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THE PROMISE OF THE WORSHIP DAY—

TRANSFORMATION OF OUR DAILY WORSHIP

 Rev. Milan Tamang, RPS

Sometimes two spheres of our life can feel like they are in an adversarial relationship— “worship” & “work.”  “Weekly worship” begins to feel like medicine that keeps us from perishing in the daily grind and boredom that we call “daily work.”  But is “worship” merely a mechanism for coping with a completely different sphere of life that we call “work”?

The current issue of Restorers explores how “worship” transforms the lives of God’s people.  We focus on weekly worship’s transformative power on the sphere of life we call “work.”  A main purpose of weekly worship is to prepare us to return with joy and purpose to our primary worship—weekday work.

The article has three movements.  (I) We will explore a three-letter Hebrew root [עבד] toward examining an Old Testament belief, inseparable union between “worship” and “work.”  (II) We will examine how the Hebrew root is used in a primary text: The Moses(Aaron)-Pharaoh Narrative (Exodus 6:28-12:32).  (III) We will use lexical and textual discoveries toward making four applications.  We believe that these applications flow naturally from the text, and that they can guide “worship services” toward their ultimate purpose.  Worship services prepare God’s people for purposeful return to the daily “service of worship.”

(I)  The lexical subject of our paper is a three-letter, Hebrew root [עבד].  A whole network of related words form on these three Hebrew letters.^[1]

To summarize the meaning of the root in its primary verbal form:  [עָבַד]^[2]

“^ato work, to serve; ^bto worship”

The Hebrew thought world sees a deep continuity between “work” and “worship.”  Consequently, to properly articulate the root in verbal form, we believe it appropriate articulate the verb’s English meaning with a hyphen: “to serve—to worship”.

Or to clarify this surprising concept another way.  Where most of the world’s languages make a significant distinction between what is considered two spheres of life—

Nepali:             “अ। र। धन। गर्न”            “काम गर्न”

English:             “to worship”                 “to work”

Spanish:           “adorar”                       “trabahar”

Korean:            “예배하다”                   “일하다”

–the Hebrew language sees a single, unified action.  So then, “to worship-to serve” are two strands composing one thread.

Consider similar conclusions with an examination of the nominal form: [עֶ֫בֶד] ^[3]

“^a servant, slave; ^b a subject under a chief; ^ca worshipper”

If the verbal form connotes “to worship—to serve,” this nominal form emphasizes relationship, the subordinate as contrasted to the superior.  The word expresses relationship in view of the economic, legal, political, religious spheres, or a combination of them.  The word then, implies to whom the subordinate’s “labor—worship” belongs, whether they function as member of a community (ie. clan, family) or personally.^[4]

(II)  Consider the “Moses(Aaron)-Pharoah Narrative” (Exodus 6:28-12:32) toward engaging in a more practical discussion.  In this pericope’s action, the ‘Ten Plagues’ are front and center.  But theologically, the main concern is a matter of “worship”  (verbal- עָבַד) ^[5].  To whom does Israel belong and to whom she shall render her life as “servant” (nominal- עֶ֫בֶד)?

The key refrain throughout the narrative is—

HEBREW:  כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה שַׁלַּח עַמִּי וְיַעַבְדֻנִי ^[6]

ENGLISH: “Thus says the Lord, let my people go

so that they might worship me in the wilderness.”  (Exodus 8:20-NIV)

The matter of “Who” Israel should “worship—serve” is resolved narratively, through the drama of ‘The Ten Plagues’.  The drama builds through the main dialog:  (a) Moses(Aaron)—“The Demand” (above)  (b) Pharoah—“A Response”.  The story follows Egypt’s “man-god”(Pharoah) as he slowly loses confidence in view of The LORD’s mighty signs and wonders—

“…go to offer sacrifices…but you must not go very far.”                                 (8:28)

“Go worship…but”   …not the women and children                                         (10:8)

“Go worship…only leave your flocks and herds behind.”                               (10:24)

Unconditional release is granted only after Pharoah’s “hard heart” is broken for good, in the most tragic of the plagues—the death of all the Egyptian’s first-born.  To prevent any greater destruction of his nation, a fearful, angry Pharaoh demands—

“Up! Leave my people…Go worship…!”                                                                (12:31)

The matter of “What” Israel’s “worship—service” means is resolved at Mt. Sinai (Ex 20:1-21).^[7]  The LORD writes The Decalog with His finger on two tablets.  Ten Commandments serve as charter for Israel’s new life.  The Ten Principles are not merely elements for a once-per-week liturgy, they are the foundations for Israel’s daily “worship—service.”

(III)  The theme of this current journal volume is “Unveiling the Transformative Essence of Worship.”  We now summarize the transformative essence of “worship”(ie. the weekly worship service) in it’s impact on our everyday “work/service.”  Consider our conclusions in four phrases that flow from our grammatical and textual work above.

A MATTER of WHAT:  The Hebrew root [עבד] urges one to see “worship–service” and being “worshipper–servant” as a unified whole.  The call for Israel to change her allegiance from Pharaoh to The LORD meant a transformation of every hour of the week and every minute of the day.  The point of contemporary worship is the same.  In view of mixed alliances, The LORD’s people must be reminded of His claim over all areas of life (ie. The Decalog). Though in view of Christ’s coming, God’s people must disciple where Moses(Aaron) left off.

A MATTER of WHO:  In the narrative, the main issue of [עבד] is to whom Israel (ie. their clan, family) should serve.  Pharoah (“The Culture of Unbelief”) aggressively claims ownership of Israel’s service.  Moses(Aaron) proclaim a “New Kingdom” under the rule of “The True Sovereign.”  Today, worship should prepare people for their daily life in all spheres of life with the same question.  Will it be “The LORD’s Kingdom” or “The Kingdom of this World”?

A MATTER of WHEN:    At Mt. Sinai, Israel began their one-time gathering by reflecting on and rejoice in the nation’s deliverance.  Yet, the high point at Mt. Sinai was Moses’ receiving and transmitting The Decalog (Ten Commandments), the call to an entire life of service.  In the same way today, God’s people gather weekly to remember their salvation and celebrate (ie. “Worship Service”).  Yet, the point of the service is to move people confidently back into the world for everyday “worship-service” (ie. Service of Worship”).  As worship leaders or congregation members, the equipping for everyday is our high aim.

A MATTER of WHERE:  The Decalog invites Israel into shalom-filled living in her daily engagements with unbelieving ANE neighbors. In the same way, our calling apart on “The Festive Day” has one purpose—singing, praying, reading and teaching that fosters joyful return to “regular, everyday work” as a “Holy People” among and unbelieving world.^[8]

Reformed Presbyterian Seminary has a high calling.  We are raising up pastors, worship planners and interns who will invite the congregation into God’s grand story and His claims over everyday.  The calling is to prepare for ‘The Worship’ beyond the 2-3 hours on “The Worship Day.”  The Story moves us from the old narrative—Pharaohs (“Culture in Rebellion”) demanding self-glorifying service toward increased misery of those around.  Rather, it’s a new narrative—The LORD ( “The Holy City,” a “New Kingdom”) inviting people into regular, everyday life through His son, toward joyful service with other in all areas of life.

Hear the lovely words of The LORD’s Messiah,

“…no longer slaves.  I call you friends” (Jn 15:15). 

Of our cross-purchased new relationship, we are told

“…my yoke is easy, my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

Sometimes spiritual lives feel like out-of-breath living toward next week’s “weekly retreat.”  Nevertheless, there is a God-Centered kind of worship that sends The LORD’s people with clarity and expectation into the “worship-service” of every day.  Let’s promote together, The LORD’s everyday “worship” spaces— fields & kitchens, classrooms & offices.  May we go out with joy, armed with His everyday worship tools—phones & shovels, pencils & pans.

^[1] Most Hebrew words are formed from a three-letter root.  Nuances to the root meaning (eg. nominal, verbal, adjectival, etc.) are indicated the addition of prefixes, suffixes or—since the introduction of the Massoretic System—various vowel pointings.

^[2] Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 712.

^[3] Ibid, 713–714.

^[4] Among other key forms of this word, we should also consider the nominal form [עֲבֹדָה].  Close examination will elicit similar results.  One will find a unity and overlap between concepts rendered in English “work, worship, service”.  (Cf. BDB)

^[5] For the key use of עָבַד in the narrative, cf: 3:12, 4:23, 7:16, 8:1,20; 9:1,13; 10:3,7,8,11,24,26; 12:31

^[6] Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: With Westminster Hebrew Morphology. (Stuttgart; Glenside PA: German Bible Society; Westminster Seminary, 1995), Ex 8:16.

^[7]Here may be as good time to remember The LORD’s prophetic word to Moses during his ordination at the burning bush—  “When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship…on the mountain.” (Ex 3:12b)

^[8] A good way to move toward  [עבד] “work-worship” is through a thorough familiarity with the Ten Commands (Ex 20, Dt 5) understood throughout their illustration and application in the various genres of The Old and New Testament.  These commands are not old or outmoded.  Especially as understood in the ministry of Christ, they are the patterns of His New Testament ministry and the fresh breeze of His Spirit from early church times until today.  Of course, the truest understanding of “worship-service” is not through mere precepts or principles, but The LORD’s living grace alive and well in His people, as foretastes of what will be fulfilled in His people on that Great Day.

A Call for God-Centered Worship

Amit Karthak

The primary function of the church is to honor God. The congregation of God’s people offering a praise sacrifice publicly before God on the Lord’s Day exemplifies the God-centeredness of Christian worship. This gathering of believers seeks to encounter the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to know and glorify Him. True worship is referred to as “worth-ship,” which incorporates the New Testament idea of prostration. Other biblical terms for worship mean “to serve,” referring to dedicated availability for service to God (e.g., Rom. 12:1).

The Act of Worship today frequently has become either a seeker-sensitive, soul-winning endeavor, or, alternatively, what we know as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. Firstly, let me summarize what “seeker-sensitive, soul-winning endeavor” implies. It is a bait-and-switch operation. A bait-and-switch strategy is one whereby a person obtains what they desire by coercing others. Their main agenda is to be sensitive to seekers and win souls. Even though being seeker sensitive is not wrong in itself, it can easily detract from the main focus of worship altogether. Secondly, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, depicts God as observing our actions on earth and longing for us to be decent, just, good people. The primary purpose of existence then, is for us to be happy and satisfied with ourselves; God’s involvement in a person’s existence is unnecessary and unwanted – unless He is required to solve a problem. Being a good, moral person is seen as central to living a good and happy existence. To quote: “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is about belief in a particular kind of God: one who exists, created the world and defines our general moral order, but not one who is particularly personally involved in one’s affairs— especially affairs in which one would prefer not to have God involved.” By what we have heard and said, we have successfully created our own gods whom we worship and seek to please. We may be failing to realize that we are worshipping our own conceptual gods while being deceived into believing that we are worshipping the true God.

Duncan states, “God’s Word itself must supply the principles and patterns and content of Christian worship. True Christian worship is by the book. It is according to Scripture. The Bible alone ultimately directs the form and content of Christian worship.” As scripture warns us: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24). Terry L. Johnson writes:

When God draws near, he has special business with us. As in Isaiah’s case, he wants to remind us of his greatness and holiness. He wants us to acknowledge that greatness in our praises. He wants to convict us of sin, and he wants us to confess that sin and receive his forgiveness. He wants us to hear his word and obey it. He wants to hear our baptismal and membership vows, and to preside at the discipline of the church. He wants to fellowship with us in the Lord’s Supper. He wants to receive our gifts. He wants us to acknowledge our unity and love for one another as his body. For such purposes, God draws near.

We cannot seek to save souls or please people and at the same time worship one true God. The purpose of worship is not to gain souls or please people, but to glorify God. Our worship services should be ordered to express devotion to God, not to add numbers or to request from Him anything and everything that our hearts desire. We are to prioritise the edification of the believers through prayer, confession, singing, reading and preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments.

In the last few years, and especially after COVID-19 lockdowns, there has been some confusion about whether Christians must gather together for worship. I have met several individuals who do not think that corporate _ gathering is an essential part of their growth as the children of God. However, it is the place where we gather together as covenant people to worship God.

Merker states:

A church is a blood-bought people, devoted to the worship of the one true God. They’re set apart from the world. They’re committed to serving one another and loving their neighbors. And they do all this by assembling together in space and time…It gathers, then scatters, then gathers again. Its members continue to be part of the church throughout the week, as they serve and represent Christ in their homes, their workplaces, their neighborhoods. But a church is never less than a gathering.

Meeting together does not use up all of the church’s life. Even if a church isn’t meeting, it still exists in the way its members help each other and in the way they work together to do good in the world. However, in its purest form, the church does show itself in the act of gathering for worship, and this is what makes it a church. If rightly understood, it is the altar where we must come every time to offer our sacrifices of praise and receive sanctification by God’s Spirit and His Word. There is no substitute for congregational worship (Hebs 10:24, 25). The church gathers to worship God. Christians have gathered historically on the Lord’s Day for worship and have been empowered by His Spirit to carry out His commands. The focal point of worship is God and seeking His will for us, His people.

In the Reformed tradition, worship centers on God and consists of praising, confessing, imploring, and engaging with His Word. This emphasis is reflected (?exemplified) in the teachings of the Bible which exhort individuals to draw near to God, to glorify His name, kneel before him, sing joyful songs, and offer thanks to Him. Either worship is people-centered or God-centered, but not both. Congregational worship should consist of God-glorifying devotional activities. The Bible teaches us that public worship is greatly to be preferred over private spiritual exercises. Every grateful heart wants God’s name to be lifted up publicly—and the more public the better, as the Psalmist say, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalms 96:3). Psalm 95 says:

Vs. 1-3
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Vs. 6.
Oh come, let us 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. (NIV)

In this way worship is God-centered and God-directed, not man-centered. It is God-centered because, “We “draw near” to God in worship (James 4:8–10; Heb. 4:15–16; 10:19–23). We ascribe glory to His name (1 Chron. 16:29; Ps. 96:7; 29:2). It is before Him that we bow down and kneel (Ps. 95:6–7). We come before Him with joyful songs (Ps. 100:2). We sing for joy “to the Lord” (Ps. 95:1–2; 96:1–2). We “give thanks to the Lord” (Ps. 106:1). We praise Him, confess our sins to Him, and bring our prayers and petitions before Him. He speaks to us from the Bible, meets with us at His table, and we enjoy His fellowship. It is God-directed because, His Word is the final authority on our life and worship as His people. The true God set up the right way to worship Him, and His own revealed will makes it so that He can’t be worshipped in any way that isn’t in the Bible. So, if worship is to be about God, as it should be, it should be led by His Word.

To sum up, one of the most natural things for us to do as believers is gathering together so that we might worship God together. Worship therefore belongs primarily in the congregation and only secondarily to the individual. Sadly, much of our worship remains increasingly focused on the individual’s experience. Worship cannot credibly claim to be about God if the majority of this time is devoted to creating an evangelistic, educational, or emotive experience for its attendees. Worship focuses on both God’s glorification and His presence, drawing near to Him in order to glorify and know Him. True worshippers thirst for God and desire His “dwelling places” and domains, desiring to behold His magnificence, power, and compassion. As we pursue God – as opposed to simply having an experience with Him – we glorify and even enjoy Him. Christian worship requires biblical preaching, congregational singing, biblical readings, and covenantal sacramental practices, these services being conducted in the local languages.

Let us, approach the true and living God via His Word and Spirit and offer Him public praise, confession of sin, thanksgiving, and supplication in “spirit and truth” (John 4:7ff), and with “reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Incorporating biblical contents is the most important step towards advancing our worship services in a God-centered direction (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; John 17:17).

Mr. Binod Magar
RPS Alumni

The Priesthood of Jesus Christ and its Significance in our Worship

While thinking and talking about worship, what comes to our mind? What takes the central place in our thinking? For many, it is all about music (singing, playing musical instruments) and a worship leader/team encouraging us to worship God in a church service. For the most part, people have missed the primary object of worship, which is Jesus Christ, and have been focusing on secondary things, such as music and the worship team. The priesthood of Jesus Christ should greatly impact our understanding and practice of worship. Therefore, it is very important for all believers to learn about the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The theme of the priesthood can be seen throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus Christ, Our High Priest
Hebrews 7:23-9:12 portrays Jesus Christ as High Priest. In the OT, there were many Levitical high priests, and their office was temporary. They themselves were sinners who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Thus, their sacrifices had to be made on a regular basis. They entered the holy places through a man-made tent and by means of the blood of goats and calves. In contrast, Jesus, as a high priest whose office is permanent and eternal, was holy and innocent. Because of this, he only had to offer sacrifices for others. He offered himself as the “once for all” sacrifice. He entered the holy place of the presence of God by means of his own blood. The mosaic law was unable to make men perfect since a succession of sinful, mortal priests administered it. Jesus, however, is by God’s oath established forever as the holy priest/Son, thus permitting his followers to draw near to God on the basis of his person and work (Hebrews 7:11-28). Also, the new, better covenant based on Jesus’ eternal high priesthood comes with God’s oath and with Jesus as the guarantor, and thus it is superior to the Mosaic covenant. Jesus, as a high priest, establishes a new covenant for us and sets us free from the bondage of the laws that a mortal could never fulfill. This is why we are no longer under the law and its worship practice, but we are under Christ, and we worship God through Christ.

Our Permanent access to God through Christ
In the Old Testament, God’s people took part in real worship. It was the real God they were worshipping, but this had to be done at a distance. Access was denied. Only priests were allowed to enter the Tabernacle, which was known as the “earthly place of holiness” (Hebrews 9:1-5). They went inside while other worshipers remained outside in the courtyard. However, once inside, the priests could enter the Holy Place, but not the Most Holy Place. The high priest could enter only once a year to offer sacrifices for the people and himself- he had to do so very carefully. But Jesus Christ has permanently solved this issue. Now, because of Jesus, we can confidently enter God’s presence. This access is not temporary, as in the Old Testament, but is permanent.

We should always remember and be humbled that it is only through Christ that this access has been made possible and that our worship is accepted. Neither our arts, musical arrangements, gifts or talents take us into God’s presence nor make us acceptable before Him. It is only through Jesus Christ. This truth challenges us to correct one of our misunderstandings regarding the role of worship leaders in our church services in Nepal. We tend to think and say that worship leaders are the ones who take us to God’s presence. This is a completely unbiblical notion. Leaders’ musical roles and responsibilities should not be understood as a means for us to enter God’s presence. Bob Kauflin reminds us that the most important worship leader is Jesus. He reveals God to us and, through his perfect sacrifice, provided the only way into the Father’s presence (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 10:19–22). We can’t do what only Jesus does.

Christ, the Perfect Mediator
The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 that “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” We have a perfect mediator who has enabled us to be rightly related to God. It is through the mediation of Christ that our sins are forgiven, and we receive His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). The Holy Spirit who regenerates us is also the “Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9). Thus, we find salvation in and through the mediatorial work of Christ. Christ is also our everlasting intercessor. Through Christ’s pleading, we obtain favor. Hence, confidence in prayer arises and peace for the godly conscience to rest securely upon God’s fatherly mercy. They are persuaded that whatever has been consecrated through the Mediator is pleasing to God. It is only through Christ that our worship is acceptable.

An Eternal Inheritance
Hebrews 9:15 says, “Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” This inheritance, won by Jesus, involves the forgiveness of sins. We were born under sin’s dominion and were naturally children of death. We were unable to redeem ourselves on our own. Only Jesus Christ, who is holy, can deliver and cleanse us. This inheritance implies other benefits that flow naturally from our forgiveness. These benefits include our future resurrection, the new heaven and the new earth, and Jesus himself. What we are most looking forward to is being with Jesus eternally. We are eternally secured in Christ. So, this truth gives us hope and confidence regarding our future and prompts us to worship God through the new identity which Christ has won for us.

Vocation of Priesthood
In the Old Testament, the priesthood was restricted to the sons of Aaron (a kind of priestly aristocracy). But in Christ, the requirements and privileges of birth and lineage for the priesthood have been abolished. Just as humans were originally called to function as God’s priestly image bearers, so now the vocation of the priesthood (engaging in worship and mediating God’s presence to the world) is open to all. It is only because of Christ’s purity and holiness that our reconciliation with God was made possible. Christ plays the priestly role, not only to render the Father propitious toward us by an eternal law of reconciliation but also to receive us as his companions in this great office (Rev. 1:6). Deviation from this biblical truth has led churches in the past to return to Old Testament practices. During the medieval time of church history, the priest celebrated the mass at the high altar, and the lay people were spectators; the Reformers deliberately brought the action down from the chancel to the nave and ensured that the lay people were not merely spectators but participants. A wrong understanding concerning the vocation of the priesthood could lead today’s churches back to the medieval era, where congregations were spectators who depended solely upon worship leaders for praise & worship. We should be careful to avoid such errors.

Conclusion
After learning about the priesthood of Jesus Christ from the Bible, one must be humble and accept the truth that nothing except Christ gives us access to the presence of God. Also, we must remember that only through Christ is our worship of God acceptable. Our confidence in worship must come only from Jesus Christ and his finished works as a high priest. Though we are given the role of priesthood through Jesus Christ, we should always be careful not to deviate from Jesus Christ in our worship. Those who are responsible for leading music in churches must know this truth and view their ministry accordingly.