Revival and Reformation Pt 11: Moving Revival and Reformation Forward


[Here is the audio file]
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Revival and Reformation Pt 11
1 Chronicles 22-29
Moving Revival and Reformation Forward

You word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. Lord God, open our eyes to its leading, by your Holy Spirit, and for the honor of Christ Jesus, your Son and our Lord. Amen.

Exploding out of the turn-around in chapter 21, David now makes provision for the future – to move Revival and Reformation forward: Chapter 22-29.

Look over the outline of these 8 chapters to see how they are woven together. By doing this, it will help you to see that chapters 28-29 fill in many of the nooks and crannies of chapter 22. Even though there was likely a time lapse between chapters 22 and 28-29, nevertheless the theme is what the Spirit-directed editors were focusing on. With that in mind, I think we’re safe to delve into 28-29 and get the points [Because of time, we’ll just tackle 28 tonight, and 29 next week].

A.    Keep the Faith (Chapter 28)! Side note: If you’ve ever been to a Presbyterian ordination, we do something quite odd: Once the man is ordained, then someone gives a charge to the one ordained, and gives a charge to the congregation. Here’s something of the pattern and reasoning behind it in this chapter. Solomon is being established as king, therefore the people are challenged to fidelity and loyalty; then the newly installed king is entrusted with the Kingdom and Temple-Building project (it’s the other-way-round in chapter 22).

1.     Charges the Leaders and People of God (28.1-8). David reminds them why he was not allowed to build the Temple (2-3); but also that Yahweh had promised to build David’s Dynasty (4-7). Then he charges the leaders and the led to keep faith with God – which would mean they keep faith with Solomon, whom God had enthroned (6-8).

2.     Charges Solomon (28.9-21):
a.     Keep Faith with God (9-10). (1) Who God is (9a – Psalm 139.23-34, and Hebrews 4.13: “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”). The double-sided promise (9b). Let’s turn aside here for a moment to tackle this a bit, because it will surface several more time in 2 Chronicles: 2 Chronicles 12.5; 15.2; 24.20. It’s a related concept to what we find in the New Testament: James 4.7-8, Galatians 6.7-8 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life”; Westminster Confession of Faith 17.3 (Trinity Hymnal pg.858). 

b.     Follow God’s Building Plan (10, 12 and 19). The plan for the Temple was “by the Spirit” (12), given in “writing from the hand of the LORD” (19). Just as in Exodus Moses saw the pattern of the tabernacle and was repeatedly told to make the tabernacle according to the pattern, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it” (Exodus 25.8-9).” This will be important when we move to 2 Chronicles and look at the Temple a few Sundays down the road.

c.      Throw yourself into it – Joshua-Shaped Challenge (20-21). Just as Joshua led Israel into a new phase of the Kingdom of God (Joshua 1.8-9), so is Solomon, thus the similarity. And out Lord Jesus gives us the same Joshua-Shaped Challenge as he leads us into a new and final stage of the Kingdom: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14.27).

The message the Spirit of God broadcasts through the editors to Israel coming out of exile has multiple layers, most of which you can figure out pretty quickly. But the one that clearly covers the span of time to the final coming of Christ is this: Look for the offspring of David (the one greater than David and greater than Solomon) who will keep faith with God and build the house of God; and who will open the way for us to draw near to God!


Also, the whole chapter calls God’s people, wherever they may be on the chronological landscape, to seek God, to draw near to him, come to him, approach him, on his terms – and he will draw near to you. The Gospel’s blessings and Gospel’s threatenings are here as well: seek him and he will be found by you – turn away from him, and he will turn away from you. John 3.35-36.

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