Turn to 1 Chronicles chapter
4. 1 Chronicles is after 1 and 2 Kings. This, as well as this first Chronicles,
as well as the second book of Chronicles, can be said to be
a book or books of genealogies. The words of days from the days
of the world. And regarding the Jewish tribes,
it goes through them, starts in verse one of chapter one,
starts with Adam and goes forward. And I believe the first Chronicles
goes to the beginning of Solomon's reign. And then after second
Chronicles, then Solomon. So to, which if you would look at first
Matthew chapter one, that's a book of genealogy, the first part
of it. And these are very important.
not so much to us, it should be more important, but to the
mind of the Jews. These tribes, these 12 tribes,
this was very important. And we noticed that The lineology
of all these, of these two books, and then in Matthew, it culminates
in Christ, and that's what they're wanting. They're wanting to show
the genealogy from Adam to Christ, and to the mind of the Jew, whether
we fully understand it or not, it was very important. It was
everything, it was everything to the mind of God's people in
these ancient times, and to keep records. to keep records. That's
what you have in the book of Ezra. He's a scribe. He's writing
these things out and these things that we must see and know. And
as I said to the Jews, it just shows the proof of where Christ
was coming, that he was going to be the savior of his people.
But we're going to look at one part of one verse. It just kind
of stands out. But we know that this Bible all
centers around Christ, the God man. There's a reason why they,
whether they knew it or not, whether the scribes was fully
aware of what he was doing, he was showing forth the lineage
of Christ and how he was going to come and save his people from
their sins. We like to say, and I've read it, I don't know where
I read it, but many pastors have said it, in the Old Testament,
in Genesis, it's where is the Lamb? In the Gospels, in the
Gospel of John specifically, it's behold the Lamb. And in Revelation chapter five,
it's worthy is the Lamb. So as one writer put it, there's
a scarlet thread throughout the whole scriptures, the whole scriptures. And the best thing that I can
do is to show forth that and show forth the gospel at wherever
it pops up. So, and here in Chronicles, well,
let's just look with me in chapter two, verse one. Chapter two, verse one in first
Chronicles. And these are the sons of Israel. These are the
sons of Israel. Well, he was before that is Jacob. Well, Jacob was a type of Christ.
I mean, we could, that's obvious to see. But look at chapter three,
chapter three, verse one. Now these are the sons of David. David himself was the wonderful,
is a wonderful picture. He actually lived, he really
did in the history of the Jewish nation. He was, uh, you know,
in the Kings, but he's a picture of Christ. And in chapter four,
which is where we're going to be chapter four, the sons of
Judah. Now we know that Christ comes
from the line, he's the line of the tribe of Judah. So all
these, whether it was intentional by the Holy Spirit, but whether
it's really seen or known, the whole scriptures testify of Christ.
Matter of fact, Christ himself said, search the scriptures for
in them, You think you have eternal life, but they, are they, which
testify of me, of me, Jacob's ladder, Christ himself, Jacob's
ladder. So it's just beautiful to behold,
but here in this one verse, look at verse 22, just 22. Again, of the sons of Judah,
and Jochem, and the men of Jozeeba, and Joash, and Seraph, who had
the dominion in Moab, and Jeshubliam, these are ancient things. These are ancient, it's almost
like it's just stuck in there. These are ancient things. Well,
if these chronicles If these men, which this, and I looked
up the history of this particular person, Joachim, and they had
dominion in Moab and they had property and land and, you know,
Gilgos and all that. But what I was interested in
is that last phrase, and these are ancient things. If these,
the chronicles, the recorded history, are said to be ancient
things, yet They are not so ancient as those things that we hold
most precious. Every child of God holds some
ancient things precious. I'm just going to look at a few.
Turn with me to Daniel chapter 7. Daniel chapter 7. These ancient things. Daniel chapter 7 and verse 13
and 14, I saw in the night vision, says Daniel, and behold, one
like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came
to the ancient of days. There's that word again. And
they brought him near before him And there was given this
one, this ancient of days, dominion and glory and a kingdom
that all people, nations and languages should serve him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed. Who is this ancient of days?
He's called in our two verses, he's called the son of man. He
is said that he has dominion over all. It says that his glory
is above all. It's declared that he possesses
a kingdom like no other. It is he is to be served or worshiped
and his rule and reign or his kingdom is everlasting. Yes, this ancient one is none
other than our sovereign king. It points to him. There's no
one like him. He declares the end from the
beginning. He is our true and faithful witness,
perfect in holiness and righteous in character. Nothing too hard
or impossible for this one who spoke in the world's or this
ancient of days, he's one of these ancient things that we're
looking at this morning. Nothing is too hard or impossible
for him. Therefore, if he came to rescue sinful men, women and
children, they're gonna be rescued. There's no, it may be a win,
but there's no impossibility. He will get the job done. Thusly,
let's look at a second. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
one. Let's look at these things that believers are ancient things
in this world, but the believers thoroughly enjoy talking about
them, spending time around them, fellowshipping around these things.
Ephesians chapter one, starting in verse one, Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints. which are
at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to
you, peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,
according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world. That sounds like, that's pretty
old. Isn't it? That's an ancient thing that
we'd love to discuss. We love to talk about his sovereign
choice before. Oh, that's before the foundation
of the world. That's ancient. That's ancient.
Matter of fact, we sing, we sing this song or we've sang it somewhere
sometime. I have. Lord, tis not that I
did choose you that I know could never be. For this heart would
still refuse you, had your grace not chosen me. You removed the
sin that stained me, cleansing me to be your own. For this purpose
you ordained me, that I live for you alone. It was grace in
Christ that called me, taught my darkened heart and mind, else
the world had yet enthralled me to your heavenly glories blind. Now I worship none above you.
For your grace alone I thirst, knowing well that if I love you,
O Father, you love me first. Praise the God of all creation.
Praise the Father's boundless love. Praise the Lamb, our expiation,
priest and king and throne above. Praise the spirit of salvation,
him by whom our spirits live, undivided adoration to the great
Jehovah give. We revel, we enjoy, we adore
this doctrine, this teaching that's in scriptures in so many
places, a remnant. He said in the Psalms, he'll
choose our inheritance for us. And we would have it no other
way. We would have it no other way. And when we go look at the
scriptures, we see this is an ancient, this is one of those
ancient things. Ancient things, amazing free
eternal love we sing also that gave our soul as a hiding place. Thirdly, another ancient thing
of scriptures is His eternal purpose or everlasting covenant. I don't know, I'm sure they're
different, but we'll just group them together. Turn with me to
Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah 32 and verse 38. In 40, Jeremiah 32, verse 38. Well, let's just start with 37. Behold, I,
says God, will gather them out of all the countries, whether
I have driven them in mine anger and in my fury and in my great
wrath, and I will bring them again unto this place, and I
will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be my people,
and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart
and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them
and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do
them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, and they
shall not depart from me. This is another ancient thing.
that we love to talk about. He chose us from before the foundation
of the world, and that in Greek is simply prior to the conception
of the cosmos. That's when he did his work.
Otherwise, some say, well, he saw who would choose him, and
then for, no, that's, again, that's getting the cart in front
of the horse. No, salvation, and its initiation,
and its, accomplishment and its fruition is all of grace. There's nothing we can do to
earn it because we're indebted to the grace of God. We fell
when Adam sinned and plummeted the whole human race in sin. And you can find the same language
in Ezekiel 36. He set his heart upon us to reclaim
us from ruin, to reclaim us from the fall in our own stubborn,
corrupt ways. this purpose or we could conclude
this covenant of the father, the son, the gracious spirit
saw to it that he would fetch his people out and fully bring
them into the fold." That's what John says, he's going to bring
us into the fold. Other sheep I have that are not of this fold,
them I also must bring, I must fetch. Therefore, the law is
honored, righteousness is received, sin eternally pardoned, and glory
procured. Glory is guaranteed, it's had. As Mr. Spurgeon said, He struck
his hands in blessed surety ship long before the first star ever
began to shine. You bet. Long before. That takes, that's when we say
free grace, we say sovereign free grace, that's what we mean. We had nothing to do with our
redemption, our justification, our propitiation, on and on you
could go, whatever word, doctrinal word you want to use, It started
with Christ. It doesn't end there, it just
starts with Christ. Because we'll be with Him forever. Forever. Now, there's no anchor that we
have that's more steadfast than that anchor. These ancient things.
These ancient things that the believers love to talk about. Yes, chronicle the Jews from
Adam. Adam, Seth, Boo, Enos, on and
on and on. All these different things. And
then, these are ancient things. To us, they are. You know, the
ancient wonders of the world. There's seven wonders of the
world and there's ancient. The Babylonian gardens is one of
them. They're gone. But this is in His Word and it
says His Word abides forever. It cannot fail. It cannot falter.
So there's no anchor more steadfast. There's no foundation more sure. There's no foundation more sure. I know when there's a fire, and
I don't know about in Iowa, but I know if there's a fire, it
burns down a house, you got to take the foundation down. It's
compromised. The heat, tremendous heat. You
got to take it down and re-do it. But this foundation, There's
no shaking. You can't do anything, it's just
there. Our God, our rock, He says, is not like other people's
rocks. Oh, how sweet, I love this, how
sweet the sound of the voice from heaven when we hear, deliver Him, The sinner from
going down to the pit, I, says God, have found a ransom. Isn't that, that's an ancient
thing. This ransom was slain, he's the
lamb slain before the foundation of the world. That's what we
like to talk about. I have found, God found a ransom
and that was the Lord Jesus Christ. Deliver this sinner from going
down to the pit. Now there's many other, many
other ancient things and I encourage you when you go home sometime
to just look at some ancient things. His immutability, it's
ancient, it doesn't change. But these are things that, these
are cornerstones. These are, as Christ is, they
speak of Christ and so they're immovable. They're steadfast. There's many more of these ancient
things, but I must close with a very sober, very sober ancient
thing. Stay there where you're at, and
I don't know where you're at. You can go to Job 33 if you want. But I must close with this. This also is an ancient thing,
we don't like to talk much about it. In Matthew, then shall he answer
them, and said, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did
it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.
And these who did not show kindness as the Lord showed kindness,
and etc., etc., did not have grace, do not understand grace,
they understand themselves, they understand they need to take
care of themselves, these shall go away into everlasting punishment. This is an ancient thing. If
the angels of old fell, into hell long before we were here. This is another ancient thing. That place of wailing and gnashing
of teeth. Oh brethren, this too is an ancient
thing. It's called hell. It's called
that place that burns with everlasting fire and punishment. It's a place
of torment, of all manner of weeping and crying. Oh, had I but listened to and
believed in that truth of Christ and Him crucified when I read
it, when I was being told about it, when it was being preached.
Oh, had I fled from this miserable, wretched place. I tell you, if you're there,
if you're here, if this seems to be speaking to you, why not
Make Job's cry yours and mine. Deliver him from the pit. I have found a ransom. Why not make that cry your cry? So I beseech you, seek him, dear
one. Seek him while he may be found
and find rest. for your souls. That too, our
soul, is an ancient thing. Nathan, would you close us please?