Tag Archives: Worship

Day 250: Words of life

Isaiah 54-55; 1 Corinthians 11

The first half of 1 Corinthians 11 seems dated and irrelevant. What’s all this talk about women covering their heads? What in the world does this mean, and is it really important?

Once again, Paul is addressing a specific issue in the Corinthian church and we must look through the details to find the applicable principle.

In Paul’s day, it was only a married woman who wore head coverings. So this passage is specifically referencing the relationship between husbands and wives – not between men and women in general. If a married woman worshiped with her head uncovered, this would bring great shame to her husband – as if to say she were “sexually available” or not married at all.

Evidently, this was an issue in the Corinthian church, so Paul exhorts the congregation to act in a way that would bring glory to God. In other words, do not let external acts of disrespect distract others from the gospel.

Similarly, Paul instructs the church in the proper way to celebrate The Lord’s Supper (11:20-34). It wasn’t to be a glutenous feast with people gorging themselves with food and wine. No! It was an act of worship – a time where the congregation was supposed to lay aside their own desires for the sake of others and for Christ.

Their corporate worship was a witness to the world! What did their community communicate about Jesus when they came together to worship? Did they send a message of disrespect and lust for selfish desires – or did they consider the needs of others before themselves?

The Corinthian Church struggled with the same temptations we face… selfishness, individualism, rebellious attitudes, conformity to the culture, lust, greed, should I go on?? ;)

When my sin threatens to overwhelm me, I look to the grace and kindness of my God.

Today’s reading from Isaiah is spilling over with God’s goodness and grace! Savor the words from Isaiah 54-55. Let them sink deep into your soul and breathe life into your dry bones. These are the words of your Lord. These are the words of life!

Seek God while he’s here to be found,
pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. (Isaiah 55:6-7, The Message).

Day 231: Worthy of our worship

Isaiah 4-6; Romans 12

In today’s reading, Isaiah 4 opens with a prophecy of hope – and then Isaiah 5 turns dark as it describes how the people of Judah had rejected his grace (5:4) and consequently, would experience God’s wrath (5:13-14).

It is this context of future hope (chapt. 4) and imminent judgment (chapt. 5) that we see God’s grace and calling to Isaiah in Chapter 6.

Isaiah’s vision is truly awesome. He is face to face with the glory and holiness of the Lord, and he is terrified. Never has Isaiah been more aware of his own shortcomings – he was absolutely destitute in his sin.

But see God’s severe grace. Forgiveness does not come cheap. Sin always bears a price…

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:6-7).

Then God gives Isaiah his calling and purpose. Isaiah was called into a life of suffering – as he would proclaim God’s impending judgment on a hardened people.

But look deeper into the text and notice that Isaiah is describing the very throne room of God! God’s robe fills the temple and the foundation of the temple shook at the power of His voice. Isaiah, in his sinful state, could only crumple under the Holiness, but the seraphim, the pure seraphim, were engaged in worship.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

This song is echoed in Revelation 4 – where we are also transported through vision to the throne room of God – and there we find the four creatures (representing all of creation) gathered with the 24 elders (who probably represent the unity of Israel and the church – combining the 12 tribes of Israel + the 12 apostles) – and what are they ALL doing??!! Worshiping the Lord!

And the four living creatures, …day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:8-11)

What is our response to the God we serve?? First, we say with Isaiah, “Woe is me!” And then, we must worship.

Romans 12:1 instructs us in this worship. We don’t contain our worship to Sunday mornings. No! We worship with our very lives!

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Jesus demands our all. How will you worship Him today?

 

Day 97: Proper worship

Judges 17-18; Luke 10:25-42

Somehow, God has managed to preserve his people in spite of their apostasy. Despite the constant threat of aggressors, Israel remains a nation. Yet, this nation is full of people who have no clue how to worship God according to the Mosaic law. Rather…

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).

The rest of the book of Judges switches its focus from the threat of foreign invaders to its own inward chaos. The author is persuading the reader that Israel desperately needs the leadership of a godly king!! This story recorded in Judges 17-18 seems cartoonish it’s so preposterous!

And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods…

And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest” (Judges 17:5; 12-13).

Since when did people start having their own personal priests?? And this priest doesn’t have an altar or a tabernacle, no, he has Micah’s shrine and carved images to facilitate proper worship. It’s all ludicrous!

But fast forward to today’s reading in Luke. At this point in history, the Jews were so absorbed with proper worship – that they had added extra laws that made the old laws seem permissive. This concern with observing the Mosaic law is obvious from the details in Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan. There was a distinction between the Priest and the Levite. Not just any Levite could be a Priest. Only a descendant of Aaron could be a Priest. I’m sure this detail was overlooked by Micah, our character from Judges ;)

But it is interesting that Jesus takes all of these religious regulations and turns them upside down. The story of the good Samaritan illustrates that it is not the “law-abiding” Priest and Levite that meet the standard of the Law – but rather it was the hated “half-breed” Samaritan who did what was acceptable – sacrificially love his enemy.

Isn’t Jesus wonderful??!! He wants so much more for His people than mere religion!! The rules only teach us we’re not good enough! Then we can look to Jesus with a desperate need to be rescued… This is proper worship! Humble, reliance on the Savior.

Mary understood. She knew that nothing was as important as sitting at the feet of her Lord. All of life could wait – Jesus was in her house!! What could be more important than that??!!!