Defining Words for Worship - Essay Example

Defining Words for Worship Table of Contents Praise 2 Serve 3 Bow Down 4 Clap 6 Shout 7 Sing 8 Honor 9 Praise 11 Serve 12 Bibliography 14 Defining Words for Worship Praise “Praise’ refers to individual or public acknowledgement of the wonderful acts of God. According to Psalms 111:1, human beings are required to acknowledge God with all their hearts, in the company of the upright. In addition, Psalm 1222, says that human beings went to Jerusalem during festivals to praise the lord. This was the best way to acknowledge God’s glorious deeds publicly. Psalms 105 says that human beings should make known God’s deeds to the whole world. Praise refers to “giving thanks” in Psalm 1051. 2 Chronicles 30:22 is an example of how the word “praise has been used in the new testament. The Levites ate the peace offering sacrifices while offering praise to the lord at the sanctuary. Psalm 54:6 also shows how the word “praise” has been used, it says “willingly I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good”2. Psalms 96: 4 says that our father and our lord deserve ad seek our praise. “Yahweh is great and is worthy to be praised”. The lord also deserves worship from human beings. Psalm 29:2 says that human beings should bow down to God. In the current churches, praise and worship services are dedicated to the lord. The word “praise’ has been uttered by Leah, after giving birth to a child (Genesis 29). Leah was the first wife of Jacob and sister of Rachel. The word praise is used to give thanks to God after mighty deeds have been encountered by human beings. Prayer should be used to praise the Lord, however, human beings only pray when they are in troubles. Prayer should be used to praise and worship the lord for the wonderful deeds he has done to human beings3. Serve Jesus used the word “serve’ to refer to the main purpose of His coming. Mathews 20: 28, Jesus says that His main intention is to serve but not to be waited on. In addition, Jesus uses the word ‘serve’ to show his disciples what is expected of them by giving them by example. The washing of the feet represents how disciples are to serve while ministering in the world (John 13). Service to the Lord is manifested in worship and ministry activities. According to Philippians 1; 3-27, Paul says that human beings should conduct their selves in a manner honorable to the teachings of Christ. Christians can serve god by conducting themselves in a holly manner. Sinful deeds by human beings are not considered as service to the Lord. Paul further says that a worthy walk in God’s light constitutes obedience to their partnership in the gospel4. According to Romans 12; 11, human beings are expected to serve the Lord without lacking Zeal. Spiritual favor should be maintained at all times while serving God. In addition, Deuteronomy 13; 4 says that human beings should only follow the Lord their God. It is only God that is worth being Served and revered. The keeping of God’s commandments and obeying his commands are the best ways to serve and hold fast to him. Further, Galatians 5; 13 says that human beings and their brothers were called to use their freedom in serving the lord. Human beings should not engage in sinful deeds but serve one another in love5. Serving God and other human beings is captured in 1 Peter 4; 10. Every person should use the gift given to them from God to serve others as well as faithfully carrying out ministries. Gifts from God should be used in assisting other creatures who are in need of help, by doing this; human beings will be serving the Lord. Consequently, Joshua 22; 5 says that the laws that were given to the Israelites by Moses should be followed. Human beings should love the Lord their God, do what is right, follow the commandments, and to serve the Lord with all their heart and soul. Mark 10; 45 also shows how human beings should serve the lord. Mark says that Jesus Christ did not come to be served by human beings, but to offer services to humankind and to die for our sins6. Bow Down Bowing down is a term mentioned several times in both the Old Testament and the New Testaments. It is used as a sign of submission and respect in to God. It is always noted that whenever the Bible describes the activity of heaven, more than often we find the mentioning of the word warship at the center. Similarly, the word warship incorporates “bowing down” according to Rev. 4:11; Rev. 11:16; Rev. 5:14. What is peculiar according to Revelations is that almost every time the twenty four elders are mentioned, we see them bow down before the throne. Acts of bowing down before God is also found in Neh. 8:6; Luke, 5:6-8; and Num. 20:6.7 The question that one may ask is what bowing down has to do with warship? To answer this question, the Hebrew word for “worship” as found in the Old Testament literally means “bow down.” A similar meaning is also noted of the Greek word as found in the New Testament. This shows that there is a close link between the word “worship” and “bowing down”. For example, people of the olden days understood the significance of bowing down before someone. During these days, bowing down was taken as universal sign of submission and respect in the presence of a powerful leader or King for that matter. Gen. 41:42 and 2 Sam. 14:22 is a good example where we find people bowing down before a human leader. This is probably the reason as to why bowing down before God became a primary expression of worship8. Bowing down before someone shows two things. First is a sign of submission. This implies that bowing down before a King or powerful leader shows that one acknowledges that the leader or King is greater than him and that person’s life is in his hands and power. Secondly it acts as a sign of respect and honor. This is in recognition of the greatness of the person being bowed to. It is noted that bowing down has a lot of importance in worship. It is said that, in worship, people declare the greatness of God. It is Him alone who is worthy of honor, glory and praise. Phil. 2:9-10, says that, one day all created human beings shall bow down before Him and declare that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Today, in response to this powerful word of truth, people bow down in adoration and surrender to the King. It is worth noting that bowing down may not necessarily be physical, but through our hearts, we must just bow before Him who is on the throne. The Bible says that, without this, there is no true worship. The Bible says that failing to bow down merely means reciting words that we do not truly mean and therefore, our worship is hollow and hypocritical as well. Several events are mentioned in the Bible where people bowed down in worship. One such is seen in Ex. 4:31, 12:27 and 34:8 where Moses and the Israelites bowed down and worshiped regularly. The Bible also says that Daniel and King David and many of the prophets bowed down three times a day to pray. The wise men also bowed and knelt down before Jesus according to Mat. 2:119. Clap Handclapping among churches is said to fall under two categories: clapping in appreciation when a good point is made during preaching, for brethren to be honored, and at baptism, and the rhythmic clapping which usually accompanies singing. However, there are few references regarding handclapping in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, some are in support of clapping in worship. For instance, according to Psalms 47:1,2, “O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”10 Clapping in worship is also used as an appreciation for others. Since Christians are supposed to honor each other according to Romans 12:10; 13:7 and Cor. 12:23, 24, definitely applause could be one way people choose to show appreciation in appropriate circumstances. Due to these reasons, clapping among Christians are said to be common during birthdays, and social events among others. In defense of clapping and applause as part of worshiping God, theologists point out that worship assemblies not only involve vertical communication with God but also a horizontal communication with the brethren. In many cases, clapping is also used as approval during preaching in churches11. Shout Shouting in worship means making applause for God in recognition of what He has done. Theologists argue that God is not an old person who fears loud noise. Therefore, people should sometimes engage in noise making and have fun before God. They argue that God enjoys a good shout once in a while as He himself like shouting. This is found in Psalms 47:5, which says, “God is gone up with a shout, and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet!” Verse 4 says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth, make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praises…” The rest of the chapter also tells of how” the sea roars, and the rivers clap and the hills are joyful before the Lord”12. Most of the OT teachings of shouting alludes that it is used as a sign of approval during preaching, just like clapping. It is also used in appreciation for what God has done. This is seen in Psalms 47:1, which says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, for He is worthy to be praised. Sing with your spirit, clap with your hands, our God is worthy to be praised”. Despite the Old Testament defending worshiping through shouting, the New Testament seems to teach otherwise. NT reveals that there is no authority for clapping, shouting, whistling or blowing during worship. This is revealed in John 4:24, which says, “God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Therefore, congregation should save their applause for another time since it has no place in worship assemblies13. Sing Theologists argue that singing has a definite place in worshiping God both in spirit and in truth. They argue that one way through which God is glorified is by singing His name. God has commanded people to sing as seen in the New Testament in which He commanded twice to be praised by singing psalms, spiritual songs and hymns according to Corinthians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. This implies that everyone has an obligation to sing. Just sitting through the song service and never attempting to sing is seen as being disobedient to God. Consequently, it is argued that when people just sit and listen to the choir amounts to disobedience to God’s command to sing14. There are about nine scriptures in the New Testament that talks of the kind of songs in the worship that God would like his children to sing in order to worship Him in spirit and truth. The first is found in the Gospel according to Mathew 26:30, which says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Roman 15:9 says,”For this reason, I will confess you among the Gentiles and sing to your name”; Acts 16:25 says, “But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Other scriptures in the NT that talks of the singing as an expression of worship include James 5:13, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Hebrews 2:12; 13:15, and Ephesians 5:1915. One may question why God orders us to sing praises to Him. This is quite straightforward as we realize that God himself sings according to Zephaniah 3:17. Here, we are taken through hymns that Jesus sung with his disciples. According to Ephesians 5, singing is one of the rewards of being filled with the Spirit. Therefore, people worship a triune God who sings, and wants people to emulate Him. Singing is also to use as a tool for serving the word. First, it is argued that it helps people remember words. Indeed, it is easy to recall the words of songs that date back to several years ago. It is said that music has a peculiar mnemonic power. People remember patterns in music much better than in just words. Meter, rhyme, and song are the most powerful mnemonic tools. As such, they govern the way people say the words and the time it takes to say such words. This is seen in Deuteronomy 31, which says that God uses songs to help his people remember his words16. From the Old Testament, we learn that singing in worship was also meant to help people engage the words emotionally. For instance, the Jews sang a much wider repertoire in worship compared to the book of psalms. This is evident as throughout Hebrew in the OT, readers can clearly observe a system of some 27 separate accent marks employed in 36 books, coupled with a system of 26 accent marks used in books such as Psalms, Job, and Proverbs. According to Gesenius, their main purpose, was to regulate minutely the public reading of the sacred text. 17 Scriptures also provide evidence that some of the prophets sang their prophecies. This is seen when God informed Ezekiel saying, “And, lo, thou art unto them a very lovely song of one that harth a pleasant voice…” The Song of Moses according to Deuteronomy 32 was also purposely written to teach people under God’s direction. The main reason why Moses wrote the song was to help inspire the people. Honor The word “honor” is used in the Old Testament to give glory to God. For instance, I Samuel 2:27-36; 36: 12-14 shows how Eli honored his sons above the lord. Eli did not correct the sins of his sons and his family after undergoing terrible sins at the tabernacle. After the occasion, a man of God appeared to Eli, who reminded him of his failure to Honor God more than the sons. Human beings have engaged in activities that honor their friends more than God. 1 Samuel 2: 30-35 shows what happened to Eli after refusing to honor God. The Lord says that those who do not honor Him will also not be honored. Further, the Lord says that such people will be cut off from the altar18. Human beings fail to honor God by allowing other persons to influence their decisions to do sinful deeds. Sin is not an honorable thing to do. According to 1 Samuel 2:30-35, the lord shall not give honor to such people19. The word “honor” is also used in the book of Exodus chapter 3. God ordered Moses to remove his shoes since he was standing on a holy ground. The removal of shoes is a symbol of honor to the lord. Human beings are expected to honor god in all places by doing what is right. In addition, the book of Exodus 20:12 say that human beings should Honor their mothers and fathers so that their days given to them by the Lord can be many. The worn “honor” is used to tell the youth that parents should be honored. “Honor”, in this case refers to obedience. The word “honor” also refers to giving praises to the Lord. The authority should be honored at all times to show respect20. The word “honor” is used in the Old Testament to give glory to God. For example, I Samuel 2:27-36; 36: 12-14 shows how Eli honored his sons above the lord. Eli did not correct the sins of his sons and his family after undergoing terrible sins at the tabernacle. After the occasion, a man of God appeared to Eli, who reminded him of his failure to Honor God more than the sons. Human beings have engaged in activities that honor their friends more than God. 1 Samuel 2: 30-35, shows what happened to Eli after refusing to honor God. The Lord says that those who do not honor Him will also not be honored. Further, the Lord says that such people will be cut off from the altar21. Human beings fail to honor God by allowing other persons to influence their decisions to do sinful deeds. Sin is not an honorable thing to do. According to 1 Samuel 2:30-35, the lord shall not give honor to such people22. The word “honor” is also used in the book of Exodus chapter 3. God ordered Moses to remove his shoes because he was standing on a holy ground. The removal of shoes is a symbol of honor to the lord. Human beings are expected to honor god in all places by doing what is right. In addition, the book of Exodus 20:12 say that human beings should Honor their mothers and fathers so that their days given to them by the Lord can be many. The worn “honor” is used to tell the youth that parents should be honored. “Honor”, in this case refers to obedience. The word “honor” also refers to giving praises to the Lord. The authority should be honored at all times to show respect23. Praise “Praise’ refers to individual or public acknowledgement of the wonderful acts of God. According to Psalms 111:1, human beings are required to acknowledge God with all their hearts, in the company of the upright. In addition, Psalm 1222, says that human beings went to Jerusalem during festivals to praise the lord. This was the best way to acknowledge God’s wonderful deeds publicly. Psalms 105 says that human beings should make known God’s deeds to the whole world. Praise refers to “giving thanks” in Psalm 10524. 2 Chronicles 30:22 is an example of how the word “praise has been used in the new testament. The Levites ate the peace offering sacrifices while offering praise to the lord at the sanctuary. Psalm 54;6 also shows how the word “praise” has been used, it says “willingly I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good”25. Psalms 96: 4 says that our father and our lord deserve ad seek our praise. “Yahweh is great and is worthy to be praised”. The lord also deserves worship from human beings. Psalm 29;2 says that human beings should bow down to God. In the current churches, praise and worship services are dedicated to the lord. The word “praise’ was said by Leah after giving birth to a child (Genesis 29). Leah was the first wife of Jacob and sister of Rachel. The word praise is used to give thanks to God after mighty deeds have been encountered by human beings. Prayer should be used to praise the Lord, however, human beings only pray when they are in troubles. Prayer should be used to praise and worship the lord for the wonderful deeds he has done to human beings26. Serve Jesus used the word “serve’ to refer to the main purpose of His coming. Mathews 20: 28, Jesus says that His main intention is to serve but not to be waited on. In addition, Jesus uses the word ‘serve’ to show his disciples of what is expected of them by giving them example. The washing of the feet represents how disciples are to serve while ministering in the world (John 13). Service to the Lord is manifested in worship and ministry activities. According to Philippians 1; 3-27, Paul says that human beings should conduct their selves in a manner honorable to the teachings of Christ. Christians can serve god by conducting themselves in a holly manner. Sinful deeds by human beings are not considered as service to the Lord. Paul further says that a worthy walk in God’s light constitutes obedience to their partnership in the gospel27. According to Romans 12; 11, human beings are expected to serve the Lord without lacking Zeal. Spiritual favor should be maintained at all times while serving God. In addition, Deuteronomy 13; 4 says that human beings should only follow the Lord their God. It is only God that is worth being Served and revered. The keeping of God’s commandments and obeying his commands are the best ways to serve and hold fast to him. Further, Galatians 5; 13 says that human beings and their brothers were called to use their freedom in serving the lord. Human beings should not engage in sinful deeds but serve one another in love28. Serving God and other human beings is captured in 1 Peter 4; 10. Every person should use the gift given to them from God to serve others as well as faithfully carrying out ministries. Gifts from God should be used in assisting other creatures who are in need of help, by doing this; human beings will be serving the Lord. Consequently, Joshua 22; 5 says that the laws that were given to the Israelites by Moses should be followed. Human beings should love the Lord their God, do what is right, follow the commandments, and to serve the Lord with all their heart and soul. Mark 10; 45 also shows how human beings should serve the lord. Mark says that Jesus Christ did not come to be served by human beings, but to offer services to humankind and to die for our sins29. Bibliography Afolabi, Funmi. My God Shall Supply All My Need. Xlibris Corporation. 2011. Blackman, David. Serving God Not Babel. New York. Authorhouse. 2005. Duck, Ruth & Kastner, Patricia. Praising Go; The Trinity In Christian Worship. London. Westminster John Knox Press. 2002. Jackson, Wayne. Clapping as an Accompaniment to Singing in worship. Christian Courier. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1530-clapping-as-an-accompaniment-to-singing-in-worship Kauflin, Bob. Worship: What Happens when we Sing in Worship? Sovereign Grace Ministries. 2010, 24 March. http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/what-happens-when-we-sing-in-worship-11627945.html Micheals, Chidera. Honoring God With Our Substance. New York; Xulon Press. 2007. Micheals Chidera. Honoring God With Our Substance. New York; Xulon Press. 2007. Moen, Don. My Heart for His Glory: Celebrating His Presence. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2007. Renn, Stephen. Expository dictionary of Bible words: Word Studies for key English Bible Words based on Hebrew and Greek Texts. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005. Thompson Kathy. Clapping in Worship. Lakeside Church in Christ. http://lakeside-church-of-christ.org/kt-clapping.html Read More