Dr. Rodney Whaley: Biblical Foundations Of Worship
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
The Story of Worship
A research paper submitted to Dr. Rodney Whaley in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
Biblical Foundations of Worship
WSRP 510
By:
Date
October 2014
Contents
Introduction1
Old Testament Principles for Worship2
Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms6
New Testament Principles for Worship8
Application of Worship to Daily Living9
Conclusion….10
Appendix: Words for Worship11
Bibliography 13
Introduction
In today’s world, most discussions about worship has to do with what songs were played, which songs were sung, was the band to loud, or did the congregation enjoy our selections this past Sunday. That is not this paper’s intent. …show more content…
The research contained is this paper begins with the discussion of what the principles of worship have been since time began. When God created man and it was for one purpose, we were to worship Him. God wanted a personal relationship with us, face to face. What is worship? There are numerous definitions today. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it: the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god: the act of worshipping God or a god. I enjoy Paul’s definition of worship much more palatable; “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). There are also several types of worship. We can worship in prayer, song, actions, words, conduct, you name it and in most cases it can be a form of worship. What does this tell us? Worship is action. Action that is directed toward God for His glory and majesty. Worship is the destiny of every human being. It always has and always will. The main adherence that is required by man to worship in a manner that is pleasing to God is found in the heart. Within that heart, the Holy Spirit must reside to allow us to worship in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Without being a believer in our Savior and being indwelled with His Spirit, all worship is futile.
It would seem any comprehensive definition must include the fact that God is the initiator of worship and we as human beings are the respondents of his revelation. In this research paper, we will take an in-depth look at the principles of worship that span the time from the Book of Genesis through Revelations. From there we will devise a method and construct a method for us to Apply Worship to our Daily Lives.
Old Testament Principle for Worship
The first five books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch. Many people understanding them as the Law of God. These books are the books of; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books were written more than 3000 years ago, yet whole the truths of God that laid the foundation of worship.
The foundation of worship begins with the creation of man in God’s own image. Adam and Eve are the only two humans that have ever had the privilege of living with God as a constant presence. God resided in the Garden with them. They walked and talked together. They had a deep relationship with God. When Satan deceived them to commit the one and only thing God had proclaimed them not to do, ruined their relationship for all of mankind to come. Worship had been broken. However, God immediately places a remedy to correct what man had broken in His Son Jesus Christ. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Satan had now been warned that a deliverer will came to strike him down. God’s plan to save man was put into action.
The key thing that needs to be recognized and understood about the creation is that God did not need us. He is the Almighty. He spoke everything into existence except for man. God formed us with His own hand and breathed life into us. He did not need us, He wanted us for His own. He created everything around us to show His omnificence, His power, His glory, His personality, and His love. The creation is God’s call to worship for us still today. He reveals through His creation, who He is, His presence, His power, His plan and purpose. God wants us to love Him as much as He loves us.
As time continued, the world became worse. Idolatry and wickedness became rampant. God decided to start over. He found one righteous man among the people on earth, Noah. Even Noah’s father knew he was special. “Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered a son. And he named him Noah, saying, ‘This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed’” (Gen. 5:28-29) God showed favor on Noah for he was a righteous man that was blameless among his contemporaries. Noah’s primary aspect of worship that we read in the Bible is that of obedience. “And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him” (Gen. 6:22). Interesting is that God purpose of the flood was not to destroy man, but to destroy the sin and wickedness of the world. God still loved man. If not, Noah would not have been on the ark.
In Abraham, God once again found a man to assist Him in His plan to reconcile man to Him. Although Abraham was a man of little patients, he was faithful and obedient. Living in an area named Ur, what is now Iraq, Abraham was already known as a follower of the one true God. The rest of the area was known for its pagan worship. Ur itself was the sacred city of Nanna, god of the moon. Abraham showed the ultimate form of obedience when he was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac for God. The Bible also provides evidence of his faithfulness in God when he stated, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you” (Gen. 22:5). The proof of faith is in the words, “we’ll come back.” How did he know that? He knew what he was setting out to accomplish for God. His son’s life was in the hands of the Lord. When God spoke, Abraham listened. Abraham did whatever the Lord instructed him to accomplish. In return, God’s people were born. God showed His faithfulness in Abraham in making him the father of Israel, Joseph, David, and finally Jesus. It is this type of faith that we need today. We should not question what God places in our hearts to accomplish. We should simply begin the process, allow God to work through and, and have faith that He will provide whatever is needed.
Even with God’s people, now being established through the lines of Abraham, Israel found itself in Egypt as slaves.
God continues to have compassion for His people. He takes an Israelite baby and places him into the house of Pharaoh. He is raised as a prince, but his heart stays close to his family. His name was Moses. God was continuing His promise to Abraham, and to mankind, of bringing them to their Promised Land and provide a deliverer for their sins. Moses was raised with the best of everything that Egypt had to offer: the best food, education, clothing, and home to live. However, his heart went out to his people of Israel. After killing an Egyptian slave driver while rescuing a slave while being beaten, Moses fled to the wilderness. For the next forty years, he was a goat farmer, until God called upon him. It was at this moment that Moses uttered three perfect words: “Here I am!” Abraham and Jacob said these exact three words centuries prior, and as Samuel and Isaiah centuries later. They are the only proper response to God for anyone that is called by Him. The only problem with Moses was that he was not a very confident person. He came up with numerous excuses for God to call on someone else. God had made His choice and proceeded with Moses as His advocate to Pharaoh. Time and again, Moses goes before Pharaoh and requests to allow his people to travel to the desert to worship Yahweh. Time after time Pharaoh said no, and endured the wrath of God’s plagues. God was providing proof to the people of Israel that He had not forgotten them. He showed His love for them as he continued His battle with
Pharaoh.
The final battle was the beginning of God making it necessary for all His people to worship as one, even in their separate homes, to conduct a sacrifice to Him, known today as the “Passover.” That faithful night, all who accomplished God’s instructions were spared the Death Angel claiming the first born of each family. With this final act of God, Pharaoh told Moses to take his people and go! God had freed His people from the hands of slavery and the will of Pharaoh.
After departing Egypt, the Lord provided His people with the Law. He then commanded them to construct a tabernacle. This tabernacle would serve as the place to worship Him. God continued to provide instruction on worship and designated the tribe of Levi to be set aside to serve as His priests for His people. Specific instructions are listed in the books of Exodus and Leviticus on the manner that worship and sacrifice were to occur. With each of these acts of worship, God provided the reason for these offerings.
This distinct period marked the institution and formalization of Hebrew festivals, feasts, and rituals for worship. God had chosen Moses, a man of little self-worth or self-esteem. God took this man and made a leader out of him. He continues today to call on those with little talent in the area He desires, and uses them to make a difference in other’s lives. The question is, are you ready to answer God’s call? Do you have the faith to go forward without knowing where you will end? The answer is, have faith in God to deliver you wherever he calls you to go and do. Just do it!
As you journey through the remainder of the Old Testament, God provides repeatedly for his people the opportunity to worship him. He punishes them repeatedly as well. However, He never leaves them in a state where they do not have the opportunity to seek Him out. He blesses them with numerous leaders. The nation of Israel had Judges, Prophets, Kings, Priest, from all walks of life that submitted to the Lords call to deliver his people time and again.
It is sad. They ask for things they do not need. When they obtain these useless objects, they ask for more or are not thankful for what they have received. God always provides for their deliverance for oppression, slavery, and even being destroyed. He hands them their Promised Land and they ask for a king. They want what other nations have and are not satisfied with what they have. They forget that God is their King. The Old Testament principles of worship are mostly, not followed today by Christians. Although they are founded by God, and for God, the system set in the books of Exodus and Leviticus are forever gone due to the work of the Cross. The nation of Israel were lost and did not know where to turn. Four hundred years of silence is waiting for them.
Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms
In the book of Psalms, God provided us with songs and wisdom to teach us how to build a relationship with Him. It has always played an important part in the life of all churches. What is the book of Psalms? We know from years of study, they are great devotional reading that can clear the air of adversity quite well. Beyond that, they are poems, songs, hymns, words of faith, guiding lights in times of darkness, and word to worship the Great I Am.
Psalms is broken down into five separate sections. These sections are divided as follows: 1. Psalms 1-41, 2. Psalms 42-72, 3. Psalms 73-89, Psalms 90-106, and 5. Psalms 107-150. The word Psalms says much about what the book is about. Strong’s meanings are: H2167 – to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music; give praise, sing forth praises; G5568 – a set piece of music, a sacred ode; G5567 – to play a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes), make melody, sing. All of that said points directly at worship.
Each of the separate sections of the book of Psalms is grouped in accordance with the history of Israel. A. Introduction: The righteous one, 1-2. Book I, David’s conflict with Saul, 3-41; Book II; David’s kingship, 42-72; Book III, The Assyrian crisis, 73-89; Book IV, Introspection about the destruction of the temple and the Exile, 90-106; Book V, Praise and Reflection on the return and the new era, 107-145, and Conclusion, Climatic promise to God, 146-150.
Psalms is more than a book of praise songs and poems. It is full of Theological principles. The main principle that should be noted is that Psalms present the Lord God, who rule the universe in sovereignty, that rules the Earth through his people where the righteous will prosper and the sinful will suffer. This truth is proclaimed through God’s word found throughout the Bible, but also in the book of Psalms within its Lament, Confessional, Praise, Wisdom, and Petition Psalms, found within its pages.
The book of Psalms will provide proper guidance to any of God’s lost sheep. They are a pleasant sound that calls those seeking the Light of Christ home.
New Testament Principle for Worship
After four hundred years, God sends His Angel Gabriel to speak to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph, to proclaim the Good News of the coming Messiah. God then begins to speak through the person of John the Baptist. A new word comes to light with his new proclamation of repenting of your sins and be “Baptized” (Baptize, Baptism).
The purpose of the first four books of the Bible, the Gospel, is to reconcile man in his fallen state back to God through repentance and faith in Christ. Matthew proclaims the lineage of Jesus and links it to the promise of God to Abraham and David. God is now in the final phases of accomplishing His plan that He set forth in the book of Genesis. He is bringing forth the seed of woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit; to crush the head of Satan under His heal.
The arrival of Christ places an end to the rituals of blood sacrifices. The religious system of the Old Testament was to disappear. You no longer had to follow specific rules and rituals to worship God. Jesus changed all of that. No longer did you have to be at a certain location to worship, you can accomplish it anywhere. Christ becomes the final offering for sin for everyone, for eternity.
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, he answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command” (Matt. 22:37-38). That statement in itself is a command to worship God. It does not give any special physical location. It is from within each person.
Jesus is the perfect example of how a worshipper is to worship. It taught it to all he spoke to, and He accomplished it for all to witness. His prayer life was what all should immolate. His humility was made example throughout the Gospel. The Pharisee scoffed at His means and to whom He associated. His life was an expression of total worship to His Father. He served Father God with His words, His thoughts, and His actions. The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes it possible to worship whenever and wherever you choose.
Jesus’ obedience is unmatched by anyone. He obeyed the Father fully in laying down His life for the sins of others. There is no greater act of worship than His atoning work at Calvary. It was at this point that the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom giving all of humanity access to God. No longer did we have to go through man to speak to God, to praise God, to exalt God, to petition God, or to worship God.
On the third day after they laid Christ in His borrowed tomb, He arose and walked out, becoming our high priest that sits on the right hand side of the Father. We now speak directly to the Father with Jesus as our mediator. Christ sends His Spirit to reside in us to make it possible to worship, pray, and witness of the Father, to the Father, and for the Father.
The principles of worship that are found in the New Testament that we need to learn is simple. Look directly at the source of perfect worship, Jesus Christ!
Application of Worship to Daily Living
God completed His task of reconciling man back to Himself the moment Christ walked out of the tomb. Jesus, with His shed blood on the cross at Calvary washed our sins away for eternity. When He rose, and is risen today, He became, not only our Savior who defeated Satan and death, but also our high priest that sits on the throne in Heaven.
When we surrender to Him, we are to look at Him, read His Word, for He is the living Word of God, and act like Him in everything we do. We are to sacrifice self to take on the likeness of Him. In doing so, we have begun to please the Father in worship.
This new self that we are to wear is not just for our private lives, tucked away at home and only bring it out when it is convenient. We must do away with our idols. Since the book of Genesis, all the way through to Revelations, idolatry is the chief culprit of robbing God of His worship. We are to wear our new self every day: wherever we go, whatever we are doing, and whomever we are with. We allow His Spirit to reside within our hearts, allowing Him to control every facet of our lives. When that is accomplished, it will be Him that shines through to others as an example of a person who is Christ centered. When we reach that summit, worship will become second nature. We will be children of God.
Conclusion
The entire Bible’s focus is on that of worshipping God. God created us to worship Him and be with Him. Being with Him was lost at the Garden when sin entered the world through Satan. Since that time, God has the desire to reconcile your sin through His Son Jesus. God has made it possible for everyone to go before Him anytime we desire. Through Jesus, we have that access due to the cleansing blood He shed on the cross. All we have to do is to accept His free gift of salvation through faith in Him. No one has changed the face of the world as Jesus Christ. His work that He accomplished in the short time He walked the face of the Earth with us has changed everything about the way we worship. His work is the single most important event in the history of our planet.
This research paper has laid out much of what God has done and expects of us. It is up to each of us to decide who or what we will follow and worship. I pray that everyone will decide to surrender to the power of the blood Jesus shed for each of us.
Appendix: Words of Study
Praise: Strong’s; H3034 – to revere or worship; G1391 - glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Honor: Strong’s; H1935 – grandeur (imposing form and appearance), beauty, glorious, majesty; G5091 – to prize, place value upon, revere, honor
Rejoice: Strong’s; H8055 – cheer up, be glad, be merry; G5463 – be glad, God speed, joyful
Bow Down: Strong’s; H7812 – to depress, prostrate, fall down flat, humbly beseech, do reverence, worship; G4781 – to bend together
Shout: Strong’s; H8643 – acclamation of joy, rejoicing, jubilee; G2752 – a cry of incitement
Joy: Strong’s; H8056 – blithesomeness or glee; G5463 – cheerfulness, delight
Serve: Strong’s; H5647 – to work, by implications to serve, bond-service; G3000 – to minister, render religious homage; G1398 – to be a slave (involuntary or voluntary)
Seek: Strong’s; H1245 – to search out, strive after; G2212 – to worship, desire, endeavor
Humble: Strong’s; H6031 – submit self, looking down; G5013 – depress, figuratively to humiliate in condition or heart
Fear: Strong’s; H3372 – morally to revere, reverence; G5399 – to be in awe of, revere
Prayer: Strong’s; H8605 – intercession, supplication; G1162 – a petition, request, supplication
Glorify: Strong’s; H3513 – abounding with, glorious, great, honor; G1392 – to render or esteem glorious, magnify
Obedience: Strong’s; H8085 – hear intelligently, consent; G5218 – attentive, harkening, submission;
Sing: Strong’s; H6030 – speak, shout, testify, bear witness; G5567 – celebrate the divine worship with music
Sacrifice: Strong’s; H2076 – slaughter an animal, offer, do sacrifice; G2378 – the act of the victim, literally or figuratively
Thankful: Strong’s; H3034 – to revere or worship with extended hands; G2168 – express gratitude, to say grace
Worship: Strong’s; H7812 – reflexively in homage to royalty or God; G4352 – to fawn of crouch, prostrate oneself in homage
Offering: Strong’s: H4503 – gift, bestow, a donation; G4376 – presentation, concretely an oblation or sacrifice
Confession: Strong’s; H3034 – cast out, confess, to revere or worship with extended hands; G3670 – covenant acknowledge, profess, give thanks, promise
Reverence: Strong’s; H7812 – to depress, prostrate, reflexively in homage; G1788 – to invert, to respect
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Bible.org. An Introduction to the Book of Psalms. n.d. https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-psalms (accessed October 11, 2014).
Hill, Andrew E. Enter His Courts with Praise. Nahsville: Bakers Books, 1996.
Holman Bible Publishers. HCSB Study Bible. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010.
Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship, From the Dawn of Creation to the Final Amen. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
The Story of Worship
A research paper submitted to Dr. Rodney Whaley in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
Biblical Foundations of Worship
WSRP 510
By:
Date
October 2014
Contents
Introduction1
Old Testament Principles for Worship2
Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms6
New Testament Principles for Worship8
Application of Worship to Daily Living9
Conclusion….10
Appendix: Words for Worship11
Bibliography 13
Introduction
In today’s world, most discussions about worship has to do with what songs were played, which songs were sung, was the band to loud, or did the congregation enjoy our selections this past Sunday. That is not this paper’s intent. …show more content…
The research contained is this paper begins with the discussion of what the principles of worship have been since time began. When God created man and it was for one purpose, we were to worship Him. God wanted a personal relationship with us, face to face. What is worship? There are numerous definitions today. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it: the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god: the act of worshipping God or a god. I enjoy Paul’s definition of worship much more palatable; “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). There are also several types of worship. We can worship in prayer, song, actions, words, conduct, you name it and in most cases it can be a form of worship. What does this tell us? Worship is action. Action that is directed toward God for His glory and majesty. Worship is the destiny of every human being. It always has and always will. The main adherence that is required by man to worship in a manner that is pleasing to God is found in the heart. Within that heart, the Holy Spirit must reside to allow us to worship in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Without being a believer in our Savior and being indwelled with His Spirit, all worship is futile.
It would seem any comprehensive definition must include the fact that God is the initiator of worship and we as human beings are the respondents of his revelation. In this research paper, we will take an in-depth look at the principles of worship that span the time from the Book of Genesis through Revelations. From there we will devise a method and construct a method for us to Apply Worship to our Daily Lives.
Old Testament Principle for Worship
The first five books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch. Many people understanding them as the Law of God. These books are the books of; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books were written more than 3000 years ago, yet whole the truths of God that laid the foundation of worship.
The foundation of worship begins with the creation of man in God’s own image. Adam and Eve are the only two humans that have ever had the privilege of living with God as a constant presence. God resided in the Garden with them. They walked and talked together. They had a deep relationship with God. When Satan deceived them to commit the one and only thing God had proclaimed them not to do, ruined their relationship for all of mankind to come. Worship had been broken. However, God immediately places a remedy to correct what man had broken in His Son Jesus Christ. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Satan had now been warned that a deliverer will came to strike him down. God’s plan to save man was put into action.
The key thing that needs to be recognized and understood about the creation is that God did not need us. He is the Almighty. He spoke everything into existence except for man. God formed us with His own hand and breathed life into us. He did not need us, He wanted us for His own. He created everything around us to show His omnificence, His power, His glory, His personality, and His love. The creation is God’s call to worship for us still today. He reveals through His creation, who He is, His presence, His power, His plan and purpose. God wants us to love Him as much as He loves us.
As time continued, the world became worse. Idolatry and wickedness became rampant. God decided to start over. He found one righteous man among the people on earth, Noah. Even Noah’s father knew he was special. “Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered a son. And he named him Noah, saying, ‘This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed’” (Gen. 5:28-29) God showed favor on Noah for he was a righteous man that was blameless among his contemporaries. Noah’s primary aspect of worship that we read in the Bible is that of obedience. “And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him” (Gen. 6:22). Interesting is that God purpose of the flood was not to destroy man, but to destroy the sin and wickedness of the world. God still loved man. If not, Noah would not have been on the ark.
In Abraham, God once again found a man to assist Him in His plan to reconcile man to Him. Although Abraham was a man of little patients, he was faithful and obedient. Living in an area named Ur, what is now Iraq, Abraham was already known as a follower of the one true God. The rest of the area was known for its pagan worship. Ur itself was the sacred city of Nanna, god of the moon. Abraham showed the ultimate form of obedience when he was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac for God. The Bible also provides evidence of his faithfulness in God when he stated, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you” (Gen. 22:5). The proof of faith is in the words, “we’ll come back.” How did he know that? He knew what he was setting out to accomplish for God. His son’s life was in the hands of the Lord. When God spoke, Abraham listened. Abraham did whatever the Lord instructed him to accomplish. In return, God’s people were born. God showed His faithfulness in Abraham in making him the father of Israel, Joseph, David, and finally Jesus. It is this type of faith that we need today. We should not question what God places in our hearts to accomplish. We should simply begin the process, allow God to work through and, and have faith that He will provide whatever is needed.
Even with God’s people, now being established through the lines of Abraham, Israel found itself in Egypt as slaves.
God continues to have compassion for His people. He takes an Israelite baby and places him into the house of Pharaoh. He is raised as a prince, but his heart stays close to his family. His name was Moses. God was continuing His promise to Abraham, and to mankind, of bringing them to their Promised Land and provide a deliverer for their sins. Moses was raised with the best of everything that Egypt had to offer: the best food, education, clothing, and home to live. However, his heart went out to his people of Israel. After killing an Egyptian slave driver while rescuing a slave while being beaten, Moses fled to the wilderness. For the next forty years, he was a goat farmer, until God called upon him. It was at this moment that Moses uttered three perfect words: “Here I am!” Abraham and Jacob said these exact three words centuries prior, and as Samuel and Isaiah centuries later. They are the only proper response to God for anyone that is called by Him. The only problem with Moses was that he was not a very confident person. He came up with numerous excuses for God to call on someone else. God had made His choice and proceeded with Moses as His advocate to Pharaoh. Time and again, Moses goes before Pharaoh and requests to allow his people to travel to the desert to worship Yahweh. Time after time Pharaoh said no, and endured the wrath of God’s plagues. God was providing proof to the people of Israel that He had not forgotten them. He showed His love for them as he continued His battle with
Pharaoh.
The final battle was the beginning of God making it necessary for all His people to worship as one, even in their separate homes, to conduct a sacrifice to Him, known today as the “Passover.” That faithful night, all who accomplished God’s instructions were spared the Death Angel claiming the first born of each family. With this final act of God, Pharaoh told Moses to take his people and go! God had freed His people from the hands of slavery and the will of Pharaoh.
After departing Egypt, the Lord provided His people with the Law. He then commanded them to construct a tabernacle. This tabernacle would serve as the place to worship Him. God continued to provide instruction on worship and designated the tribe of Levi to be set aside to serve as His priests for His people. Specific instructions are listed in the books of Exodus and Leviticus on the manner that worship and sacrifice were to occur. With each of these acts of worship, God provided the reason for these offerings.
This distinct period marked the institution and formalization of Hebrew festivals, feasts, and rituals for worship. God had chosen Moses, a man of little self-worth or self-esteem. God took this man and made a leader out of him. He continues today to call on those with little talent in the area He desires, and uses them to make a difference in other’s lives. The question is, are you ready to answer God’s call? Do you have the faith to go forward without knowing where you will end? The answer is, have faith in God to deliver you wherever he calls you to go and do. Just do it!
As you journey through the remainder of the Old Testament, God provides repeatedly for his people the opportunity to worship him. He punishes them repeatedly as well. However, He never leaves them in a state where they do not have the opportunity to seek Him out. He blesses them with numerous leaders. The nation of Israel had Judges, Prophets, Kings, Priest, from all walks of life that submitted to the Lords call to deliver his people time and again.
It is sad. They ask for things they do not need. When they obtain these useless objects, they ask for more or are not thankful for what they have received. God always provides for their deliverance for oppression, slavery, and even being destroyed. He hands them their Promised Land and they ask for a king. They want what other nations have and are not satisfied with what they have. They forget that God is their King. The Old Testament principles of worship are mostly, not followed today by Christians. Although they are founded by God, and for God, the system set in the books of Exodus and Leviticus are forever gone due to the work of the Cross. The nation of Israel were lost and did not know where to turn. Four hundred years of silence is waiting for them.
Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms
In the book of Psalms, God provided us with songs and wisdom to teach us how to build a relationship with Him. It has always played an important part in the life of all churches. What is the book of Psalms? We know from years of study, they are great devotional reading that can clear the air of adversity quite well. Beyond that, they are poems, songs, hymns, words of faith, guiding lights in times of darkness, and word to worship the Great I Am.
Psalms is broken down into five separate sections. These sections are divided as follows: 1. Psalms 1-41, 2. Psalms 42-72, 3. Psalms 73-89, Psalms 90-106, and 5. Psalms 107-150. The word Psalms says much about what the book is about. Strong’s meanings are: H2167 – to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music; give praise, sing forth praises; G5568 – a set piece of music, a sacred ode; G5567 – to play a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes), make melody, sing. All of that said points directly at worship.
Each of the separate sections of the book of Psalms is grouped in accordance with the history of Israel. A. Introduction: The righteous one, 1-2. Book I, David’s conflict with Saul, 3-41; Book II; David’s kingship, 42-72; Book III, The Assyrian crisis, 73-89; Book IV, Introspection about the destruction of the temple and the Exile, 90-106; Book V, Praise and Reflection on the return and the new era, 107-145, and Conclusion, Climatic promise to God, 146-150.
Psalms is more than a book of praise songs and poems. It is full of Theological principles. The main principle that should be noted is that Psalms present the Lord God, who rule the universe in sovereignty, that rules the Earth through his people where the righteous will prosper and the sinful will suffer. This truth is proclaimed through God’s word found throughout the Bible, but also in the book of Psalms within its Lament, Confessional, Praise, Wisdom, and Petition Psalms, found within its pages.
The book of Psalms will provide proper guidance to any of God’s lost sheep. They are a pleasant sound that calls those seeking the Light of Christ home.
New Testament Principle for Worship
After four hundred years, God sends His Angel Gabriel to speak to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph, to proclaim the Good News of the coming Messiah. God then begins to speak through the person of John the Baptist. A new word comes to light with his new proclamation of repenting of your sins and be “Baptized” (Baptize, Baptism).
The purpose of the first four books of the Bible, the Gospel, is to reconcile man in his fallen state back to God through repentance and faith in Christ. Matthew proclaims the lineage of Jesus and links it to the promise of God to Abraham and David. God is now in the final phases of accomplishing His plan that He set forth in the book of Genesis. He is bringing forth the seed of woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit; to crush the head of Satan under His heal.
The arrival of Christ places an end to the rituals of blood sacrifices. The religious system of the Old Testament was to disappear. You no longer had to follow specific rules and rituals to worship God. Jesus changed all of that. No longer did you have to be at a certain location to worship, you can accomplish it anywhere. Christ becomes the final offering for sin for everyone, for eternity.
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, he answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command” (Matt. 22:37-38). That statement in itself is a command to worship God. It does not give any special physical location. It is from within each person.
Jesus is the perfect example of how a worshipper is to worship. It taught it to all he spoke to, and He accomplished it for all to witness. His prayer life was what all should immolate. His humility was made example throughout the Gospel. The Pharisee scoffed at His means and to whom He associated. His life was an expression of total worship to His Father. He served Father God with His words, His thoughts, and His actions. The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes it possible to worship whenever and wherever you choose.
Jesus’ obedience is unmatched by anyone. He obeyed the Father fully in laying down His life for the sins of others. There is no greater act of worship than His atoning work at Calvary. It was at this point that the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom giving all of humanity access to God. No longer did we have to go through man to speak to God, to praise God, to exalt God, to petition God, or to worship God.
On the third day after they laid Christ in His borrowed tomb, He arose and walked out, becoming our high priest that sits on the right hand side of the Father. We now speak directly to the Father with Jesus as our mediator. Christ sends His Spirit to reside in us to make it possible to worship, pray, and witness of the Father, to the Father, and for the Father.
The principles of worship that are found in the New Testament that we need to learn is simple. Look directly at the source of perfect worship, Jesus Christ!
Application of Worship to Daily Living
God completed His task of reconciling man back to Himself the moment Christ walked out of the tomb. Jesus, with His shed blood on the cross at Calvary washed our sins away for eternity. When He rose, and is risen today, He became, not only our Savior who defeated Satan and death, but also our high priest that sits on the throne in Heaven.
When we surrender to Him, we are to look at Him, read His Word, for He is the living Word of God, and act like Him in everything we do. We are to sacrifice self to take on the likeness of Him. In doing so, we have begun to please the Father in worship.
This new self that we are to wear is not just for our private lives, tucked away at home and only bring it out when it is convenient. We must do away with our idols. Since the book of Genesis, all the way through to Revelations, idolatry is the chief culprit of robbing God of His worship. We are to wear our new self every day: wherever we go, whatever we are doing, and whomever we are with. We allow His Spirit to reside within our hearts, allowing Him to control every facet of our lives. When that is accomplished, it will be Him that shines through to others as an example of a person who is Christ centered. When we reach that summit, worship will become second nature. We will be children of God.
Conclusion
The entire Bible’s focus is on that of worshipping God. God created us to worship Him and be with Him. Being with Him was lost at the Garden when sin entered the world through Satan. Since that time, God has the desire to reconcile your sin through His Son Jesus. God has made it possible for everyone to go before Him anytime we desire. Through Jesus, we have that access due to the cleansing blood He shed on the cross. All we have to do is to accept His free gift of salvation through faith in Him. No one has changed the face of the world as Jesus Christ. His work that He accomplished in the short time He walked the face of the Earth with us has changed everything about the way we worship. His work is the single most important event in the history of our planet.
This research paper has laid out much of what God has done and expects of us. It is up to each of us to decide who or what we will follow and worship. I pray that everyone will decide to surrender to the power of the blood Jesus shed for each of us.
Appendix: Words of Study
Praise: Strong’s; H3034 – to revere or worship; G1391 - glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Honor: Strong’s; H1935 – grandeur (imposing form and appearance), beauty, glorious, majesty; G5091 – to prize, place value upon, revere, honor
Rejoice: Strong’s; H8055 – cheer up, be glad, be merry; G5463 – be glad, God speed, joyful
Bow Down: Strong’s; H7812 – to depress, prostrate, fall down flat, humbly beseech, do reverence, worship; G4781 – to bend together
Shout: Strong’s; H8643 – acclamation of joy, rejoicing, jubilee; G2752 – a cry of incitement
Joy: Strong’s; H8056 – blithesomeness or glee; G5463 – cheerfulness, delight
Serve: Strong’s; H5647 – to work, by implications to serve, bond-service; G3000 – to minister, render religious homage; G1398 – to be a slave (involuntary or voluntary)
Seek: Strong’s; H1245 – to search out, strive after; G2212 – to worship, desire, endeavor
Humble: Strong’s; H6031 – submit self, looking down; G5013 – depress, figuratively to humiliate in condition or heart
Fear: Strong’s; H3372 – morally to revere, reverence; G5399 – to be in awe of, revere
Prayer: Strong’s; H8605 – intercession, supplication; G1162 – a petition, request, supplication
Glorify: Strong’s; H3513 – abounding with, glorious, great, honor; G1392 – to render or esteem glorious, magnify
Obedience: Strong’s; H8085 – hear intelligently, consent; G5218 – attentive, harkening, submission;
Sing: Strong’s; H6030 – speak, shout, testify, bear witness; G5567 – celebrate the divine worship with music
Sacrifice: Strong’s; H2076 – slaughter an animal, offer, do sacrifice; G2378 – the act of the victim, literally or figuratively
Thankful: Strong’s; H3034 – to revere or worship with extended hands; G2168 – express gratitude, to say grace
Worship: Strong’s; H7812 – reflexively in homage to royalty or God; G4352 – to fawn of crouch, prostrate oneself in homage
Offering: Strong’s: H4503 – gift, bestow, a donation; G4376 – presentation, concretely an oblation or sacrifice
Confession: Strong’s; H3034 – cast out, confess, to revere or worship with extended hands; G3670 – covenant acknowledge, profess, give thanks, promise
Reverence: Strong’s; H7812 – to depress, prostrate, reflexively in homage; G1788 – to invert, to respect
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Bible.org. An Introduction to the Book of Psalms. n.d. https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-psalms (accessed October 11, 2014).
Hill, Andrew E. Enter His Courts with Praise. Nahsville: Bakers Books, 1996.
Holman Bible Publishers. HCSB Study Bible. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010.
Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship, From the Dawn of Creation to the Final Amen. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.