Worship
What is worship?Webster’s New World Dictionary says worship is “reverence or devotion for a deity; religious homage or veneration (worship)... a church service or other rite showing this...extreme devotion or intense love or admiration of any kind”.
The Illustrated Davis Dictionary Of The Bible defines public worship as “...preaching, reading of the scriptures, prayer, singing the hymns, administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and almsgiving.”
A good short definition of true worship then would be: Reverence and extreme devotion to God showing intense love and admiration to Him through the acts of preaching, reading the scriptures, praying, singing, offerings, following Him in scriptural baptism, observing the Lord’s supper, giving alms, and any other scriptural act of devotion both privately and publicly.
HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE
This chapter shows how worship is based on God’s initiative in revealing his name, his glory, and his attributes and acts-all of which call forth worship.
Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming in a church service? Have you ever struggled to keep your head from nodding? If so, perhaps you were brought back to reality by a gentle elbow in the ribs from the person next to you. It may be that the Sunday morning worship service is not the most exciting hour of the week for you. You may even wonder why you bother to attend. Something is wrong and you know it, but you seem unable to do anything to improve your situation.
A recent television newscast showed hundreds of young people standing in line. It was seven o’clock in the morning on a frigid winter day. A well-known rock group was scheduled to appear in concert. So hundreds of young people rose early and stood in the cold to purchase concert tickets. It is not often that one sees among Christians that same kind of motivation to enter God’s presence in a service of worship.
One of the most serious needs in the church today is the rediscovery of biblical worship. Many church leaders recognize this and are calling the church to a renewed concern for worship. Robert Webber has pointed out the gravity of the problem in the following quote: “Ref worship is a verb.”
Through an unofficial survey, I discovered that the majority of evangelical lay people don’t have the foggiest notion of what corporate worship really is. To questions such as: Why does God want to be worshipped? What is the meaning of an invocation or benediction? What does reading the Scripture, praying or hearing a sermon have to do with worship? I received blank stares and bewildered looks.
This statement, which appeared in a monthly evangelical magazine, concluded, “Part of the problem is that we have made our churches into centers of evangelism and instruction. The focus of our services is on man and his needs instead of God and his glory.”
The rediscovery of God-centered worship must come from a fresh examination of the biblical teaching concerning worship. The Bible is the book of worship par excellence. What, then, does it teach us about this purpose for which we were created?
One thing the Bible clearly teaches is that worship depends on knowing the self-revealing God. Proper worship would have been impossible if God had not taken the initiative to make himself known. This is a basic principle of worship that can be illustrated from the Old Testament.
GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO REVEAL HIS NAME
Some parents are highly selective in choosing a name for their son or daughter. They may look through the long lists to find the name that’s most appropriate. The ancient Hebrews were also selective in the choosing of names. They regarded a name as a reflection of a person’s character. A person’s name became interchangeable with the person himself.
This helps us appreciate the high regard which the Hebrews had for God’s name. They believed the divine name was inseparably related to God’s very being and character. Thus his name was greatly revered. This was especially true of the Hebrew consonants JHWH representing the name Jehovah or Yahweh.
The Hebrews refused to pronounce those sacred consonants. The word Adonai meaning “Lord” was used in its place. The King James Version reflects this usage in its translation of JHWH as “Lord” throughout the Old Testament.
God’s revelation of himself to men often involved the use of his name. He appeared to Jacob (Genesis 35:11) and said, “I am God Almighty” (El-Shaddai). God revealed himself to Moses (Exodus 6:2) saying, “I am the Lord” (Yahweh). To reveal his name was for God to reveal himself. This divine self-revelation led to worship. Once people knew God’s name they used it to invoke his presence for worship. The first reference to public worship is in Genesis 4:26 --- “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.” This same expression is repeated elsewhere in the book of Genesis. See Ps. 116:13; Ps. 116:17; Zep. 3:9; Rom. 10:13; Gen. 12:8; Gen. 13:4; Gen. 16:13; Gen. 21:33; Gen. 26:25.
God not only revealed his name but he attached his name to symbolic dwelling places, places where he was present in a special way. Worship occurred in these locations during the Old Testament period. God’s name was connected with certain altars. He commanded, “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and … in all places where I record My name I will come unto thee, and I will bless you” (Exodus 20:24). He likewise placed his name at Jerusalem (I Kings 11:36) and at Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:12). Consequently, these cities became centers of worship where people assembled to call on the name of the Lord.
Have you noticed the frequent use of the divine names in services of public worship today? In some churches the minister begins the service with a salutation in God’s name: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:2).” Prayers are addressed to the Father with the help of the Holy Spirit in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Worship services often conclude with a benediction using the names of the triune God.
The use of divine names in worship has significance. God’s being and God’s presence are reflected in the very use of the names. When you participate in the worship service, listen for this and be prepared to worship just as the children of Israel did.
GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO REVEAL HIS GLORY
Worship depends on knowing the self-revealing God who has taken the initiative to reveal his glory. This glory was revealed to Israel on various occasions. The first place in which it was seen was Mount Sinai. The Israelites had been freed from slavery in Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea and came to Mount Sinai where Moses assembled the whole nation. The top of the mountain was covered with a cloud. It was no ordinary nimbus or cumulus cloud. The Bible says that, “And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.” (Exodus 24:16). That cloud was the glory of the Lord. The English term “glory” is a translation of the Hebrew kabod. It literally means “to be heavy.” The glory cloud was heavy with the presence of God. It was a visible manifestation of the divine presence that demanded worship. [God was making known the glory of his presence at Sinai in order that his assembled people in turn might glorify him.]
The same glory cloud accompanied the tabernacle as God’s people traveled through the desert toward the Promised Land (Exodus 29:43; 33:19-23; 40:34-38). They again saw the cloud when they reached their new home. The glory cloud was revealed on the day Solomon’s temple was dedicated to Mount Zion: “The house was filled with a cloud, …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” (II Chronicles 5:13, 14). No wonder the people responded by bowing in worship and praise (II Chronicles 7:3). God had revealed himself, and worship was the appropriate response to his revelation.
Have you ever observed a visible cloud descend over a place of worship today? Does this mean that God no longer reveals his glory? On the contrary, the glory cloud that appeared in the Old Testament reemerges in the New Testament. The equivalent term for kabod is used of Christ in John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The glory divine presence was with Jesus Christ, the coequal Son of God. This was visibly portrayed on the mount of transfiguration where the disciples saw Christ’s glory: “While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” (Luke 9:34, 35). Today God continues to reveal his glory through the spiritual presence of Jesus Christ, and this is the basis for our response of true worship in which we give glory to the self-revealing God.
The Chi-Rho symbol is the oldest monogram for Jesus Christ formed by placing the Greek letters X (Chi) and P (Rho) together. The first two letters in the Greek word for Christ.
GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO REVEAL HIS ATTRIBUTES AND ACTS
One concept of God strongly shapes one’s worship. Suppose someone asked you to describe God. Where would you begin? Would you picture a gray-bearded, elderly gentleman perched on a throne? Some people think of God as a cosmic bellhop obligated to meet their every whim. Others consider him to be a resident policeman leaning over the balcony of heaven ready to reprimand those who dare enjoy themselves. Because one’s view of God is bound to affect one’s worship, it is important to see God as he is and not as we conceive him. Consequently, a growing understanding of God’s attributes and acts can be a powerful stimulus to worship.
Consider the magnitude and wonder of God’s attributes as revealed in Scripture. The Psalms are especially full of references to these characteristics of God. An understanding of these attributes leads the Psalmist to lift up praise. For example, the familiar Psalm 100 gives an invitation to enter God’s courts with thanksgiving and praise. Why? “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (v. 5). The divine attributes of goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness elicit worship.
Suppose someone handed you a blank piece of paper. Would you be able to list ten or fifteen additional attributes of the triune God: Why not try it right now?
The Bible is a gold mine of information about the character of Almighty God. The infinite, majestic God of the universe was willing to reveal His character to finite humans. He and only He makes it possible for us to know and understand Him. But our understanding is not for the purpose of storing cognitive data in our memory bank. God has revealed who He is so that we in turn might obey Him and give Him the praise of which He is supremely worthy.
God’s revelation of Himself through His actions in history is also a basis for our worship. The Old Testament is filled with the record of God’s great deeds. God’s act of redeeming Israel from Egypt motivated Moses to write a hymn of praise (Exodus 15:1-18). Moses wrote another worship song at the end of his life (Deut. 31:30-32:43). It was a praise-filled recital of God’s mighty acts with Israel. Likewise Deborah and Barak sang a rehearsal of the righteous acts of the Lord (Judges 5:1-11). The Psalms are replete with recitals of praise to God for His acts of creating and sustaining the world and delivering His people from bondage.
You might find it helpful to try an experiment in your private worship this week. Read a passage of Scripture (Psalm 90). Then reread it with paper and pencil in hand. Look for any references to the attributes and acts of the Father, Son or Holy Spirit. What does the passage teach you about who the triune God is and what He has done? Make a list of these attributes and acts. Then use the list to spend time prayerfully praising God. Thank Him for who He is and what He has done. This can be a very helpful exercise to expand your view of God and add depth to your experience of worship.
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