Biblical Worship Encounters Pt. 2
: Abraham and Isaac
We will worship. This is the first mention of the word "worship" in the Bible. It is the first time the Hebrew word "shachah", used only twice before and translated as "bowed low", is translated as "worship." The background for the introduction of this concept of worship is sacrifice. The setting, the place, is Mount Moriah. Many years later King David would find himself looking for a place to build an altar to the Lord to confess his sin and worship. Under Divine instruction he approaches the threshing floor of a man named Aruanah. Aruanah, upon seeing the king, offers to give him the land and any animal needed for an offering. Here David utters the now famous words, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." The place of that threshing floor? Mount Moriah. A generation later, King Solomon, David's son, is about to commence the long-awaited building of the Lord's temple. Where will it be built? On the threshing floor of Aruanah that David purchased.on Mount Moriah. The first temple, the centerpiece of Jewish worship, is built on land famous for sacrifice. That is significant. You see, sacrifice is the foundation of Biblical worship. At its core, worship is about lordship; we give lordship to what we worship. When we make the choice to worship God, we are emptying ourselves of our own rights and will and surrendering to Him. Worship is the foremost act of sacrifice. It proclaims a death to our self.
There is one more element about worship that we can learn from the story of Abraham and Isaac. Worship is an act of sacrifice; it is also an expression of faith in God. When Isaac, probably a teenager or young man at the time, notices that he and his dad are up there with fire, wood, a knife, and no sacrifice, he nervously asks the question: "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham's response is pivotal. "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." God himself will provide. The Hebrew phrase used there is "Jehovah Jireh"-the God who sees, the One who sees ahead, who watches over, the One who provides. In the moment of confusion and uncertainty, in the midst of the greatest emotional stress he has ever experienced, Abraham reaches out for the very nature of God. His response is one that affirms the character of God. When the day is over, Abraham names that place "The Lord Will Provide", Jehovah Jireh. The name and character of God has defined that moment in his life. Before he knew what would happen, he trusted in the nature of God; when all was said and done, he reaffirmed it. The object of Abraham's faith was not a specific outcome; the object of his faith was a Person-God himself. Our faith is tied up in the character and nature of God. When it is, our worship will reflect it. A true belief in who God is generates worship that is both authentic and powerful.
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This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.