On Worship

Worship. What do we mean when we use the term? What are the qualifications of one who would be aworshiper? Many refrain from using the phrase “Sunday Morning Worship Service.” Their mental picture of a “Worship Service” is that of a “dead” service: where one dare not speak above a whisper; where doxologies are sung; where an “Amen” would be out of order. “The Lord is in His Holy Temple,” therefore sit quietly and reverently! There are many others who feel quite the contrary. This is the day of “Praise and Worship:” put your hands together; sing out; raise your voices in thunderous praise; bring the congregation up to an emotional high. . .Then there are others, somewhat confused by all this, who are thinking. . .perhaps worship is to be found somewhere in the middle. . .

One of the basic “laws” in studying the scriptures is that of the law of first mention. Worship is first mentioned in Genesis chapter 22, verse 5. Actually there are no less than 10 words first mentioned in this text! They are: lovest, in verse 2, offer, in verse 2, clave, in verse 3, WORSHIP, in verse 5, knife, in verse 6, lamb, in verse 7, provide, in verse 8, bound, in verse 9, fearest, in verse 12, and stead, in verse 13.

Isaac asked of Abraham: My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. Can we not well discern the bond of love between father and son? It is not just “Father, and son; but my father, and my son! “And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham’s reply: “My son, God [Jehovah-Jireh] will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering;“ Almost 2000 years later a fellow named John announced the fulfillment of Abraham’s prophesy and answered Isaac’s question: “. . .John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.

But why would Isaac ask such a question: “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

“And Abraham said unto the young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and WORSHIP, and will come again to you.”

What did Isaac know; what had his father taught him about the meaning of worship? Well, he knew that worship meant an altar, and wood, and fire, and a lamb that would be slain and offered as a burnt offering unto the Lord. He knew there had to be a lamb for an offering because his father had just told the men that they were going to worship! Without the lamb there is just not going to be worship! (May we pause to reflect that Abel came before the Lord God in worship, having the sacrificial lamb to offer Him. But Cain would dare to approach a Holy God without sacrifice, bearing only the works of his own hands.)

“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” Notice, the word “substitute” is not used here, nor anywhere else in all of the scriptures. It is a term adopted by men; just like the word “rapture.” But what we find here is “stead.” Abraham offered him up (the ram) in the stead of his son.”

The basis for Worship

“Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood” Heb. 9:18. “This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you” Heb. 9:20. “. . .without shedding of blood is no remission” Heb. 9:22. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins”

Communion and Worship

“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” Matt. 26:27-28. cf. Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, I Cor. 11:25.

“. . .the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: for this is my body, which is broken for you: this do inremembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” I Cor. 11:23b,24-25.

The body of Christ has already been broken; his blood, already shed. It would be unthinkable for a believer (or a sinner for that matter) to bring a lamb to the altar of a church and ask the pastor to shed its blood in his behalf! The cup and the bread are representative of the finished transaction; of the offering of our Lord upon the cross. Having not seen with the eye, by faith we look back in remembrance to that eternal offering of the blood and body of Christ. Is there saving virtue in the bread and the cup? Of course not. But the communion service should bring us into fellowship with our brethren; and our hearts into a position of worship before Him as we remember.

The Old Testament saint did bring his lamb before the pastor (priest). He did expect its blood to be shed on the altar. The shed blood was representative of a finished transaction; of the offering that God would provide for Himself in his behalf. By faith he looked forward: faith became the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen! It was not possible that the blood of goats and bulls should take away sins: but it surely could bring him into remembrance of the Lamb that could, as he contemplated the eternal promise of God! And on that basis he entered into worship before his Lord!