19 September 2021
Call to Worship: Psalm 96:1-3
Opening Hymn: Hymn 219 “O Worship the King”
Confession of Sin
Most merciful God, Who are of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and hast promised forgiveness to all those who confess and forsake their sins; We come before You with a humble sense of our own unworthiness, acknowledging our manifold transgressions of Your righteous laws. But, O gracious Father, Who desires not the death of a sinner, look upon us, we beseech You, in mercy, and forgive us all our transgressions. Make us deeply sensible of the great evil of them; And work in us a hearty contrition; That we may obtain forgiveness at Your hands, Who are ever ready to receive humble and penitent sinners; for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, our only Savior and Redeemer. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Romans 5:6-8
Psalm of Preparation: Psalm 105C “O Praise the Lord, His Deeds Make Known”
Old Covenant Reading: Ezra 3:1-6
New Covenant Reading: Romans 12:1-2
Sermon: Sacrifices of Worship
Psalm of Response: Psalm 9A “I Praise You, Lord with All My Heart (stanzas 1-4)
Confession of Faith: Ten Commandments
Doxology (Hymn 568)
Diaconal Offering
Closing Psalm: Psalm 9A “I Praise You, Lord with All My Heart (stanzas 5-8)
Evening Worship
Hymns: 265, 496, 498
OT: Daniel 7:13-14
NT: 1 Timothy 3:14-16
The Mystery of Godliness
Suggested Preparation
Monday (9/13) read and discuss Ezra 3:1-6:
1 When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. (ESV).
Derek Kidner writes:
It would have been easy to rest content with the bare fact of arrival and resettlement in the homeland. But there was the king’s business—the Temple— to attend to; and prior even to that, there was the basic calling of Israel. That vocation, like ours was to be ‘a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual’ (and in their case, literal) ‘sacrifices acceptable to God’.
So the first thing to be built was the altar, before even the materials were ordered for the Temple. Abram had marked his arrival in the land in just such a way, setting up his altar as a bold Amen to the promise (Gen 12:7). But these settlers were moved as much by fear as by faith: fear… because of the peoples of the lands. This could be taken to mean that they dared not attempt anything so ambitious as a Temple; but in view of verse 7, which sees them putting that work in had, it is more likely to imply that the threatening situation had brought home to them their need of help, and therefore of that access to God which was promised at the altar. ‘There’, he had said, ‘I will meet with the people of Israel’ (Exod. 29:43).
MEMORY WORK
Q. 27. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?
A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.
Tuesday (9/14) read and discuss Ezra 2:
Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephatiah, 372. The sons of Arah, 775. The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. The sons of Elam, 1,254. The sons of Zattu, 945. The sons of Zaccai, 760. The sons of Bani, 642. The sons of Bebai, 623. The sons of Azgad, 1,222. The sons of Adonikam, 666. The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. The sons of Adin, 454. The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. The sons of Bezai, 323. The sons of Jorah, 112. The sons of Hashum, 223. The sons of Gibbar, 95. The sons of Bethlehem, 123. The men of Netophah, 56. The men of Anathoth, 128. The sons of Azmaveth, 42. The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. The men of Michmas, 122. The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. The sons of Nebo, 52. The sons of Magbish, 156. The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. The sons of Harim, 320. The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. The sons of Jericho, 345. The sons of Senaah, 3,630. The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. The sons of Immer, 1,052. The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. The sons of Harim, 1,017. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, in all 139. The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha. The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami. All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392. The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, though they could not prove their fathers’ houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652. Also, of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name). These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found there, and so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim. The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720. Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments. Now the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel in their towns. (ESV)
Matthew Levering writes:
Although they returned to Jerusalem, and Judah, each to his own town, their arrival in the land in announced by the book of Ezra with the remark that they came to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem—meaning by this the site of the destroyed temple. The land is thus, for Ezra, far more than the territories or towns of the tribes of Israel. The land is the locus of dwelling with God, and thus true arrival in the land means arrival in Jerusalem and particularly the temple mount.
Again, the Israelites’ return to the land, so that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, cannot be understood solely geopolitically. The arrival points to the blessing that will extend to all peoples, once the full prophecy of Jeremiah has been accomplished.
MEMORY WORK
Q. 28. Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation?
A. Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.
Wednesday (9/15) read and discuss Romans 12:1-2:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
R. C. Sproul writes:
Usually, when the apostle gives a conclusion flowing from a Therefore, we look to the immediately preceding verses for a clue to the conclusion. But is Paul basing his conclusion on the last few verses of chapter 11? I don’t think so. Rather Paul is looking to what he has told us about the plan of redemption in all the previous chapters. He realises that there needs to be an appropriate response. And it goes like this: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy—I am begging you by the grace of God—to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
The sacrificial system of the Old Testament is over. The detailed descriptions that were given to the people of God on how to fulfil their obligations, in the temple and in the places of worship, pointed ahead to what was going to take place in the future. They were shadows of the full-orbed light that was yet to break through. They anticipated and typified the perfect sacrifice that was offered by our Lord on the cross once and for all. So when the perfect sacrifice was made, that was the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system. No longer do worshippers come with sheep, goats, bullocks and cereal offerings, and burn them before the Lord as sacrifice for their sins.
But there is still a New Testament sacrificial system. It is not a sacrifice that we give in order to make an atonement, but a sacrifice that we give because an atonement has been made for us. God does not ask us to bring in our livestock and burn it on the altar; he asks us to give ourselves, to put ourselves alive on the altar. To be a Christian means to live a life of sacrifice, a life of presentation, making a gift of ourselves to God. Some people think that all it takes to be a Christian is to scribble a cheque or to give a few hours of service here and there on special projects for the church. But that’s not what believers are called to. My life is to be set apart and consecrated to God. That is what is acceptable to him; that is what delights him; that is what pleases him; that is the appropriate response to him and for him.
MEMORY WORK
Q. 29. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.
Thursday (9/16) read and discuss Daniel 7:13-14
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (ESV).
John Calvin writes:
After Daniel has narrated how he saw God on the throne of judgment, openly exercising his power and laying open to the world what was formerly hidden from it, namely, his supreme authority in its government, he now adds the second part of the vision, As it were the Son of man appeared in the clouds. Without doubt this is to be understood of Christ…. But the object of this vision was to enable the faithful certainly to expect the promised Redeemer in his own time. He had been endued with heavenly power, and was seated at his Father’s right hand….
It afterwards follows, He came to the Ancient of days. This, in my judgment, ought to be explained of Christ’s ascension; for he then commenced his reign, as we see in numberless passages of Scripture. Nor is this passage contrary to what the Prophet had previously said—he saw the Son of man in the clouds. For by this expression he simply wishes to teach how Christ, although like a man, yet differed from the whole human race, and was not of the common order of men; but excelled the whole world in dignity. He expresses much more when he says, in the second clause, He came even unto the Ancient of days. For although the Divine Majesty lay hid in Christ, yet he discharged the duty of a slave, and emptied himself, as Paul says, (Phil. 2:7.) So also we read in the first chapter of John, (John 1:14,) Glory appeared in him as of the only begotten Son of God; that is, which belongs to the only begotten Son of God. Christ, therefore, thus put off his glory for the time, and yet by his miracles and many other proofs afforded a clear and evident specimen of his celestial glory.
MEMORY WORK
Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
Friday (9/17) read and discuss 1 Timothy 3:14-16
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Daniel Akin writes:
First Timothy 3:14-16 appears to encapsulate the purpose of this letter. It is the fulcrum of the epistle in more than one way. It is captured in the phrase “that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (3:15). Somewhat surprisingly following this statement, we are introduced to one of the great christological confessions in all of Scripture (3:16). Its rhythmic and poetic nature would lend support to the idea that it was an early Christina hymn, telling in concise summary fashion the story of Jesus Christ. In six bold and striking statements, Paul depicts the career of Jesus. First, there is an emphatic declaration of the incarnation and another intimation of deity: “He was manifested in the flesh”…. This was a real manifestation of a real man in the flesh.
MEMORY WORK
Q. 31. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.
Saturday (9/18) read and discuss Ezra 3:1-6:
1 When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. (ESV).
Derek Thomas writes:
First we are informed about the priority of worship. It is difficult to know for certain how long the exiles had been back home (possibly as little as a few weeks) when they were summoned to Jerusalem to rebuild the altar and reinstate several weeks of corporate worship. None of this had been possible in exile, and for most of them this kind of worship was an entirely new experience.
Nothing was more important than worship—not homes or families or jobs. Worship was the priority. It was why God had called the Jews together as a people. It was the goal or “chief end” of their existence—“to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
MEMORY WORK
Q. 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.