Worship
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
INDEX:
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this page is to document Scripture references relating to proper worship (on a personal level) and temple worship after the return of the Messiah. I would also like to know how the average Hebrew observed a typical Shabbat/Sabbath in the first century B.C. and A.D..
I am aware that the Christian faiths place a large emphasis on music and Messianic faiths seem to place emphasis on dance and flag waving. The Pentacostal and Catholic faiths have elaborate rituals that they perform but I question how much of all this is what our Heavenly Father really wants.
As I witness all the mechanics of faith based worship, I question what is the motive and purpose. Are they doing something for YHWH that HE wants or are they trying to get something (a feeling perhaps) for themselves?
WORSHIP NOTES:
I was recently told by an acquaintance, that they don't worship the mark of the beast or any pagan symbols.
A good friend once told me that the second most important book in the world is the dictionary as most people don't have a clue as to what the words they use mean. So I looked up the word 'worship'. As you read through the definitions, I would caution against looking for a definition that fits your preconceived notion but rather look at the entire definition and gain an understanding of what the word really means. Before you go through the definitions, I would like to offer the following questions for your consideration.
- In your life, are the instructions and commands of YHWH optional while the laws of man are mandatory?
- Are your tithes (if you make any) to your Heavenly Father optional while your taxes to your government mandatory?
- Do you believe that you need to have a job to survive?
- Does your devotional time to YHWH (assuming you have any) have the same priority as you weekly work schedule?
- How important is money in your life?
- Do you broadcast your political beliefs from the rooftops but mutter your spiritual convictions (if you have any) under your breath or only to people with whom you know agree with you?
- Do your family and friends know more about your political ideals or your spiritual ones?
- Do you believe pride is a good thing and necessary for healthy human development?
- Recall how you spent your day yesterday. How much time was spent satisfying your wants and desires? How much time was spent supporting your government? How much time was spent worshiping or studying YHWH?
DEFINITIONS:
wor·ship
-noun
- 1. reverent honor and homage paid to god or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
- 2. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.
- 3. adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.
- 4. the object of adoring reverence or regard.
- 5. ( initial capital letter ) British . a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually prec. by Your, His, or Her ).
-verb (used with object)
- 6. to render religious reverence and homage to.
- 7. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).
-verb (used without object)
- 8. to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.
- 9. to attend services of divine worship.
- 10. to feel an adoring reverence or regard.
ded·i·cate
-verb (used with object)
- 1. to set apart and consecrate to a deity or to a sacred purpose: The ancient Greeks dedicated many shrines to Aphrodite.
- 2. to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose: He dedicated his life to fighting corruption.
- 3. to offer formally (a book, piece of music, etc.) to a person, cause, or the like in testimony of affection or respect, as on a prefatory page.
- 4. (loosely) to inscribe a personal Signature on (a book, drawing, etc., that is one's own work), usually with a salutation addressing the recipient.
- 5. to mark the official completion or opening of (a public building, monument, highway, etc.), usually by formal ceremonies.
- 6. to set aside for or assign to a specific function, task, or purpose: The county health agency has dedicated one inspector to monitor conditions in nursing homes.
de·vo·tion
-noun
- 1. profound dedication; consecration.
- 2. earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.
- 3. an assignment or appropriation to any purpose, cause, etc.: the devotion of one's wealth and time to scientific advancement.
- 4. Often, devotions. Ecclesiastical . religious observance or worship; a form of prayer or worship for special use.
hom·age
-noun
- 1. respect or reverence paid or rendered: In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson.
- 2. the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.
- 3. the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.
- 4. something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another: a Festschrift presented as an homage to a great teacher.
hon·or
-noun
- 1. honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor.
- 2. a source of credit or distinction: to be an honor to one's family.
- 3. high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor.
- 4. such respect manifested: a memorial in honor of the dead.
- 5. high public esteem; fame; glory: He has earned his position of honor.
- 6. the privilege of being associated with or receiving a favor from a respected person, group, organization, etc.: to have the honor of serving on a prize jury; I have the honor of introducing this evening's speaker.
- 7. Usually, honors. evidence, as a special ceremony, decoration, scroll, or title, of high rank, dignity, or distinction: political honors; military honors.
- 8. ( initial capital letter ) a deferential title of respect, esp. for judges and mayors (prec. by His, Her, Your, etc.).
- 9. honors,
a. special rank or distinction conferred by a university, college, or school upon a student for eminence in scholarship or success in some particular subject.
b. an advanced course of study for superior students. Compare honors course.
- 10. chastity or purity in a woman.
- 11. Also called honor card. Cards .
a. Bridge . any of the five highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten in the trump suit, or any of the four aces in a no-trump contract. Compare honor trick.
b. Whist . any of the four highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, or jack in the trump suit.
- 12. Golf . the privilege of teeing off before the other player or side, given after the first hole to the player or side that won the previous hole.
-verb (used with object)
- 13. to hold in honor or high respect; revere: to honor one's parents.
- 14. to treat with honor.
- 15. to confer honor or distinction upon: The university honored him with its leadership award.
- 16. to worship (the Supreme Being).
- 17. to show a courteous regard for: to honor an invitation.
- 18. Commerce . to accept or pay (a draft, check, etc.): All credit cards are honored here.
- 19. to accept as valid and conform to the request or demands of (an official document).
- 20. (in square dancing) to meet or salute with a bow.
-adjective
- 21. of, pertaining to, or noting honor.
—Idioms
- 22. be on / uponone's honor, to accept and acknowledge personal responsibility for one's actions: West Point cadets are on their honor not to cheat on an exam.
- 23. do honor to,
a. to show respect to.
b. to be a credit to: Such good students would do honor to any teacher.
- 24. do the honors, to serve or preside as host, as in introducing people, or carving or serving at table: Father did the honors at the family thanksgiving dinner.
o·bei·sance
-noun
- 1. a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission
- 2. the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person;
rev·er·ent
-adjective
- feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful: a reverent greeting.
rev·er·ence
-noun
- 1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.
- 2. the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.
- 3. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.
- 4. the state of being revered.
- 5. ( initial capital letter ) a title used in addressing or mentioning a member of the clergy (usually prec. by your or his ).
-verb (used with object)
- 6. to regard or treat with reverence; venerate: One should reverence god and His laws.
sa·cred
-adjective
- 1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.
- 2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.
- 3. pertaining to or connected with religion ( opposed to secular or profane): sacred music; sacred books.
- 4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object: a morning hour sacred to study.
- 5. regarded with reverence: the sacred memory of a dead hero.
- 6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights.
- 7. properly immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.
PERSONAL WORSHIP SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
8"And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped." (KJV)
Group Worship Scripture References:
5"And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." (KJV)
Abraham was leaving to sacrifice his son. It doesn't seem likely that there was music, dance and banner waving during this time.
31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. (KJV)
27That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. (KJV)
34And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. (KJV)
14"And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?" (KJV)
Joshua is on his face on the ground. It doesn't seem likely that he was making music, dancing or waving a banner during this time.
3"And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there." (KJV)
This verse seems to indicate that worship and making a sacrifice are two seperate actions.
23'And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.' (KJV)
This verse is referring to ALL the people of the earth.
23"Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." (KJV)
23"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (KJV)
Obviously song and music are not as important as obedience.
16'Andit shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.' (KJV)
We will be keeping the feasts after the Messiah's return.
worship/shachah shaw-khaw' (H 7812) - a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):--bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
17'And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.' (KJV)
18'And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.' (KJV)
We will be keeping the feasts after the Messiah's return.
19'This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.' (KJV)
We will be keeping the feasts after the Messiah's return. The LORD will smite the heathen that do not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
3'And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. ' (KJV)
4'Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.' (KJV)
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (KJV)
18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. (KJV)
4And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (KJV)