"Worship" is a term in Christianity that is used quite often, just like faith, grace, and salvation. Because of its generality, there are numerous meanings attached to this term, worship. However in this paper, it is my task to define and describe worship by using the Psalms as a focal point.
But before we can explore any of this, there must be a foundation upon which to build. Should we worship anything we choose? No! The Bible doesn’t leave us hanging in chaos regarding whom we should worship. Psalms 81:8-10 says, "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I, the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it." The psalmist makes it very clear regarding Whom we should worship. The author also casts judgment upon those who serve other gods: "Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols; worship Him, all you gods" (Psalm 97:7).
The Lord Almighty only is to be worshipped. But who is to worship Him. Is only a select group of people to worship Him, such high priests, pastors, or elders? Let’s look at Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord". Everyone is to praise the Lord, including princes, presidents, pastors, old and young people, fathers, mothers, children, and infants. "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created…Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and virgins; old men and children" (Psalm 148:5,11-12). All creation should praise the Lord (Psalm 96:11-13, 148:1-4). Thus, God’s entirecreation should be included in the equation.
Also, the Lord is God not only for Americans or Israelis, but rather, for all people. Psalm 117:1a says, "Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples!" Although Israelis can be considered God’s chosen people, God cares about, extends love to, and demands respect from all people, no matter what race or nationality. Some of this is emphasized in the latter part of verse one, "For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!"
But why should everyone praise the Lord? Let us examine the Psalms further. First of all, the psalmist says, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness by night," (Psalm 92:1,2). The Lord Jehovah delights in praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. Psalm 13:6 says, "I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountiful with me." Hasn’t the Lord dealt bountiful with us by giving us the free gift of salvation for those who believe in His Son? "My mouth shall tell of Thy righteousness, and of Thy salvation all day long; for I do not know the sum of them," (Psalm 71:15). Shouldn’t we sing praises to the Lord because of His lovingkindness? "I will sing of the lovingkindess of the Lord forever; to all generations I will make known Thy faithfulness," (Psalm 89:1).
Here are some things which the Psalmist praised the the Lord for: "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle…The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness…For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him," (Psalm 103:1-5,8,11-13). Look at these attributes!! There are so many things to praise the Lord for in these verses!!
But how should we worship the Lord? David said, "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee…Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee. So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name…And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips," (Psalm 63:1a,3-4,5b). First, true worship should sprout in the inner heart. If our heart is not right, it does no good to "worship" the Lord because He sees all of our hearts (Psalm 139:1-4,12). Next, we should praise the Lord with our mouth, through prayer or song, and rejoice in what He has done "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee; and my soul, which Thou hast redeemed" (Psalm 71:23). Then, if God leads us to do so, in true heartfelt praise and adoration, we should lift up our hands to the Lord.
Now, there are a few qualifications we need to discuss here. Our worship should never draw attention to ourselves (see the example of David dancing before the ark, II Samuel 6:15-16). If we distract others from worshipping the Lord too, the whole purpose is lost. If worshipping the Lord with all of our might would distract people’s attention from the Lord, we should refrain from doing so. Instead, when powerful praise would be a distraction from the Lord, it would be good to instead worship the Lord in our hearts by adoration in prayer and meditation upon His Word. On the other side of the coin, I believe that with the right heart, congregational singing is pleasing to the Lord, and we will discuss this later.
What I consider even more distracting than singing is the lifting up of the hands. Yes, David does say to lift up your hands in worship. However, if this creates a distraction from the Lord, in which it often does, I believe people should refrain from it. Edification of the church and glorification of the Lord are to be the church’s priority (I Corinthains 14:26). If the lifting of hands would distract from edification or glorification, it should not be done. I believe there is a place for worshipping with hands, such as in personal worship. However, too often in today’s Christian church, people lift up their hands to stimulate their inner emotions and make themselves "feel good" deep down inside.
Content is another key essential element in our worship. What does the psalmist say our worship should consist of? Praise. Confession. Thanksgiving. Delighting in. We have already discussed praising the Lord in the paragraphs above. Now, I hope to take a micro look into confession, thanksgiving, and delighting in the Lord.
Before we can come and worship the Lord, our heart must reflect the heart of God. When our heart is fogged and spotted with sin, we must confess and turn from our wicked ways through the help of the Holy Spirit. Consider what David, the man after God’s own heart, said: "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me" (Psalm 51:7,10). David longed for the Lord to wash away His sin and bring him back to the Lamb of God.
David continues, "O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise. For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." David realized that in his own wicked flesh, he could do nothing to wash away His sin. Even sacrificing to the Lord would not cover it. It was a heart issue. David cried out to God for Him to wash away the sin that spotted his heart.
When we come to worship, the first priority must be to search our own heart and see if there is any sin in our lives. Then, with a repentant heart, confess it to the Lord, and by His power, seek to turn away from it. It is only when we do this, that we can truly, "Come [and] worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:6,7).
After God pardoned his iniquities, David gave thanks to the Lord for his lovingkindness, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name…As far as the east is from the west, so far He removed our transgressions from us…But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children" (Psalm 103:1,12,17). Have you ever thought about how far east is from west? Incredible!!! We must give thanks!!
Like the one leper who returned and expressed gratefulness to Jesus for being healed, so through Him we must turn from our own wicked way, and in humility, genuinely thank the Lord for pardoning our sin through His blood on the cross. As David said, "I will give Thee thanks with all my heart, I will sing praises to Thee before the gods…For great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly…" (Psalm 138:1,5b,6a).
There is one final element of worship, which may be the most important. We must delight in the Lord. If we praise, confess, and give thanks to the Lord, but do not delight in Him, we will be missing the joy and peace He gives to His sheep. "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:3,4).
But what does it mean to "delight in the Lord"? People who delight in the Lord take joy in following His ways and keeping His Word. "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Only those who have a clean heart and thankful spirit can truly do this. If there is any sin is in one’s heart, it will become a drudgery and eventually impossible to worship the Lord. "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long" (Psalm 32:3).
There are a few verses which give us insight as to how to follow in His ways and keep His Word. "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken…Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever" (Psalm 16:8,11). Do we set the Lord continually before us?
David constantly sought the Lord in prayer. He did not rely on his own strength, but called upon the Lord for direction. David kept fast to the Word of life, "My steps held fast to Thy paths. My feet have not slipped. I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me, O God…" (Psalm 17:5,6a).
Praise, confession, thanksgiving, and joyful obedience is to be apart of every Christian’s life. Like a beautiful tapestry, worship should be interwoven into one’s life so that it is ceaseless. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:1,3). Even in the night, we are to be in constant worship. "I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart; and my spirit ponders" (Psalm 77:6).
Whether in song, meditation in His Word, prayer, or obedience, we must be in worship. This is not to say that there will be times when we cannot be specifically communicating with God. But we are to be so "in tune" to the Lord that we are following Him at all times and seeking to do His will.
Practically, this obedience will flush out by constantly looking to Him and His Word for answers as we face the numerous decisions in life. Praise and thanksgiving without obedience to His Word is like chaff in the wind. Obedience from the heart is what the Lord desires.
Not only are we to be worshipping alone with God, but Christians are also to worship together in the body of Christ. "Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly" (Psalm 111:1). God designed worship for the personal and group level. "I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest" (Psalm 40:9).
Christians are to encourage one another by proclaiming God’s mighty attributes and marvelous work through their worship. "I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among a mighty throng" (Psalm 35:18).
Some people dislike worshipping in the sanctuary. However, David said, "I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us God to the house of the Lord’" (Psalm 122:1). David expressed true joy at the thought worshipping the Lord in the house of God. "My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God" (Psalm 84:2).
The building and group of people David was referring to can be compared to the modern church and its members of today. It would be interesting to take a survey among Christians in America to see how many of them crave coming into the sanctuary to praise the Lord among the congregation like David. O Lord, bring back the hearts of those whose desires have gone astray!
Something would be obviously missing from worship if it is not accompanied by instruments of praise. "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre; with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the Lord" (Psalm 98:4-6). I find the key to these verses in "the sound of melody".
W can all sorts of weird music with words mumbling in the back round; but is this pleasing to the Lord? God is the God of order! Like we discussed before, He does not delight in chaos. "What then is the outcome brethren? When you assemble each one has a psalm…Let all things be done for edification…for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints…But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner." (I Corinthians 14:26ff,33,40). The melody of a song is what determines the mood of worship, however orderly and edifying it is.
For me personally, I believe triumphant traditional hymns is what the Lord would have me worship in. This type of music has been sung with only small melodious improvements for many centuries, and these hymns are rich in doctrine. I also think this would type would best resemble the music sung by angels around the throne of God. However, I am open to the possibility that God may have other Christians to worship using contemporary music.
I also prefer hymns because they seem to be to be more reverential to the Lord than trendy Christian songs. "Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling" (Psalm 2:11). We should sing out of an exuberantly joyful heart; however, all disrespect should be put far away from us. "But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, at Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee" (Psalm 5:7). Too often, I believe worldly look-alike songs are disrespectful to the All-Supreme God that we serve. Humility, adoration, trembling, rejoicing, and respect should be hallmarks in our worship.
Not only does the Psalms mandate worship in song to the Lord, but also the New Testament reaffirms this principle of melodious worship. "But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18b,19). And also, "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). Finally, "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises" (James 5:13b).
God did not restrict singing and melodious worship to the Jews of the Old Testament, but made singing a principle for all of time: "And they sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations" (Revelation 15:3).
Thus, from all our studies, we can see that worship is basically the communicating of our spirits with the Holy Spirit. This can be done through a number of different mediums, including personal and congregational singing, prayer, and living in the Spirit. Worship must be a continually thing, incorporating both prayer and obedience. The quality of our worship can be determined by the attitude of our heart, whether we have it focused on God or on the praise of men. Worship should only be done for the Lord and not for show. Edification must be the standard or worship. This is what true worship is.