1 Kings

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me this evening, I would desire to ask your attention to the words which you will find in the first book of the Kings, chapter 8, verse 23.

[0:26] And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath who keep us covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.

[0:57] The first book of the Kings, chapter 8, verse 23. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath.

[1:24] Those are the words which have rested upon my mind as I thought of coming here tonight.

[1:36] And my dear friends, this was a statement of Solomon's, the wisest man that ever lived.

[1:48] That is, of course, apart from the man Christ Jesus. And he knew the Lord God of Israel.

[2:03] And he is addressing him and acknowledges this, that there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath.

[2:19] We are not to forget that in the days of Solomon, they were surrounded as a nation with other nations who worshipped other gods.

[2:37] We know well that the Philistines worshipped Dagon. There were others who worshipped Baal.

[2:47] Every nation had its own God. But Solomon knew what David, his father, knew.

[3:02] That the God of Israel was the true and is the true and living God. We find in that 115th Psalm, these words written, But our God is in the heavens.

[3:23] He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

[3:37] Their gods could not hear. Their gods could not speak. Their gods could not act. But how different is the God of Israel, the true and living God.

[3:55] He is a God who does speak. And he is a God who does act. Why?

[4:06] There is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath. Because he is the God who has created all things.

[4:23] And my dear friends, by his own power were all things made. Yea, he spake and it was done.

[4:34] He commanded and it stood fast. This was the God of Israel. The God who created all things.

[4:44] And the God who sustained and supported those things which he had created. And my dear friends, Israel knew that their God was a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God.

[5:08] Why? He had made a covenant with Abraham on their behalf. And had said, my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

[5:25] Their God was so different from the gods round about them. Because the people had made their own gods and bowed down and worshipped them.

[5:37] But God had made the people his people. And they worshipped him. He had done the making. We go back to the days of Moses.

[5:52] And these are the words of the Lord. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.

[6:11] For all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.

[6:23] Now you know well that Solomon knew this. For we find, as he goes on in this very prayer, he says, For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth To be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, When thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

[6:56] And my dear friends, he did make them his people. And he blessed them. Well, we need not, I think, go any further into ancient Israel.

[7:15] The true and living God was their God. He made himself known as such by the deliverances he wrought for them.

[7:27] And by the way in which he protected them and supplied their needs. Oh, what a God they had.

[7:38] And yet, we know alas, they turned from him and turned to idols. But when Solomon said here, Lord God of Israel, There is no God like thee in heaven above Or on earth beneath.

[8:07] What a truth, the utter. The Lord himself says, There is no God beside me.

[8:18] And my dear friends, And my dear friends, This God is the true and living God. Ah, that is true as we sometimes sing.

[8:32] Thou art the ever-living God, Were all the nations dead. And what we can say of ancient Israel, We can say of spiritual Israel.

[8:52] Because he is their God, The God of his people. A covenant-making, covenant-keeping God.

[9:03] In that covenant he has said, I will be to them a God, And that they shall be to me a people.

[9:13] And my dear friends, Had it not been so, There would have been none Who would have worshipped him, Or who could have ever made claim to him.

[9:28] But oh, There is a people Who can say, As Israel of old said, This God is our God, Forever and ever, And will be our guide, Even unto death.

[9:52] Well, I want to try and speak a little, Of this God. And to show, That there is none like unto the God of Israel.

[10:05] The God who has chosen a people, To be his own. A God who has made himself, A their God forever.

[10:20] And first of all, We can say, There is no God, Like unto thee. No God so gracious, As our God.

[10:33] I remember, If I might just digress for a moment, When my own dear pastor, Was upon his death, That he said this, I've often spoken, Of a gracious God, But I never really knew, A gracious God, Till I came here.

[11:03] Ah, He knew more of him then. You see, It's the streams on earth, That we taste, And yet, We do have to declare, He is a gracious God.

[11:20] How gracious, In choosing a people. When we consider, That he could have left, The whole of mankind, To perish, In their sins.

[11:33] And my dear friends, If he has chosen you, If he has chosen me, We know something, Of his gracious dealings. Why, We never would have chosen him, As we've just been reminded, In our hymn of praise, Had he not chosen us, Oh, No sinner can be beforehand, With him, But how gracious, In choosing a people.

[12:07] You know, There are many, Who rebel against, The doctrine, Of God's sovereign, Electing love. Love. But oh, What a merciful, Doctrine it is, Because if he had not, Chosen a people, My dear friends, All must have perished, In their sins.

[12:31] But oh, A gracious God, Has chosen a people, To be his own. And, Of these, He has said, They shall be mine, In that day, When I make up, My jewels.

[12:54] His choice, Was an eternal choice. His choice, Was a choice, Of his own mind. His choice, Did not depend upon, Anything in the creature.

[13:10] It was a sovereign choice. Of a sovereign God. But then, My dear friends, How gracious he is, In listening, To the prayers, Of these people.

[13:28] Why, It is these, Who cry unto him, And it is these, Who prove him to be, A prayer hearing, And a prayer, Answering God.

[13:42] They understand, The meaning, Of the poet, When he said, That were a grief, I could not bear, Didst thou not hear, And answer prayer.

[13:59] Oh, If you know, Anything, Of this God, You will know, You will know him, To be a gracious God, In listening to your prayer, And in granting, Answers.

[14:16] But then, While we think upon him, As a gracious God, My dear friends, How gracious, Of God, To purpose, The salvation, Of this people, Which he chose.

[14:39] You see, They could not purpose, Their own, Sunk in the ruins, Of the fall, But he purposed, Their salvation, Before all worlds, The glorious plan, The blessed eternal deed, Was settled, By the sacred tree, That Christ, For man should believe.

[15:10] Well, Sometimes, Perhaps, We've tried, To stop and think about, God, Purposely, The salvation, Of his people, Purposing, That salvation, To be accomplished, In such a way, That it should bring, Honor and glory, To him, Forever, And the everlasting, Good, Of his dear people, But my dear friends, This God, Not only, Purposed, Salvation, But accomplished it, God, In the person, Of his son, Has all, His mighty, Works outdone, When we think, Of that which, He accomplished, The salvation, Of his people, A work,

[16:11] Which no other, Could accomplish, But he, Has accomplished it, He could say, As he hung, Upon Calvary's cross, It is finished, Have you ever, Rejoiced, In a finished, Salvation, A salvation, That requires, Nothing, From you, Ah, This is the salvation, That is suitable, To the poor, The needy, The helpless, The ruined, The salvation, Which he, Has accomplished, What a gracious, God, But he is, Gracious in this, That he reveals, That salvation, Unto his people, They are not, Left in ignorance, Of it, Oh, What a mercy, To have, This salvation, Revealed, Revealed, So that we, Want an interest, In it, Revealed, So that we,

[17:11] Feel our interest, In it, And rejoice, In it, Well, Here in, We have, A gracious, God, Now if we, Know something, Of these things, And by, Sweet experience, Of the same, We shall, Readily say, With Solomon, Lord, God of Israel, There is, There is, No God, Like thee, In heaven above, Or, On earth, Beneath, But, As we think, Of this God, The God of ancient Israel, The God of Israel, Still, He is, He is, Not only, A gracious, God, But my dear friends, He is, An almighty, God, You know, We do, Lose sight,

[18:12] Of the fact, That God, Is, An almighty, God, Israel of old, Did, And the Lord, Was rocked with them, For it, Because, They limited, The holy one of Israel, Have we ever limited him?

[18:31] Of course we have, Perhaps not in word, Ah, But we thought this could never be, Oh, What a mercy, When faith is given, Which enables us to sigh, Lord, I know, Thou canst do everything, He is, An almighty, God, And that almighty, Power, He manifests, Unto his people, Because his almighty, Power, Working in them, Does what nothing else, Can do, And I tell you this, The most able, Preacher, The most devout, Person, Cannot, Quicken a soul, Oh, My dear friends, We cannot give, Our nearest, And dearest,

[19:32] Spiritual life, Now an almighty, God, Can, And that he does, Quicken sinners, Into life, This is the work, Of an almighty, God, Ah, Do we realize it, Does it make us, Go to him, Who with the prayer, Quicken souls, And make them cry, Jesus, Save me, Or I die, Oh, My dear friends, His almighty power, Can and does, Bring from death, Unto life, And, His almighty power, Can and does, Stop sinners, In their, Mad career, You know,

[20:34] By nature, We, Are, On, A downward course, It's, It's an easy course, Really, To hell, Because it's, A downward course, And, Where is it, Described, As a mad, Career, And nothing, Can stop, A person, In his, Or her, Mad career, But the almighty, Power of God, And it doesn't matter, Who that person is, The Lord can stop them, What an instance, We have, In the scriptures, When we think of, Saul of Tarsus, Oh, It is true, He was a religious, Man, It is true, That he thought,

[21:35] He did God's service, And yet, My dear friends, It is, Solemnly, True, That he was, Running the devil's end, Persecuting, The church of God, And going, No doubt, With all speed, And urgency, To persecute them, Even unto strange cities, And the Lord stopped him, In a moment, Oh, Could any other power, Have stopped this man, Who, Of course, The people of God, To blaspheme, Who hailed men, And women to prison, But this power could, The power, Of almighty God, Ah, This power, My dear friends, Nothing can withstand, When he puts forth, His, Mighty arm, And that power,

[22:37] Which stops them, Is the power, And which brings them, To his feet, This is where it brought, Saul of Tarsus, Lord, Oh, Oh, He whom he persecuted, He now holds him, As Lord, He is at his feet, And says, Lord, What wilt thou, Have me to do, Oh, Oh, There's the change, Brought, By almighty power, Oh, It is, This almighty power, Of God, Which can, And does, Make poor sinners, Willing to be saved, By him, Willing, To serve him, Willing, To follow him, Well, Might the poet, Say now, To the power, Of God supreme,

[23:40] The everlasting, Honor given, He saves, From hell, We bless his name, And calls, Our wandering feet, To heaven, And that is the power, Which keeps, His dear people, For they are kept, By the power, Of God, Through faith, Unto salvation, Now, Those who know, Something of his power, Will readily sigh, Lord God of Israel, There is no God, Like thee, In heaven above, Or on earth, In heaven, He is the almighty, God, And then, What of his, Faithfulness, You know, We live in days,

[24:41] When, Faithfulness, Is at a very low, Ebb, It is, So, Even, Between, Between, Many, Who have, Have, Have, Professed, Life, Union, And marriages, Are dissolved, No faithfulness, It is so, In high places, When, So-called, Covenants, Are broken, Disregarded, It is so, In her places, Of business, Because, Promises are made, Often times, With no intentions, Whatever, Of fulfilling them, How different, When we come, To the Lord, A faithful God, Oh, This is the God,

[25:43] That his people, Find him to be, He is a God, Faithful, To perform, All that he has spoken, You know well, That Joshua, Said to God's, Ancient people, Not one thing, Hath failed, Of all that, The Lord, Our God, Hath spoken, And my dear friends, That's what his people, Find still, God, Doesn't make a promise, To break it, God, Doesn't bring, Feelingly, Into union, To dissolve, God's covenant, Stands firm, Forever, A faithful, And unchanging, God, Bears, Our spirits, Oh, There is none, No God,

[26:45] Like thee, In heaven above, Or on earth, Beneath, Now, I've spoken a little, Of this God, It is well for us, To ask, Do we know him?

[27:00] I'm not asking, Do we know about him? We wouldn't be here, If we didn't know about him, But do we know him? Is this God, Our God?

[27:16] The Lord has said, Concerning his dear people, They shall all know me, From the least of them, Unto the greatest, That means that, They shall, Not be left in ignorance, And you know by nature, We are ignorant, Of this God, But the Lord has promised, This unto his dear people, They shall not be left, In ignorance, Of him, And, They shall know him, And they shall find him, To be, For what, Solomon said of him, A God, There is none like unto, Yes, For they will find this, That there is none like unto, This God, In his condescension,

[28:19] Now I'm not speaking so much, Of his coming into this world, There we have his naturalist condescension, But my dear friends, I'm speaking of that, Which his people experience, A condescending God, Attending, To your cry, And not only, Attending to your cry, But coming to your aid, Do you know what it is for God, To draw near, So that your heart, Has been melted, What a condescension, What condescension, On his part, To draw near, Unto poor sinners, And to make his mercy, Favour, And goodness known, One said this, When Jesus, With his mighty love, Visits my troubled breast,

[29:20] My doubts subside, My fears removed, And I'm completely blessed, The condescension, Of a visit from the Lord, Because Christ is God, And oh my dear friends, If he has ever come unto you, Drawn near, Paid your gracious visit, Spoken a word into your heart, You will say, As you fall before him, Oh, There is no God, Likely, In heaven above, Or on earth, Be thee, And you'll want no other God, But this God, Who condescends, To deal graciously with you, As a poor sinner, Who has not spurned you, But who has regarded you, Oh, After this God, His condescension,

[30:21] But not only so, You know, His people, Find him to be, What Israel of old, Found him to be, When they said, The Lord, Hath been mindful of us, Now perhaps, There have been times, When you felt absolutely alone, And you thought, That everyone has forsaken you, But there has been a God, Who has been mindful of you, Mindful of your need, Mindful of your case, You could go to no other, But the Lord has been mindful of you, Oh yes, You have proved, When most we need, His helping hand, This friend, Is always near, With heaven and earth,

[31:22] At his command, He waits, To answer prayer, And has he not, Appeared for you, In some difficulty, Or in some trial, Has he not made a way, Where it seemed, That no way was possible, Why, You have proved him, To be a God, Who is mindful, Of you, And not only so, My dear friends, If he is your God, You have found him, To be a God, Who is merciful, Because he is a God, Who does forgive, Yes, As Solomon prayed, That forgiveness, That forgiveness might be known, By those who came, Feeling, Their own plague, So, His people, Find it true still,

[32:23] That if we confess, Our sins, God, Is faithful, And just, To forgive us, Our sins, And to cleanse us, From all unrighteousness, And when he makes his mercy known, Ah, That is when, Poor sinners, Will say, There is no God, Like thee in heaven above, Or on earth beneath, Because, They knew well, That their sins deserved, Eternal death, But he brought them to heaven, He made forgiveness known, A merciful God, Oh, Well, Do you know, This God, In your own experience, Is he your God, Has he condescended, To visit you, Being mindful of you,

[33:24] Being merciful unto you, What a God, He is, There is none, Alive, Unto, And this God, But there is one thing, His people do prove, And it is this, That he is a bountiful God, You know, This is what they need, Why the psalmist, Went before the Lord, With this prayer, Deal bountifully, With thy servant, Now, This is how God, Deals with his people, And, He deals, Bountifully, In pouring out, Blessings, And if he is your God, This is what you will know, A bountiful God,

[34:25] And you will know it, Because, He pours down, Blessings, Upon his, Dear people, As he blessed you, With life, Why, Why, My dear friends, If we are quickened souls, Praying souls, Living souls, He has blessed us with life, And, And, Oh, What a blessing, Is life, You know, Sometimes, Perhaps we forget, What the Lord, Has done, How bountifully, He has dealt with us, Because, Had he not quickened us, We should never have felt our need, We should never have mourned over sin, We should never have cried for mercy, And there would never have been the breath of prayer,

[35:28] Go out of our lips, Go from our heart, But you see, This is, One of his blessings, He blesses with life, So that, His dear people, Possess a religion of feeling, Not just of notion, True religions more than notion, Something must be known and felt, Oh, But, What of the blessing of pardon, Why, When he, Uh, Brings a poor sinner, To know this blessing, The blessing of pardon, Forgiveness is a joyful sound, To malefactors doomed to die, Oh, Has he blessed you with it?

[36:21] You'll know a bountiful God, If he has blessed you, With life, And with pardon, And that's not all, That he blesses his dear people with, He blesses them with righteousness, A meekness for heaven, Oh, Has he taken away the filthy rags, And covered you with a new robe?

[36:44] Have you ever been able to sing, From your very heart, Tis he adorned my naked soul, And made salvation mine, Then you know something, Of a bountiful God, And my dear friends, If he has blessed you with life, And pardon, And righteousness, Then he has blessed you with peace, And that peace, Is not a patched up, In glorious peace, It's a peace with honour, It's a peace that shall never be broken, Though you may not always feel, The comfort of it, But that peace remains, It is peace, Through the cross of Christ, What a blessing, Oh, Have you ever felt, That you have a settled peace with God, And that through that precious blood, Of the Lord Jesus,

[37:45] Well, These are the blessings, Which he bestows, Or we might just speak, Of one other, And that is that good hope, Through grace, Many have a false hope, But his dear people, Have a good hope, And that hope is founded upon, The finished work, Of a dear redeemer, Well, Has he thus blessed you, Then, You know a bountiful God, He's brought blessings into your heart, That has made your soul rejoice, And you will bless him for these forever, And no, This does make you to say, Even as Solomon, Has said here, There is no God, Like the inheavenable, Or on earth beneath, And as you journey on, Oh,

[38:46] Has he made you, To know his care, The care of the Lord, Is ever over his dear people, You know how, The psalmist, The psalmist, Brought this, The care of the Lord, Before us, When he penned that, One hundred, And twenty first psalm, He says, He will not suffer thy foot, To be moved, He that keepeth thee, Will not slumber, Behold, He that keepeth Israel, Shall neither slumber, Nor slain, Oh, His care, Is ever over his people, His care, Is ever over his sheep, If we view him, As the great shepherd, Of the sheep, Then, Knowing something, Of his care, We shall be able,

[39:47] To say, Like the psalmist said, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, I shall suffer no lack, Why? Because, He makes me, His care, And such is his care, The Lord, Shall preserve thee, From all evil, He shall, Preserve, Thy soul, It's not just care, Over the body, It is care, Over the soul, Oh, Oh, My dear friends, The soul, That is brought, To know, And realize, That, God, The God, The true and living God, Is his God, As a God, To protect him, A God, To provide for him, A God, To preserve him,

[40:48] And he will be safe, And safe forever, Well, May we each, Through his grace, Know this God, What a mercy it will be, Because, We shall, Declare the truth, Which is stated here, I say, We shall declare it, Here, Below, And my dear friends, It will mean this, That we shall praise, This God, Forever and ever, He will be our praise, Here, And he will be, Our praise, Forevermore, Well, May the Lord have his blessing, Amen.

[41:42] Amen.