Brothers and sisters, the first book and the second book of Chronicles in Hebrew are presented only as one volume, declaring the deeds of the Lord. Some claim that the scribe Ezra wrote the book of Chronicles. The purpose of this book would be to remember the deeds and wonders of the Lord God for a nation that was coming out of the Babylonian exile and was entering a period of restoration and rebuilding of the temple. Two well-known names who were also in this period of return and rebuild were Nehemiah and Ezra. These two played a significant role in leading the people in this period. Indeed, it was a difficult time for them. The people of Israel were disencouraged and disappointed because of the judgment they had experienced through the Babylonian captivity. By the time of rebuilding, the people no longer believed in divine providence. They felt guilt and defeated. That reality was so present that many at that time, they said, would not have enough resource to build the second temple of the Lord. Moreover, they lamented that even if they could have or they could build the second temple, they said, the glory of the second house would never be equal. to that of the first. That is why God raised two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to prophesize during this period, telling the people, those who thought they would not have enough resource for the construction of the temple, that the silver and the gold belongs to the Lord. God, and that God would provide everything necessary for their reconstruction. For those whom quoted about the glory of the first house, God speaks or spoke through the prophet, saying that the later glory of this house shall be greater than the former. All that God had spoken was to revive the people who are filled with disappointment, sadness, and bitterness. It is well known that Jerome of the Christian era gave this book its name because of its biblical chronology. The scribe Ezra wrote the story of God as a recorded, In the book of Genesis, he began the Aaron's genealogy to demonstrate the Lord God's powerful hand in history. including that of the patriarchs and kings. Even in the face of the Israelite nation's infidelity and coldness, as demonstrated by the true tribals of the North and the South, God remained faithful and his promises remained intact. Ezra recalls God's deeds by showing the hope of the Messiah come through David's offspring. In the chapter 28, Ezra recalls when David calls the people as they prepare their farewell and the responsibility of the people to continue serve the Lord God. David desired to build the temple for the Lord, but he was not allowed to him to do that. The mission to build the house would be given to Solomon. David spoke to the whole nation, but in the particular way in the verse 9 and 10, David addressed his son Solomon. with a word saying, you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. And it is on this biblical theme, brothers and sisters, that I want to share with you in this evening, the theme that know the God of your father. David's first point to Solomon is that, know your father's God. to know the Lord, but what does that mean? Sometimes it is difficult to understand or connect with things that we are unfamiliar with. The word know, as I brought here this morning, in the Old Testament has a relational connotation that carries a familiar aspect, a close aspect. This verb is the same as we read used by the prophet Jeremiah when God spoke him that before Jeremiah was formed in the womb, God already knew him. Therefore, to know someone or something in the Old Testament means to be close, acquainted, communion, and walk alongside. We need to understand, brothers and sisters, that this world was direct at Solomon. Solomon would become the king of Israel, but much of it Solomon was a son of the covenant. He was under the benefits that come to those under the covenant with God. Therefore, David summoned Solomon to know God, his father and God of the covenant. He is the one that David served and worshiped. The God of the covenant was the one who greeted David, delivers many benefits, both temporal and spiritual. David was able to experience the goodness of God on earth. So he exhorts his son to seek to know him more and more, acknowledge him, recognize him as his God and love him and fear him. So how can we know God? We find this guidance in the article two of the Belgian Confession. It is said in article two, the means by which we know God. Let me read it for you. We know him by two means. First, the creation, preservation, and the government of the universe. Since that universe, it is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God, His eternal power and His divinity. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 1 20, all these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse. Second, He makes Himself known to us more openly by His holy and divine word, as much as we need in this life for His glory and for the salvation for His own. Those who have not put Faith in Christ Jesus cannot enjoy the benefits of this covenant. Only those whom Christ Jesus has saved can seek God. They can desire to know him, to serve him and love him. We can only know God through Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we can never know God, our eternal Father. Only Jesus can lead us to God. Only Jesus can show us the Father, for this is what eternal life is. As we read in John 17 three, the eternal life is that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That is the aspect that we see in Christ Jesus and God. Furthermore, according to Hebrews chapter one, verse one and two, long ago, long ago, at many times in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. Brothers and sisters, everything we need to know and see of God is in Christ Jesus. Second, as a result of knowing God, David calls upon his son to serve the Lord God from heart. Today, as new creations or new creatures in Christ Jesus, we can serve God and keep His commandments. Today, the law of the Lord God is our joy, our pleasure. The Lord's commandments no longer cause fear or distress. God's law encourages and strengthen us. That is because Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed all of God's law. Today, brothers and sisters, we can serve God in the newness of life. We are called to serve God. As a result, we serve each other in love. Paul's exhortation, remember Paul's exhortation on this, he said in Colossians chapter three, verse 23, 24, whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for man. Knowing that from the Lord we will receive the inheritance as we were, you are serve the Lord Christ. Serve God and our neighbors should come from our hearts. with a gentle and a willing mind as God searches our intentions so that we do not fall into the arrow of those who do not act correctly before God. Look what Isaiah said in chapter 29, verse 13, because these people draw near with their mouth. and honor me with their lips while their hearts are far from me. In the New Testament, Jesus opposed the religion people of his day because they were, I tried to practice word, but hypocrites, hypocrites, you know those guys. They were doing good work. They were doing good work with the wrong motivers. They wanted to follow God's commandments without God being the main motivation behind their actions. We cannot forget Jesus, brothers and sisters. He's the reason that we are here. However, the Lord is the one who serves the hearts and penetrates all the designs and thoughts of men. That is why we should serve the Lord God and our neighbor with integrity, for the Lord God knows our intentions. And the third, the third is that Solomon should seek the Lord God. In the Book of Chronicles, Ezra wanted to show the history of the chronology of the Lord's deeds in Israel. One interesting thing about Ezra's account is that he did not focus on the history of the idolatry of the people or the kings at length. Of course, brothers and sisters, there are some statements and punctuations imply that it was because of Israel's idolatry that they received divine judgment through the Babylonian captivity. However, Ezra's primary focus was to show what harmed Israel when they became indifferent to the Lord God. They forgot the Lord and failed to seek the Lord God. Ezra focused on the spiritual indifference to God and his might deeds. Dave tells his son to seek the Lord. And this word of seeking the Lord would be a promise that God had sent to those who were in Babylonian captivity through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. Remember Jeremiah 33 verse three, God said through his Jeremiah, call me, come to me and I will answer you. And I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. And chapter 29 verse 12 and 14, he said, God says, then will call upon me. and come and pray to me, and I will heal you, and you will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortiness and gather you from all the nations and all the place where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. And let's see brothers and sister, please open your Bible and Daniel chapter nine. I talked to this this morning about this, but let's see, please open your Bible in Daniel chapter nine. Let us see the Daniels, the prophet attitude was when he read the words that were written by Jeremiah. In the first year, verse one, two, and three, that king, son of Asuerus, if I say in the Portuguese way, I would say Asuero, by the son of Asuerus, Meet, met, meet. Who sometimes I don't believe myself. I did write, but is that right? But yes, was right. Who was made king of the realm of the Chaldeans. In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived He wrote the Bible. I think he was a Presbyterian guy. He checked the book. He checked the Bible. I read. I received revelation. I read the books of the years that according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet must pass before the end of desolation of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. what he did, then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and prayers for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. In the New Testament, it calls us to live this life of seeking God, because as children of the covenant, you and I, We were resurrected by Christ Jesus and we are to seek the things above. Colossians 3, verse one says, if then you have been raised with Christ Jesus, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Remember Hebrews 11, verse six, and without faith, It is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. The light in the things of God, because the more we seek the Lord, brothers and sisters, the more we turn away from the darkness and draw near to the light. Seeking for God is equivalent to find life. And turn away from the Lord is equivalent to choose death. How can you seek God? Through the means that he has established. God has established the word, sacraments, and prayer as the primary means by which He communicated Christ and His benefits to believers. To conclude, verse number 10. We need to consider the vocation He has given us. I mean, what the Lord has given to each one of us. what the Lord has given to each one of us. David wanted to build the temple. It was his wish, but God did not give that mission to David. He gave it to Solomon. The build of the temple was to be accomplished through Solomon. When we understand the vocation God has given us, we can thus fulfill our mission with joy and pleasure. Each person, each person has a function in the body of Christ, Jesus. Remember 1 Corinthians 12. Brothers and sisters, let us seek the Lord. Let us seek the Lord to know more about God, our eternal Father, who has revealed himself to us through Christ Jesus. Let us serve him with integrity and not tire of seeking him daily through the means that he has established through his holy word. Let us seek the Lord. He's our Father, Shepherd. He died for you. He died for you. He forgave your sins. It's not because I'm telling you, because the Bibles said that. And because I believe that you believed. Jesus Christ is our Savior. And let us seek Him. May God in Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters, help us today and always to honor His name, serve Him, and know Him, and seek Him until the end. Let us pray. Thank you, Father. Help us to serve you, to seek your face in Christ Jesus, And we want to know you more, Father. Give us your word. Open our heart and mind to understand your precious word, because we want to know more about you through Christ Jesus, through the preacher of the word. That's my prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.