Ok, last time I discussed how in the modern protestant church the term "worship" is often used to denote music of some kind. I gave several reasons why I thought that music as worship can become a problem. However, this time I'd like to describe what worship really is in the Biblical sense, that is, a total devotion to God.
Let me start by saying that music is a part of worship, especially in church liturgy. One only has to peer through the lenses of history to see that music has had a prominent place in the church for a long time. The example that springs to mind is that of the famous composer J.S. Bach. He was a brilliant German composer, and much of his masterful music was composed for his church. Also, many have heard of Handel's Messiah, a glorious depiction of Christ in musical form. These melodies are beautiful to God's ears, and there is no Biblical basis to renounce such things. Further, even the Biblical writers often referred to using music to worship the Lord. Ten times in the book of Chronicles the righteous kings of Judah used musical instrments to praise the Lord. What's more, seven psalms are headlined With Stringed Instruments (Psalms 4, 6, 54, 55, 61, 67, 76). Many more Psalms are marked For the Director of Music. Finally, Ephesians 5:19 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." Thus, from this simple analysis we can see that music has definitely played an important part in Christian worship, from Biblical times forward. What then, you ask, am I trying to say by stating that music has traditionally been important but today is often not good? The truth is, there is nothing wrong with music as worship. The problem is that worship is far, far, more than music. I think that if we exclude these other aspects of worship by only focusing on music, we are doing wrong.
Next, let us look at some Biblical words used to denote worship, and their contexts. All of the information in this paragraph I am taking from the 1997 edition of Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. The Greek word most commonly translated as "Worship" is the verb proskuneo, which comes from the preposition pros, meaning "to or towards", and the verb kuneo, meaning "to kiss". It is more commonly understood to refer to an act of homage or reverence, whether to God or Jesus or even another man. There are countless examples of this word being used. A second verb is sebomai, meaning to revere, with emphasis on the feeling of awe and/or devotion. This word is used in Matt 15:9, Acts 16:14, 19:27, etc. The verb latreuo means "To serve, to render religious service or homage." There are several other minor Greek words, but these will suffice for the moment. However, it is clear that none of these words refer to anything musical, rather obesiance, awe, and service.
Obviously, there is a lot in the OT about worship, but I don't know anything about Hebrew, and Vine's doesn't give any information, so while I might mention a couple of OT examples, I will mainly focus on NT passages about worship. Next, we will look at some specific passages of scripture that speak of worship.
Many OT references refer to the worshipper bowing down, often with their faces to the ground in reverence. To give merely one example, 2 Chronicles 20:18 says, "Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD." There are many more OT examples, but again, that is not the main focus of this article.
Matthew 2:11 speak of the Wise Men* coming to visit the baby Jesus. "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." This is similar to Jehoshaphat's worship of the Lord earlier. We can learn from this that the Wise Men made a great sacrifice of time and money (Their gifts were very costly), and came to humble themselves before a child, recognizing his greatness. There are many other examples, including Jesus' temptation, where worship could be used as "render status to", as when Satan demanded that Jesus worship him, which would accord Satan a higher position than Jesus. In Matthew 14:33, after Jesus walked on water, he got into the boat, and "Those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" What was their recorded act of worship? They recognized the true status of Jesus as the Son of God and their own inferiority in comparison.
Luke tells us of an old prophetess named Anna at the temple while the baby Jesus was being presented there. Luke tells us that Anna "Never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." (Luke 2:37) Anna did more than aclaim greatness to God, she disciplined herself to continually fast and pray before Him as her offering.
Paul has many things to say about worship as well. The famous passage in Romans 12:1-2 says,
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Thus, worship according to this passage is 1. To sacrifice your body to God, presumably for acts of discipline (like Anna) and service, and 2. Renew your mind by dissasociating your life from the pattern of the world, e.g., don't think and do what the world thinks and does. This kind of worship involves continual work, for sacrifice, whether mental or physical, is not easy.
Paul further exorts Timothy in proper worship in 1 Timothy Chapter 2. He says,
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior...I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." (vv. 1-3, 8-9)
If we now move to the end of the Bible to the book of Revalation, we can get a glimpse of how worship goes in in the intimacy of God's court in Heaven. Chapter 4, verses 9-11 say,
"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'"
These mysterious elders thus do several things in their worship of God: They accord to him glory. God is very jealous for His glory (See John Piper for more on this) They give him honor and thanks, recognizing what he has done for them. They humbly prostrated themselves before the throne, so unworthy were they in comparison. They give their crowns, any power, wealth, or worth they have in themselves they give to God. Finally, they praise him for his mighty acts of creation and sovereign will.
Later in that same book, John is so overwhelmed by the images that the angel is showing him that John begins to worship him, but the angel quickly reminds him, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" Thus God alone is worthy of worship, and though that sounds so simple, even the disciple John let this slip caught in the majesty of all he had seen.
Thus, after giving a scriptural summary of worship, how can we breifly summarize so that we may apply it to our lives? First off, remember that worship involves according the right status and relationship to God. Second, that recognition involves proper actions, like Anna did and Paul wrote about. It is giving to God recognition and thanks for his wonderful deeds in history. It is giving to him our most valuable posessions, our "crowns". Finally, I think a good summary is given by Christian teacher and apologist Ravi Zacharias, who quotes Archbiship William Temple. He says, "Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness, nourishment of mind by his truth, purifying of imagination by his beauty, opening of the heart to his love, and submission of will to his purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest expression of which we are capable."
So be it. I pray we all learn to worship properly God as he is worthy of it.
Comments, questions, etc. are welcome. If you think I am wrong on any of this, please show me from the Bible how so and I will change it. Or if you have an ideas of anything to add that I forgot, please let me know! Grace and peace to all. Amen.
*For those interested in history, Matthew refers to these wise men as Magi from the east. The Greek historian Herodotus speaks of a tribe of the Medes called Magi. Media was certainly east of the Holy Land. Media is also closely assiciated with the Achaemenid Persians, who ruled Asia/Middle East around the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. We also find the Persians in the biblical books of Daniel, Nehemiah/Ezra, and Esther.
