WORSHIP PART 1

 It has been quite a while since I did any blogging. To my readers I apologise. I can only say that I keep fighting the good fight of faith. Any fight of faith is a good fight. But I have learnt so much over the period that I feel like bursting. My desire with the blogging is to encourage and build faith in Christ Jesus as our LORD AND SAVIOUR. 

I want to share with you what I learnt about worship. It is a good point to re-start. Understanding how to worship is foundational and necessary. I have discovered many Christians do not understand how to worship and what it really is. 

Worship proves our dedication to Him, our reverence, our love for Him, and shows that we chose Him and say "yes" to Him while denying self and others. The question now is "How can we love God and worship Him only?" 

To answer we refer to the scriptures. There are several words in the Bible used for worship so let us start there. Worship according to scripture has several meanings. It is more about obedience, submission and a life of sacrifice. 

The three main words used to mean worship are: "shachah" (Hebrew), "proskuneo" (Greek) and "abad" (Hebrew). But I will include a few other words used.

Shachah is the most commonly used today but used only 172 times in the Bible. It means "to bow down" or "prostrate self". It is an act of submission to the authority of God as found in Genesis 22:5, “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”

The Greek word for shachah is "proskuneo" and it is also the most commonly used in the New Testament. This is probably why most people think that worship is a show or display of submission. It means to "bow down", "kneel down", "kiss the hand". I have found that many people forget that along with the outward action there should be an inward adoration of God. 

A key verse is Romans 12:1, "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Here "latreuo" (Greek) meaning "to serve" or "minister". It highlights priestly service or spiritual service to God. 

The Hebrew version to "latreuo" is the verb "avad/abad" which is used about 290 times, to describe serving a master, tilling the ground, or worshipping God. There is a related noun "eved/ebed", meaning "servant," "slave," or "subject," appears an additional 800 + times. The noun "avodah/abodah" meaning "service," "labor," or "work", occurs about 145 times. It is the most used in the Bible for worship. 

"Yare" is also used and it is Hebrew for "fear" and "awe". It is great reverence for God's sovreignty and greatness. The Greek version would be "sabomai" indicating that it is a permanent show of devotion.

No where in the Bible is worship does it say worship is to sing songs specifically. In fact in Luke 3, John the Baptist charged the Pharisees who were the spiritual leaders of the Jews with not producing fruit;

"Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”" Luke 3:7-9 

When the "The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.” Luke 3:10-14

Worship is mostly about obedience and service. The first commission in the Bible is to be fruitful and multiply. In Matthew 23:13 Jesus says;

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter"

But if you read from verse 1 you will see why today many people focus on the outward action of demonstrating worship and not on having a ife of worship.