Its Differences From Sacrifice, Thanksgiving, Praise And Giving Glory

by Jas. Martin, Bournemouth | Category: Worship | Mar 1964

We shall endeavour to ascertain from the Scriptures the different shades of meaning in "worship", "sacrifice", "thanksgiving", "praise" and "giving glory". We suggest that a reading of 1 Chronicles 16 will be profitable to this end.

The service of the bearing of the Ark of Jehovah on its many journeyings from Sinai to the Land was given to the Levites. This task was nearing completion. David had prepared a place for the Ark in a tent, and the bearers set the Ark therein.

"Then on that day did David make it the chief work to give thanks unto the LORD" (verse 7, R.V.M.). In the words recorded in 1 Chronicles 16.8-36, the variety of expressions used is instructive in our present subject.

"0 give thanks unto the LORD" (verse 8). "Sing praises unto Him" (verse 9).

"Glory ye in His holy name" (verse 10).

"Declare His glory among the nations" (verse 24).

"For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised" (verse 25).

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name:

Bring an offering, and come before Him:

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" (verse 29).

It will be evident from the variety of words used above that service Godward can be expressed in many ways. Not one of the words in italics is redundant, nor is any one an exact synonym of any other. The exercises Godward, such as "sacrifice, thanksgiving, praise, and giving glory" are related to worship, but not synonyms for worship.

The vocabulary of "worship" in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is very extensive. Basically the original words used and translated by the English word "worship" mean "a bowing down, in obeisance and reverence, a prostration which offers homage and adoration". The English word "worship" signifies the honour which is due to anyone according to his "worthiness" or "worth". It is used as the translation of several words in the original Bible languages. Usually the context will show whether the worship is given to God (1 Chronicles 16.29; Psalm 29.2, 96.9; Matthew 4.10), or to man (Matthew 18.26), or to idols (Acts 7.48), or to the Dragon and the Beast (Revelation 13.4), or to demons (Revelation 9.20). There is worship that is due to God alone. There is no real intrinsic worth in the creature or in created things. We recall the Lord's words to the devil, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Luke 4.8).

Our worship of God should keep pace with our apprehension of Him and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This comes by revelation. His handiwork in creation, His goodness towards, and provision for, His creatures all call for worship from man. The revelation and apprehension of the attributes of God have been gradual through the centuries. In very early days Abraham learned to say, "I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you" (Genesis 22.5). To Abraham God had revealed Himself and His will, and, despite the ordeal involved, Abraham bowed to God's will in submissive obedience, and worshipped God.

From the Psalms and the Prophets we can learn much of the reverence of heart and the excellency of choice words that are associated with true worship of Jehovah.

We pass over many years and "when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son". We do well to listen to His words on "worship", which were spoken to the woman at Sychar's well: "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be His worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4.23, 24).

Today, as throughout the dispensations, the basic requirements in worship are that the heart must be deeply touched and the approach to God must be in fear and awe, with the reverence due to His holy name and Person.

Let us now look at some of the other spiritual exercises that are so often connected with worship, in the light of the above summary.

Sacrifice. This in both the Old and the New Testaments literally means "to slay". The offering of the sacrifice in the Old Testament is connected with the thought of the worshipper bowing in reverence before God and finding acceptance by Him. This is particularly so in the burnt offering. The particular requirements for the various sacrifices were dictated by divine decree, and in offering according to the commandment, the worshipper with bowed head worshipped God. The kind of sacrifice brought depended on the resources of the offerer, but might also suggest a lesser or a higher appreciation of God and His holiness, and therefore bespoke the extent of the devotion in the heart of the worshipper. But the sacrifice offered was not in itself the act of worship.

After the death of Christ came a change of law, for the sacrifices which were being offered by the Jews were incapable of taking away sins or of making the worshipper perfect. It is a serious fallacy taught by the church of Rome that the Remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Breaking of the Bread is a "sacrifice". Hebrews 10.10 clearly states that "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all". This once-for-all sacrifice was offered on the Cross. It is the Remembrance of this great sacrifice we observe week by week, in which we bespeak our appreciation

of His incarnation, His life, His death and His resurrection. Such cause our hearts to bow in true worship. This worship is that of God's people bowing before Him, and offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him through their great high Priest, to His God and Father (See also 1 Peter 2.5.) Worship is bowing in reverential appreciation of the value of the sacrifice.

Thanksgiving. The Greek word translated "thanksgiving", in the New Testament ultimately acquired the meaning of "a showing of gratitude". In pre-Christian days the word was of rare occurrence in Greek literature. Thanksgiving is an important Christian virtue. Thanksgiving plays an important part in connexion with worship, but there are cases of "giving of thanks" which are not directly associated with worship. Some of these, we suggest, are as follow: The thanksgiving of the haughty Pharisee (Luke 18.11). In contrast to this we have the sincere thanks of Paul and the churches of the Gentiles to Prisca and Aquila (Romans 16.3, 4). Thus in some cases where thanksgiving is mentioned there is no thought of worship.

Praise. In the Old Testament praise is first expressed by Leah, Jacob's wife, at the birth of Judah (Genesis 29.35). She said, "This time will I praise the LORD". The Hebrew word is derived from yad, the hand, and is thought to mean "to revive with extended hands". Another word used is halal, meaning to sing one's praises to God. The prominent idea in both the New and the Old Testaments is that of a tribute of homage in utterance, publicly expressed and rendered to God by His saints. Thus praise offered to God is an essential adjunct of the worship of God. However, in some places, which are quoted here, praise has no relation whatever to worship. In Romans 2.29, praise is bestowed by God on one who is a Jew inwardly; each believer at the judgement-seat of Christ will receive his praise from God (1 Corinthians 4.5); again, praise is used in commendation of praiseworthy thoughts (Philippians 4.8); Paul commends and sends to Corinth a "brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the churches" (2 Corinthians 8.18); praise is given to well-doers by worldly rulers (Romans 13.3). These and many other Scriptures show that praise is not worship and may not even he part of it.

Giving glory. There are few words in the English Bible more difficult to define than the word "glory". It appears, on the surface, to be used in a strange variety of meanings and applications, with both good and bad connotations. Reputation, praise, splendour, honour true and false, light, perfection, rewards temporal and eternal, all these varying conceptions are covered by the same word, "glory".

In the New Testament there are many Scriptures speaking of "glorying" or "giving glory", where the glorying means "boasting". The same word may be used for vainglorying as for valid glorying. We confine ourselves to a few to show that that type of glorying, which so often means giving glory to oneself, is not conducive to the true worship of God. Thus: "Your glorying is not good" (1 Corinthians 5.6); "Where then is the glorying? It is excluded" (Romans 3.27); "But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil" (James 4. 16).

In the Old Testament the root idea of the Hebrew word used is "heaviness", and so in a metaphorical sense, "weight" or "worthiness". It is sometimes used to describe a man's wealth and splendour and reputation. In such a case it is not allied to true worship of God. Its higher use is the glory that belongs to Jehovah, displayed in many ways, and which calls upon the creature to "give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name In the New Testament, the Greek word is derived from a root meaning "to think" or "to suppose". From this primary meaning of "thought" or "opinion", it passes to "favourable opinion". The chief use in the New Testament is to describe the character of God as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the effulgence of God's glory (Hebrews 1.8). A knowledge of Him in this aspect calls for giving glory to God in worship.

The following Scriptures show, however, that there are occasions of giving or receiving glory which are not conducive to worship:

"Jesus .... said .... He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory" (John 7.16, 18);

"They (the Pharisees) loved the glory of men more than the glory of God" (John 12. 48); and,

"How can ye believe, which receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not?" (John 5.44).

The above quoted references to "sacrifice, thanksgiving, praise, and giving glory" show that there are differences in meaning, in certain cases, between each and "worship". It is anticipated, however, that future papers in this series on "Worship" will show clearly the positive place that spiritual sacrifices of praise and giving thanks have in the acceptable worship of God, who alone is worthy of our devotions.

Jas. Martin, Bournemouth | Mar 1964
Worship