|
Speaking Sound Doctrine |
|||||
Divine Worship
I.
The Character Of Worship
A.
Our
Approach In This Study
We should first lay some groundwork by
defining worship in its various forms and identifying the scope and goal of
this study. We will also examine some
prescribed attitudes revealed in scripture regarding divine worship. As we begin, we need to ask ourselves three
challenging questions:
Why are we doing what
we do in our worship services?
What are we supposed to
be doing?
How well are we doing
it?
The Bible will be our sole guide as we
seek to answer these questions. Our approach
must be with a reverence for God's word and a firm resolve to perform only that
which scripture reveals.
Should our study show that what we are
currently practicing in worship has no authority in scripture, we must be
prepared to abandon it completely. We
have examples of such self-examination and commitment in the Old Testament
scriptures. In the days of Israel's
restoration, Ezra, a priest and scribe, "had prepared his heart to seek
the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in
Israel" (Ezra 7:10). Doing this,
the people learn that they have not been following the ordinances of the law as
they should and begin to mourn (Nehemiah 8:1-9). Consequently, the holy feast days, Sabbath
observances, tithing, regular burnt offerings, and the service of the house of
the Lord are restored in conformance to the written law – all of which they had
previously forsaken (Nehemiah 8:13-18; 10:31-39). A similar revival occurs before this under
the leadership of Josiah, King of Judah, who is willing even to oppose the
error that well-honored Solomon had instated (2 Kings 23:1-25; 2 Chronicles
34:14-33). We likewise have the ability
to read God's word in the New Testament scriptures and understand His will for
worship today, and we should be willing to humbly comply no matter the cost
(Ephesians 3:2-4).
B.
Authority
In Worship
To assist in this study, we should first make a brief
review of establishing authority in religion.
To begin, consider the question the chief priests and elders present to
Jesus.
Matthew 21:23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief
priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and
said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"
Asking to one to provide the authority for their actions
is a legitimate request. The word
"authority" in this verse translates EXOUSIA {ex-oo-see'-ah},
for which Thayer's definition includes "1) power of choice, liberty of
doing as one pleases 1a) leave or permission 2) physical and mental power 2a)
the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or
exercises" (Matthew 8:9).
1.
Our source of authority: the
scriptures
The church and its worship forms originate from what God
has appointed, not from the inventions of man.
Jesus is the author and head and so holds sovereignty in the church
(Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23, 24; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews
5:9). The Holy Spirit inspired the
apostles to write and confirm the words and works of Jesus, which are preserved
for us in the New Testament scriptures (2 Peter 1:18-20). Therefore, whatever we do in worship must be
with His authority, not stepping beyond that written word (2 Peter 3:14-18).
1 Corinthians 4:6 Now these things, brethren, I have
figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may
learn in us not to think beyond what is written…
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
2 John 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in
the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching,
he has both the Father and the Son. (NAU)
2.
The dispensations of God
Ephesians 3:2-6 …you have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation
He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4
by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of
men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and
prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same
body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel….
The word "dispensation" translates OIKONOMIA
{oy-kon-om-ee'-ah}, which
means "house rules" and generally refers to the delivery of God's
law, whether through the Patriarchs, Moses, or Christ.
Accommodatively, the Patriarchal dispensation was the
spoken will of God given to all mankind starting with Adam (Genesis 2:4). This dispensation endured for the nation of
Israel until the Mosaical dispensation: the written
law given to that nation only, which endured for the Jews until Christ
(Deuteronomy 4:1-9). The Patriarchal
dispensation endured for all others until the delivery of the gospel – the
dispensation of Christ – which endures continually and supersedes all others
and to which all men today are amenable (Hebrews 7, 8; Ephesians 2:13-16).
Therefore, though we can learn much from the examples in
Old Testament scriptures, that law and its worship modes are no longer in
effect (Romans 7:4-6; 15:4; Colossians 2:13-17).
3.
Direct and indirect authority
God's word authorizes in two distinct ways: directly and
indirectly. Direct authority is in the
form of recorded commands and statements.
For example, we have authority to sing because we are directed to do so
(Colossians 3:16).
Indirect authority is derived by forced conclusions from
necessary inferences. This is best
explained by an example. Singing praises
was a part of early church worship (1 Corinthians 14:15, 26). That which was ordained in one church was
ordained in all (1 Corinthians 4:17), and God has not since changed His law
(Jude 3). Therefore, we are forced to
conclude that singing is authorized in the church today as well.
Indirect authority also comes by approved apostolic
examples. For instance, we have the
recorded examples of Lord's Supper observations at its inauguration and at
Troas (Luke 22:16-20; Acts 20:6, 7), and we have the authority to do as they
did. A scriptural example for
everything we do is not necessary if it is otherwise directly authorized or
necessarily inferred.
4.
Generic and specific terminology
All descriptive language utilizes terminology having
both specific and generic connotations.
The specific sense limits; the generic sense permits. For example, "sing" specifically
denotes vocal music but excludes everything else, such as entertaining or
feeding. However, "sing" generically
includes various styles and optional methods.
We are also free to expedite singing with any tools or aids, such as
song books and pitch pipes, as long as we are doing nothing more or less than
singing. A tool is justified by the
authorized action it aids, but no unauthorized action can be justified by a
tool utilized to perform it. Moreover,
expediencies always apply only to the generic sense. To the extent that instruction is specific,
we either do it or do it not, and further silence gives no other permission
(Hebrews 7:14). We need to make a
distinction between that which is specified, that which is expedient, and that
which is incidental.
A thorough investigation of authority in religion would
include hermeneutics – the study of interpretive methods – which would also
involve the examination of logical reasoning and figurative language. These topics are beyond the scope of this
study, but specific application of such will be presented as necessary in
discussions that follow. Nevertheless,
this brief review should help establish some guidance as we proceed.
C.
Worship
Defined
There is a sense in which everything an individual
Christian does in life is worship to God, if he is shunning evil deeds and
engaging in godly behavior. Simply
working diligently each day and showing kindness in words and deeds is service
to God, bringing Him tribute (Matthew 25:34-40). However, scripture reveals that there is a
special way men worship God that is not a mere attribute of normal daily life.
In Genesis 4 we observe this special kind of
worship. Cain and Abel are honoring God
in making their living by doing work as God ordained (Genesis 3:17-19;
4:2). Then, for some reason, Cain and
Abel each make an offering (Genesis 4:3, 4).
Here, the original Hebrew translated "offering" is MINCHAH
{min-khaw'}, meaning: "1) gift, tribute,
offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering 1a) gift, present 1b)
tribute 1c) offering (to God) 1d) grain offering" (BDB). In the Greek New Testament of the Septuagint,
it is translated THUSIA {thoo-see'-ah}, meaning
"a sacrifice" (JHT, Hebrews 11:4).
This offering has nothing to do with the normal duties of everyday life.
Abel's offering is accepted, since it is done by faith
(Hebrews 11:4), which comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Cain's offering is rejected, indicating that
he somehow disregards the word of God.
Therefore, these offerings are apparently some special acts of obeisance
God commanded them to do. This is the
first example of special worship revealed in scripture. (Though an animal had to die as a result of
sin in order for God to clothe Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), nothing in the text
suggests that Adam and Eve sacrificially offered the animal in worship as a
special token of obeisance or for atonement.)
This distinction between special worship and everyday
service to God is born out in several words of the Greek New Testament most
commonly used for the worship of God, defined by Thayer as follows:
LATREUO {lat-ryoo'-o} [verb form] 1) to
serve for hire 2) to serve, minister to, either to the gods or men and used
alike of slaves and freemen 2a) in the NT, to render religious service or
homage, to worship 2b) to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, to worship
God in the observance of the rites instituted for his worship 2b1) of priests,
to officiate, to discharge the sacred office.
(Acts 24:14).
LATREIA {lat-ri'-ah} [noun form] 1)
service rendered for hire 1a) any service or ministration: the service of God
2) the service and worship of God according to the requirements of the
Levitical law 3) to perform sacred services.
SEBOMAI {seb'-om-ahee} 1) to revere, to
worship.
EUSEBEO {yoo-seb-eh'-o} 1) to act piously
or reverently 1a) towards God, one's country, magistrates, relations, and all
to whom dutiful regard or reverence is due.
PROSKUNEO {pros-koo-neh'-o} 1) to kiss the hand
to (towards) one, in token of reverence 2) among the Orientals, [especially]
the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as
an expression of profound reverence 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to
do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to
make supplication 3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank
3a1) to the Jewish high priests 3a2) to God 3a3) to Christ 3a4) to heavenly
beings 3a5) to demons.
1.
Service
The essence of LATREUO or LATREIA is serving: doing the
desires of another. Remarkably, every
usage of these words in scripture has a clear indication of service to a divine
being alone. However, these words are
used of both the kind of worship that is the conformance to God's will in the
actions of daily life and that which is the performance of appointed special
religious rites. The usage will indicate
which meaning is applicable. Note some
examples of the 26 times this word family appears in the New Testament
(indicated in bold):
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you,
Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only
you shall serve.' "
Luke 1:74, 75 That he would grant unto us, that we being
delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and
righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
New Testament scripture often makes clear the viable
connection between this form of service and the homage of sacred sacrifices (THUSIA,
Acts 7:42, Hebrews 10:11).
Hebrews 9:9 It was symbolic for the present time in which
both gifts and sacrifices [THUSIA] are offered which cannot make him who
performed the service [LATREUO] perfect in regard to the conscience.
2.
Devotion
The essence of SEBOMAI is loyalty. Louw-Nida indicates that it means "to
express in attitude and ritual one's allegiance to and regard for
deity." UBS further states that it
"applied to Gentiles who accepted Judaism's belief in one God and attended
the synagogue but did not become Jewish proselytes."
Matthew 15:9 And in vain they
worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.
Acts 16:14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard
us. She was a seller of purple from the
city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord
opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
(NAU) Acts 17:17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the
Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who
happened to be present.
3.
Reverence
The essence of EUSEBEO is to awe. The noun and adjective forms, EUSEBEIA {yoo-seb'-i-ah}
and EUSEBES {yoo-seb-ace'},
are typically translated "godliness" and "godly." This indicates the somberness and
respectfulness that would be expected before kings rather than a casual or
flippant attitude. These words combine
EU {yoo}, which means doing well, and a form of
SEBOMAI, previously explained.
NAU Acts 17:23 "For while I was passing through and
examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN
UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I
proclaim to you.
William Barclay further explains that it is "not
confined to the precincts of the church and is not limited to the worship and
liturgy and the ritual of the church.
True religion begins at home" (NTW).
4.
Obeisance
The unique essence of PROSKUNEO is to fall, kneel, or
bow down at the feet of another: paying homage and obeisance. It is used of offering sacrificial gifts to
and petitioning one in authority. The
application is consistently of honoring another by some special act of
reverence. Note some examples of the 60
times this word appears in the New Testament (indicated in bold):
Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they
saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures,
they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 4:9, 10 And he said to Him, "All these things I
will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him,
"Away with you, Satan! For it is
written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve
[LATREUO].' "
Matthew 8:2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying,
"Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
1 Corinthians
14:25 And thus the secrets of his heart
are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that
God is truly among you.
The book of Esther tells how the Persian king's servants
all bow to pay homage to Haman, but Mordecai, a godly man, refuses.
Esther 3:2 And all the king's servants who were within
the king's gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning
him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.
The phrase "pay homage" is translated from the
Hebrew SHACHAH {shaw-khaw'}. In the stem form in which this verb here
appears (Hithpael), it specifically means "1c1)
to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c1a) before superior in homage 1c1b) before God
in worship 1c1c) before false gods 1c1d) before angel" (BDB). In the Greek Old Testament of the Septuagint,
the word is here translated PROSKUNEO.
Mordecai understands that this special kind of honor is to be reserved
for Jehovah God alone.
We honor God when we help our neighbor fix his lawnmower
or share with him vegetables from our garden, but these are activities of
everyday life, not the special performances of oblation in offering worship
unto God as expressed by PROSKUNEO. This
is the form of worship we will examine in this study: the kind demonstrated in
special acts of reverence and homage – not the form of worship rendered by each
man's diligence in the duties and service of everyday life.
D.
Observations
From Leviticus
Though specially ordained worship forms originate in the
time of Cain and Abel and continue until the Passover, it is not until the
exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt that these are formally regimented, the
regulations for which are detailed in the book of Leviticus. A brief review of God's expectations of
these early Hebrew worshippers is beneficial in understanding His expectations
for us in the church today.
1.
An offering of purity
In the Mosaic law concerning sacrifices, God makes clear
that He expects them to offer that which is undefiled.
Leviticus 1:2, 3 …When any one of you brings an offering to
the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock – of the herd and of
the flock. 3 If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let
him offer a male without blemish….
Leviticus 22:20-24 Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer,
for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. 21 And whoever offers
a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill
offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there
shall be no defect in it. 22 Those that are blind or broken or
maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD,
nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the LORD. 23
Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer
as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24
You shall not offer to the LORD what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor
shall you make any offering of them in your land.
(Leviticus 1:10; 3:1, 6; 4:3, 23, 32; 5:15, 18; 9:2, 3;
14:10; 23:12, 18)
To offer that which has little worth or value to us is
an insult to our divine Lord who deserves more.
It also contradicts the basic principle of a sacrifice. David fully understands this, as he refuses
to offer to God that which would come to him as a gift (2 Samuel
24:21-25). However, the nation of Israel
is not so devout in the days of the prophet Malachi, by whose mouth God sternly
rebukes them for their irreverent, worthless sacrifices (Malachi 1).
In the dispensation of Christ, we can see this even more
clearly. The principle of an undefiled
offering in divine service is the same whether it is we or God who is offering
the sacrifice. Consider that God Himself
offers that which is absolutely pure – His only begotten Son, the faultless
Lamb of God – to redeem us from our transgressions against His holy name
(Hebrews 9:12-14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19). If
God offers that which is precious to Him, it should not be too much for Him to
ask that we do the same. Therefore, as
living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), Christians in worship today need to make
certain to present themselves before Him without spot or blemish (Ephesians
5:27; Colossians 1:22; Jude 24). To
hypocritically come into His presence to worship with impenitence – holding on
to sin that we know abides in us – is a mockery and renders our worship useless
(Matthew 15:8, 9).
Correspondingly, God ought to be top priority regarding
our time, talents, money, and resources (Matthew 6:33). We should not be giving God our leftovers
after we have first done everything else we want according to our own
desires. For example, when planning a
vacation trip or relocation, we should first investigate whether there is a
local church where we can meet with saints for worship and service to the
Lord.
2.
Free will
As the service of the tabernacle is established, the
Lord repetitively declares that the people are to offer the required sacrifices
by their own free will (Leviticus 22:18, 19, 29; 23:38).
Leviticus 1:3 …He shall offer it of his own free will at
the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.
Leviticus 19:5 And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace
offering to the LORD, you shall offer it of your own free will.
This does not contradict the fact that they are required
to perform their worship exactly as they are commanded (Leviticus
7:36-38). This refers to the attitude
and goodwill of those under compulsion who sincerely and willingly serve as if
the obligation does not exist (Ephesians 6:5-7).
In Exodus 12:35, 36, the Israelites take from the
Egyptians gold, silver, clothing, and apparently many other valuable articles
as well, effectively as plunder. In the
wilderness, the Lord instructs Moses to call those of willing heart to a
special service with these resources and their talents to build the tabernacle
(Exodus 35:4-19). Consequently, the
people freely answer the call (Exodus 35:29).
Their willingness is so abundant that Moses has to order that the
contributions cease (Exodus 36:3-7).
Likewise, in the church, obedience to the Lord's
commands should come from an eager heart rather than succumbing against our
will (Romans 6:16-22). Jesus provides
the perfect example, as He willingly offered His own life for our atonement
(John 10:11-18; Ephesians 1:3-10; Hebrews 10:7).
Psalm 54:6 I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise
Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
3.
Blood
Levitical law specifies numerous animal sacrifices for
ordination and cleansing. The gruesome
and bloody annual slaughterings for atonement are
continual reminders to them of the ugliness of sin.
Leviticus 1:5 He shall kill the bull before the LORD; and
the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all
around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Blood has a vital role in worship under Mosaic law. Over fifty times in Leviticus, the law
details that which is to be done with the blood of sacrificed bulls, goats, and
birds:
Sprinkle all around the
altar (1:5, 11; 3:2, 8, 13; 7:2; 8:19, 24; 9:12, 18),
Of a bird, drain out
beside the altar (1:15; 5:9),
Bring to the tabernacle
of meeting (4:5, 16),
Sprinkle in front of
the veil by dipping with a finger seven times (4:6, 17),
Put on the horns of the
altar of sweet incense (4:7, 18),
Pour at the base of the
altar of the burnt offering (4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:3),
Put it on the horns of
the altar of burnt offering (4:25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:3; 16:18),
Of a bird, sprinkled on
the side of the altar (5:9),
Put on the tip of the
right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons (8:23, 24),
Put on Aaron and his
sons and their garments (8:30),
Of a bird, dipping in
it a living bird, cedar, scarlet, and hyssop (14:6, 51),
Put on the tip of the
right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of a leper to be cleansed (14:14,
25),
Bring into the Holy
Place (16:3),
Sprinkle by the finger
on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times inside the veil.
(16:14, 15),
Sprinkle on the altar
of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting (17:6).
Though blood is a figurative reference to death
(Leviticus 20), it also represents life.
Life is in the blood, and Mosaic law for this reason stipulates that the
blood of the animal is not to be eaten with the flesh.
Leviticus 17:10-14 … 11 For the life of the flesh is
in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for
your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. 12
Therefore I said to the children of Israel, "No one among you shall eat
blood…."
Under the dispensation of Christ, consider how much more
significantly we are connected with blood: the atoning, life-giving blood of
Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:18-25; 13:10-13).
In New Testament worship, the blood of Christ is contacted in baptism
(Romans 6:3, 4) and commemorated in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians
10:16). We will discuss these aspects in
greater detail later in this study.
4.
Pleasing the Lord
a.
A sweet aroma
In the instructions for the numerous burnt offerings for
transgressions, a phrase recurs describing them as "a sweet aroma to the
Lord" (Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:9; 3:5, 16; 4:31; 6:15, 21; 8:21, 28;
17:6; 23:13, 18).
Leviticus 2:2 He shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests,
one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the
frankincense. And the priest shall burn
it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the
LORD.
The word "aroma" translates REYACH {ray'-akh}. Brown-Driver-Briggs describes it as literally
the scent of plants, fields, and ointments, but figuratively, of influence and
reputation. The word "sweet"
translates NICHOWACH {nee-kho'-akh},
meaning quieting, soothing, and tranquillizing (BDB) and is thus rendered
"pleasing" and "soothing" in the ESV and NAU. This directly relates the effect a thing has
on one rather than the character of the thing itself. The apostle Paul borrows this familiar
language to metaphorically describe the selfless service of the brethren
(Philippians 4:18).
Conclusively, the homage we offer has a calming
influence on God, but only when we seek that which pleases Him, not our own
will (Romans 8:5-12; 12:1, 2; 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:2, 10;
Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 4:1; Hebrews 11:5, 6;
13:16, 21; 1 John 3:22). For example, in
the institution of the priesthood found in Leviticus 8-10, Moses teaches all
the people and does exactly as the Lord commands (Leviticus 8:9, 13, 17, 21,
29, 34-36; 9:5-7, 10; 16:34; 17:2; 24:23).
Leviticus 8:4, 5 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. And the congregation was gathered together at
the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 5 And Moses said to the
congregation, "This is what the LORD commanded to be done."
In the dispensation of Christ, it is revealed that the
Mosaic sacrifices, though pleasing to the Lord, do not have a lasting effect
and have no intrinsic ability to make atonement. Only the propitiatory offering of Christ,
which the Mosaic sacrifices foreshadow, can satisfy the requirements of both
the justice and mercy of God (Romans 3:20-26).
Hebrews 10:1-22 … 6 In burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, "Behold,
I have come … to do Your will, O God." … 10 By that will we
have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all….
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us
and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice [THUSIA] to God for a
sweet-smelling aroma.
In Ephesians 5:2, "sweet-smelling" translates
EUODIA {yoo-o-dee'-ah}, for which, Thayer's
definition includes "2a) an odour of
acquiescence, satisfaction 2b) a sweet odour, spoken
of the smell of sacrifices and obligations, agreeably to the ancient notion
that God smells and is pleased with the odour of
sacrifices." Furthermore,
"aroma" translates OSME {os-may'}, "a
smell, odour" (JHT), whose verb form is actually
the root of EUODIA. The literal is
therefore idiomatically: "a good-smelling smell."
b.
Obedience
In Leviticus 26, the Lord explains what He will do for
them if they continue to obediently serve Him.
Leviticus 26:1-13 … 2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and
reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD. 3 If you walk in My statutes
and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will give you
rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the
field shall yield their fruit….
He then explains what He will do to them if they abandon
His statutes and ordinances.
Leviticus 26:14-39 But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe
all these commandments, 15 and if you despise My statutes, or if
your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments,
but break My covenant, 16 I
also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease
and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your
enemies shall eat it….
Finally, the Lord explains what He will do when they
repent of their iniquity.
Leviticus 26:40-46 But if they confess their iniquity and the
iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were
unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, 41 and that I also have walked
contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their
uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt-- 42 then I will remember My
covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I
will remember; I will remember the land….
The outward keeping of rites and rituals alone is not
pleasing to the Lord but sincere service from the heart (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah
29:13; Romans 6:17).
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to
love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your
soul.
5.
Holiness
In English, the word "holy" means:
To have the
quality of divinity: exalted and worthy of worship,
To be fully
devoted to a divine being.
However, the original words often rendered as
"holy" in our English translations have multiple meanings as follows:
QADASH {kaw-dash'} [Hebrew verb] "1) to consecrate, sanctify,
prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated 1a2) to be
hallowed 1a3) consecrated, tabooed 1b) (Niphal) 1b1)
to show oneself sacred or majestic 1b2) to be honoured,
be treated as sacred…" (BDB).
QADOWSH {kaw-doshe'} [Hebrew adjective] "1) sacred, holy, Holy
One, saint, set apart" (BDB).
QODESH {ko'-desh} [Hebrew noun] "1)
apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness 1a) apartness, sacredness,
holiness 1a1) of God 1a2) of places 1a3) of things 1b) set-apartness,
separateness" (BDB).
HAGIOS {hag'-ee-os} [Greek adjective] "1)
reverend, worthy of veneration, 2) set apart for God, to be, as it were,
exclusively his, 3) prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean 4) pure,
sinless, upright, holy" (JHT).
These words describe not only dedication and a divine
nature but also the characteristic of being separate from others. The different senses are revealed by the
context:
Leviticus 11:44,
45 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves,
[QADASH, dedicated] and you shall be holy [QADOWSH, separated]; for I am holy
[QADOWSH, exalted]….
Leviticus 24:9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and
they shall eat it in a holy [QADOWSH, separate] place; for it is most holy
[QODESH, dedicated] to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire….
We will now make closer observation of these nuances.
a.
Worship-worthiness of
the Lord
With the word "holy," eight times in the book
of Leviticus, God reminds us of who He is (Leviticus 10:3; 19:2; 20:7; 21:8;
22:2, 32).
Leviticus 22:30-32 "… I am the LORD … I am the LORD … I am
the LORD … I am the LORD …."
Of the eternal characteristics of God – His infinite
presence, knowledge, love, justice, power, mercy, and pity – only His holiness
is expressed to the third degree: "Holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3;
Revelation 4:8). As He is the creator
and sovereign ruler of the universe and all life within it, we ought to stand
before Him in awe and humility. This
cannot be over-emphasized (Isaiah 42:5; 44:24; 45:12, 18; 48:13; 51:13,
16). As we approach worship, we must
revere God as He deserves and keep in perspective who we are in comparison (1
Chronicles 29:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 38; Psalm 57:5, 11; Proverbs 30:3, 4).
The English word "lord" means one having
authority or in high position (MW).
However, the original words in scripture translated "lord"
have richer meaning. In Leviticus, the
word "LORD" (in all uppercase) translates YEHOVAH {yeh-ho-vaw'}, meaning "the
existing One" (BDB), which suggests God's divine attributes. Elsewhere in the Old Testament,
"Lord" (with an initial capital) translates ADONAY {ad-o-noy'}, the emphatic form of a word indicating a master,
superintendent, or proprietor, which denotes one's rule over
another by virtue of possessing them (BDB, Psalm 57:9-11). Similarly, in the New Testament,
"Lord" translates KURIOS {koo'-ree-os} meaning: "he to whom
a person or thing belongs, about which he has power…" (JHT).
Revelation 4:8-11 The four living creatures, each having six
wings, were full of eyes around and within.
And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy
[HAGIOS], Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" 9
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits
on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 The twenty-four elders
fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship [PROSKUNEO] Him who
lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11
"You are worthy, O Lord [KURIOS], To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
b.
Devoted to the Lord
According to the Jewish laws of dedication and
redemption, if a man dedicates a piece of his property to the Lord, the priest
assesses its fair value in silver (Leviticus 27:14-16), and the property no
longer belongs to the one dedicating it, but it becomes holy, that is, it now
belongs to the Lord (verse 28). Should
the man ever want to have it for himself again, he must redeem it by paying the
assessed value plus one-fifth, and it will then again belong to him (verse 19).
Leviticus 27:21 But the field, when it is released in the
Jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, as a devoted field; it shall be the
possession of the priest.
This follows the principles of ownership and control;
when a man takes ownership of a property by redeeming it with silver, only then
he has control of it. In like manner, we
today, who have been redeemed at a cost not measurable in silver, should be all
the more devoted to God's will in all things (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
1 Peter 1:15-19 But as He who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy,
for I am holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who without
partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout
the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless
conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
As the property that is dedicated under Levitical law
becomes the Lord's and is thereby suitable to come into His service, so
Christians today are His and also must sanctify themselves to enter into the
service of God (1 Peter 2:1-5).
2 Timothy 2:19-21 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God
stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and,
"Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 20
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of
wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if
anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor,
sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
c.
Separated for the Lord
Leviticus 11 specifies the animals that may and may not
be lawfully eaten. Chapter 22 explains
that those who have some uncleanness upon them are to separate themselves from
the holy things of the Lord.
Fundamentally, they are to distinguish between the clean and the unclean
and not defile themselves nor profane the name of the Lord.
Leviticus 20:23-26 And you shall not walk in the statutes of the
nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and
therefore I abhor them. 24 But I have said to you, "You shall
inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with
milk and honey." I am the LORD your
God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore
distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean,
and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any
kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you
as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy,
and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.
To apply this as individuals in our daily lives,
"Be holy, for I am holy" means that we should separate ourselves from
the world and consecrate ourselves to God, because He is worthy of our
homage. Two facts are self-evident:
It is impossible to
consecrate ourselves to God without first separating ourselves from the world;
It is useless to
separate ourselves from the world without also consecrating ourselves to God.
2 Corinthians
6:14-17 … 17 Therefore
"Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will
receive you."
Ephesians 5:5-13 … 11 And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them….
To apply these principles in the church, we must
distance ourselves from those in lawless practices of man-made religion in the
world today. Though they claim to be
honoring God in their services, they are actually an abomination to Him.
1 Peter 2:9-11 But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as
sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
6.
The presence of the Lord
The nation of Israel in the wilderness has a particular
sense of God's presence in the tabernacle (Leviticus 9:4, 6; 16:2). Sixty-one times in Leviticus, the services
are said to occur "before the Lord."
Leviticus 9:3-5 "Take … also a bull and a ram as peace
offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil;
for today the LORD will appear to you." 5 So they brought what
Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood
before the LORD.
The word "before" translates the Hebrew PANIYM
{paw-neem'} for which the Brown-Driver-Briggs definition includes, "in
front of … in the presence of, in the face of…." There is a sense in which everything we do on
earth is done before the Lord due to His omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12), but in
a special consideration He is present among His worshippers. The Israelites are uniquely aware of this, as
His presence is continually manifested in clouds and fire (Exodus 13:21, 22;
24:15-19; 33:9; 40:34-38).
These Mosaic ministries are but a
shadow of the substance, which is in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8). Therefore, though God does not manifest His
presence in the church today with smoke, fire, and clouds or with lightning and
thunder, we should recognize all the more that we assemble for worship before
His face. In essence, the Lord is with
us in our service, observing and even sharing in it (Matthew 28:20; Romans
15:33; 2 Corinthians 13:11, 14; Philippians 4:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews
6:19, 20; 12:18-24).
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together
in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
7.
The fear of the Lord
Among the ordinances delivered in Leviticus is the
recurrent reminder to "fear your God" (Leviticus 19:14, 32; 25:17, 36,
43). In these verses, "fear"
translates YARE' {yaw-ray'}, which here means "…1a1) to fear, be afraid
1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed 1a3) to fear, reverence, honour,
respect…" (BDB). Observe the
reaction of the people when they behold the glory of God and His power:
Leviticus 9:23, 24 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle
of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all
the people, 24 and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed
the burnt offering and the fat on the altar.
When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
In every account in scripture where men witness the
glory and power of God – whether believers or unbelievers – their response is
consistently an overwhelming sense of awe, terror, and dread:
Abraham, Moses, and
Aaron fall to their faces (Genesis 17:1-4; Numbers 20:6, 7);
The camp of Israel are
afraid and trembling (Exodus 19; Hebrews 12:18-21);
Ezekiel falls and can
apparently only stand when the Holy Spirit lifts him up (Ezekiel 3:23, 24);
Daniel falls to his
face and faints when the angel Gabriel approaches him at the command of the
Lord (Daniel 8:15-19);
Daniel loses all
strength at the vision of God's glorious messenger and falls faint on his face
when the messenger speaks. He is raised
by hand to his knees and then to stand trembling and speechless, unable even to
look up (Daniel 10);
The
guards at the tomb of Jesus tremble and become as dead men (Matthew 28:2-4);
The apostle John falls
like a dead man (Revelation 1:10-17).
In the days of our Lord's earthly ministry and of the
apostles, people react in shock and fear at many of the miracles (Mark 4:41;
5:33; Luke 5:26; 7:16; 8:37; Acts 2:43: 19:17).
When Ananias and Sapphira test the Holy Spirit with lies, God strikes
them dead, and great fear comes upon the church (Act 5:1-13). God indeed entreats us by His mercy and
grace, but we have good reason to fear as well (Luke 12:3-9; Hebrews 4:1-3;
10:26-39; 12:25-29).
Though God does not appear to us today in signs and
wonders, we should nevertheless acknowledge His awesome glory and power by
reverently, sincerely, and humbly approaching His presence for worship. He is not our "buddy;" He is our
Sovereign Ruler. Worship is a solemn
occasion, not a party. It should be
characterized by fear and trembling, not frivolous merry-making.
Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in
the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy
temple.
8.
A summons for worship
In Leviticus 23, the celebrations of numerous feasts and
Sabbaths are declared. A detailed
examination of the appointed Jewish holy days is beyond the scope of this
study, but a brief review of the descriptive language is revealing. Eleven times in this chapter, these
observances are consistently called "holy convocations."
Leviticus 23:2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to
them: "The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, these are My feasts."
In our English translations "convocations" is
an exclusively Old Testament word. The
original Hebrew is MIQRA' {mik-raw'}, which means,
"1) convocation, convoking, reading, a calling together 1a) convocation,
sacred assembly 1b) convoking 1c) reading" (BDB). Merriam-Webster defines "convoke"
as "to call together to a meeting."
In three other NKJ verses it is rendered "reading" and
"assemblies." The Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament explains further: "The root … denotes
primarily the enunciation of a specific … message. In the case of the latter usage it is
customarily addressed to a specific recipient and is intended to elicit a
specific response…. The verb may
represent the specification of a name.
Naming is sometimes an assertion of sovereignty over the thing named
[Psalm 147:4]…. Our verb also connotes
calling one to a specific task [Exodus 2:7] … a formal summoning of people to
worship…." The Greek Old Testament
of the Septuagint translates it to a form of KLETOS {klay-tos'}
meaning "1) called, invited (to a banquet) 1a) invited (by God in the
proclamation of the Gospel) to obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom through
Christ 1b) called to (the discharge of) some office 1b1) divinely selected and
appointed" (JHT), which is the root of "EKKLESIA" (the called out),
typically translated "church" in the New Testament.
We will expound on these principles as we examine each
worship form in detail.
E.
Attributes
Of Worship
Observe our Lord's remarks on worship to the Samaritan
woman at Jacob's well. Each form of the
word "worship" in the passage translates PROSKUNEO or a kindred
form. Herein, two fundamental attributes
of divine worship are revealed – spirit and truth:
John 4:19-24 The woman said to Him,… 20
"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in
Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 Jesus
said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither
on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You
worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the
Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is
seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship
Him must worship in spirit and truth."
This Gentile woman is still under the Patriarchal
dispensation and therefore not amenable to the worship rites of Moses's
Law. Unlike the Jews who have fuller
knowledge, the Gentiles only serve God instinctively and conscientiously
(Romans 2:13-15). Jesus explains that,
in Him, the separate worship of the Jews and the Gentiles in ignorance is being
dissolved into one for all, independent of time and place (Acts 17:30).
1.
In spirit
a.
With sincerity
The word translated "spirit" is PNEUMA {pnyoo'-mah}. Thayer's definition includes, "…2a) the
rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks,
decides…" The idea is that what a
man does outwardly in worship should align with what he is inwardly. This indicates worship from the heart, not
merely from the lips in pretense (Matthew 15:8). This is worship in sound mindedness with
fervor and emotional involvement, not perfunctory routine.
Joshua 24:14 Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in
sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the
other side of the River and in Egypt.
Serve the LORD!
NAU Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer
for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
b.
Free from carnality
Thayer further describes PNEUMA as "…3) a spirit,
i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and
possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting…." This indicates that which is not of the
physical realm – things pertaining to the mind, not the body. Spiritual worship involves the intellect and
is untainted by the concerns and interests of the flesh (Romans 8:1-8). It is not whimsical or fanciful but
reasonable, rational, logical, and sensible (Acts 17:17-31).
Old Testament worship is often characterized as physical
whereas New Testament worship is conversely spiritual. This is an over-generalization. Although Mosaic worship had an emphasis on
many physical rites, it was not devoid of things spiritual (1 Corinthians
10:1-4), and neither is worship under Christ devoid of physical elements (Acts
10:47, 48).
2.
In truth
The word translated "truth" in John 4:24 is
ALETHEIA {al-ay'-thi-a}, for which Thayer gives both
an objective and a subjective meaning: "1) objectively 1a) what is true in
any matter under consideration 1a1) truly, in truth, according to truth 1a2) of
a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly 1b) what is true in things appertaining
to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth 1b1) in the greatest
latitude 1b2) the true notions of God which are open to human reason without
his supernatural intervention 1c) the truth as taught in the Christian
religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and
respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the
Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts
of false teachers even among Christians…."
a.
Objective truth
This is that which is true no matter what. This is that of which we can always be confident
on the basis of sound reasoning in God's revelation. The existence of such absolute truths in
religion is a matter men have been denying for ages, as did Pilate when he
dismissively asked, "What is truth?" (John 8:38). The benchmark of man-made religion today is
the presumed right to believe as truth whatever is according each one's own
view – what is truth for one man is not necessarily truth for another. So the mantra today is to join the religion
of your own choice and worship your own god in your own way. Even within the Lord's church today, false
teachers misinterpret scripture and work to fade clear Bible teaching into
gray, saying, "You see it your way, and I'll see it mine." Any worship to God in this attitude is vain.
Mark 7:6-9 He answered and said to them, "Well did
Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me
with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they
worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8
"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men –
the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." 9
He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you
may keep your tradition."
Thayer explains that ALETHEIA stands opposed to
"corrupt opinions." We need to
clarify something about opinions. Paul
extensively explains in Romans 14 that issues of opinions will arise – things
of personal conviction that are truth for one but not another. However, a careful hermeneutical review of
the text will reveal that these are harmless opinions of those only who are
weak in faith and over matters that are not morally right or wrong in
themselves.
Romans 14 1 Now accept the one who is weak
in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2
One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats
vegetables only…. 5 One person regards one day above another,
another regards every day alike. Each
person must be fully convinced in his own mind…. 22 The faith which
you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in
what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats,
because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Romans 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the
scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
This does not pertain to ALETHEIA; Romans 14 makes no
allowance for the perverted inventions and false doctrines of men. We must learn to judge between things of
harmless opinion and things of absolute truth for which God will hold us
accountable (2 Thessalonians 10-13; 2 Peter 2).
Conclusively, our Lord makes clear that lawless worship
is condemnable. For example, in
Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu are destroyed because they are serving the Lord
according to their own ideas, contrary to how they had been commanded. Human reasoning might see their actions as a
matter of personal judgment, after all, fire is fire; however, the Lord sees this
as rebellion.
Leviticus 10:1-3 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each
took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire
before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out
from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3
And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those
who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must
be glorified.'" So Aaron held his peace.
Just like Nadab and Abihu, some people today think that
we can honor God by doing whatever we think is convenient and pleasing
ourselves while disregarding what He has commanded. To the contrary, a divine being deserves
divine worship – service according to His holy will.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord,
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Galatians 1:6-12 I marvel that you are turning away so soon
from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7
which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert
the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone
preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be
accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a
bondservant of Christ. 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that
the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For
I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:15-17 … as also our beloved brother Paul, according
to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard
to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own
destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You
therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.
Free will is not to be confused with self-will.
b.
Subjective truth
Thayer's definition of ALETHEIA continues: "2)
subjectively 2a) truth as a personal excellence 2a1) that candour
of mind which is free from affection, pretence,
simulation, falsehood, deceit."
This also does not refer to that which is true for one person but not
for another. This refers to an
individual's honesty and integrity. We
considered this aspect previously when discussing worship in spirit with
sincerity of heart – not imitation or counterfeit.
Thayer further states that truth means, "free from
affection," which seems strange.
Clearly, we are supposed to feel something when we worship in truth
(Philippians 2:1, 2; Hebrews 12:28; Jude 24, 25), so how is it that truth does
not pertain to feelings and emotions? It
is when we rely on our feelings and personal preferences as a guide that we
depart from truth. When the words of
truth put us or those close to us in a difficult situation, we might be tempted
out of pity to contort scripture with a bias toward a more pleasant
interpretation, which inevitably results in prejudice or favoritism.
1 Timothy 5:20, 21 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence
of all, that the rest also may fear. 21 I charge you before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things
without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
When Jesus challenges the Pharisees about the truth
regarding John's baptism, they ponder over the possible consequences of their
answer rather than the actual evidence on the matter and then just plead
ignorance (Matthew 21:23-27). False
teachers will often use the "I don't know" argument in denial to
conceal their heresy, when in their hearts they know their doctrine has no
scriptural support.
Another manifestation of this is the idea that if
something makes us happy, it must be truth.
There is a difference between emotion and "emotionalism." If we get caught up in charismatic,
spontaneous worship activities that make us feel elated yet have no lawful
justification, we are deceived, and our worship is vain (James 1:14-16;
Colossians 2:4-8). Truth can certainly
affect our emotions, but truth ought not be based on our emotions.
Proverbs 14:12 There is
a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Worship in truth is not opposed to worship in spirit; it
is in harmony with it.
3.
Decently and orderly
In the context of instructions on assembled worship,
Paul delivers this principle:
1 Corinthians
14:40 Let all things be done decently
and in order.
This builds upon the concept of worshiping God in spirit
relative to our intelligence in reasonableness, thoughtfulness, and
sensibility.
a.
Decency
In the passage, "decently" translates the
adverb EUSCHEMONOS {yoo-skhay-mon'-ose} meaning: "in a seemly manner, decently"
(JHT). The related adjective is
EUSCHEMON {yoo-skhay'-mone},
which means "1) of elegant figure 1a) shapely, graceful, comely, bearing
one's self becomingly in speech or behaviour 2) of
good standing 2a) honourable, influential, wealthy,
respectable" (JHT). The words
combine the familiar EU {yoo} (doing well) and a form
of SCHEMA {skhay'-mah}
(from whence, "scheme") meaning: "the habitus, as comprising
everything in a person which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing,
discourse, actions, manner of life, etc." (JHT).
This relates how we seem to others in our appearance and
activities. For instance, our demeanor
and decorum in the presence of a high civil authority figure would be fittingly
different than our behavior at home with family. Correspondingly, in worship, we are paying
homage to a divine being, so our service should all the more exhibit refinement
and propriety in every aspect. It is an
occasion specifically for honoring God, and we should not allow ourselves to be
preoccupied with unnecessary beverages, snacks, chitchat, or cell phone
use. Parents need to closely monitor
their children's behavior and use of toys so that they are not a distraction to
others either by sight or sound. By this
alone, a visitor to our assembly ought to be able to sense our profound
reverence to God. Remember the meaning
of worship expressed by the word EUSEBEO, explained earlier, as it directly applies.
b.
Order
In the passage, "order" translates TAXIS {tax'-is} meaning: "1) an arranging,
arrangement 2) order 2a) a fixed succession observing a fixed time 3) due or
right order, orderly condition 4) the post, rank, or position which one holds
in civic or other affairs 4a) since this position generally depends on one's
talents, experience, resources 4a1) character, fashion, quality, style"
(JHT). The opposite of orderly (disorderly), ATAKTOS
was used as a military term for a soldier "out of ranks," (JHT).
With no supporting evidence from scripture, some churches
today are adopting the notion that worship in the early church was characterized
by informality and spontaneity. Driven
by emotionalism, the idea is promoted of casually doing whatever one wants in the moment they see fit to
do it. These groups often disparage
having the order of worship fixed by duty rosters. There is a current "house-church"
movement afoot that would further leave even the time and place of worship not
necessarily well established with regularity.
Realistically, spontaneity is the seed of chaos.
To the contrary, TAXIS describes the doing of the proper
thing at the appointed time. As a case
in point, Paul instructs one in an assembly sitting by quietly who is given
something to say even by the Holy Spirit's direct operation to wait until the
first one speaking becomes quiet, so that each speaker may take his turn
speaking one at a time (1 Corinthians 14:30, 31). He is not to spontaneously blurt out
something and interrupt another but must keep his spirit under control (vs
32). If we de-emphasize orderliness and
structure, we will make a worship service look more like an open house with
people coming and going at all times and doing whatever they want whenever they
want with the attitude that no elder has the right to ask them to please try to
get to church on time or to please not behave a certain way in worship.
Proponents of the "house-church" movement
further suggest that spontaneity and the randomized progression of events in
worship help avoid a mindless and perfunctory checklist mentality in
worship. To the contrary, such thinking
is carnal-mindedness (Romans 8:4-14; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3). If someone needs to have the order of
services jumbled around at every gathering to be enthused, he is thinking
carnally – needing to have his physical senses stimulated to be edified. If such a man changes his focus and begins
thinking spiritually, the word of the Spirit alone will be sufficient to
motivate him to enthusiastic service in worship (1 Corinthians 2). Conclusively, spontaneity is indeed
incompatible with scriptural worship.
4.
True worship and false worship
If we always offer worship to God both in spirit and in
truth, God assures us that it is always acceptable to Him. However, our worship is vain if we have one
but not the other: spirit without the truth or truth without the spirit. Consider again the offerings of Cain and
Abel.
Genesis 4:3-7 And in the process of time it came to pass
that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance
fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why
has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do
well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the
door. And its desire is for you, but you
should rule over it."
What Cain offers is worship, for certain, but evidently,
not all worship is acceptable to God.
The exact reason why God rejects Cain's offering is not revealed. However, here is what we know: Cain, unlike
Abel, does not act in faith (Hebrews 11:4).
Since faith comes by hearing God's word (Romans 10:17), Cain's offering
is somehow contrary to the Lord's instructions, as John calls his deeds evil (1
John 3:12). Fundamentally, Cain's
worship must not have been in spirit and in truth, else it would have been
accepted. Speculating, it might have
been the wrong action with the right spirit.
For example, perhaps Cain brings a fruit offering in all sincerity when
a blood offering is actually commanded.
On the other hand, it might have been the right action in the wrong
spirit. For example, perhaps a fruit
offering is acceptable, but Cain is resentful that his best produce is the
oblation required by God. It even also
could have been the wrong action and the wrong spirit. We don't know, but it must have been some
kind of iniquity such as this.
The same kinds of things occur in worship today. For instance, some people serve God by teaching
all the right doctrines and observing every performance detail but do so
begrudgingly or in self-interest or with indignation toward others (Philippians
1:15-17). Similarly, many today serve
God spiritually in humility and sincerity but do so performing acts of
reverence which the Lord has not commanded (Romans 10:1-3). If we are to be pleasing to God in our
worship today, we need to pay attention to serving Him both in spirit and in
truth. We will revisit these aspects as
we examine every form of worship later in this study.
F.
Worship:
Individually And Collectively
1.
The nature of worship in the
assembled church
A study of the scriptures reveals that the work God has
ordained for the church as a corporate body is fundamentally spiritual:
teaching the gospel and collective worship.
The work of the church is not centered on secular or carnal
pursuits. Consequently, in every case
where scripture indicates the church as a corporate body is performing worship,
it is always in the sense of PROSKUNEO.
For example, farming, carpentry, engineering, cooking, and sewing are
noble activities of common, everyday life which generally bring God glory when
we pursue them in uprightness with integrity, as LATREUO or EUSEBEO would
describe, but these secular pursuits are not works of the church as a
body. Similarly, even though our bodies
are temples of the Lord for His glorification (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20),
nevertheless, personal hygiene, nutrition, physical exercise, and such things
are normal aspects of daily life, not special worship services of homage and
obeisance nor works of the church.
Our study will further reveal that some acts of homage
ordained by God are authorized to be performed by both the local church as a
body and the individual Christian.
However, some activities are authorized only in the collective function
of the local congregation. This
distinction will be noted in this study in every case as applies.
2.
Obeisance: collectively or
individually
Worship functions characterized by special services of
homage and obeisance, as expressed by PROSKUNEO, are defined not necessarily by
their circumstances or the venue but by the activities themselves. This is more easily understood by examples. For instance, prayer is not a secular
function of everyday life but a divinely appointed act of subjection revealed
within God's holy word. However, prayer
is nothing other than prayer, whether we do it publically and collectively or
privately and individually. God has not
ordained special regulations for collective prayers in a church building as
opposed to private prayers in our homes.
The same is true for gospel teaching and singing hymns of praise to
God. God has ordained how we do those
things – in spirit and in truth – regardless of whether we are at a public assembly
in a church-owned meeting house or at our own homes in private. If God makes no such distinction, neither
should we (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Notwithstanding, confusion prevails in some churches today regarding
this.
As a case in point, a common notion in some churches
today is that a Bible study class is not a worship service. In the absence of any scriptural basis for
such a distinction, certain regulations for worship are consequently either
imposed or lifted by declaring that a particular function is part of a
"worship service" in one situation but not another. Such ideas are derived from human reasoning,
not divine revelation. This matter is
easier to understand by examples, which will be discussed in greater detail as
applicable in each area of worship as this study progresses.
The distinction between the individual Christian and the
collective body is more deeply discussed in a separate study on the work of the
church. This brief review should be
sufficient as our study on divine worship continues.
3.
Fellowship
The worship that is performed collectively is
appropriately described by the term "fellowship." The word in the original Greek is KOINONIA {koy-nohn-ee'-ah},
defined as "1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint
participation, intercourse 1a) the share which one has in anything,
participation 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy…" (JHT).
Act 2:41, 42 Then those who gladly received his word were
baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers.
We acknowledge that the special functions of divine
worship sometimes involve the actions of one individual and sometimes the
joined actions of a collective group.
However, bear in mind that whenever there is collective action, it is
still the individuals that are doing it.
It is important to note that the characteristic of fellowship is that
the individuals are never spectators; we are engaged participants. As this study continues, our primary interest
will be on examining divine worship by the collective church as an assembled
group.
G.
New
Testament Acts Of Worship
Let us now observe in scripture the special activities
we see ordained for the local church as an assembled body in rendering
religious service or homage, performing sacred services, offering gifts,
observing instituted rites, making obeisance, expressing reverence, or making
supplication to God. By definition, such
activities are worship, a divinely appointed work of the collective church.
1.
Teaching
Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his
message until midnight.
2.
Singing
Ephesians 5:18-20 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is
dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to
God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3.
The Collection
1 Corinthians 16:1,
2 Now concerning the collection for the
saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something
aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
4.
The Lord's Supper
Matthew 26:26-29 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat;
this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For
this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission
of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the
vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's
kingdom."
5.
Praying
Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but
constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
These are the special things that the early Christians
continued to do steadfastly in homage to God beyond the duties of everyday
life. Moreover, if this is what the
early church was doing, it is the pattern for what the church today should be
doing. This is not
"five-acts-of-worship" church-of-Christ doctrine; this is what the
New Testament scriptures reveal. From
our observations to this point, we recognize that we are to share in all these
activities to our best ability, non-grudgingly, reverently, purposefully,
decently, orderly, and in sincerity, humility, and purity.
This study examines the worship assembly functions in
detail and with utmost respect for the scriptures so that we might maintain New
Testament doctrine and practice in the Lord's church today. However, we must never get the impression
that our service to God is defined by what we do in worship assemblies. Being a Christian means more than singing and
praying together two or three times a week in a church meeting house. If we are not careful, we can develop an
unrealistic check-list mentality, thinking that if we correctly perform all the
prescribed acts of assembled worship routine, we have fulfilled our duty to
serve God until the next meeting time.
We need to also examine what the scriptures reveal about glorifying God
in those individual, everyday actions, but such discussions are beyond the
scope of this study.
We find that every aspect of our worship centers upon Christ
– His life, death, and resurrection – for without this, we have no hope and
therefore no reason to worship. The
cross of Christ is the only thing in which we can boast, and it alone gives
meaning to everything we do, especially our worship (Galatians 2:20;
6:14). Our purpose in worship is to
glorify the Father for blessing us, to glorify the Son for redeeming us, and to
glorify the Holy Spirit for revealing it to us (Ephesians 1:3-14).
Ephesians 3:21 To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The purpose for our worship is not to entertain or enthrall us or to increase our favor or self-esteem. It is not about us. Our worship in spirit and truth may indeed bring us edification and joy, but these are its results, not its purposes (Psalm 29:2; 86:9; Revelation 14:7; 15:4). Those who complain that they don't get anything out of worship fail to recognize this. Our worship is an offering to God, so our objective ought not be what we can get but what we should give.
Though God is glorified and pleased by our worship, He derives no benefit from it; He is not any better because of it. When Paul is describing the ignorant worship of the Athenians, he explains that God's supreme will for His creation is that we might someday be with Him.
Act 17:24-27 "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
Worship is essential to our forgiveness and our
salvation. Consider that baptism is an
act of worship, and without submitting to it, we remain dead in our sins. God created us with free will and offers
redemption through immeasurable love hoping that we might willingly choose to
love Him in return and serve Him. Now
the righteousness of God will not allow Him to save those who rebel against
Him, but our worship is evidence of our love and devotion to Him. It is foolish to think that after baptism we
have no need to continually sing, teach, and pray and no need to participate in
the contribution and communion of the church.
Assembled worship is not optional for us; it is a requirement, and
forsaking it has severe consequences (Hebrews 10:22-31).
God designed worship for our benefit, not His own, and love is its motivation. As God seeks us and loves us (Luke 19:10), then we ought to seek Him and love Him and His church (Luke 12:31; 1 John 4:7 - 5:5; Hebrews 11:6). Let us never think that God saves us in return for worshipping Him. Worship does not earn us salvation (2 Timothy 1:9). It is only a declaration of our love for God and God's love for us.
Copyright 2014, Speaking Sound Doctrine