Throughout scripture we are called to worship the Lord. In Exodus 34:14, God commands us to worship no other god. What does true worship look like to God? Is it hours of singing praise and worship songs or proclaiming how great God is? Those are aspects of worship, and we do those things out of love and gratitude for the Lord, but that is not the worship He desires.
Let’s look at the word Worship: Strong’s dictionary says it means, “to bow down, pay homage, prostrate to royalty, fall down flat, do reverence or humbly beseech.” [1] It is speaking about an attitude of reverence we have toward something or someone. The question we should ask ourselves is: are we worshipping Godly things or worldly things?
Are we worshipping Godly things or worldly things?
When we bow down to worship, it is to pay homage to the Lord. It is a picture of us humbling ourselves before the Creator. Everything in our lives – attitudes and actions – should reflect the worthiness of God. The Apostle Paul tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy (consecrated/dedicated) and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way to worship (Rom 12:1 ISV). Even the early church understood what real worship meant:
He plainly perceived that there is no need of flesh for appeasing the majesty of heaven, but of a pure mind and a just spirit, and a breast, as he himself says, which is generous with a natural love of honour. This is true worship, in which the mind of the worshipper presents itself as an undefiled offering to God. [2]
Yeshua Himself told the Samaritan woman at the well how He desired to be worshipped. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him,” (John 4:23). God is Spirit, and He is truth.
We worship, therefore, the Father of truth, and the Son, who is the truth; and these, while they are two, considered as persons or subsistences, are one in unity of thought, in harmony and in identity of will. So entirely are they one, that he who has seen the Son, “who is the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person, ” has seen in Him who is the image, of God, God Himself. [3]
When we understand that the revelation of the Word is Yeshua, that is worship. God isn’t concerned with our singing and dancing. He’s looking for lives that have fully submitted to Him. He wants us to see the spiritual realm and understand His divine nature so we can walk it out. When we bow down to worship, there is no need for music. Our melody is a sacrificial life that is dedicated to the secrets of the kingdom. We were created to worship and praise Him, because He is worthy!
When we understand that the revelation of the Word is Yeshua, that is worship.
References:
[1] Strong’s Bible Dictionary- H7812
[2] Lactantius-The Divine Institutes Bk VI, Ch. II Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol 7.
[3] Origen- Origen Against Celsus Bk. VIII, Ch. XII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol 4.