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What is Worship?

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Definitions:

  1. Dictionary.com
  2. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
  3. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage:
  4. GotQuestions: In the Bible, worship describes both a way of life and a specific activity. Praising, adoring, and expressing reverence for God, both publicly and privately, are specific acts of worship. In a broader sense, worship refers to an overall lifestyle of serving and glorifying God and reflecting His glory to others.

Some facts:

  1. The word “worship” occurs about 119 times in the Bible.
  2. There are 4 Hebrew words for worship (Strong’s numbers H5457, H5647, H6087, and H7812). Some are related to each other.
  3. There are 13 Greek words for worship (Strong’s numbers G1391, G1479, G2151, G2318, G2323, G2356, G3000, G3511, G4352, G4353, G4573, G4574, G4576). Some of these are related to each other.
  4. All have their particular definition and translations. 

Worship 

  1. In the Old Testament, it is centered around the Tabernacle/Temple. Before there was either, it centered around sacrifices and prayers, often accompanied by music and rituals.
  2. In the New Testament, it is centered around Jesus Christ.
  3. Worship assumes a submission to authority. It is a recognition that something is superior to me. I am the servant, so I bow down to acknowledge my superior. This is what the devil wanted from Jesus (Matthew 4:9). Jesus refused and ordered satan to get in back of him—a strong affirmation of Jesus’s authority and superiority over the devil.

For the Jews

  1. There was only one God (Exodus 20:2-7 and 31:14, etc.), one place of worship (Deuteronomy 12):5-7), gifts (Matthew 2:2) and one set of laws.
  2. There is singing (Psalm 66:4), humbling oneself (Psalm 95:6), a holy way of life (Psalm 96:9), an attitude (Isaiah 66:2 and Micah 6:8), truth (Psalm 145:18), and faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

For the Christian

  1. Worship is not a place but in spirit and truth (John 4:23). This means it is not a physical work but a spiritual, emotional, mental attitude towards God. Truth is that our worship is genuine. This also applies to the Old Testament worshippers, but now there will be no Temple (John 2:19-20) on earth. Jesus is now the “temple.” True worship can only come from one who has been reborn (John 3:16). When reborn, the soul and spirit of a person are a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Instead of spiritual deadness, there is spiritual life.
    1. Know the Word Study Bible Notes: God is not limited by time and space. When people are born of the Spirit, they can commune with God anywhere. Spirit is the opposite of what is material and earthly, for example, Mount Gerizim. Christ makes worship a matter of the heart. Truth is what is in harmony with the nature and will of God. The issue is not where a person worships, but how and whom.
    2. Matthew Henry commenting on Romans 7:1-6: Still we must serve, but it is a service that is perfect freedom, whereas the service of sin was a perfect drudgery: we must now serve in newness of spirit, by new spiritual rules, from new spiritual principles, in spirit and in truth, John 4:24.
    3. J. C. Ryle on this passage:
      1. Our Lord here declares who alone would be considered true worshippers in the coming dispensation of the Gospel. They would not be merely those who worshipped in this place or in that place. They would not be exclusively Jews, or exclusively Gentiles, or exclusively Samaritans. The external part of the worship would be of no value compared to the internal state of the worshippers. They only would be counted true worshippers who worshipped in spirit and in truth.
      2. “Worship in spirit” is heart-worship in contradistinction to all formal, material, carnal worship, consisting only of ceremonies, offerings, sacrifices, and the like. When a Jew offered a formal meat-offering, with his heart far away, it was worship after the flesh. When David offered in prayer a broken and a contrite heart, it was worship in spirit.—”Worship in truth,” means worship “through the one true way of access to God, without the medium of the sacrifices or priesthood, which were ordained till Christ died on the cross. When the veil was rent, and the way into the holiest made manifest by Christ’s death, then, and not till then, men “worshipped in truth.” Before Christ, they worshipped through types, and shadows, and figures, and emblems. After Christ they worshipped in truth.—Spirit is opposed to “flesh;” truth to “shadow.” “Spirit,” in short, is heart-service, contrasted with lip worship and formal devotion. “Truth” is the full light of the Christian dispensation contrasted with the twilight of the law of Moses.

2. The Old Testament place and actions are done away. They have been replaced.

  1. There is a different High Priest—Jesus (Hebrews 5:5-10).
  2. There is a different sanctuary (Temple)—Hebrews 8:5.
  3. There is a different mediator. Instead of a Levitical High Priest, there is a Jewish (from the tribe of Judah) High Priest—Hebrews 8:6
  4. There is a different covenant. The old covenant was the Mosaic Law (cp. Deuteronomy 28 having the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience). This new covenant is found in Hebrews 8:8-12 and Hebrews 9:15.
  5. There is a fading and disappearing Covenant—the Mosaic covenant and a growing and brighter Covenant—the New covenant (Hebrews 8:13).
  6. There is a different atonement for sin—Jesus Himself (Hebrews 9:11-14 and Hebrews 9:28). 
  7. There is a different sacrifices for sin—Jesus Himself (Hebrews 10:5-10).
  8. There is a different motive. The Old covenant was motivated by fear and obligation. The New covenant was motivation by love (Ephesians 5:2)
  9. There is a different sanctification. The Old covenant was a temporary covering and only an outward restoration of fellowship with God, because they needed a sacrifice for their every day sins. The New covenant is complete and inward (Hebrews 10:10). Now, we ask for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). The New covenant results in a new creation, a regeneration, of our soul/spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  10. There are different grain sacrifices (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)
  11. There is a new freedom to offer our own free will (John 8:36)
  12. There are different personal sacrifices.
    1. Gifts—Hebrews 13:16 and Philippians 4:18
    2. Praising God—Hebrews 13:15
    3. Ourselves—Romans 12:1-2, which includes dedication and loyalty (Luke 9:62), love for God (Mark 12:33), obedience to the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), which shows love to Him (John 14:15), and holiness (Romans 6:17-22, and Ephesians 4:20-24).
    4. Spiritual—2 Peter 2:5
    5. Humbling ourselves—Psalm 51:17

Applications:

  1. Are we worshipping God?
  2. Are we worshipping in truth?
  3. Are we worshipping God by obeying Him?
  4. Are we asking God for our forgiveness of daily sins?
  5. Are we worshipping with other believers?
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