The Focus of Worship

Saturday, August 24, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.”

2 Kings 18:4–6

Hezekiah was one of the few good kings the Jewish people had after the division of the nation. His father Ahaz was so wicked that the people did not bury him in state with the previous kings. Ahaz had introduced the worship of the Assyrian gods to his people, even defiling the Temple. When Hezekiah first took the throne, he set out to undo what his father had done. He began destroying false idols and places of worship, and had the Temple cleansed. But he did one more thing—he destroyed the brass serpent that Moses had lifted up in the wilderness so the people could be healed.

The Jewish people had begun to worship it rather than God, making sacrifices and burning incense. This wonderful reminder of God’s provision for the healing of the nation, and wonderful type of Jesus Christ, had been turned into an idol. God gives us good things because of His love and grace, but we must never let them become our focus. Instead, we should allow God’s gifts to point us to Him.

A. B. Simpson wrote:

Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
Now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.

All in all forever,
Only Christ I’ll sing;
Everything is in Christ,
And Christ is everything.

Today's Growth Principle
Rejoice and be grateful for your blessings, but worship God rather than what He has given you.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 116-118

PSALM 116

¹ I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. ² Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. ³ The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. ⁴ Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. ⁵ Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. ⁶ The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. ⁷ Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. ⁸ For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. ⁹ I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

¹⁰ I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: ¹¹ I said in my haste, All men are liars. ¹² What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? ¹³ I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. ¹⁴ I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. ¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. ¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. ¹⁷ I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. ¹⁸ I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, ¹⁹ In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

PSALM 117

¹ O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. ² For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

PSALM 118

¹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ² Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ³ Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ⁴ Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ⁵ I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. ⁶ The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? ⁷ The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. ⁸ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. ⁹ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. ¹⁰ All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. ¹¹ They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. ¹² They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. ¹³ Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. ¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. ¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. ¹⁶ The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. ¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. ¹⁸ The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: ²⁰ This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. ²¹ I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. ²² The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. ²³ This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. ²⁴ This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ²⁵ Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. ²⁶ Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. ²⁷ God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. ²⁸ Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. ²⁹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 7:1-19

¹ Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. ⁴ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. ⁶ But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. ⁷ For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. ⁸ I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. ⁹ But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

¹⁰ And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: ¹¹ But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. ¹² But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. ¹⁶ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

¹⁷ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. ¹⁸ Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 24

¹ Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. ² For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. ³ Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: ⁴ And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. ⁵ A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. ⁶ For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. ⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. ⁸ He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. ⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. ¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. ¹¹ If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; ¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? ¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: ¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. ¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: ¹⁶ For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. ¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: ¹⁸ Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. ¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; ²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. ²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: ²² For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? ²³ These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. ²⁴ He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: ²⁵ But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. ²⁶ Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer. ²⁷ Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. ²⁸ Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. ²⁹ Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. ³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; ³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. ³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. ³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴ So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.