True Worship

John 4:23-24 “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. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Our Friday evening small group Bible Study is delving into the subject of “Worship” in order to learn more about the character of God and how to improve our giving our Maker glory, honor and veneration, the greatest love and respect in adoration, in genuine and intimate relationship … for who He is. Mankind was made for worship. There’s a hunger, a quest for the spiritual, because God is Spirit. Worship is the Hebrew word “shachah”, which means to prostrate oneself or to bow down. Webster’s Dictionary defines worship as “the act of paying reverence to God. In the Old Testament, “shachah” is the common term used for coming before God in worship to honor Him. The English word means to look at someone’s “worth-ship”; their character and position (aka “Are they worthy?”). To worship God is to respect and honor Him for who He is.

Genesis 22:1-18 is the account of God testing (the Father of Nations) Abraham. In verse 5, we find the first use of the word “worship” in the Bible: “And Abraham said to his young men (servants), “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Asked by God to sacrifice (the son of promise) Isaac, Abraham was faithful and did not deny the Lord, as verse 8 reveals Abraham’s trust in God’s provision: Isaac asked, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

When Abraham bound and laid Isaac on the alter, then took his knife to slay his son, the Angel of the Lord called to him in verse 12 and said: “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” The word “fear” is the Hebrew word “yare”. In this context it means to have reverence towards God, to trust Him, to respect Him. It does not mean to be afraid of Him. God is reverenced when a person respects Him for who He is. A Believer’s fear of God is seen when he or she walks in God’s ways and loves and serves Him in absolute obedience. The Lord goes on to tell Abraham of the blessings that He will bestow upon him and concludes in verse 18 by saying: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” This is the first time that the word "obey" is used in the Word of God. Obedience to God is the evidence of true faith and worship. The way we live (or walk through this life) relates to our worship in spirit and in truth. About 2000 years ago, another Father offered His only Son, out of His loving grace, as an atoning sacrifice. We were supposed to die for our sins, but Jesus died in our place. Is not God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) worthy of our worship?

In Christ, Brian