THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP (PART 4) - MOSES: TRUE WORSHIP REQUIRES SEPARATION

Three months after the Israelite left Egypt, they must still have been buzzing about their deliverance. Then God did something they did not expect. He took Moses up into the mountains for forty days. That act did not make sense to the people. To make matters worse, God issued a clear but seemingly inexplicable instruction. While He met with Moses at Mount Sinai, He told the people in no uncertain terms, "Take heed to yourselves, that you do not go up to the mountain or touch it's base; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death" (Exodus 19:12). Furthermore, God did not give the people any details about His meeting with their leader, Moses.

1) LACK OF TRUST IN GOD LEADS TO FALSE WORSHIP

How would Moses' absence affect the people? God did not say, but He expected the people to trust Him. God's silence is our opportunity to learn to trust Him. But these people, who had seen so much evidence of God's power, chose to trust in themselves.

"Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' " (Exodus 31:1 NKJV)

The people's impatience and disregard for God's authority leads to false worship. In essence, Aaron and the children of Israel made a molded calf, pointed to it, and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4). Now, where did the Israelite gets the idea of making the image of a golden calf? It is interesting to note that two popular Egyptian gods, Hapis (Apis) and Hathor, were thought of as a bull and a heifer. No doubt the Israelite, fresh from Egypt (type of the world), found it quite natural to make a golden calf to represent the God that had just delivered them from their oppressors. And they called this calf the name of the lord, thereby reducing God's glory to the level of man-made idol!

We are often guilty of trying to make God in our image, molding him to fit our expectations, desires and circumstances. When we do this, we end up either worshiping ourselves or creating false images (idols) rather than worshiping our God. What is our favorite image of God? Does the image incorporates some of the worldly elements? Do we need to destroy it in order to worship our immeasurably true and living God?

2) GOD PRACTICES SEPARATION
As a result of false worship, God judged His people because they lost respect for Him in their worship. They experienced literal judgement when three thousand people died because of their willful sin (Exodus 32:28). Further, the Israelite also experienced spiritual judgement.
"And the LORD said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you ... so the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made ... Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt ... for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 32:33 - 33:3) God now referred to the Israelite as "the people whom you (Moses) have brought out of the land of Egypt." God did not want to be associated with them. Rather than going with them into the promised land, God said He would send an ordinary angel to accompany them. The people had forfeited God's presence and power. The lesson of this account is that God separates Himself from false worship. He separated Himself then, and He will separate Himself today. When we yield to human desires in our 

worship, and thus detract from His glory, we forfeit God's power and presence. And when that happens, we are forced into a cycle of using human means - whether music or polished oratory or rituals or traditions - to attract the people. Then our worship can go through the motion WITHOUT GOD'S PRESENCE!

3) GOD HONORS SEPARATION
What response does God expect when worship becomes untrue and governed by human methods and desires? Those engaged in such worship must (as did the children of Israel), repent and then separate from their former associations. 
"Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses." (Exodus 33:7-9)
Moses pitched his tent outside the camp! In doing so, he took the initiative to separate from the people who were not glorifying God in their worship. It was a tent set aside for a special purpose, a purpose that caused Moses to call it "the tabernacle of meeting."The result of Moses' act was that his faithful testimony brought others into a right standing with God:

a) The people saw God was at Moses' tent of meeting

- Whenever Moses went to the tent, God's glory fill the tent.

- Does our own worship give similar evidence to the people back at the camp that God is with us?

b)  Moses' separation encouraged the people to give the Lord true worship

-  "All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door." (Exodus 33:10)

- When we take our stand for reverent worship of God, those whom God is dealing with will respect our stand.

In our own day, worship practices are often driven by the goal of appealing to the people's desires. Are we willing to pitch our tents outside the camp, so that others will be encouraged toward the Essence of True Worship?

THE WORSHIP SERIES - THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP (Part 12): GIDEON (Obedience Precedes Worship)

It is possible for us to be so concerned about the acts of worship, that we run ahead of the necessary steps of God requires as He leads His people to True Worship. In a sense, True worship is not an act but rather a natural response to foregoing knowledge or experience. In other words, whereas God's people can run hither and  yon trying to discover genuine ways to worship God, He would rather they obediently follow Him throughout the week  so that Sunday worship will be a natural expression of their relationship with Him.

We look into the Old Testament story of Gideon. God put a heavy burden on Gideon, though he lacked confidence about his ability to lead God's people. Since Gideon was weak in faith, he begged God to confirm His will by making a fleece wet or dry. God obliged and then instructed Gideon to fight a massive enemy army with only a handful of men. When Gideon was unsure, God told him to go to the enemy's camp in the middle of the night. Gideon OBEYED this seemingly strange requirement and, in so doing, learned an important lesson about God's power. His natural response was to fall down in WORSHIP and then rise and serve in CONFIDENCE!

OBEDIENCE BUILDS FAITH

Gideon was going through a very difficult time. As the Bible records in Judges 6, God had allowed the nation to suffer seven years of enemy occupation because Israel was in sin. The Israelites cried out, and God sent prophet to confirm His promise. Gideon was minding his own business, doing farm chores for his father, when "the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor ... Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?' " (Judges 6:12-14)
We read of the progress of Gideon's faith through his obedience:
- He started out alone in faith protesting of his weakness but God assured Him (Judges 6:15-16)
- Then he began to asked God for a sign that it was God who was speaking to Him. God was gracious and gave Gideon a sign followed by a promise ("peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die." - Judges 6:17-24)
- Then Gideon obeyed God's further instruction to destroy Baal's altar. Although he received death threats God protected him (Judges 6:28-31)
- More importantly, "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." And the men of his town and tribe rallied to his cause, and messenger were sent to rally other tribes. (Judges 6:34)

Gideon was moving in the right direction. He obeyed God's command, then worshiped his Lord and was encouraged to start assembling an army. yet still lacking complete faith, he"put out the fleece" (Judges 6:36-40) so that God might give another confirming sign. God did so, and at the start of the events recorded in Judges 7. Gideon had amassed a host of twenty-two thousand soldiers. However God instructed Gideon to let the fainthearted go home and only ten thousand remain. But incredibly, God declared that "the people are still too many." So He proceeded to reduce the Israelite force to a mere three hundred men.  

FAITH BUILDS ENCOURAGEMENT
At this stage, Gideon had no army at all, but only a small band of soldiers. Yet that situation was precisely the place God wanted His people to be  - in complete dependence on Him. Gideon knew what he was supposed to do. God had given him clear instructions: "Arise, go down against the [enemy] camp, for I have delivered it into your hand." (Judges 7:9). If Gideon was afraid to scout the enemy alone, God had told him he could take his servant along. But that very night God commanded Gideon to go "down to the camp ... and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened  for the ensuring contest (Judges 7:10-11)
Gideon obeyed and his OBEDIENCE was no small matter since "the Midianites and Amalekites" were mighty and numerous. (Judges 7:12). The odds seemed overwhelming, but Gideon trusted God. To his surprise, in the enemy camp Gideon learned that his foes were apprehensive about him! One soldier even had a dream that, through his symbols, depicted the Midianites' destruction by the "sword of Gideon," the man who had God on his side (Judges 7:14). Like Gideon, we will not experience God's encouragement until we trust Him enough to obey Him. When Gideon heard of the fear among God's enemies, he bowed in humility before his Lord.
"And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped." (Judges 7:15)
The text uses a Hebrew word - SACHAH that speaks of a servant or slave's lowering himself before his master. Thus most depictions of worship in the Old Testament show worshipers bowing or prostrating themselves in humble recognition of God. That recognition was often gained as it was with Gideon, through OBEDIENCE. THE ESSENCE OF TRUE WORSHIP results when God allows His servants to see His mighty power and realize their own meager state.
Gideon could worship God truly because he had learned some important lessons from God. But in order to learn those lessons, he first had to obey God and trust Him. In the same way, when we are living or acting in OBEDIENCE, we learn to trust God more. As we grow in that trust, He reveals to us His great power. And in glimpsing that power, we fall prostrate before Him and worship. Does that pattern describe the kind of worship we have today? 

THE PSALM 84 WORSHIPPER (PART 3) - DESIRING GOD

Theme: The Blessedness of Dwelling in The House of God 
Author: The sons of Korah (temple assistant)
Background: Psalm 84 expresses the thoughts of a passionate Worshipper who wants to go to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the three annual feasts (Exodus 23:17; 34:23) but could not. The psalmist inability to attend the feast did not rob him of the blessings of fellowship with the LORD. All who are pilgrims can make the same three affirmations that he made:
1) His Delight Is In The LORD (VV1-4) - the important thing is that we have a HEART devoted to the LORD, a spiritual hunger that cries out for intimate fellowship with the LORD (Psalm 42:1-2; Matthew 5:6)
2) His Strength Is In The LORD (VV5-8) - true worshippers "go from strength to strength" (Deuteronomy 33:25; Isaiah 40:28-31; Philippians 4:13) and trust God to enable them to walk a step at a time even in difficult situation [valley of Bara (weeping) - V6]
3) His Trust is In The LORD (VV9-12) - when we walk by faith, we put the LORD and His will first, and we keep our priorities straight (V10). This is the Old Testament version of Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 1:21
Do we delight in the LORD and seek Him? Do we depend on His strength? Do we walk by faith and trust in Him? Yes, "Even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (VV1-2).

 "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young" (V3). In other word, God's Living house is to his soul what a nest is to a swallow - a place of rest and security and satisfaction. The psalmist even envies the priests. "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You" (V4). Outsiders were not allowed to live there, and they were limited in where they cold go inside. Only the priests could enter the Holy of Holies.
Today, we have the privilege of fellowshipping with God without going through a priest. Do we have a desire and a hunger to worship Him? Does our hearts cry out for the living God. Or are we happy for an excuse to be somewhere else from God's house?
May we pray and hunger like David, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2).
Be blessed with this song: A Place At Your Altar - Hosanna Music

WORSHIP THE KING (Part 3) - JOSEPH

Worship Through Turbulent Times

"Joseph sold as a slave.

They bruised his feet with shackles,

his neck was put in irons."

(Psalm 105:17-18)

Have we ever felt like our lives were just one huge, gigantic knot that could never be untangled? Or we're caught in a strangling, spidery web that we just can't seem to extricate ourselves from? Or locked away in the shell of a dark cocoon, hidden from sight and sound? Joseph must have felt all of these things throughout the duration of his turbulent life! Life had been extremely difficult for Joseph for a very, very long time. Sold into slavery by his own brothers as a young man, he must have thought then that things could not get much worse. But this was to be just the beginning of years of turmoil for this young man. He is later imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The Bible says that Joseph was “laid in chains of iron until his soul entered into the iron” (Psalm 105:18). 
The word of the Lord had tried and tested Joseph with grueling persistence. Just how much injustice could one man endure in one lifetime? Yet Joseph learned the secret of enduring times of trial and testing. Though the road was hard and long, he put his trust in the One who would never fail him (Genesis 49:24). Joseph’s heart could have failed him many times throughout his bleak, dark journey. Only his faith in God would pull him through to ultimate victory. That victory may have seemed a long time coming, but God had something greater in mind than just Joseph’s comfort and well-being. 
Have we ever stopped to think that God had held this plan in His heart for Joseph for a very long time? God’s plan included slavery, imprisonment, injustice and pain, yet the end result would be the saving of nations. Through the hand of Joseph, Egypt would be saved from famine and certain death. The descendants of Abraham would be housed, clothed and fed by a people not their own. God’s determined plan was the saving of His people. God always has a plan where His children are concerned! He is jealous over us and His goodness is towards us. 
So if the going gets tough – breathe a little easier. The King of all heaven has us firmly in the palm of His hand. He is committed to us no matter what wry turns our life seems to take. 
To worship God is to get past our self and past our own pain, to focus on the bigger picture that is inscribed on the canvas of God’s heart. Prophetic vision helps us to see clearly what’s written on God’s canvas. But sometimes that purpose and vision lie hidden from our eyes so that we do not understand the things that are befalling us. Joseph must have felt confusion and bewilderment for all the things that were happening to him. It was not until the very end that Joseph would finally understand what had happened to him. 
How many times have we wished that we could know the end of a matter before the beginning of it? This is what we call hindsight. Hindsight is the ability to understand after something has happened, what we should have done! But hindsight would take the fun out of walking by faith now wouldn't it?! To be able to walk blind through heartache and turmoil, with faith in our hearts and a song on our lips, is the stuff that crowns are made of! (See Revelation 2:10; James 1:12)
No matter what trials or temptations we are facing today, make a quality decision to worship God anyway! Who knows where these storms of life may take us? And who knows what exciting adventures yet lie ahead of us? One thing is for certain though, with Christ as the Captain of our high seas, we can put our trust in Him, and enjoy the journey! 
(an extract from Heart of Worship by Kerrie Christensen)

Worship God!

THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP - JACOB PART 2 (TRUE WORSHIP EXPRESSES GREAT FAITH)

JACOB EXPRESSED HIS FAITH

The blessing JACOB gave his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh is significant as a demostration of FAITH. The content of that blessing is also important. For one thing, it defied all normal expectation.
"Then Israel stretched out his rgiht hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the first born ... Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, 'Not so, my father. for this one is the firstborn; out your right hand on his head.' " (Genesis 48:14-18)
When Joseph pointed out the irregularity in the blessings, "his father refused" (Genesis 48:19) to stop. What was going on here? JACOB was himself a younger son who maneuvered to take the birthright of his brother Esau. Look what had resulted becuase of his action! Had JACOB not learned his lesson?
Now, the two reversals were different, however. Rather than reversing the usual custm through trickery, JACOB did so through his TRUST in God. Earlier in the conversation he had expressed his acceptance of both grandsons by proclaiming, "[They] are mine" (Genesis 48:5). When he gave the right hand of blessing the younger child, JACOB answered Joseph's reproach by saying he was certain of God's plan.
"I know, my son, I know: [Manasseh] also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multiude of nations." (Genesis 48:19).
JACOB knew this blessing was God's will, and he stood squarely upon that knowledge - even though, given his past, he may have thus laid himself open for criticism. Nevertheless, JACOB "blessed them that day ... and he set Ephraim before Manasseh" (Genesis 48:14-20).
Centuries later, this prophecy of God through JACOB was proven true. The descendants of Ephraim became the leaders of Israel's ten northern tribes, while the tribe of Manasseh divided.
The writer to the Hebrews records, finally, that JACOB blessed Joseph's grandsons "and WORSHIPED." (JACOB's act of WORSHIP actually preceded the blessing. Nevertheless, the two events occurred close together during the pariarch's final days.)
"When the time drew near that ISRAEL must die, he called his son Jospeh and said to him, ' Now if I have found favor in yoursight, please put your hand under my thigh'. So ISRAEL bowed himself on the head of the bed." (Genesis 47:29, 31).
His physical strength had waned. He needed help to sit up. He was so weak, apparently, that he had to lean on his staff (Hebrews 11:21) even to sit on the edge of his bed. He could no longer imagine it possible to do any mighty deeds to impress God and gain His favor. In fact, his life was nearly over. Yet as JACOB leaned on his staff, he did the best thing any man could ever do. In his heart, as in his body, he was prostrate before God. This is the attitude of TRUE WORSHIP, that of a heart that is humbled in complete submission before God
The New Testament's HALL of FAITH records this scene because, even for us today, it is a powerful lesson and a great encouragement. At one time this man had acted and schemed as if all success depended on him. But in the end, JACOB humbled himself before God. He had learned to TRUST God instead of himself. Lovingly, the LORD had allowed JACOB to experience many trials and blessings in order to bring His child into a vibrant relationship with Him. God does the same for us TODAY! If we TRUST Him fully, as JACOB did, we will naturally WORSHIP the Object of our TRUST until the end of our days.
(an extract from True Worship by David Whitcomb and Mark Ward, Sr.)