Singing. Praying. Studying God’s word. Observing the Lord’s Supper. Giving from our hearts. What does worship mean to you? How important is worship to you?
Worship was such an integral part of King David’s life and thinking that he wrote a number of songs (psalms) to be used in the worship of Israel and he was known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1).
“REMEMBER, O LORD, DAVID’S AFFLICTION” – 132:1-5:
What caused David’s affliction? He wanted to find a place for the Lord, a “dwelling place” for the “Mighty One of Jacob” (ver. 5).
“LET US WORSHIP AT HIS FOOTSTOOL” – 132:6-9:
David wanted the Ark of the Covenant to have a permanent place to reside; he wanted the tabernacle – the tent of worship – to have a permanent place where Israel could go worship God in peace and in security, in spirit and in truth.
In this song or perhaps a prayer turned into a song, in verse 9, the psalmist writes that the priests, who lead the worship to God, need to be “clothed in righteousness.” In other words, their lives outside of worship needed to reflect the righteousness and holiness of the object of their worship – Jehovah God. That is, they could not worship correctly if they did not live correctly.
“THE SON OF DAVID WILL SIT ON HIS THRONE” – 132:10-12:
The promise was first made to King David back in 2 Samuel 7:8-17. This is the promise that is the foundation on which is based the designation of Jesus as the “Son of David,” a designation used of Jesus 16 times in the NT. This is one of the many prophecies which Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled to prove to us that He was the Messiah promised by God in the OT.
“GOD HAS CHOSEN HIS DWELLING PLACE” – 132:13-18:
“Zion” in verse 13 is the city of Jerusalem, specifically “Mount Zion” on which Jerusalem was built. It was the place where God had chosen for His temple to be built; it was the place He chose for His “habitation.”
WORSHIP WAS AT THE CENTER OF JESUS’ VALUE SYSTEM:
Doesn’t it go without saying that worshipping God was important to Jesus?
Of all the worship feasts and festivals God required in the Law of Moses, we have Jesus celebrating most of them: the weekly Sabbath, the annual Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles.
Of all five acts of worship we recognize in the NT, Jesus Himself engages in all of them or He at least discusses them: praying, singing, giving, the Lord’s Supper, and studying the written words of Jehovah God.
Yes, worship was at the center of Jesus’ core value system…
IS WORSHIP AT THE CENTER OF OUR VALUE SYSTEM?
Peter describes the church as God’s spiritual temple which “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Jesus tells us that God seeks true worshippers (John 4:23-24). Jerusalem is no longer the place where Jehovah God “rests” nor is it the place where God’s children worship Him. Rather, God dwells in those who keep His word (John 14:23) and it is where Christians are assembled together in worship that God dwells.
So, is worship important to you? How do you know worship is important to you? What can you do in your life to make worship a “core value” for you, as it was for Jesus and for King David?
We evangelize because people are not worshipping God, through Jesus Christ, as they should.
Paul Holland