Mr. NiNenno,

To come to a proper and biblical understanding of “worship” one needs to have a firm grasp of Biblical Theology, i.e., the progressive development of the self-revelation of God which He Himself has determined to have recorded in Scripture. The concept of worship doesn’t find its origin in the Temple and the festivals celebrated by the nation of Israel but rather beginning in Genesis with the very purpose for which man was created, i.e., to glorify God and to serve Him in the concrete reality of the world.

In the very creation itself we find that the non-human elements of the creation “declare the glory of God” (Ps 19:1), i.e., they show forth God as the sovereign Creator to whom is owed adoration and subservience. Man, however, being created in the imago dei, was far different than all else that God created for it was in this possession of God’s “image” that man was able to have communion with the Creator and to offer to Him that praise and recognition that He is indeed the sovereign Creator and sustainer of all things. It is in this special relationship that “worship” came into being. The original covenant established by God with Adam and Eve, due to the Fall, was broken and thus there existed a natural disfellowship between the Creator and the creature. Yet, it was through the grace of God that this fellowship was to be re-established but through sacrifice to atone for the transgression that broke the covenant that existed. This can be seen initially, in seed form, when Abel and Cain brought offerings to God, which I would suggest was a designated time; the Sabbath, and according to specific regulations given by God Himself. This we see from the fact that Cain’s offering was rejected and Abel’s accepted. (Gen 4:3ff)

The fact that man by virtue of his constituent being and calling is called to worship is seen in the fact that immediately after the Fall men bring an offering. The offerings seems to spring from a desire to satisfy the need for fellowship with God. The offerings were intended to be expressive of gratitude to God, but were also associated with the desire to secure the divine favor and blessing. Based on the previous revelation to Genesis 3, Abel not only has a heart that is right before God (Heb 11:4), but he worshipped according to the command of God. His sacrifice was that which was a response to revelation and contained a germ of substitution, the notion of expiatory sacrifice.

The worship element began to play a prominent role in the days of Enosh (Gen 4:26). “Calling upon the name of the Lord” is an expression denoting the proclamation of that in worship. Calling upon the name of the Lord denotes invocation. It would seem that the people of Enosh’s day were seeking to capture something of the “shalom” ideal which God had ordained form man when He blessed him in paradise. We have here the first explicit account of the commencement of worship that consisted of a celebration of the mercy and help of Jehovah. It may have consisted of prayer, praise and thanksgiving. This is further confirmed when one sees in Gen 8:20ff. that the first thing that Noah did after the flood waters receded was to build an altar for burnt sacrifice, to thank the Lord for gracious protection, and pray for mercy in time to come. This is the first explicit mention of the altar. The altar was erected to God, the offering was presented to Him. Thus we read, “the Lord smelled a sweet savor.” (v. 20) Literally, it was the “odor of rest.” God accepted the offering and responded to this desire for fellowship and creation. It is note worthy that in the intimate relationship between worship and Covenant, sacrifice precedes the institution of the Covenant.

The Patriarchs built altars at various locations where the Lord manifested Himself to them. The altar plays an important part in the history of revelation. The Patriarchs build their own altars and act as their own priests. As the Covenant promise was given to Abraham, he responds by erecting an altar to the Lord which has three features: 1) calling upon His name, 2) acknowledgement of His name, and 3) taking possession of the land in the name of his God. The place of altar building at Bethel is significant. In fact, when he returned from Egypt he erected an altar to the Lord. Leupold writes: “Apparently, this worship was to Abram a matter of personal necessity as well as public testimony. Of personal necessity for he desired to express his penitence at his lapse from truth as well as his gratitude for the undeserved protection of himself and his wife by Yahweh. At the same time, this public act proclaimed the honor of Yahweh, the true and faithful, to whom alone Abram ascribed his safe return.” (H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis, Volume I, pp. 432, 433.) When Abram settles down in Hebron, that place is sanctified by the building of an altar to the Lord in contrast to the gods of the Canaanites. A further step in preparation for the Mosaic worship system is found in Genesis 22. Isaac is taken to Mt. Moriah to be offered on a altar. Isaac bears the seed of the Redeemer; thus we see, not a pietistic event, but the principle of substitution illustrated.” All the Biblical sacrifices rest on the idea of the gift of life to God, either in consecration or in expiation, is necessary to the action or the restoration of religion. What passes from man to God is not regarded as property but, even though it be property for a symbolic purpose, means always in the last analysis the gift of life. And this is, in the original conception, neither in expiation nor in consecration the gift of alien life; it is the gift of life of the offerer himself” (Vos, Biblical Theology, p. 107).

There exists in the life of Israel a series of institutions and cultic acts forming the service of Jehovah in a narrow sense. These are cultic institutions and ceremonies. However, by the theocratic ordinance, all human relations have a religious quality and therefore must be called “service” (worship) to God. At the same time, in the narrow sense Israel must present herself before the Lord. Because He has chosen the people and brought them into fellowship with Himself as a community which He has sanctified, Israel must regularly consecrate herself and all that she has before the Lord. Thus we must distinguish between those acts of men which are done throughout the daily lives and that special act, designated as “worship”, in the offering of their hearts to express adoration and gratitude to God according to His dictates, in a corporate setting, as the chosen people of God.

Let me quickly move on to the next stage of development in the worship of God, which is that of the Tabernacle. In the giving of the tabernacle, God asserts His right to declare how He shall be worshipped. In Numbers 6:26 the formula of blessing which Aaron and his sons put on the congregation of Israel constitutes the epitome of tabernacle service. It was at the tabernacle, and the tabernacle alone, that it was possible to see the face of God and to realize the fullness of strength expressed by the word “shalom”. E. Jacob has observed that the very structure of the tabernacle with its palm trees and cherubim and holy places were calculated to evoke memories of the “shalom” of paradise. (Jacob, The Theology of the Old Testament, p. 259) One can get an idea of the purpose of the tabernacle by the names that are given to it: “the dwelling place,” to signify that here God dwells among His people and is truly their God; “the tent of meeting,” to show that here God meets with His people and has fellowship with them; “the tent of testimony,” because it testifies constantly to the Covenant which God had made with His people; “the Holy Place,” because it is set apart from everything else by virtue of God’s present there, and thus He is to be viewed with reverence and awe. The “meeting” does not refer to a gathering of the people together, as much as it is the “meeting” of Jehovah with His people. The concept of “meeting” implies that God makes the provision and appoints the time. This is important because the Bible emphasizes that in worship there is a conscious intercourse between God and man (Ex. 29:42) The names of the tabernacle imply not only trustful approach but ear and awe. The sanctuary character of the tabernacle emphasizes this element. The people remain at a distance and are confined to the outer court. Only the priests may enter, and this is due to their representative character, not to their ethical qualifications.

It is also true that the tabernacle is the place where the people offer their worship to God. This aspect can be seen in the symbolism of the Hoy Place. The incense stands for prayer. It ascends to God and is received as a delightful smell in the nostrils of the Lord. The Table of the Bread of Face, represents the meat and drink offering. In the light of Lev. 24:5-8 it symbolizes the consecration of the activities of life to God. The significance of the Lamp Stand is more difficult to discern. In the light of Matt. 5:14 it may indirectly refer to the ascriptions of praise to God. The whole phenomenon was not pure symbol but a real means of grace. The Shekinah emphasizes that the tabernacle actually contained the presence of God. (Vos, Biblical Theology, pp. 168-172)

Now, quickly moving on the Mosaic period, the major time of ceremony was the Sabbath. It was by creation ordinance, bound to the service of God. The most prominent feature of the Sabbath was that it was to be observed as a perpetual “berith” (Ex. 31:16). The Sabbath seems to be essential to “berith”. It served as a condition for Covenant standing. It demonstrates faith in what it typifies (creation, redemption, eschatological rest). The Sabbath was a day of special religious assembly (Lev. 23:3). There were also detailed regulations for its observation. In addition to the regular Sabbath meeting, there were special festivals/Sabbaths that were celebrated. But again, these were additional to the regular meetings of the weekly Sabbath. Although they are important in that they reveal more of the redemptive nature of what the Messiah was to accomplish in His atonement, which are revelatory in nature, it was the weekly gathering of the people of God on the weekly Sabbath that is in focus here and which was to be carried over into the New Testament period.

Meredith Kline and George Mendenhall have demonstrated that a great deal of the form of the Covenant corresponds to the Suzerainty treaties of the Near East. An important element of this ceremony was the public hearing of the terms of the Covenant. In Deuteronomy 9 the people heard the renewal of the Covenant “in the day of the assembly” (Meredith Kline, The Treaty of the Great King, pp. 30-48). The tontinued office of the prophet (oracle of God) is also declared. (Deut. 5:15) So here we find a liturgical use of the Word of God. In addition to the hearing of the proclamation wherein God set forth His love and His demands there was a response of worship which was also evident in this Covenant assembly. The oath or vow to keep the Covenant is a supreme act of worship. The song of Moses, A Covenant Witness, is a model of praise. Indeed it becomes a paradigm for the future praise of Israel. The whole congregation participates in this testimony of the Covenant.

Something of the pattern of this assembly can be seen in the Covenant renewal ceremony in Deuteronomy. Their assembly was to express itself in joyful worship. “Ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God” (Deut. 5:7, 12). Their liturgy was to be based on the revealed will of God; no less, no more. “Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it” (Deut. 5:32, 13:1). Part of the Covenant response required was a cultic (worship) confession. (Deut. 26:1-11) They were to confess His continuing Lordship and to demonstrate outwardly that Lordship by a tributary offering of first fruits. They were also to confess that their call was attributed to God’s grace. “A wandering Aramean was my father” (26:5). The dependence of Israel on the Lord for continual blessing was expressed in triennial service of presentation. There was apparently a liturgy which followed the presentation of the tithes and first fruits. It involved an avowal of obedience and a petition for divine blessing. (Deut. 26:13-15) This confession and others also involve a historical recital of the great events of redemptive history. The historical recital is seen in the praise of the Psalter. The central act of the assembled people was an oath of allegiance which was given in response to the declarations of the Covenant provisions and stipulations. The people vow and the “Lord graciously acknowledges them as His people and guarantees the blessing of the Covenant (Deut. 26:16-19)

The covenantal aspect is not transient but perpetual as the Lord’s Covenant of Grace extends from Adam to the last believer on earth until Christ returns. Thus the worship of God is to be retained and practiced in its fullness by all of God’s people in every age. This worship, in its narrow sense, i.e., the corporate gathering of the people of God on the Sabbath, varies only in such things as to its meeting place (outward elements) and its depth due to the progressive revelation of God’s redemptive plan as it was made available to God’s people throughout history, culminating in its fullest expression during the time of the Apostles when the New Testament was penned by those holy men of God as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Conclusions to be derived from the above biblical evidence:

  • The approach to the issue of worship must be Biblical-theological rather than merely textual.
  • The backdrop of worship is the reality of creation and it therefore assumes the creature-Creator relationship.
  • Worship is God-centered. It rests on His action, indeed was, and is a proclamation of His action.
  • Worship is Covenant memorializing. It has its root in response to or reaffirmation of the Covenant. God comes to man as He dwells in the midst of His gathered people but the people also enter afresh into the Covenant, vis-à-vis prayer, praise, confession, etc.
  • Worship (service) “latreia” must be seen in both its narrow sense (cultic institutions, etc.) and in its broad sense (all of life is a service before the Lord).
  • The supreme self-realization of the people of God is in their worship. They are the people of God when they gather before the Lord for worship.
  • Worship is primarily corporate. Perhaps some have been unduly influenced by pietistic individualism in their view of worship and thus diminish and/or denigrate the corporate aspect of the true worship of God.

In another reply, I'll deal with worship in the Gospels, and D.v., thereafter worship during the first 4 centuries of the Christian Church.

In His Grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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