Letters of Hope

 The definition of “worship” is “the adoration, homage, or veneration given to a deity or to something regarded as sacred.  It is translated from the Hebrew word “Shachah” meaning to bow down self, and from the Greek word “Proskun” meaning to kiss (the hand) toward.

Why do we need – or want – to worship?  Because we are made in God’s image;  we are spiritual beings living in physical bodies.  We are made to communicate with our Creator-God.  Without that communion, there is no real satisfaction, joy, peace or fulfillment.  Because we were made to glorify God, worship becomes our paramount goal.  If we do not worship God, we will worship something else.  If not another god – an idol – it will be another person or another thing – or self!  Man will worship something!  It is the way he is made.

Faith, Obedience, and Acceptance are all inter-related with Worship.

1) ABRAHAM:

The first mention of worship in the Scriptures is a tremendous story of faith, courage and obedience found in Gen. 22.  God asked of Abraham the ultimate sacrifice – offering up his beloved miracle son, the son God had promised to fulfill the covenant He had made with Abraham to make of him a great nation.

There is no indication that Abraham questioned God, but he “rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and cut the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went into the place of which God had told him.  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.  And Abraham said to his young men, Abide here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you!”  Can you picture this old man, apparently without hesitation, traveling for three days for the purpose of offering his one beloved son for a burnt offering?

Abraham knew his God, and “while God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and His promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac, and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice;  yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!  He believed that if Isaac died God would bring him back to life again, and that is just about what happened, for as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was doomed to death, but he came back again alive!” (Heb. 11:17 LB)

What a dramatic demonstration of what true worship is.  Abraham responded unquestioningly to God’s directions, in faith, obedience, and acceptance.

2)  ELIEZER:

The second instance we read of worship is in Genesis 24 where Abraham’s faithful servant was sent to Haran to find a wife for Isaac from his own people.  When his prayer was answered in Rebekah offering to draw water for both him and his camels, “…the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.”  (vs. 26)  Again, when it was decided that Rebekah would return with him to Isaac, Eliezer “worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.”  (vs. 52)

3)  JOB;

When Job learned that

–all his servants and his oxen which had been working in the field had been killed by Sabean marauders; 

–and that his sheep and shepherds together had been burned up by fire from heaven; 

–and that the Chaldeans had carried away his camels and killed his servants; 

–and then the final blow when he received word that a tornado had destroyed his house and killed all his children,

–”Then Job arose, and tore his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped…blessed be the name of the Lord.“  (Job 1:20) 

This is another outstanding example of one who had such trust in God that he worshipped in the midst of the most incredible loss and suffering, declaring, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…..For I know that my Redeemer lives…and even though this body is destroyed…yet… shall I see God.”  (Job 13:15;  19:25,26)

4)  ISRAEL:

When God commissioned Moses and Aaron to lead Israel out of bondage in Egypt, they “spoke to the people all the words which the Lord had spoken unto them, and the people believed.  And when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”  (Exod. 4:31)

5)  SAMUEL:

When Hannah received the son for whom she had prayed so earnestly, she took him to the temple to serve God there.  And the boy “worshipped the Lord there.”  (1 Sam. 1:28)  We are told that Samuel “ministered before the Lord, being a child…” (2:18)  That spirit of worship in Samuel was very evident in his response when the Lord called him:  “Here I am!…Speak, for your servant is listening.”  Furthermore, he not only listened, but obeyed the rather difficult task to which the Lord assigned him.  Samuel became one of the greatest of Israel’s prophets.

6)  KING DAVID:

One would not naturally think that a time of bereavement over the death of a son, would be a time for worship.  But when King David’s son died, we are told that David “arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothes, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped.”  (2 Sam. 12:20)  What an example of acceptance of God’s dealings.   It is he who, in the beautiful Psalm recorded in 1 Chron. 16:29 said, “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name…worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

7)  JEHOSHAPHAT:

2 Chron. 20:18 relates the story of Jehoshaphat who, with all of Israel, worshipped in acceptance of God’s way of deliverance in battle.

8)  GIDEON:

When Gideon heard the enemy’s interpretation of a dream, indicating that he would be successful in his battle to free the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites, “he worshipped.”

9)  PAUL AND SILAS

Paul and Silas worshipped God as they sang praises chained in their cells in the darkness of midnight.   Again, what a picture of absolute faith, obedience, and acceptance.

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In His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus emphasized that the place of worship was not so important, but how.  “The hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeks such to worship Him…God is Spirit;  and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth.  (John 4:23)

The Apostle Paul echoed this in his letter to the Philippian Church:   ”For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit (literally, by the Spirit of God), and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil. 3:3)

Worship is

-acknowledging the sovereignty of God and bowing to it.

-exalting Him and giving Him honor, reverence, and homage from the depths of our spirits

-approving of His ways and giving Him thanks and praise;

-unquestioning obedience to the Will of God;

Worship

-lifts one out of the realm of self and finiteness into the realm of Spirit and Infinity.

Worship

-is as much an attitude as an action.

Gathering together to sing and praise in a “worship service” is but a public expression of what should be our ongoing attitude.  The act of physically kneeling, bowing, raising hands, singing, may be simply outward expressions of worship.  Our public expression of praise and worship rings very hollow when all through the week we go our own way, doing our own thing, rebelling against the circumstances of life, and acting in our own self interests.  Worship is superfluous and meaningless if self is not surrendered!    Jesus said it well when He said, “These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” (Matt. 15:8)

Worship in spirit, in truth and in holiness, requires faith, obedience, and acceptance.  All are inter-related

If “Christ is our life” and He “lives in us;” and our spirits are united with His Spirit, we are always in an attitude of worship –  at “church”, at home, in the workplace, wherever, whenever…

IT IS A WAY OF LIFE!                      (Gal 2:20; 1 Cor. 6:17;  Eph. 2:18)