Sunday, May 27th, 2012 — Pentecost Sunday
I Chronicles 15 (see also 2 Samuel 6:12-23)
“Worship Adrenaline”
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” — John 4:23-24
Background Information:
- The Chronicler’s audience has no opportunity to worship before the ark as did David because the sacred chest was lost or destroyed during the Exile. At least there is no record that this piece of furniture was part of the inventory of temple vessels and articles returned to Jerusalem under Persian auspices (cf. Ezra 1:7-11). Nor is there any evidence that a replica of the ark was constructed for use in Zerubbabel’s temple by the postexilic community. Thompson correctly deduces that the issue is not the ark as a sacred object, but what that piece of furniture represents: the mobile presence of God among his people and his uncompromising holiness. (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 234)
- David’s first attempt to bring the ark had also been joyous at first, but it quickly turned tragic (see 13:9-14). The anxiety which David had at that time was replaced by joyous expectation. This focus on joy touched one of the greatest needs of the post-exilic readers of Chronicles. They longed for the delight of such celebrations and in this passage the Chronicler told them that it could be found in the re-establishment of proper worship. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 141)
- At this point David “prepared . . . a tent for the ark” (cf. V. 12). His primary reasons are given later (16:1-4). For it was not simply that reports had reached him of God’s blessing on the household of Obed-Edom (2 Sm 6:12)–indicating both that the danger surrounding Uzzah had passed and that similar blessings might now be anticipated for Jerusalem as well(!)–but he had a religious motivation, seeking to establish a center of prayer and praise to the Lord. (Frank E. G belein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 386)
- (v. 12) He commanded the priests and Levites to “consecrate themselves” for the task of bringing the ark up to Jerusalem (v. 12). From other passages in Scripture (notably Ex 19:10-15; 29:1-9; 30:19, 20) we understand David to be telling these men to prepare themselves and those under them by ritual washings, by abstaining from sexual relations for a time, and by the wearing of special garments. Those who would participate in this holy procession were to set themselves completely apart to the Lord and to prepare themselves in body and mind to serve him only. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 168-69)
- The Levites are instructed to “sanctify themselves”–i.e., to refrain from the common and profane (cf. Gn 35:2; Ex 19:10-15, probably involving at a minimum bathing and abstention from sexual intercourse [1 Sm 21:5]). (Roddy Braun, Word Biblical Commentary: 1 Chr, 189)
- David is dressed, the Chronicler tells us, in both “a robe of fine linen” and “a linen ephod” (15:27; note that in 2 Sm 6:14 David is wearing only the ephod). Also robed in linen are the Levites carrying the ark, and the Levitical musicians accompanying the procession. David is thus numbered among the ark’s sacral attendants. He is also, however, set apart by the linen ephod, a priestly garment (see 1 Sm 22:18; Ex 28:31; 39:22). David, it appears, is regarded by the Chronicler as an honorary priest. (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 63-64)
Worship Defined:
William Temple’s definition of worship is helpful: “ To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Acts: The Church Afire, 349)
To “worship in spirit,” is to worship spiritually; to “worship in truth,” is to worship truly. They are not two different kinds of worship, but two aspects of the same worship. To worship spiritually is the opposite of mere external rites which pertained to the flesh; instead, it is to give to God the homage of an enlightened mind and an affectionate heart. To worship Him truly is to worship Him according to the Truth, in a manner suited to the revelation He has made of Himself; and, no doubt, it also carries with it the force of worshiping truly, not in pretense, but sincerely. Such, and such alone, are the acceptable worshipers. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 206)
Worship is the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 1)
The Eng. Word “worship” derives from the Old Eng. “weordhscipe” and means “worthship,” i.e. worthiness, dignity, or merit, the recognition accorded or due to these, the paying of homage or respect. In the religious world the term is used for the reverent devotion, service, or honor paid to God, whether public or individual. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 969)
The questions to be answered are . . . What made David’s worship so passionate? Can or should our worship be passionate like this? What is the Chronicler trying to achieve in chapter 15?
Answer: David knew God in an intimate and life changing way. And whenever you begin to comprehend the divine nature of God, worship will take place. Our worship must be passionate, but it will not always be like David’s. God’s Word should ALWAYS guide our worship so that our worship is done in Spirit and in truth.
The Word for the Day is . . . Worship
Please do not make Acts 2 or 1 Chronicles 15 normative in regards to how or in what state of mind we are to worship. That is NOT why God inspired the authors to write these texts. Both Acts 2 and 1 Chronicles 15 are there to demonstrate and authenticate God’s endorsement of both movements. No where does God even begin to suggest that these are normative or the way worship should or must be expressed. In fact, a comprehensive study of the ENTIRE Bible will demonstrate that they are unique and unusual events provided by God for verification and credibility reasons. Not to demonstrate what is normal and/or usual. — Pastor Keith
What does Chronicles 15 tell us about worship?:
I. David’s knowledge of God motivated David to seek God with all his heart and have a compelling desire to worship God. (See Ps 1:2, 6; 2:11-12; 3:3-8; 5:4-8, 11-12; etc.: Simply make a search of the Psalms attributed to David to discover David’s understanding of God and His attributes)
This time God’s Word would be his guide from beginning to end. He assembled “all Israel” once more and took special care in mustering the Levites according to their clans and clan leaders. He held a meeting with the two chief priests and the Levitical clan-heads to plan out and prepare for the move. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 167)
Overall, the Chronicler’s account of the ark entering Jerusalem is more orderly and staid than the description in 2 Samuel. Note that while both texts say that the ark was brought into the city with shouting and blasts on the shofar, or ram’s horn, Chronicles adds “trumpets, and cymbals, and…loud music on harps and lyres” (15:28). However, these represent not a spontaneous outpouring, as in 2 Samuel, but the performances of authorized Levitical musicians. As Paul would admonish centuries later, the worship of the ark procession was “done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40). (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 64)
The purpose in David’s appointments is simple: The Levitical corps is to provide appropriate music for the processional (15:16). The occasion of installing the ark in Jerusalem is to be celebratory and festive–the ark and God are to be “serenaded” into the city with joyous music. The king instructs the leaders of the Levites to divide their group into singers and musicians (15:16). The musicians are sorted into divisions on the basis of the instrument played (lyre, harp, or cymbal). The citation of Kenaniah as a musical director of sorts references his “skill” (or perhaps “musical knowledge”), suggesting the appointments of the Levites as singers and musicians may have been based on some type of audition (15:22). (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 235-36)
Worship is an integral element planned for moving the ark toward Jerusalem. Singers are appointed to sing joyful songs with musical accompaniment. And this is no ad hoc group; everyone has specific assignments, and the leader is skilled at what he does (15:16-24).
In addition to the worship music is the aspect of sacrifice. As the priests methodically progress toward Jerusalem with the ark, every six steps they stop and two animals are offered to God (2 Sm 6:13). (Dr. Tremper Longman, Quicknotes, 1 Chr Thru Job, 29)
The Chronicler uses only the first part of the story of MICHAL THE DAUGHTER OF SAUL, and clearly this has been preserved to stress the point that the members of the house of Saul show themselves unable to recognize the true meaning of events; they are typical of unfaith. (Peter R. Ackroyd, 1 & 2 Chr, Ezra, Neh, 63)
II. God’s presence cannot help but to initiate passion along with David’s ascended status of knowledge about God (1 Chr 15:25, 29)
David was willing to look foolish in the eyes of some people in order to express his thankfulness to God fully and honestly. In contrast, Michal was so disgusted by his “undignified” actions that she could not rejoice in the ark’s return to Jerusalem. Worship had so deteriorated under her father Saul’s reign that it had become stilted and ritualistic. Michal could accept David as a military conqueror and as a king, but she could not accept his free and spontaneous expression of praise to God. Some devoted people may look foolish to us in their heartfelt expressions of worship, but we must accept them. In the same way, we should not be afraid to worship God with whatever expressions seem appropriate. (Tyndale House Publishers, Life Application Study Bible, 689)
At the moment of David’s triumph, when the ark had successfully entered Jerusalem, his wife Michal took exception to all this religious excitement and display. Her idea seems to have been that the king should avoid mixing with the people, and be aloof and inaccessible. As it was, she despised him for the very qualities that made him great, namely devotion to the Lord and spontaneity in worship. (Joyce G. Baldwin, Tyndale OT Commentaries: 1 & 2 Samuel, 209)
Chr, furthermore, often stresses the need for excellence in the service of God, as we have seen in relation to David’s warriors (12:2, 32; on singers, cf. also 25:7). And this leads us back, by a circuitous route, to saying that the pursuit of excellence in church music is a good in itself (though not of course an end in itself). Where the resources exist, therefore, it is right that those who are appropriately gifted should lead in that ministry and achieve the highest possible standards. Yet because the worship of the Temple does not legislate for church music, so we must not think the worship of smaller and relatively poorly equipped assemblies of God’s people inferior because of its technical defects. If God looks upon the heart in relation to the character of our lives, he will also look upon our intentions in relation to the outward expression of our worship. (J. G. McConville, The Daily Study Bible Series, 1 & 2 Chr, 46)
In the incident as Samuel/Kings recounts it our sympathies may well be with Michal. Perhaps for our author she is simply a representative of the house of Saul, showing that it is still not in tune with the mind of God; whereas in giving the ark the attention it deserves, David is. (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chr, 70)
What could be more vivid, and assuredly historical, than the record of Queen Michal looking down on the procession and despising David because on this day of religious ardor he could deem it fitting to behave as if he were on an equality with the people and the priests? How incredibly imprudent, as well as undignified! He had even put off his regal attire. He was dancing and rejoicing like one of the mob. How barbaric! She, sophisticated daughter of royalty, scorned both him and them.
Religious enthusiasm stands in need of restraint as we well know. But icy disdain for its manifestations has far worse consequences in human life. Michal, at any rate, was wrong; she had no vestige of insight to see that before God all men are equal, and that David was going to establish in Israel a constitutional monarchy, a concept of kingship incomparably finer than the world had ever known. (Abingdon Press, The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. 3, 399-400)
The ephod was a surplice, or cape, worn in worship (Ex 28:6; 1 Sm 2:18). Beneath it David wore a robe of white linen–as did also the Levites–but in his enthusiastic devotion, dancing and celebrating with all his might before the Lord (v. 29; 13:8, 2 Sm 6:14), he seems to have removed an outer garment and uncovered himself in a way that his wife Michal considered “unkingly” (2 Sm 6:20). David’s uninhibited love for God stands in stark contrast to the rigid, unsympathetic attitude of this daughter of Saul (cf. 2 Sm 6:21-23). (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 388)
III. True worship must include the conviction to worship according to God’s revealed Word(1 Chr 15:2, 12-15)
David had learned that the proper way to approach God in fellowship and worship was in the manner prescribed by God Himself. He prepared a place for the Ark of God and there set up a tent (15:1). David was following the instruction that God gave to Moses at Mount Sinai (Ex 26:7ff). He then commanded that only the Levites were to carry the Ark, and that they were to carry it in the prescribed way (15:2-15). The importance of that point is shown by the detail supplied in these verses. To show that his heart was in the right place, David carried out God’s will to the letter. The key phrases here are “according to the ordinance” (v. 13) and “as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD” (v. 15). All this concern for the exactness of the procedure was not an empty formalism; it was a desire to please God and worship Him in reverence that overflows into action. (John Sailhamer, Everyman’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 43)
Like the author if 2 Sm, Chr inserts a footnote on the sullen Michal (v. 29). Chr’s point about Michal is rather different from that of 2 Sm 6:20ff. There the reader senses a frustration and a jealously, related to David’s uninhibited celebration among the servant-girls, and her own childlessness. Here Michal’s contempt appears to relate to the honor in which David holds the ark. The cameo makes the point that the character of Saul–whom Chr has presented as typical of those who do not seek the things of God–has been transmitted to his family. So it is with sin. It is misguided to suppose that there are sins which “do nobody any harm.” The effects of sin are not described exhaustively when those which are immediate and obvious have been observed. (J. G. McConville, The Daily Study Bible Series, 1 & 2 Chr, 47-48)
The seeking God in a way of their own notion, and not in that of the Divine appointment; or, rather, the neglecting to observe rigidly what God had prescribed in respect of the manner in which He would be sought–this it was which had been offensive to the Lord. And if where there was sincerity of purpose, there might be this failure through want of exact conformity to the revealed will of God, we are bound to conclude that in our own day and generation it is not the mere striving for masteries; but, as St. Paul has expressed it, the “striving lawfully,” which will be crowned with any measure of success. (Joseph S. Exell, The biblical Illustrator, 52)
The necessity to obey the word of the Lord is a recurrent theme in Chronicles, since God’s blessing is directly tied to Israel’s observance of Mosaic law (cf. Dt 28). (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 235)
David’s renewed commitment and the conformity of the Levites offered impeccable examples of the kind of behavior the Chronicler desired from his post-exilic readers. They were also to forsake their failure to follow the Law of Moses and to devote themselves to the worship of God in accordance with God’s Word. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 138)
As David passed through the streets of Jerusalem toward the designated place for the ark, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window (15:29). The description of Michal as the daughter of Saul recalls the sharp contrast the Chronicler had established between David and Saul in the preceding chapters. Once again, the house of Saul stood in opposition to the ways of God. Although all Israel rejoiced with David, Michal saw David dancing and celebrating and despised him in her heart (15:29). By despising David as he joyously worshiped, Michal displayed the apostasy of her father’s house in contrast to the blessed faithfulness of David. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 142)
The derogatory reference to her father and family, though true, was sure to wound, with its insistence on the contrast between Saul and himself in relation to the Lord, who chose me above your father…over Israel, the people of the Lord. The election promise of 2 Sm 5:2, precious to David and the people of Israel, and a source of conflict for Michal, is echoed here. She could not “win” the argument, because she could not accept the divine purpose, which the maids (i.e. “maidservants”) joyously celebrated. Like her father before her, she found herself working against God. (Joyce G. Baldwin, Tyndale OT Commentaries: 1 & 2 Samuel, 211)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: What can we learn from this passage about our own worship?:
A- To worship God you must first know God (Isa 19:21; Zech 6:15; Jn 4:22; Rom 10:17)
They seek a purification of worship, not by its curtailment or reconstruction, but by concentration on the basic essentials. If worship is to be what it was meant to be, then there has to be knowledge of God, true faith in Him, a humble walk before Him, a recognition of His gracious acts, a commitment to His will and ways. When these are present, and only when they are present, true worship is possible and has its proper place. Worship by its very nature is confession and service. On the other hand, the forms of worship cannot be substitutes for the inner core of faith and obedience. To put it simply, offering and festival are of no value without a penitent, faithful, and obedient heart. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 982)
Men and women, with their pride of intellect, want to understand everything. They say, ‘I’m not going to believe a thing if I don’t understand it. You say I must believe in God, but I can’t understand him.’
…If you could understand God, you would be equal to God! By definition, God cannot be understood. What you do in the presence of God is not try to understand, but bow down and worship–mystery! (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Way, Not Ours: Isaiah 1, 116)
There is a divine dialectic in worship. The Spirit and the truth are always interacting, the one leading to the other, then back again. The Spirit brings us into truth, and the truth draws us into the Spirit. In Jesus, we live in Spirit and truth, and He brings us to the Father whom we worship and adore. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 101)
When God surprises you so that you can’t see through what God is doing in your life into the reason behind it, when he becomes opaque and mysterious, you are seeing something. You are seeing that God is God and you are not God. You are encountering him at a new level of profundity. You are discovering what it means to trust God and surrender to God rather than control him. If God never shocked you, you wouldn’t really know him, because you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between your notions of God and the reality of God. (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Preaching the Word: Isaiah, 160)
If worship is to be what it was meant to be, then there has to be knowledge of God, true faith in Him, a humble walk before Him, a recognition of His gracious acts, a commitment to His will and ways. When these are present, and only when they are present, true worship is possible and has its proper place. Worship by its very nature is confession and service. On the other hand, the forms of worship cannot be substitutes for the inner core of faith and obedience. To put it simply, offering and festival are of no value without a penitent, faithful, and obedient heart. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 982)
If there is no wonder, no experience of mystery, our efforts to worship will be futile. There will be no worship without the Spirit.
If God can be understood and comprehended by any of our human means, then I cannot worship Him. One thing is sure. I will never bend my knees and say “Holy, holy, holy” to that which I have been able to decipher and figure out in my own mind! That which I can explain will never bring me to the place of awe. It can never fill me with astonishment or wonder or admiration. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 85)
If God is small enough for us to understand, He isn’t big enough for us to worship.
B- Real passionate worship comes in ascending to the knowledge of God’s “presence” in your life (Dt 4:37; 12:7; 22:6-7; 1 Chr 29:22; Ezr 9:15; Ps 5:4; 16:11; 23:6; 36:9; 89:15; 114:7-8; 130:4; Isa 41:10; 43:2-5; Jer 1:8; 30:11; Nah 1:2-8; Zeph 3:17; Hag 2:4-5; Mt 28:20; Jn 14:16-17; Rom 15:33; 2 Cor 4:13-15; 13:14; 1 Thes 3:13; Jude 1:24-25; Rv 21:3-7)
Their religion is found to be only verbal. It lacks heart, mind, and will. This affects the character of their worship. “Their fear,” means their attitude in worship. It should be founded on a divinely inspired awe, deep respect of the Holy One, but it has become “a human command,” which can be taught and recited without involving the will. (John D. W. Watts, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 1-33, 454)
In reproaching the Pharisees (Mt 15:9) our Lord had in mind specifically the requirements which they had imposed upon the law. There was growing up a great body of oral tradition which finally came to written expression in the Mishnah and the Gemara; and this, according to Christ, made vain the Word of God. In Isaiah’s day there was of course no such body of oral tradition. To what then did the prophet refer? The answer would seem to be that the people “worshiped” God in the way that pleased them, but not in the way that was prescribed. This they did in that they regarded the outward form of worship as sufficient, irrespective of the attitude of heart. The priests evidently encouraged this, exhibiting a concern only that the worshiper bring the requisite sacrifices, but not that he come to the Lord in humble and true devotion. (Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, Vol. 2, 320)
The hungering soul seeking to be satisfied with a word from God–that’s what it means to be humble and contrite. That’s the worship God blesses. That will be the culture of the new heavens and the new earth. If you want to be a part of it then, you’ve got to become a part of it now. (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Preaching the Word: Isaiah, 450)
As we have seen, worship is homage, adoration. It is not primarily for ourselves, but for the one we seek to honor. We worship for his pleasure foremost and find our greatest pleasure in pleasing him. Worship must therefore always be God-centered and Christ-centered. It must be focused on the covenant Lord. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 4)
True worship is that of the spirit, which means that the worshiper must deal honestly and openly with God. She, on the contrary, had been furtive and unwilling to open her heart to God. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9, 56)
True worshipers worship “in spirit and truth.” It is not likely that “spirit” here means the Holy Spirit (though the Spirit does help our worship, Rom 8:26ff.). It is the human spirit that is in mind. One must worship, not simply outwardly by being in the right place and taking up the right attitude, but in one’s spirit. . . The combination “spirit and truth” points to the need for complete sincerity and complete reality in our approach to God. (Leon Morris, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: John, 239)
That human emotions and reactions are involved in worship is, of course, undeniable. Awe, fear, gratitude, and love may all be experienced in worship. The point is, however, that these are not the controlling factors. They do not constitute the true essence. In the Bible the beginning lies in the object of worship rather than the subject. Nor is this an indefinite object. It is not the mystery behind the universe. It is not the universe itself. It is not an unknown factor. It is not man’s own potentiality. The object of worship, at once its starting-point and controlling factor, is not a projection of man. It is God. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 975)
He tells man what to do and what not to do. He controls man’s destiny. He judges his shortcomings and saves him from his sins. It is God, this God, whose Person and acts are both the theme and the formative principle of genuine worship. If there is awe in worship, it is awe of God; if there is love, it is love of God; if there is praise, it is the praise of God; if worship is response, it is the response of man to the living God who has made Himself known to man in His words and works. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. Five, 975)
To a Pharisee, the service of God was a bondage which he did not love but from which he could not escape without a loss too great to bear. God, as the Pharisees saw Him, was not a God easy to live with. So their daily religion became grim and hard, with no trace of true love in it.
It can be said about us, as humans, that we try to be like our God. If He is conceived to be stern and exacting and harsh, so will we be!
The blessed and inviting truth is that God is the most winsome of all beings, and in our worship of Him we should find unspeakable pleasure. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 28)
It must be by the Holy Spirit and truth. We cannot worship in the spirit alone, for the spirit without truth is helpless. We cannot worship in truth alone, for that would be theology without fire.
Worship must be in spirit and in truth! (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 46)
We have such smooth, almost secularized ways of talking people into the kingdom of God that we can no longer find men and women willing to seek God through the crisis of encounter. When we bring them into our churches, they have no idea of what it means to love and worship God because, in the route through which we have brought them, there has been no personal encounter, no personal crisis, no need of repentance–only a Bible verse with a promise of forgiveness. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 118)
The manifestation of the Shekinah is at the heart of understanding the meeting of God with man. In the earliest communion of man with God, God is said to have been “walking in the Garden in the cool of the day” (Gn 3:8). This must speak of a localized presence with which Adam and Eve could interact—the Shekinah. The word itself embodies the notion of dwelling or abiding. This emphasizes the single most important aspect concerning God’s localized presence: where is He abiding? For wherever the Shekinah is, there is relationship with God in a more intimate way and all the benefits which come from His special presence. This is the essence of the promise made to the overcomer in Philadelphia, the fulfillment of that first love which was lacking in Ephesus: to walk once again in full fellowship with God (Gn 3:8; 5:24; Rv 21:3+, 22+). This was the ultimate desire of the psalmist (Ps 23:6; 65:4). Thus, it is an incredible blessing to enjoy the presence of God.
This was the primary purpose of the Temple throughout history: to house the Shekinah glory of God among men. It is in the Temple where God’s presence “dwells between the cherubim” over the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:22; Num 7:89; 1 Sm 4:4; 2S. 6:2; 1 Kg 7:29; 2 Kg 19:15; 1 Chr 13:6; 2 Chr 5:7; 6:41; Ps 80:1; 99:1; Isa 37:16; Eze 41:18). Unless the glory of God “inhabits” the Temple (1 Kg 8:10-11; 2 Chr 7:1; Eze 43:2-4; 44:1-2; Hag 2:7-9; Mt 20:12) it is just a dead architectural edifice.
Conversely, in the history of the Temple, there are grave consequences when the Shekinah departs from the Temple, for it indicates God’s displeasure with those among whom He previously dwelt and the removal of His protection and blessing in His departure. The Temple, the house of Israel, is left desolate when the glory of God departs. In at least two occasions in history, the result has been the destruction of the Temple. When the Shekinah left Solomon’s Temple in the days of Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ez 10:18; 11:22-23), the eventual result was the destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. When the Shekinah left the Second Temple in the days of Jesus (Mt 23:38), the eventual result was the destruction of the Temple by Titus Vespasian of Rome (Mt 24:1-3). Whether God remains in His house is serious business! (http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/Book_of_Revelation/commentary/htm/topics/temple.html)
The shocking story of Uzzah’s sudden death shows how holy the ark was, and thus it teaches us not to trifle with the holy things of God. Everything associated with God is holy; his name, his Word, and his worship. We must be very careful not to treat such holy things carelessly. We are in the presence of God. We should honor his name. We should hear his Word. We should revere his worship. (Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 816-17)
“Without the engagement of the heart, we do not really worship. The engagement of the heart in worship is the coming alive of the feelings and emotions and affections of the heart. Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.” (John Piper, Desiring God, 81)
Worship is a recognition of your desperate need for God. – anonymous
. . . the great Baptist preacher Geoffrey Thomas has said that in true worship men have little thought of the means of worship because their thoughts are on God; true worship is characterized by self-effacement without self-consciousness. That is, in biblical worship we so focus upon God himself and are so intent to acknowledge his inherent and unique worthiness that we are transfixed by Him, and thus worship is not about what we want or like (nor do his appointed means divert our eyes from him), but rather it is about meeting with God and delighting in his delights. Praise decentralizes self. (Philip Graham Ryken, Give Praise to God A Vision for Reforming Worship, 64)
It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself–Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. -John 4:23-24 (Eugene H. Peterson, The Message)
It is a mark of spiritual barrenness in the church when people come to worship to fulfill a duty or keep a habit rather than satisfy an appetite. (Eric Alexander, Truth for Life tape 65562 Side A)
“My old effort to achieve worship with no self-interest in it proved to be a contradiction in terms. Worship is basically adoration, and we adore only what delights us. There is no such thing as sad adoration or unhappy praise.
We have a name for those who try to praise when they have no pleasure in the object. We call them hypocrites.” (John Piper; Desiring God, 19)
I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 13)
C- No matter how passionate your worship may or may not be, it will not be honoring to God unless or until we posses the conviction to be obedient to His Word. (Dt 12:4; 1 Sm 15:22; 2 Kgs 17:32-35; Isa 1:11-17; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8; Mt 15:9; Mk 7:7; 12:33; Jn 14:15, 21; 15:10; (1 Tm 4:13; 2 Tm 2:15; 3:14-4:5; 1 Jn 5:3)
To worship God is also to bow before his absolute, ultimate authority. We adore not only his power, but also his holy word. Psalm 19 praises God first for revealing himself in his mighty acts of creation and providence (vv. 1-6) and then for the perfection of his law (vv. 7-11). When we enter his presence, overwhelmed by his majesty and power, how can we ignore what he is saying to us? So, in worship we hear the reading and exposition of the Scriptures (see Acts 15:21; 1 Tm 4:13; Col 4:16; 1 Thes 5:27; Acts 20:7; 2 Tm 4:2). God wants us to be doers of that word, not hearers only (Rom 2:13; Jas 1:22-25; 4:11). (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 4)
Scripture itself condemns worship that is based only on human ideas: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isa 29:13). This word of God through Isaiah was repeated by Jesus in Mt 15:8-9 and Mk 7:6-7. Paul in Col 2:23 condemns “self-imposed worship,” worship unauthorized by God. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 39)
It is even possible that in so coming some of the worshipers were sincere. Sincerity, however, is not sufficient; it is no substitute for obedience to God’s commands. Unless one worships God in the manner, and only in the manner, which God Himself has prescribed, he will profane the LORD’s courts. (Edward J. Young; The Book of Isaiah, A commentary: Vol. 1, 64)
We must be both more conservative and more liberal than most students of Christian worship: conservative in holding exclusively to God’s commands in Scripture as our rule of worship, and liberal in defending the liberty of those who apply those commandments in legitimate, though nontraditional, ways. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 46)
The OT rituals and ceremonies heavily accent this need for the worshiper’s preparation for and participation in the various prescriptions and requirements that have to be met. Consider David: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing” (2 Sm 24:24). “You cannot serve the Lord” was Joshua’s admonition (Josh 24:19) to a people who in their easygoing, idolatrous ways had forgotten that “he is a holy God; he is a jealous God,” who requires a whole-hearted and unshared dedication to His name and a commitment to His cause in terms of a full allegiance and avowal. Put into modern terms, these biblical verses stress the seriousness of our worship and the imperious claim it lays upon us. A flippant attitude to worship is obviously out of place and shows only that we have not yet even begun to understand what the worship of God is intended to be and do. Conversely, a deep sense of privilege in our approach to God will mean that our worship will be ordered with careful thought and thus will be acceptable to Him. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. Four, 1131)
The reason that the church service must be controlled and orderly is that God is not a God of disorder but of peace. In worship, everything must be done in harmony and with order. Even when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being exercised, there is no excuse for disorder or disturbances. In order to please God in their worship, believers are not to be wild and out of control. Instead, they should be using their gifts in an appropriate manner, always seeking to edify others. To contradict God’s own character in worship does not honor him. When everyone in the Christian assembly is truly in tune with the Holy Spirit, there will not be disorder, but harmony and “peace” that pleases God and encourages his people. This was not Paul’s instruction for the Corinthian church alone; indeed, all the other churches must exhibit the character of the one they worship. When the Corinthians did so, they would be in line with what God expects of all his people. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians, 212)
God does not reveal himself the same way in all seasons. The Vision reveals God’s strategy and intentions to its readers, but the generations portrayed in the Vision were blind to the implications just as Isa 6:9-11 predicted that they would be. Even the sacred texts were meaningless to them. God recognizes the sorry state of religion that is only lip worship, the repetition of learned phrases. Truly “the fear of YHWH” is not only the beginning of wisdom but also the foundation of worship that involves the heart. Holy awe leads to genuine devotion. Yet God in his grace determines to do more “wonders” for his people, miracles that defy prediction or explanation. The ways of God can be neither confined nor limited. (John D. W. Watts, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 1-33, 455)
If we could pick out one theme that has been particularly insistent in the evolution of Protestant worship since the eighteenth century, it would have to be subjectivity. By this I mean the tendency to construct and evaluate worship in terms of the human subject–human experiences, feelings, and responses–rather than in terms of the divine object, God, the blessed self-revealing Trinity, and his will, word, and activity. This subjectivity takes various forms, but they all share in common the view that worship is essentially something we experience, rather than something we offer, and that the quality of that experience is the measure of effective worship. (Philip Graham Ryken, Give Praise to God A Vision for Reforming Worship, 407)
Increasingly you find people talking about the worship experience rather than the worship service. That reflects what’s happening in the outside world. I’m dismayed to see churches abandon the means of grace that God ordains simply to conform to the patterns of the world. (Interview with Jim Gilmore, “No Experience Necessary,” Leadership 22, p. 31) (Philip Graham Ryken, Give Praise to God A Vision for Reforming Worship, 185)
So if worship is going to be in accordance with his nature, and his nature is transcendent, infinite, and incomprehensible, then how else can we worship other than by the direction of His Word? Once again, our doctrine of God impinges upon our doctrine of worship. Given the distance between Creator and creature (a point of emphasis in Calvin, the Scholastics, Westminster, Van Til, and even Barth!), given the undeniable Biblical reality that God’s ways and thoughts are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth (Is 55:8-9), what makes us think we can possibly fathom what would please God, apart from his telling us what to do in his word? (Philip Graham Ryken, Give Praise to God A Vision for Reforming Worship, 54)
No worship is wholly pleasing to God until there is nothing in me displeasing to God. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 125)
Henri Nouwen once asked Mother Teresa for spiritual direction. Spend one hour each day in adoration of your Lord, she said, and never do anything you know is wrong. Follow this, and you’ll be fine. Such simple, yet profound advice. Worship is the act of the abandoned heart adoring its God. It is the union that we crave. Few of us experience anything like this on a regular basis, let alone for an hour each day. But it is what we need. Desperately. Simply showing up on Sunday is not even close to worship. Neither does singing songs with religious content pass for worship. What counts is the posture of the soul involved, the open heart pouring forth its love towards God and communing with him. It is a question of desire. (John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire, 177)
In the OT, God condemned formal worship that was not accompanied by a concern for compassion and justice (see Isa 1:10-17; Mi 6:6-8). In Hos 6:6, God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” God did, of course, desire sacrifice; this is a rhetorical exaggeration or hyperbole. But the point should not be missed that authentic worship includes a life that is obedient to God. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 9)
God’s word must govern our knowledge of God, and thus its governance of worship is vital. Divine revelation must control our idea of God, but since worship contributes to our idea of God, the only way that God’s revelation can remain foremost in our thinking about God is if God’s revelation also controls our worship of God. God’s self-disclosure, his self-revelation, is to dominate our conception of him, and therefore God’s people are not to make images of God or the gods: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” (Philip Graham Ryken, Give Praise to God A Vision for Reforming Worship, 30)
Feelings are great liars. If Christians only worshiped when they felt like it, there would be precious little worship that went on. Feelings are important in many areas, but completely unreliable in matters of faith. Paul Scherer is laconic: “The Bible wastes very little time on the way we feel.” (Eugene H. Peterson; A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, 50)
A general attitude of respect for the ark is not in itself sufficient. On its own, it is analogous to the approach to Christ which calls him “Lord, Lord” but does not do what he says. A notion of what we think reverence might involve has to become a conviction, in both heart and mind, of what God says it actually does involve. (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chr, 68)
God may be sought, and yet not be found, because the seeking is not in the way or “order” which He hath revealed as agreeable to Himself. It was not that David and his people were not sincere and hearty in their desire that the ark of God might be once more amongst them. (Joseph S. Exell, The biblical Illustrator, 52)
When God has once made known His will, the question is not whether there be sincerity of purpose, and earnestness of endeavor, but whether in striving for masteries man strives lawfully–strives in the way which has been revealed. If not, if there be any swerving from this way, it is not the amount of energy which he brings to the effort, nor the devotedness with which he follows out his course, which shall procure him favor with his Maker. He offends by substituting his own way for God’s way; and, certainly, the zeal with which he prosecutes an offence can in no sense repair the offence. (Joseph S. Exell, The biblical Illustrator, 53)
Worship point: There is not a human being on the planet who has either known God as He really is nor responded to what he does know as God requires. . . except Jesus! We’ve all fallen far short of God’s glory. But in Christ, all that is required of us is satisfied by Christ’s righteous imputation and ultimately in our glorification. That is what stimulates true worship in Spirit and in Truth.
Immediately the question How can worship be made better? has a focus: better not primarily for ourselves, but better for the one we seek to honor. It may be that worship that is better for him will also be better for us. But our first concern must be to please him; any benefits for us will be secondary. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 2)
Sometimes we act as if there is a great gulf fixed between formal worship and personal worship, between careful organization and the spirit of spontaneity. These parallel accounts lead us to conclude that it doesn’t have to be a matter of either/or. David’s conduct demonstrates we can be spontaneous and personally involved in worship that has been carefully organized. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 1 Chr, 168)
Christ was continuing to press upon this woman the fact that she was a sinner, and therefore it was useless to occupy her mind with questions about places of worship. What she needed was salvation, and this salvation could only be had through the knowledge of God revealed as Father, in the face of Jesus Christ. Such is the ground, and the only ground, of true spiritual worship. In order to worship the Father we must know Him; and to know Him is salvation, and salvation is eternal life. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 205)
Repentance and faith–these, so to speak, are the anointed priesthood who alone may handle, alone move the hallowed treasure. But if we would substitute for that repentance, which is the gift of the interceding Savior, another, human in its origin, and produced by the working of our unassisted feelings, what are we doing but placing an Uzza, one not sprung of the consecrated line, to assist in bringing back the sacred and magnificent treasure? The “due order” is that, stirred by the remonstrances of conscience, by the pleadings of God’s Spirit, we flee straightway to Christ, and entreat of Him to make us penitent; and then to give us pardon. (Joseph S. Exell, The biblical Illustrator, 53)
Spiritual Challenge: Don’t look to your worship as better than other Christians’. Look to Jesus! All of our worship (in and of itself) is pathetic. Real worship, the kind that God cherishes, is offered with a broken and contrite heart in light of our sinfulness and His holiness and grace.
Omit the spirit, and though you have the truth, the worship becomes formalism, mere ritual observance. Omit the truth, and though the whole soul is thrown into the worship, it becomes an abomination. Thus “spirit and truth” form a unit, two halves that belong together in every act of worship. (R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Johns’ Gospel, 323)
If you don’t see the absolute holiness of God, the magnitude of your debt, the categorical necessity of God’s just punishment of your sin, and therefore the utter hopelessness of your condition, then the knowledge of your pardon and deliverance will not be amazing and electrifying! — Tim Keller
My heart breaks every time I hear someone downplay or degrade a worship style or format that is different from what that someone is used to. I pray I never again hear any Christian say, “We know what real worship is about because we worship in the Spirit.” or “We know what real worship is about because we worship in Truth.”
In reality, real worship, the kind of worship most referred to and held up throughout the Bible is flat on your face; shut-up you idiot you are in the presence of Almighty God; frozen in wonder and awe; I’m so dirty, weak and worthless here before Him worship. That is real worship in Spirit and in Truth (2 Chr 20:18; 29:28-30; Neh 8:6; Job 1:20; Psa 95:6; 1 Cor 14:25; Rv 4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4). — Pastor Keith
Quotes to Note:
Beginning any task by praising God can inspire us to give him our best. Develop the practice of giving praise to God, and you will experience greater joy and strength to face anything. (Tyndale House Publishers, Life Application Study Bible, 688)
For a worship service to have vital worship, at least three things are required. First and most obviously, the Spirit must be working in and through the people of the church. Second, a preacher is needed who combines meaningful, biblical scholarship, comprehension of the dynamics driving today’s culture, and pastoral insight about contemporary living. The Word must be persuasively proclaimed and insightfully applied. Third, the service must be geared to achieving vital worship of the living God. (Donald J. MacNair; The Practices of a Healthy Church, 94)
While the biblical narratives do not spare David’s sinful side, they show a man who is willing to confess and be forgiven for his sin. In later literature this then became the biblical example of a true worshiper of Yahweh. Perfection of ethical and moral character was thus not indispensable for faith. Rather Yahweh desired an honest worshiper who could confess and praise Him in sincerity and truth (Mic 6:6-8). David becomes the example par excellence of a true worshiper, the traditional author of “the psalms of David” (e.g., 24, 150) that express cultic acts of worship. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. Four, 1120)
C. S. Lewis thought that too many new and unpredictable moments in a worship service could end up leaving people focusing on the worship rather than actually worshiping or, if you like, fixing their eyes on the service instead of Jesus. Lewis reminds worship leaders: “The charge to Peter was ‘Feed my sheep’, not ‘Try experiments on my rats’ or even ‘Teach my performing dog new tricks!’” (Matt Redman, The Unquenchable Worshiper, 57)
Worship is an outward expression of what we value most. — Theologian Ligon Duncan
Christ:
our worship adrenaline
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