AFTER THE DUE ORDER

1 Chronicles 15:1-25 (KJV)

And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:

Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:

Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

When God pronounced to King Saul that he had forfeited his kingdom through disobedience God said that he would seek a man after His own heart.[1]

He found that man in a teen named David.

It is interesting that God never did define what would constitute a heart after His.

That suggests to me that David isthe definition.

I don’t mean to say that David was perfect or that he never sinned. We know that not to be the case.

But that’s good news.

None of us are perfect and none of us have never sinned.

If David could have a heart after God, so can we.

The last message in this series found us in 2 Samuel 6 where David brought the Ark back to the center of Jewish worship.[2]

There were some mistakes made and some terrible consequences paid before he was successful in getting the Ark to Jerusalem.

After Uzzah died, David took a break for a few months and got hold of the Word of God.

He discovered that there was a proper way to transport the ark and, while people had moved it several times in an improper way, that did not mean it was alright to do it man’s way.

Just because a person cando a thing does not mean he shoulddo it.

It’s been a full month since that message and I haven’t been able to get past in in my head yet.

When David sought God’s order, he realized that there was some “order” that needed to happen among the priesthood too.

Things were changing.

The house of God at this time was still a tabernacle as opposed to a temple, but the tabernacle was going to take on a permanent location.

Once the Ark was there, there would be no more picking up and moving on.

1 Chronicles 15 is the parallel to 2 Samuel 6 and it sets out the details to the order of the relocation of the Ark and subsequently, the permanent ministry of house of God.

I. THE PRIESTS WERE SANCTIFIED

1 Chronicles 15:3 (KJV)

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

David brought all of Israel together. Then he assembled the priests and the Levites, whose names are listed in verses 4-10.

1 Chronicles 15:11-12 (KJV)

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

The priests needed to sanctify themselves.

The word sanctified means consecratedor set apart. 

Brown Driver Briggs dictionary gives an interesting definition that I think might help us get a better picture of the sense of the word – it means. “tabooed.”

To be sanctified unto God means to be tabooed by the world.

You’re not like everyone else.

They kind of don’t want to hang around you.

You’re just different – weird.

The friendship of the world is enmitywith God.[3]

It seems to me that there is a lot of this enmity inside churches today – oftentimes, behind the pulpits.

Since the death of Uzzah, David has gotten some things figured out.

He knows he can’t go get that Ark until he has some sanctified priests.

The process of sanctification in those days would have involved at least three things:

·   A sacrifice

·   The sprinkling of blood and

·   Anointing with oil

Listen real close.

I am going to tell you how to have peace with God right now.

A. You need a sacrifice

That’s Jesus Christ.

Get rid of all your ideas that you can have peace without Jesus.

All religions are not created equal.

·   Islam won’t give you peace

·   Hinduism won’t give you peace

·   Buddhism won’t give you peace

Neither will all of the Christian type cults who have a form of Jesus but it is a Christ of their own making:

·   Mormonism

·   Jehovah’s Witness

·   Messianic Judaism

Jesus said,

John 10:7-10 (KJV)

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus said,

John 14:6 (KJV)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This is confirmed in,

Acts 4:12 (KJV)

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

You need Jesus to have peace with God.

Through Jesus we have free access to God.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I need to take this a step further though and say

B. You need the blood

Hebrews 9:22 (KJV)

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Two things concerning Christ you do not want:

You do not want a dead Jesus, still hanging on the cross

I think I understand the sentiment of the Catholic Crucifix but the doctrine is suggests is wrong.

That Jesus died is only the first of three parts of the gospel.

·   He died

·   He was buried and

·   He rose again

You do not want a dead Jesus and

You do not want a bloodless Jesus

·   The blood of Jesus purchased us

·   The blood of Jesus cleanses us

·   The blood of Jesus protects us

·   The blood of Jesus identifies us

This is the error of liberal Protestantism, but also of so much of neo-evangelicalism.

They take the blood away.

Joel Osteen, for instance, is as popular as any Christian celebrity has ever been.

It’s because he makes Christianity seem palatable to the religious masses.

Do you know what God had the priests do to be sanctified for their ministry?

Exodus 29:20-21 (KJV)

Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

Before Moses got done with the blood it was all over the place – including on their clothes.

You can’t really clean blood out of clothes.

From that day forward the priests’ cloths would have been stained with the blood of the animals.

Everyone who saw them would immediately recognize it for what it was. 

Talk about tabooed!

You need Christ to save you through His death burial and resurrection.

You need Christ to keep you through the very same.

Come to Calvary again and again and again.

Bring 

·   every burden, 

·   every care, 

·   every battle, 

·   every hardship, 

·   every affection, 

·   every decision, 

·every friendship

and bath it in the blood shed for you.

You need a sacrifice

You need the blood

And

C. You need anointing

The sanctification process involved being anointed with oil.

There can be very little question that the oil is representative of the Holy Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit moves inside the Christian at the moment of salvation.

·   There he witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God.

·   He illuminates our understanding of the Bible and guides us into truth.

·   He also fills and empowers us for ministry as we have opportunity to serve the Lord.

·   He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment and

·   He seals the Christian until the day of redemption.

But 

·   The Holy Spirit can be quenched – so that we ignore His guidance and

·   He can be grieved so that He no longer gives that guidance and conviction.

A sanctified Christian is constantly listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He teaches us the Bible and then yields to His promptings.

David’s Priests were sanctified.

Secondly

II. THE MUSICIANS WERE SKILLED

1 Chronicles 15:16-22 (KJV)

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

I am not going to spend much time on this but I will say that the issue isn’t talent.

The point is not the entertainment value of the singers or the musicians.

The point is understanding what is the purposeof the music and what sort of music accomplishes that purpose.

Music is one of the most challenging things in churches today because so many equate their emotions in music to the skill of the musicians.

Music in church should:

·   Instruct in truth

·   Lead into worship and

·   Prepare the soul to hear from God

A person has to be taught how to separate his love for music from those purposesor else they will want to bring into church music they enjoy rather than music that accomplishes those goals.

And I find myself almost constantly challenged to try to guide people who don’t really want to be guided in the area of their music preferences.

Finally

III. THE DOORKEEPERS WERE SECURED

1 Chronicles 15:23-24 (KJV)

And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

I doubt any Bible student ever hears the word doorkeeper without thinking of, Psalms 84:10 (KJV)

For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

It makes it sound like a humble job.

We tend to think it is just standing by the door and smiling when people come in.

Most of the commentaries believe that there were four doorkeepers listed in these two verses:

·   Two of them marched before the Ark on its way to Jerusalem

·   Two of them marched to the rear of the Ark

Their job was to guard the Ark. They were to protect itfrom being touched by forbidden hands.

Once the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, these doorkeepers would have protected the Tabernacle from those who would have done harm.

Think of them like the security guys we have at church.

But there is a much more robust interpretation when we think of them as those who protect the holiness of God.

I think of the pulpit area as our “ark.”

It’s the focus of what we do

The preaching of the Word of God is our premium.

We come here for the preaching

The doorkeepers are those who guard the Wordfrom impure users.

The doorkeepers are those Christians who refuse to compromise the Word of God, 

·   Who defend their preacher when he is attacked for preaching that truth and 

·   Who encourage him as he proclaims it

Conclusion

I believe we can sum up this message by saying that a heart after God’s appreciates doing God’s work God’s way.

None of us are perfect and that means that holding church services is always going to be a process toward doing it right.

But the heart after God’s wants to do it right. It’s not content with just making church happen.

·   It will want holiness

·   It will want purpose and

·   It will want truth

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[1]1 Samuel 13:14 (KJV)

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

[2]2 Samuel 6:1-23 (KJV)

Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

[3]James 4:4 (KJV)

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.