1Chronicles 29:10-20: Blessing God
Attention
1. You’ve seen bumper stickers that say, “God Bless
America;” some post-9/11 say, “America Bless God.”
a. A friend in Tennessee signs
off, “May God richly bless you, but more importantly,
may you bless God.”
b. Our text today is about
blessing God. It opens and closes with men blessing Jehovah God. 29:10-20
2. What does it mean to bless God?
a. To bless
God is to praise Him; we identify His traits that are praiseworthy and
speak well of them.
b. Though we should bless God in songs
and conversation, let’s focus particularly today on our prayers.
3. The familiarity of our assemblies and our prayers
threatens to lull us into monotony, far from genuine praise.
a. How much of our time in
worship and prayer, public or private, is actually spent in praising God?
b. Praising God may be our most
difficult and unfamiliar way to pray, but it dominates prayer in the Bible.
[Proposition] We should bless the mighty God because He is
worthy of service and praise.
We Should Bless God Because:
I.
He Reigns – Jehovah is a God of Glory (10-13)
A.
Explanation
1.
One of the notable features of this prayer is the way that David
addresses God.
a)
He does not speak to the audience of people; his audience is the Lord.
b)
Later in the prayer he uses the pronouns we, I, and my.
c)
But predominately in praise he speaks of God, to God,
without any reference to himself.
2.
In the first section of his prayer, David wholly focuses himself on the
quality of God. 29:10-13
a)
Jehovah is the OWNER; everything belongs to Him; He exemplifies
greatness.
b)
Jehovah is the RULER; the kingdom is God’s; He is the head; He bestows
riches and honor.
c)
Jehovah is ALL-POWERFUL; power belongs to God; He is the source of true
strength.
3.
The prayer is like a mini-course in theology.
a)
David did not merely say, “We praise You;” He
praised specific qualities of God.
b)
Such adoration of God is not unique; it is found in many prayers in the
Bible. Re. 4:8, 11
4.
David did not pray to make himself or his people feel good; he prayed to
honor the great God.
B.
Application
1.
Our prayers should praise God for His greatness and acknowledge His rule
in our lives.
a)
To pray in this way we must be consumed with thoughts of God, meditating
on His majesty.
b)
If our mind is rarely meditating on God’s qualities, our prayers will
rarely include them.
2.
The rule and authority of God are outstanding features, frequently
praised in scripture.
a)
Even the words of the Model Prayer are based on the greatness and rule of
God. Mt. 6:9-10
b)
Jehovah reigns! So when praising God, describe His authority, power, and
greatness.
II.
He Provides – Jehovah is a God of Grace
(14-16)
A.
Explanation
1.
David was not permitted by God to build the Temple, but he made many
preparations for it.
a)
Jehovah gave the plans for the Temple to David, who delivered them to
Solomon. 28:11, 19
b)
David procured the necessary materials for the Temple’s construction.
29:2
c)
David also devoted a considerable portion of his personal wealth to the
project. 29:3-5a
d)
Finally, David led in recruiting other prominent men to make
contributions. 29:5b-9
2.
Yet despite the great wealth and work David expended for God, he saw it
as a matter of grace.
a)
Everything they contributed to the work had been given to them by God.
b)
They were not puffed up by their sacrifice; they were humbled by their
opportunity.
3.
These verses contrast God’s greatness with man’s insignificance.
29:14-16
a)
Jehovah is the OWNER, whereas man is simply a steward of what God gives
him.
b)
Jehovah is the RULER, whereas man is simply a pilgrim passing thru the
earth.
c)
Jehovah is ALL-POWERFUL, whereas man is insubstantial, and his days are
like a shadow.
4.
David provided greatly for the Temple, but he recognized Jehovah as the
true Giver of all.
B.
Application
1.
Our prayers should thank God for what we have and communicate a grateful
awareness of grace.
a)
We may be tempted in prayer to focus solely on our needs or to emphasize
our contribution.
b)
We need to enhance our awareness of God’s work in our lives; everything
we have is His.
2.
Meditating on God’s perfect qualities will help us see ourselves in the
proper, inferior relation.
a)
It will help us see worship as a basic expression of gratitude to the One
who has given us all.
b)
Worship is not particularly commendable; we can only give God from what
He has given us.
III.
He Tests – Jehovah is a God of Righteousness (17)
A.
Explanation
1.
Building the Temple and blessing God before this assembly was not simply
a matter of show.
a)
David knew that Jehovah was looking into their hearts; He knew God tests
men’s hearts.
b)
Jehovah loves uprightness, and He looks for it within His people and
those who call on Him.
c)
If David’s motives were impure or the contributions
insincere, God would not accept them.
2.
David confessed in this prayer, but it was not a confession of sin, but
of sincerity. 29:17
a)
David confessed what he knew of God: God tests the hearts and delights in
integrity.
b)
David confessed what he knew of himself: he made his contribution
sincerely.
c)
David confessed what he saw in his people: he rejoiced that they
participated in God’s work.
3.
David’s confession of sincerity is far from the Pharisaic boasting Jesus
criticized. Lk. 18:11-12
a)
David is still speaking of God, to God; he is stating his
desire to conform to God’s standard.
b)
He did not say, “I pray You accept;” but, “I
know what You expect; this is what I bring.”
4.
David wanted to be in harmony with God and please God; his confession is
the outworking of it.
B.
Application
1.
Our prayers should spring from a sincere heart and reflect the
genuineness of our praise of Him.
a)
It is an awesome privilege to come before God, but with privilege is
great responsibility.
b)
Jehovah is not merely looking for a casual effort; He delights in
integrity; He tests the heart.
2.
God knows we are weak and imperfect, but He demands we give Him our very
best!
a)
Jehovah is a holy God. He examines what we do from inside, testing the
quality of the heart.
b)
If we come arrogantly, God knows it, and if we are careless before Him,
He knows that too.
IV.
He Guides – Jehovah is a God Who Listens (18-19)
A.
Explanation
1.
There are many reasons why we should praise, worship, and call upon
Jehovah.
a)
As God, the Ruler of heaven and earth, He deserves worship regardless of
His character.
b)
As a loving and giving Being who blesses us with our resources, He
deserves to be thanked.
c)
As One who loves righteousness and judges men
on that basis, He deserves to be feared.
2.
But David recognized he should call upon God because God hears and
answers prayer. 29:18-19
a)
David’s first supplication was for his people, that they might always set
their hearts on God.
b)
David’s second petition was for his son, that Solomon might be faithful
in his life and work.
3.
David understood that he could not do these things, so he earnestly
sought Jehovah’s assistance.
B.
Application
1.
Our prayers should beseech God for the help only He can provide, knowing
our dependence.
a)
We all want our children to be healthy and happy; how earnestly do we
pray for their souls?
b)
Do we pray that God would fix the hearts of our family upon Him with a
loyal heart? 29:18
2.
God is great, He is high, He is holy, but He listens to the heartfelt
prayers of His people.
a)
Don’t take this for granted: the great and awesome God will listen to you
and help you!
b)
Do we see our need for God? Are we praying for spiritual help, praying
for our families?
Action
1. Why should we bless God?
Because He Rules, He Provides, He Tests, and He Guides. Ps. 66:16-20
2. How much are we praying? How often do our prayers
reflect the same themes contained in David’s prayer?
3. How has God judged the worship we have offered to Him
today? Have we blessed the Lord? (Mk. 16:16)