Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 15:1-15. Here is a link to this Scripture – 1 Chronicles 15 NASB1995 – – Bible Gateway
I quote only the following verses.
“Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.” And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place which he had prepared for it. David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: …
Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 15:1-4 and 11-15.
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The denomination Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA) has preached and practiced the worship of the LORD “according to the word of the LORD.” Here is a link to an article “Public Worship and the Reformed Faith” by Professor Barrett L. Gritters of PRCA followed by two quotes from it – http://www.prca.org/resources/publications/pamphlets/item/598-public-worship-and-the-reformed-faith
“The Regulative Principle
Reformed believers teach that our worship is to be just what God commands it to be—nothing more, nothing less. This is of utmost importance for us to understand in connection with Biblical, Reformed worship. God does not leave it up to us to determine the manner of our worship of God. God’s Word regulates us in how we must worship Him.
This is the difference between the Lutheran and the Calvinistic branches of the Reformation. Followers of Luther, when reforming the extravagance of the Roman Catholic Church, held to the position that whatever was not explicitly forbidden in the Bible was permissible in church. For that reason, the Lutherans kept a good deal of Roman Catholic practices in their worship. Whether consciously taken or not, this is the position of most churches today. This is not Reformed!
The Calvinists, on the other hand, held to what is called ‘The Regulative Principle of Worship.’ That regulative principle says, ‘We worship God only as He has commanded us in His Word.’ For that reason, the worship services of Reformed churches historically have been limited to prayer, singing, sacraments, preaching, and offerings.
One can easily see how this principle speaks to the modern changes in the worship services. Trying sincerely to be up to date, or trying sincerely to attract the young people to the church, the old is pushed aside, replaced by new kinds of worship. Often one of the services is reserved for something other than preaching. The questions that are most often asked are, ‘What will please the congregation? What will be more stimulating? What is nice?’ But the question rarely is, ‘What does God’s Word say about it?’
People are under the delusion that as long as they are not doing something that is condemned in the Bible, as long as they are guided by proper motivations, as long as they are worshipping the true God, there is no limit as to what they may do. But they forget that God does not leave it up to us to decide how we are to worship Him. We are REGULATED BY THE WORD OF GOD in our worship. We must be so careful in the manner of our worship.”
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“True to this regulative principle, Reformed worship services have these elements: singing of Psalms (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19-20); offering of prayer (I Timothy 2:1-8); reading of Scriptures (I Thessalonians 5:27; I Timothy 4:13); the preaching and hearing of God’s word (Romans 10:13-17; II Timothy 4:1-2); the administration of the two sacraments (Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-29); and the giving of our offerings in the support of the ministry and the relief of the poor (I Corinthians 16:1-2; I Corinthians 9:11-14).”
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In my (Bill’s) conclusion, in today’s Scripture, David was rightly fearful of the LORD and careful of how the ark of God was to be carried because of what happened to Uzza. “Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” Verse 13. We also remember prior Scripture. “David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.” 1 Chronicles 13:12-13.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10.
“11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:11-12.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 