Worship

The word worship has different degrees of meaning to different people. Yet in those degrees of difference there seems to be a common purpose. That purpose is to show profound respect and devotion to either God, or a human being or some object of devotion.

Collins Concise Dictionary defines the word worship as:

1. To show profound religious devotion and respect to adore or venerate (God or any person or thing considered divine).

2. To be devoted to and full of admiration for.

3. To have or express feelings of profound adoration.

4. To attend services for worship.

5. Religious adoration and devotion.

6. The formal expression of religious adoration, rites, prayers etc.

7. Admiring love or devotion.

What does the word worship convey to you? For me it is the out flowing from a heart full of appreciation for the goodness, grace, mercy; and above all, the love of God to me personally. Whilst my personal worship gives the true and living God joy and satisfaction; He derives much more joy and satisfaction from redeemed men and women gathered together for the express purpose of worshipping Him.

1 Chronicles 16:29 tells us, "Give to the Lord the glory due to his name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." These words "...worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." are also found in Psalm 29:2 and Psalm 96:9.

Let us take note of the points of interest in 1 Chronicles 16:29.

1. Give to the Lord the glory due to His name.

2. Bring an offering.

3. Come before Him.

4. Worship the Lord.

5. The beauty of holiness.

In point 1 we need to recognise who the Lord is; the pre-eminence of His name and the glory due to His name and person. In point 2 we are told to bring an offering to the Lord. In point3 we are told to come before Him. In point 4 we are told to worship Him. In point 5 we are told this worship is to be in the beauty of holiness.

This worship is not from afar; this worship is close and very personal. You may be wondering what sort of an offering modern day believers can bring to the Lord. Let's look at Hebrews 13:15, "Therefore by Him [Jesus Christ] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."  Here is an offering we can all make!

Praise and worship are intertwined. Praise is a sacrifice of self. When we are praising God our thoughts are turned away from ourselves to the glory and beauty of our God. This praise flows forth in worship of our God.

"...in the beauty of holiness." This holiness is not something we confer on ourselves. This holiness is not conferred on us by other men or women. This holiness is conferred on us the moment we are saved. 1 Corinthians 6:11, "...But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." These three actions encompass holiness. We are clean in God's sight, we are set apart for God [sanctified] and we are made just in God's eyes. Thus we can "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

Jon Peasey

Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

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