Praising and Thanking God Together

Tuesday, December 16, 2014
2 Chronicles 5:2-14 KJV 

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion. 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which [was] in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, these did the priests [and] the Levites bring up. 6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims: 8 For the cherubims spread forth [their] wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9 And they drew out the staves [of the ark], that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10 [There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put [therein] at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy [place]: (for all the priests [that were] present were sanctified, [and] did not [then] wait by course: 12 Also the Levites [which were] the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, [being] arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, [saying], For [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: that [then] the house was filled with a cloud, [even] the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) King Solomon completed the building of the temple that would house the ark of the covenant. Who did Solomon assemble to bring the ark to Jerusalem? (v.1-5)
2) What did the king and the congregation do before the ark? (v.6)
3) What did the priest do? (v.7-9)
4) What was in the ark? (v.10)
5) When the priests came out of the holy place who assembed with them? Why? (v.11-13)
6) What happened to the priests? Why? (v.14)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you experienced the Presence of God during corporate worship? If so, briefly describe what happened during one such time.
8) During corporate worship, have you ever experienced God's Presence so strongly that your spiritual leaders were unable to minister to the people of God? If so, briefly describe one such instance. 

LIFE LESSONS
9) The Presence of the Lord most often manifests when the people of God are assembled as one to worship the Lord.
10) The Presence of God is strongest when the people of God are united in thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him.
11) When the Presence of the Lord is strongest, the ministers of the Lord are too overwhelmed to minister to the people of God.