah and the flood in Genesis chapter 6. God in essence said ‘That's it; I've had enough of this creation. I've tried to help them and make it right with them. They always continually have evil in their hearts.’ God said ‘You prepare your family. You found grace in my sight. There's going to be a day of reckoning.’ God caused the flood to come on the earth, and all but eight souls were destroyed because of their sin and their wickedness. I learn about the wrath of God. I understand our God is a loving God, but we also need to realize that God is angry with the wicked. I need understand that the wrath of God one day will ultimately be unleashed against the ungodly. Romans 1:18, they will suffer eternal death if they don't obey.

Just as people suffered in the times of Noah and the flood, I learn from people like David and Bathsheba that there are certain lust and pleasures that I must control. David was a great man of God- a man after God's own heart. And yet, David saw this beautiful woman Bathsheba bathing, and he was tempted. He lusted after her. He took her and had relations with her. David had her husband murdered. His son that comes from that dies, and there's always trouble in the family of David afterward. I learn from the Old Testament lesson of David and Bathsheba that I have got to control my passions and my desires and my lust.

There are real-life examples of how to live pleasing to God like Noah and his family, and there live examples of how people were displeasing like came in like David and Bathsheba. It is a very valuable book that we must

give credence to.

There's one last passage that I want us to think about, and that's found in Leviticus 11:44. One of the things the Old Testament establishes is the holiness of God. Think about with me for just a moment the words of Leviticus 11:44. God said, “For I am the Lord your God you shall therefore consecrate yourselves and you shall be holy for I am holy .Do not make yourself unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.” What's the Old Testament trying to get us to achieve? The holiness of God is trying to help us get to the point where Christ comes in the world and where we can be holy like God is holy. Hebrews 10:3-4 says, “The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.” But Christ coming in the world could take away sin. Hebrews 10:12, “This man after he'd offered one sacrifice for sin forever sat down at the right hand of God.” Peter quotes in 1Peter 1:15, “As He who called you is holy, be holy in all your conduct.” The Old Testament promised, prophesied, and prepared us for Jesus to come into the world. We can have that hope. We can be holy.

We ask you today, have you obeyed the gospel? Are you a part of God's family?

If not, you can do so by hearing the word of God, Romans 10:17, by believing in Jesus, John 8:24, by being willing to repent of your sins, Luke 13:3, confessing the name of Jesus before men, Romans 10:10, and you must be baptized in water. Jesus himself said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved. He that does not believe shall be condemned.”

Yes the Old Testament is valuable, but if I'm going to be saved I've got a look to the New Testament. Are you a New Testament Christian? Are you sure you're right with God?

If not, won't you do that today- before it's everlastingly too late?

Study Questions for:

“Old Testament Studies: Lesson 1-The Value of the Old Testament”

1. According to Romans 15:4, why was the Old Testament written?

2. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible is whose inspired word?

3. According to Hebrews 8:13, what is obsolete?

4. According to John 12:48, what will judge us on the last day?

5. What does Matthew 26:28 say of the new covenant?

6. According to Acts 4:11-12, where is salvation?

7. According to Colossians 3:17, how should we do all things?

8. According to John 4:24 how are we to worship God?

9. According to Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, what’s the whole duty of man?

10. How does James 4:14 describe our life span?

“Give unto the Lord the glory due His name, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” 1 Chronicles 16:29.

Welcome to our study of the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles. These lessons, as we think about the Old Testament and its importance in our lives today, I'm reminded of Romans 15:4. The Scripture says “The things that were written before time,” no doubt a reference to the old law, “were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might find hope.”

The Old Testament was specifically given to the people of Israel, but it also applies to us in that I can learn about God, Jesus, about how to relate to the Father, and I can learn the type of faith and actions that are either pleasing or displeasing to God.

As we study 1 Chronicles, we want to learn some key ideas and gain a little background knowledge to the book. As much as anything, we want to take these Old Testament books and apply their living messages to our lives today so that we can truly be faithful until death, Revelation 2:10.

Now, what's 1 Chronicles all about? In Hebrew history, 1 Chronicles really takes us from Adam, point of creation, all the way to Solomon. He

begins by backtracking all the way back in the genealogies to Adam. He traces those genealogies in the first nine chapters, bringing us up to David and to Solomon eventually to show the continual working of God through His people to accomplish His purposes.

Now, in reality, 1 Chronicles is mainly about the righteous and godly reign of King David, how that David was a good man, how that he tried to worship and to live his life, and as the greatest king of Israel, save the Lord Jesus, King of the church today, he is a type of the Christ in many ways who was to come.

Some of the key words in 1 Chronicles are the words worship and praise. David is helping the people to see that God is worthy not just of living for, but worthy of honor and praise and that they truly need to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. As we mentioned, I think one of the key verses is found in 1 Chronicles 16:29. Notice this passage. David says, “Give to the Lord the glory due His name, bring an offering and come before Him. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” When we talk about God and our relationship to Him, I need to give God the glory He deserves. God deserves all glory in my life and yours.

You ever wonder and ask one of the most important questions man's ever asked? ‘Why am I here?’ Well, let's let God tell us. Isaiah 43:7, God says to everyone ‘who's called by my name, whom I created for my glory.’ God says, ‘I formed him, yes, I've made him.’ Why were you formed? Why was I created? I was created and so were you to glorify God. Give unto the Lord the glory due his name. What's that mean? Let my life be a glorification to God. Everything I say, everything I do, needs to bring honor to the name of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, ‘whether we eat or whether we drink, or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.’ Oh how our life needs to bring honor to the Almighty. Then he says, ‘bring an offering, come before him with praise, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’

Have you ever thought about how beautiful holiness is? How that it's something that is attractive, endearing, and that ought to draw men to

God? God is the greatest example of holiness. I need to worship and praise Him in that holiness.

In 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, the prophecy is made that one of the seed of David would reign on the throne of David and that he would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed. A lot of people thought that was the kingdom of Solomon. I know ultimately it wasn't. Although Solomon was a great king in many ways, reined in David's place, perpetuated the kingdom of Israel, Israel was ultimately destroyed and that kingdom is really no more. Well, who was God talking about? Luke 1:32-33, in prophecy to Mary it is said, “And you will call his name Jesus. He will save His people from their sins. He will reign over the house of David, and of His kingdom there'll be no end.” Jesus is from the house of David, Matthew 1:14 following. Jesus and His kingdom is still reigning and ruling today, Revelation 11:14. He's still King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. This great prophecy really points us forward to Jesus and God working through him to bring his message about.

To help us understand, maybe the ideas in 1 Chronicles, Chapters one through nine are the genealogies from Adam to David, kind of an accounting of the great figures in the history of Israel, and to show ultimately that Jesus did have the right, coming through David, to be king, would be proved to the Jews on the day of Pentecost and in other places. Then in chapters 10 through 29, we find about the death of Saul and how David begins to reign over the united kingdom. The book from that point forward begins to show us the good works, the good heart, and how we ought to try our best in every way to follow the good example of King David. We see Saul's ultimate failure in 10:13-14, listen to what God says about King Saul and why he was ultimately removed as king. Chapter 10:13, the Bible says, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness, which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord and also because he consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord, therefore, he, God, killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” Saul had great potential. He started out with good ideas, but what happened? Sin began to reign in his life. Sin took ahold of this man, and the Bible says he died for his unfaithfulness- even to the point,

instead of going and asking God for advice; he went and asked the witch of Endor what to do in a certain situation. Trying to eventually use her to get God's message, but that's the way he resorted to. That's how low Saul got. So he died for his unfaithfulness and his sin against the Lord. He did not keep the word of the Lord. He ultimately consulted a medium, and just as important, just as important, he did not inquire of God to do right and to find out what was right in the sight of God.

Now, I want to share with you a key in the book of 1 Chronicles that I think is one of the most important keys in understanding and knowing how to interpret the Bible correctly. Would you open your Bible to 1 Chronicles chapter 15, and you might want to underline this in your own copy of the Bible, look in 1 Chronicles chapter 15. The Israelites are transporting the ark of God back. Two men, Uzzah and Ahio, are transporting the ark. They come to a piece of ground called Nahshon's threshing floor, and on this plot of ground, evidently, the new cart that they got this ark on, it hits a bump and it looks like the ark is about to fall off. Uzzah, who no doubt loves God, and no doubt respects the ark, out of love for God, he reaches up to stabilize that ark. He drops dead right there on the spot. Why did that happen? David didn't know, in fact the context tells us he got angry about the event. He went back and thought about it, and he gave us this great jewel of understanding and applying the Bible.

Look in your Bible, in 1 Chronicles 15, concerning this same event, David says, “For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order. And so the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.” Now watch how they do it correctly. “And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders by its poles as Moses had commanded according to word of the Lord.”

If you will study the book of Numbers, even some of the book of Exodus, you will find that God specified who was to carry the ark. He said the Levites were, and then he specifies a little further. “Inside the tribe of Levites, only the sons of Kohath.” And when they carried the ark, they were to put rods through the rings on the side of the ark, and they were to carry it

on their shoulders- two men in the front, two men in the back. That's God's way of transporting it. What happened when the ark fell and Uzzah died? Notice verse 13 again. David said, “These things happened, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

Friend, how today we need to take those words to heart when it comes to worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness, what's the right way and what's not the right way? Friend, there are a lot of folks who got a lot of ideas today and those ideas, do they consult God about the right order when it comes to things like women preaching, becoming real popular today? You might walk into a supposedly place of worship in the United States of America, and it might be the case that either a man or a woman might be standing up there preaching. Well, let's ask. Have we consulted God about the proper order on that? Not according to 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Paul said, “Let a woman learn in all silence with submission and I do not permit a woman to teach or be in authority over a man, but to remain in silence.” 1 Corinthians 14:24 says the same thing. Here you've got man's idea. Here you've got man's order and man says, ‘let's put a woman up there and let her preach.’ What does God say? ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or be in authority over a man.’ Like in the days of David, let's consult God about the proper order on worshiping Him.

What about when it relates to the Lord's Supper? You know the Lord's Supper is a very special event. Jesus instituted it in Matthew 26 at the Passover. Jesus took that fruit of the vine, and he took that unleavened bread. He said, “This is my blood, this is my body, do this in remembrance of me.” And how did the church in the New Testament do that? Did they do it on Christmas? Did they do it on Easter? Did they do it on the first Sunday of every month? Well, let's see what their pattern was. Acts 20:7, the Bible says, “On the first day of the week, the disciples came together to break bread.” Well, how did the New Testament church worship God concerning the Lord's Supper? It wasn't on Christmas. It wasn't on Easter. It wasn't the first Sunday of every month. They came together on the first day of the week. What week? There's no specific week in mind, and thus, every first day of the week. It's really inconsistent when we say, well, that's hard to understand. It's really not, and here's how: 1 Corinthians 16, the Bible says

that we are to give as we are prospered on the first day of the week. Same language of Acts 20:7. Now, how many places where you live don't take up a collection every first day of the week? Well, every place does. The language is similar to that of Acts 20:7, and yet we understand it in 1 Corinthians 16 when it comes to giving, but we're baffled when it comes to Acts 20:7?

Friend, that shows inconsistency, and more importantly, are we really consulting God about the proper order?

Let's consult God about another matter of worship, what about singing. God has commanded singing, and it's a wonderful part of our worship to Him. The Bible says, “If any man's happy, let him sing,” James 5:13. The Bible teaches that the church is to praise God in song, Ephesians 5:19. We're to sing and make melody to the Lord. But how do we do that? And what's the proper order for worship? Is it okay to have a 10-piece rock band on the stage? Is it okay to strum a guitar or play a piano or play on a flute to the Lord? Is that what God's asked for? What's the proper order? That's what really matters.

Let's hear what God says on the matter. 1 Corinthians 14:15, Paul says, “I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding, I will also sing with the Spirit and with the understanding.” Singing identifies that we're to understand correct singing means that we do it with our spirit, our whole heart, soul, mind, and body, and with our understanding, and thus our emotion is involved with the words of the song, and we think about it as we sing.

Now, let's direct our attention to another passage that teaches us the proper order for singing. Look in Ephesians 5:19. The Bible says, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. What is it God has asked for? God said, ‘Speak,’ God said ‘sing to one another.’ That's reciprocal. We all sing to each other, we praise God, and we teach one another through the singing. What am I to sing? Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. That's what God has identified. How am I to do that? Well, ‘I'm to sing,’ and notice

these words, ‘and make melody where?’ On a piano? Now, that's not what it says. On a guitar? No, the Bible doesn't say that. On a drum? No, God doesn't say that either. Where am I to make melody at? ‘And make melody in your heart.’ That's not the blood pump. The heart's the mind. ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ You think in your heart, and thus the heart is the mind, Proverbs 23:7. When I sing, I am to make melody, but where am I to make it? In my heart. How? ‘I'll sing with the spirit and I'll sing with the understanding.’ That's what God's asked for.

What about all these other things? What about mechanical instruments of music? What about a drum or a guitar or a piano? Well, let's ask Uzzah. Uzzah, how well did it fare for you when you touched the ark? There lies his dead body. It isn't hard to tell it didn't work out very well for Uzzah. What did Uzzah do wrong? They didn't consult God about the proper order. How serious is it that we consult God about how he wants to be worshiped and praised? Remember Leviticus 10:1-2? ‘Two priests by the names of Nadab and Abihu, are working in the sacrifice of God.’ The Bible tells us ‘on this certain occasion, they offered a profane or unauthorized fire before the Lord.’ Listen, ‘which He had not commanded them. Fire rained down from heaven and devoured those men, and they died before the Lord.’ Sons of Aaron, who had the right to be priests, offered a strange or unauthorized fire to God. God didn't ask for it, they did it anyway. There lied their charred bodies. Didn't work out too well for them either.

Friend, what I learn from these two examples is all God wants of me and you, of us, is to do what He says. God doesn't need my additions, and your additions, and man's inventions. God simply needs us to submit to His will.

Let's learn another lesson from 1 Chronicles. This is a lesson about thanksgiving. Look in your Bible. In 1 Chronicles 16:34. Here's such a practical principle. The Bible says, “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” When I think about practical lessons from this book, I'm reminded from the example of David here, how I ought to be a person of thanksgiving. Are we really a thankful people? The Bible

says ‘in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We're to do everything in the name of the Lord with thanksgiving, Colossians 3:17. Do you remember that story of the 10 lepers? Luke 17:11, 10 lepers came to Jesus. Jesus healed all 10 of them. One man came back to give God the glory and to say thank you, and do you remember the haunting question of Jesus? ‘Where are the nine?’ What did Jesus say from that? In essence he teaches us that I need to be thankful to God.

You see, my friend, every good and perfect gift comes down from above from the Father of lights, with whom there's no shadow or variation or turning, James 1:17. God has taken care of each of us, he's blessed us with much, and thus we need to be thankful to the Almighty for all that he does for us in this life.

When I think about practical lessons from 1 Chronicles, I'm reminded of a very practical lesson about sin from David's own life. Turn with me to 1 Chronicles 21:7-8. The Bible says, “And God was displeased with this thing,” David numbering the people, “therefore he struck Israel” so David said to God, look at his attitude. “I've sinned greatly because I've done this thing, but now I pray, take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” You know, how did David feel about sin? Did David say, ‘oh, sin's no big deal?’ Did David say, ‘somebody somewhere sinned?’ No, David said, ‘I've sinned; I've done foolishly. I've transgressed the law of God.’ And then he said, ‘I'm praying to you, that you'll remove this sin from my life.’ What's the proper response to sin? The proper response to sin is to acknowledge it. David said it, ‘I sinned.’ Achan said it, ‘I've sinned.’ Saul said it, ‘I've sinned.’ Judas said it, went out and hanged himself, ‘I've sinned.’ I need to have the proper response to sin and say, ‘yes, I've sinned.’ I need to own up to what I've done. I need to be willing to confess it. The Bible says, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity, 1 John 1:7-10. I need to have the mindset of I'm ready to repent of it when I do recognize and confess it.

Do you remember Acts chapter eight? Simon the sorcerer sees the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he offers the apostles money. Peter says to him,

‘your heart's not right in this matter. You've got neither part nor portion. You need to pray to God that the evil thought of your heart, you need to repent and pray that the evil thought of your heart might be forgiven you.’ I need an attitude of repentance, that I have done wrong, and yes, I know it's wrong, I'm owning up to it, and I'm ready to make it right.

Then I need to learn from sin, I need to learn not to do those things again. I need to let sin that I've been involved in, the things I've done wrong, I need to let those teach me. The Bible says, the way of the transgressor is hard, Proverbs 13:15. David had the right attitude about sin in his own life.

When we talk about attitudes, let's look at an attitude that God wants men and women to have today. Look at 1 Chronicles 22:19. Here's the attitude that I need to have. Here's something David commands his people, he says, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.” He then says, “Therefore rise, and build a sanctuary of the Lord and bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.” What's my attitude and mindset need to be? Set your heart to seek the Lord your God. Friend, I need the attitude of whatever God wants me to do, I'm ready to do it. I can think of several people like that in the Bible. We mentioned Samuel. God spoke to the young man Samuel, and God said to him, ‘Samuel.’ He said, ‘here am I, speak. Speak, Lord, your servant hears,’ 1 Samuel chapter three. Isaiah chapter six, God, Isaiah was in the presence of God and Isaiah said, ‘speak, Lord, your servant hears.’ I need that same mindset. I want to hear what God says, and I want to seek the Lord with all my heart. That's what Jesus taught us, isn't it? Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” God wants me to put Him first, before everything else in my life. That means my whole soul, heart, mind, and strength will be given in the cause of Christ, Mark 12:30.

Another lesson that we want to learn from the book of 1 Chronicles and this is really a great question for all mankind that is asked- look at 1 Chronicles 29:5. The Bible says ‘the gold for the things of gold, and the

silver for the things of silver,’ this is consecrating things to the temple and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. And then this question is asked: ‘Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?’ What does it mean to consecrate yourself? Who then is willing to set himself aside? Who then is willing to take his life and make it especially usable for the purpose of God? Will you consecrate your life to the cause of God? Will you set yourself apart that means to be different and unique? Will you set yourself apart for service to God?

Friend, there are a lot of people who are going down the wrong road. Jesus said the majority are headed down the road that leads to destruction, Matthew 7:13-14. Will you be different than the crowd? Will you make decisions that not everybody else is making? Will you set your life apart in service to Almighty God? What a haunting question and what a compelling question that is. Based on all that God has done for me and you, how we ought to be willing to set ourselves apart for him. I'm mindful of the words of Romans 12:12 where Paul said, ‘I beg you, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.’ What's that mean? In view of all that God's done for me- it's only reasonable, it only makes sense that I give myself as a living sacrifice to God every day. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God and you are not your own?’ What do you mean I'm not my own? ‘You are bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are his.’ If I'm a child of God, if Jesus paid the ultimate death for my sin, by his precious blood, then how should I live? Not as my own, but live for God every day.

Friend, are you a child of God? Have you heard God's word, believed in Jesus, repented of your sin, and have you been immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? Acts 2:38.

As a Christian, have you really made up your mind to set yourself apart and be unique from the crowd? Our prayer and our hope today is that each of us will leave with a zeal and a desire to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Study Questions for:

“Living Messages of the Old Testament: Lesson 13”

1. What does 1 Chronicles 16:29 say about how to worship God?

2. According to Romans 15:4 why was the Old Testament written for us today?

3. How long must we be faithful according to Revelation 2:10?

4. According to Isaiah 43:7, why are we here?

5. According to 1 Corinthians 10:31, how should we do all things?

6. What does Luke 1:32-33 say of Jesus’ Kingdom?

7. Why did Uzzah die in 1 Chronicles 15?

8. According to 1 Chronicles 16:34, why should we give thanks to the Lord?

9. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, what are we to do in all things?

10. What does James 1:17 say about what we get from God?