Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the second session. So just to quickly recap, we just went through a bunch of verses from how worship was organized and expressed in the first temple that was built by Solomon and also in the initial days of David and he was bringing the art back. Now let's just go into the second section, which is in page 10, how a worship was organized in the second temple. So just a brief history lesson or anything, but the second temple was after Solomon's temple was destroyed by Babylonians and they were all taken into exile. They were there in exile for 70 years and it was between that they kept coming back to the build the temple. But just for us, so we understand, let me just share the screen if I can. Just a simple timeline image for us to get a better understanding. Okay, I think this is too big. So you see the first temple period here, right? Solomon's temple. It was from 1968 BC to 568 BC and which was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. You can ignore every other prophet's name that's mentioned there. Or you can look at it. You see the Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and during this period were contemporaries. Then we have right here the Babylonian exile. Hold on, everybody can see the image, right? Okay. Right in the middle we see the Babylonian exile at 70 years and then after the Babylonian kingdom is overcome by the Persian empire. Then the Persian king Cyrus agrees to let them go and build their temple. Here we see the reconstruction of the temple by Zerobabel. And this temple, the second temple, it lasts for about the duration of this temple is for about, say, 420 years. It just goes until that was again destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Okay, so this is just a simple timeline. I understand things visually. This helps me understand, okay, so this is what it is because I know BC and AD can get a little confusing. Okay, so BC as the numbers become small you are approaching the middle and whatnot. So images like this help me understand. So I thought I'd just share with you guys. Okay, stop sharing the screen now. So that's what was happening. One of the things, you know, after... There's one significant thing that happens to the people of Israel during the time of exile, which we'll talk about in the next section. But let's look at the one scripture verse there in page 10 of Ezra chapter 2. It says, because they returned with 128 levitical singers, the sons of Asaph. Right? Ezra returned with 128 levitical singers, sons of Asaph from the tribe clan of Asaph. And then Ezra chapter 3 was 10 and 11 is what it says. Ezra 3, 10 and 11 states that now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with the trumpets and the Levites and the sons of Asaph with symbols to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. Okay, so Hafithu has a question. Alayshah, where was the temple always an object of destruction anytime Israel is attacked? I think everybody knew that the temple was a holy place, isn't it? That's something that the Jews held it in a very high place. And that would happen not actually with only Israel, but any country invades another country. One of the first things that they normally attack is the place of worship, destroy the place of worship. And it also establishes something is like, okay, you are to follow my ways now. You are to do what I tell you to do.  And what happens when the Babylonians take away, destroy Solomon's temple, they take Daniel and all his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, Bednego, one of the first things that they do is they change their names, isn't it? And they change their names, they're giving them a different identity. That means you are no longer yourself. You belong to me. You will carry the name I give you.  You are to worship my God, right? So worship was a huge deal among people of those days as well. And they knew how important the temple was. And not to say the least that this temple that Solomon built was beyond grand. It was beautiful, right? The way the Bible describes it. The amount of gold that was used to just build the temple. It would have been the first one, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth wonder of the world. If it was still there. And so I'm not surprised as to why it was easily attracted and destroyed by Babylonians. In fact, actually, there was one time when Tarun actually did a session for our youth on Solomon's birth. If you start talking about that, we'll keep talking about it. But I hope that answers your question, Elisha. Yes, Pasta. Thank you very much. So continuing on chapter three of Ezra, 10 and 11. It says when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priest stood in their apparel with trumpets and Levites, the sons of Asap, with symbols to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. I talk about being order being set, culture being set. Even after 70 years in exile when they're coming back to build this thing, the temple, they're following the directions that King David had set. They sang praising and giving thanks to the Lord saying for he is good for his loving kindness is upon Israel forever. And all the people shouted with great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Isn't that amazing? A couple of things that stands out is that they still remember what was followed back in the day. 70 years is quite a long time for people to forget, isn't it? Yes, no. It's a long time for people to forget some of the practices, the ways, the good practices that was done. And they remembered the instructions of King David and they followed in that instructions. Another contemporary prophet during the time of Ezra was Nehemiah. And Nehemiah chapter 12 was 27 to 43. I'm not going to read that. Describes in detail the inauguration of the wall of Jerusalem with the grand processional of two groups of priests and Levites who marched in opposite direction on the wide wall, blowing the trumpets, singing and playing the cymbals and plucking their nevels and keynotes. Nehemiah 12, 44 and 46 says, On that day, men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores. Look at those words there. On that day, men were also appointed. We are coming to a conclusion of this section, guys. But remember that there was order in everything that they did. They stood in a certain place. They did a certain thing. There was a certain group of people who were in charge only of a certain thing. The musicians were not doing what the priests were supposed to do. The priests are not doing what the musicians were supposed to do. Everybody was doing their own thing. On that day, men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tides to gather into them from the fields of the cities, the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites. And check this out. For Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served, for they performed the worship of their God and the service of the purification together with singers and gatekeepers in accordance with the command of David and his son Solomon. For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. So we don't see much of a change or a difference between the worship that happened in the first temple and the worship that happened in the second temple. The reverence was there. The order was there. The culture was still being set even after so many years of being in exile. It's very easy for us, for me to use the word exile, because I have not been in exile, right?  I'm not sure if you've had civil rights. When you think about all of these things and every external aspects that could have affected them or had an impact, but still they did not forget the ways and the instructions of worship. They remembered and they came back and they rejoiced and they worshiped. Just laying the foundations, they worshiped, building a wall, they worshiped, they ordered, they appointed, okay, group one, go to the right, group two, go to the left. We're going to sing, we're going to go and march in procession and celebrate our God, right? So, hoping that there is something that we could learn of the way worship was organized in the Old Testament, right? So, can we move on, everybody okay? Okay, I'm going to take that as a yes. All right, so the next session. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right, the next section it talks about, we can't finish talking about worship in the Old Testament and not talk about the Book of Psalms. Amen. So, that's what this section is all about in page 11 is a very simple way. What the Psalms teaches us about worship, right? I know, you know, we've studied about worship quite deeply in our first year and from Psalms and whatnot, but then I hope this is going to be a good reminder, much needed reminder, right? So, music and worship in the Psalms, what does it teach us? I love this quote and that's why it's there by Martin Luther. He says, next to theology, I give to music the highest place in honor. Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul. It is one of the most magnificent and delightful presence God has given us. Another quote by Henry, what's for the long fellow. He says, yes, music is the prophets art among the gifts that God had sent, one of the most magnificent. It comes the agitated heart, temptations, evil thoughts and all the passions that disturb the soul are quelled by its divine control as the evil spirit fled from Saul and his distemper was allayed when David took his harp and played. So, with the Psalms, let's approach it by asking these five philosophical journalist kind of questions. Okay, you can do that. Like who, what, when, where, how, why, right? So, but the what is already addressed, the what is music and worship. So that's the what we are going to address and how it was organized. So one question is already addressed. So who, who is the psalm is telling to worship? Who are to worship God? Okay, everything that breeds Psalm 150 verse six, we know the verse, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Everything that has praise the Lord does. The other verse that says praise looks good on us when we worship him and we choose to praise him. Even things that don't breathe. Let the sea roar and let the fullness thereof the world and that they they that dwell there and let the floods clap their hands. Let the hills be joyful together. Right. I've mentioned this before that of all the creation God has created. We are the only ones, the human beings are the only ones with a choice that we make to worship him. Every other creation does not have a choice. Right. Like we just read the seas roar, the mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord. The trees of the field clap their hands and worship. Psalm 19 verse one and two says heavens declare the glory of God day and night. They pour forth the speech without stopping. But then it is us, the ones with the breath that we choose that we have this privilege to choose to praise him. So who are to praise him? Everything that has breath. Right. And some hundred was one to five. Just want to read that verse read that some shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Who all the earth worship the Lord with gladness come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and not we ourselves. We are his people the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name for the Lord is good and his love and yours forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations. Amen. So that addresses the who and the next question is where are we to worship? Right. So someone 49 verse five says let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. Okay. So what does this mean Russian? Well, it's simply means everywhere. Okay. Wherever you are, you know, Jesus later in the gospels, we see that he says in John chapter four. It says the time is coming where a place is not going to matter. Right. Because father is seeking something beyond a place of worship. Right. So where everywhere on your beds where you're eating going doing life. Like the scripture that I shared last week from Romans chapter 12 verse one and two from the message version. It says take everything.  Let it be so that you're doing it unto God. So that's the where we address the who the psalmist teaching us where and then let's see what the psalmist has to say about when do we have to worship? Is there a set time? You can worship him only a certain period. This is the window. Let's see in the morning. My voice shout out here in the morning. Oh, Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up. I like this translation. So that's why they're here. So I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57 verse eight. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name. Almost high to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Right. So when are we to praise him in the morning, in the noon, in the evening, right? All day. Psalm 34 says praise him continually. Let your praise continually be on your lips. Right. All let it be on your lips all the time in every season. Praise him. I will extol the Lord at all times. His praise will always be on my lips. I will praise you as long as I live. May they always say the Lord be exalted who delights in the well-being of his servant. My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. Right. All day long. One of the most important instruments that we use to worship God is our tongue. Isn't it? Yeah. And Psalm 34 says that let his praise always be on your lips. You know, I will... My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. I just want us to remind us of what it says. Jesus says in John chapter 4 verse 24, I think. So Father is seeking worshipers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. Right. Efficience chapter 5 verse 18 says be filled with the spirit. Right. Be filled with the spirit. And then what... And then we see in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2, when God pours out his spirit, what is the first thing that he takes control of? The first thing God takes control of when he's pouring out his spirit is the tongue. And so I can't emphasize enough. I can't stress enough of this instrument that we use to worship him, our tongue. It's a beautiful sign and a fruit that we know that we are filled with the spirit of the living. God is that we are continually using that to worship him, to honor him, to bring glory to his name. Okay. So, Sam is saying, when are we to praise him in the morning, in the noon, in the evening? Very like that old song that says, from the rising of the sun, two is going down of the same. But you know the song? A Sunday school song. I love it. So, the next question that we'd like to address is, how are we to praise him? Praise the Lord with harp. Make music to him on a ten-string lyre. Psalm 33 verse 2. Begin the music. Strike the tambourine. Sound the ram's horn. Make music to him on a ten-string lyre. Sound the ram's horn. Make music to the Lord with the harp and the sound of singing with the trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn. Shout for joy before the Lord the king. Okay. If you're over here and if you're wondering, saying, okay, you know, all those verses saying, are saying to play the harp, the lyre. I don't play an instrument and whatnot, but we just spoke of how our tongue is an instrument and it goes on to say, shout for joy before the Lord. The king. Right. Psalm 63 verse 4. In your name I will lift my hands. We worship him by lifting up our hands. Let them praise him. His name with dancing. We clap your hands all your nations. Shout to God with cries of joy. Sing to the Lord a new song. Okay. I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? Okay. So we lift up our eyes. Okay. And there are numerous references.  So that's what the psalmist have to teach us. The book of Psalms have to teach us about worship and how it was organized in the Psalms. Right. One more time if you can just do a quick recap who are to worship everything that breeds. Even the ones that don't breed worship him. How much more should we wear everywhere when all the time. How? Find a way to praise him. Clap your hands. Dance. Sing. Shout for joy. Paint. You know the list doesn't end there. So anything that you do that you can do that God's gifted you with a do it unto him. Right. So yeah, you're with me. Any questions? Any thoughts that you want to share? It's kind of stands out. Okay. So can we move on to the next section worship in the New Testament? Okay. Thank you. Thanks Christopher. Thanks Stephanie. Thank you. Okay. So we finished, you know, just looking at very briefly how worship was organized in the Old Testament. The Old Testament from Abraham all the way to David and Israel and Nehemiah and the book of Psalms. We'll very again, very briefly look at how worship ministry was organized in the New Testament. Worship in the synagogues. Now, once again, a very simple history recap is this idea of synagogues, right? Which as we know, it simply means church now. People started following this while they were in exile. I say people, people of Israel. Okay. Well, they were in exile in Babylon. There's no temple for them to meet to worship or, you know, there's no temple. There's no place of worship for them to go to. So what they did was again, this is what the scholars and the historians say that the idea of small groups, I'll use the word small churches, small groups, cell groups, started growing. And it kept growing even after they came back. And even after they built the second temple, as we just, as we saw, you know, which during the time of Israel, Nehemiah and Zerubabel, these small group things continued. And it took its full form by the time, during Jesus' time, it was the advance. It was in its full form. The synagogues were there. And so this section of worship, reading Psalms to one another was followed even by the early church, the first century Christians, because the first century Christians were also Jews, right? So it shouldn't be surprising that, you know, they're Christians and why were they following the ways of the Jews? Because they were still Jews, but they were just following, you know, the way of Jesus. Okay. I just wanted to read for us a couple of things. Give me one second, see if I can try and share the screen, because I'm not able to open that file. Okay. Sorry about that. Okay. If you guys come down to page 14, page 14 in your notes, the lot of passages that, you know, talk about how the first century Christians who were Jews continue to follow the traditions and the practices of the Jews. Right in Acts 2, 46 says that early Christians were day by day continuing with one mind in the temple. That was built, right? Acts chapter 3, verse 1 records that Peter and John were going to the temple because it was the hour of prayer. Acts 5, 21, 42 shows the continued practice of Christians going to temple on the regular basis. Okay. So I want to try that again. Because it's nice. Okay, here we go. This is a video of a modern synagogue of Jews meeting in a synagogue and how worship takes place. Okay. It's pretty cool, isn't it? Yeah. So that's how the synagogue was organized. It would be pretty much in a square shape where people would sit around on the steps kind of a thing. And then a leader or a rabbi would read from the scriptures and they would sing songs, hymns, and they would echo that back. And that's how pretty much worship at the synagogues were organized and the singing. And the importance of singing in the New Testament is also emphasized time and time again. Right. There's this one quote from Ronald Allen in his book, Worship Rediscovering the Missing Jewel.  Not all are blessed with finely tuned ear and well modulated voice. So the sound may not be superb. It may even be out of tune and off key. Remember, worship is a state of heart. Musical sound is a state of heart. Let's not confuse them. So the critical question is not can you sing, but does your heart have a song? Okay, but does your heart have a song? That's all in the notes, by the way, guys. Okay. So time and time again in the New Testament, we see singing has been emphasized. It's not just in the Old Testament. It's not just in the Psalms that says sing and whatnot. We see Paul and Silas singing while they were in prison and even, you know, Matthew chapter 26 verse 30. Matthew chapter 26 verse 30 says, when they finished their last supper before they went up to the Mount of Olives, they sang a hymn. Romans chapter 15 verse 9 says, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as it is written. For this reason, I will confess to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name. Corinthians 14-15 says, what is the conclusion then? I will pray with the Spirit. I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit. I will also sing with understanding. And a very famous popular and well-known scripture is Ephesians chapter 5 verse 19, following verse 18 that says, be filled with the Spirit and then goes on to say, speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Okay, speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. From the video that we just saw, that's exactly what is happening, isn't it? As in, they are singing it out and there's an echo of it, right? So they're singing to one another, they're worshipping God by doing so. Another very key scripture is Colossians chapter 3 verse 16. Colossians 3-16 it says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Okay, so the instrument here in Ephesians 5-19, Ephesians chapter 5 verse 19 and Colossians chapter 3 verse 16, 5-19 says, okay, speak to one another in Psalms hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart. The instrument there is your heart. And similarly in Colossians 3-16 it says, okay, while you're doing let the wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. So coming back to the quote is the question is not, can you sing? The question is, does your heart have a song? Okay, so Maxson is saying, should we say there is uniformity between synagogue and mosques the way of services? Uniformity between, as a similarity, uniformity is more strong word I would say, but its Middle Eastern kind of melody isn't like, it's also on the same I guess. But I haven't been to a mosque or a proper Jewish synagogue. Maxson, sorry. But yeah, the only thing I can say is because they're from the similar region, the Middle Eastern region, they tend to have the same kind of style of music, the way of singing. Like in India we have Karnati and Hindustani and people from all over the world will know, okay, that's Indian classical kind of music. Order of service, I have no idea. Does anybody else know? They're different. Muslims, you go there, you wash up and then the Imam basically leads the prayer.  Unless it's on Friday where he kind of preach, he gives like a teaching, but it's different from the synagogue. And the rhyming is just the culture like you said. Right. Thanks, Manki, thanks for sharing that. Maxson, I hope you got your answer. But this is basically what it is and how worship was organized in the New Testament, the emphasis on singing and singing to each other with word. And I think that is very important. This Efficience 599 Colossians 316 is two key scriptures that beautifully balance, let the word of Christ reach in your dwell, dwell in your richly. The word is important and then using that to sing songs and hymns to one another is essential. So you can't have one without the other. Right. So as you see that the methods have changed from where we started, altars, you know, the 120 trumpets and whatnot, and suddenly the groups have become smaller, but still they continue to meet in one accord in one heart. Those are the principles. The fundamental aspects of historical worship are simply music, prayer, instruction, Lord's Supper, Psalms, hymns, spiritual song. Meeting in one accord remained constant. So with that I want to stop this session and continue from next week. Thank you, Pastor. Pastor, I just want to know that how these synagogues were formed when it is, even that's also my question, like how I asked you the previous question, like, you know, is it also lawful according to the Moses? Right. So like I mentioned is, so when they, as the historians and the scholars claim that it began during the time while they were in exile, now when they were in exile, they did not have a place of worship to meet, right, in Babylon. They did not have the tabernacle. They did not have a temple. They did not have a place, like a common place of worship. And so they had to improvise.  And so that's where these small groups kind of began, like meeting in someone's house or, you know, things like that. So, and that evolved and evolved and finally got a name called Synagogue. And so they continued with that practice. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you. Anything else? Anyone? I hope you're learning something from all of this. Yes, Christopher. Yes, Pastor.   So just as an aside, I mean, I come from a background of, you know, we have been having listened to a lot of secular music. Yes.  But it hasn't been rehearsed. Right. So, yeah.  It's spontaneous and prophetic moments of worship. The fresh thing that's in my head is what happened the day before yesterday Sunday at our church is halfway through the worship. The sound systems are working. You know, there are about, I don't know how many people in the auditorium, 400 or something. The mics stopped working, the speakers stopped working. And at that moment, I was like, okay, what do I do now? And so I was put on the spot. So spontaneously, I had to change the songs per se and sing songs that are familiar to people because I did not have a mic to amplify my voice. So I can't shout, you know, and sing that would strain my voice. So the simplest and what I thought was the smartest thing to do was to just introduce a hymn, let people sing. So that's spontaneous. We didn't rehearse that. So there were like a couple of songs, very old familiar songs that we sang. So that's a spontaneous moment of worship, you know, that you don't rehearse, that was not rehearsed and which I thought was okay, you know, it was fine. But then there are prophetic moments of worship, right? When you're just leaning in a little bit more, it was here. What God is doing in that moment, you know, the Reema word. And if he's speaking or putting something in your heart, you release those words. And so that becomes a prophetic version.  And so when you're dependent on that, it becomes beyond fulfilling. I hope that, Andrew. Okay, everyone. Well, thank you for joining today's class. I hope you had a good time. God bless you. Have a lovely rest of the day and rest of the week. I'll see you again next week. Okay, guys, take care. Bye-bye. Thank you, Pastor, God bless you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.


The Kremlin on June 29 declined to answer questions about Russian General Sergei Surovikhin, whose status and location have not been made public since an abortive armed, mercenary mutiny on June 24. Nicknamed General Armageddon by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, Surovikhin, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, has been absent from view since Saturday, when he appeared in a video appealing to mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigazin to halt his mutiny. He had looked exhausted in that video and it was unclear if he was speaking under duress. There have since been unconfirmed reports that he is being questioned by the security services. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about Surovikhin to the Defense Ministry, which has so far not made any statement about him. Asked by reporters if the Kremlin could clarify the situation with Surovikhin, Peskov said, no, unfortunately not. So I recommend that you contact the Defense Ministry, this is its prerogative. When a reporter asked if President Vladimir Putin still continued to trust Surovikhin, Peskov said, he is the supreme commander-in-chief and he works with the Defense Minister and with the chief of the general staff. Questions about structural units within the Ministry, Peskov said, should be addressed to the Defense Ministry.