AV 4
Worship
“But the hour comes, and now is, when
the true worshiper will worship the Father in spirit AND in truth, for indeed
the Father seeks worshipers who are like these.
For Eloah is spirit, and those who worship Him ought to worship in
spirit AND in truth.”
(John 4:23-24 HRVS, emphasis mine)
Noah
Webster defines ‘worship’ as “to adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence
with supreme respect and veneration”[1]. The biblical verse that Mr. Webster quotes as
an example in his definition is Ex 34:14: “For thou shalt WORSHIP no other god:
for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (
Interesting
to note that the Greek word that is translated as ‘worship’ in our opening
verses is the word proskuneō (Strong’s
G4352), and literally means to fall to one’s knees, touching the ground with
your forehead in obeisance and profound reverence. I believe that the key here is the phrase
‘profound reverence’, something that I wonder how many of us will truthfully admit to. Are we really
in awe and amazement at our Creator, and all that He has done, and continues to
do? Are we humbled at the care and
concern that He has for us? Do we hold Him, and His Torah, in high esteem and
honor?
As
an aside here, the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘worship’ in Ex34:14 is shâchâh (Strong’s H7812), and also means
to bow down and prostrate oneself in homage, similar to the Greek word proskuneō. It would appear that worship has been conducted for
thousands of years either on the knees, or, basically, on your face. Interesting thought, isn’t it …
To
the Jew, the highest form of worship is the study of Torah, the divine
instructions in moral and righteous living.
I would suggest that THE
APPLICATION of this study would also qualify as worship, especially if it
is done with ‘profound reverence’ toward the One who created us. We were created to do the will of our Elohim,
and we know that Sh’ma – to hear AND obey – is His will (Deu 6:4-9). We also know that the Scriptures define Torah
as truth (Ps 119:142); therefore, if we are to worship in spirit and in truth, it would stand to reason
that the application of the truth,
the Torah, would somehow be involved.
Always
remember, folks, the very rocks would praise Him if the need arose (Luke
19:38-40).
“… for you do not bow yourselves to another mighty
one, for יהוה, whose
Name is jealous, is a jealous Ěl” (Ex 34:14)
“And they are singing the song of Moses the servant
of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and wonderful are Your deeds,
Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who shall not fear and glorify Your name, O
Lord? For You alone are Holy. All the nations shall come and worship before
You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed!” (Rev 15:3-4 TLV)
©2021
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