Worship connotes reverential actions inspired by the worth of the object of worship. In the Bible, God is the object of worship. To the Hebrews, God is God, whether he is served or not, and God does indeed deserve to be served, not for any reward to God’s servants but because of his worth. God does not require praise to be God, but as God, God demands it by right of being God. Firstly, true worship must be founded in a broken and grateful heart—only a heart delighted in God can genuinely worship him. Secondly, worship is anchored in the knowledge of who God is, i.e., we worship him in response to his majestic power and gracious acts.
Why Worship God
Psalm 95 gives us many reasons why we should worship God.
1. He is the rock of our salvation (Psalm 95:1): The phrase evokes a sense of security because of the imagery of immovable rocks that provide stability. In biblical lands, rocky areas were often used for city fortresses, and caves were used to hide from enemies. Moses wrote, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just, a faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Our God is dependable.
2. God cannot be compared to any other gods; thus, he alone deserves worship (Psalm 95:3). He is God above all other gods. All the other gods are inventions of humanity. As for our God, he is beyond human understanding and cannot be compared to anything on earth.
3. He is the creator and owns everything that exists (Psalm 95:4-5): Everything with a beginning has a cause. Is there anything that has no beginning? Where did our world come from? If you reject that God exists, you have to be able to explain the existence of the universe without a Creator. Either it is self-created or eternal, neither of which would align with such theories as the Big Bang, which relies on observable evidence, yet no one was there to witness it. God alone has no beginning.
4. We worship God because of who he is to us (Psalm 95:6-7): Matthew 16:13-20 records, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Who is Jesus to you as an individual? How you answer well determines what lengths you will go to worship him. Paul says, “I consider everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
5. He is our provider and protector (Psalm 95:7): God cares about the details of our lives, and we have no reason to worry but to trust in him (Matthew 6:25-34). Freed as we are from anxiety, we must first pursue his kingdom and righteousness.
How to Worship
1. In a community (Psalm 95:1): Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching”. We worship communally as a sign of obedience to God, to serve others with our gifts, and, in turn, to benefit from the gifts of others.
2. Joyful singing to the Lord (Psalm 95:1): Worship needs to be joyful. Our emotions are not to be suspended when we come to worship. The Bible is filled with commands to worship God joyfully:
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” (Psalm 47:1)
“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11)
“Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!” (Psalm 66:1-2)
3. With shouts (Psalm 95:1): Shouting reflects someone who has been overcome by something. In our case, it could be God’s doing in our lives.
4. With the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2): “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honour me, and to the blameless, I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:23)
5. While bowing down and kneeling before him (Psalm 95:6): Bowing down and kneeling before God are portrayals of our humility. The Psalmist calls us to prostrate ourselves, which is the highest act of adoration by which the supremacy of God is acknowledged. “He calls us to bow down, that is, bend our legs under, as a dog before his master, who, with great interest, waits patiently to be given some commands. Finally, there is the act of kneeling, which deals with putting ourselves in the posture of those who supplicate.” (Clarke)
A Call to Respond
The Psalmist beckons his listeners to respond appropriately, failure to which there is a consequence (Psalm 95:7b-11). We’re not to harden our hearts. A hardened heart is unresponsive to God’s voice. No matter how persuasively the word is proclaimed, it is scarcely moved. God’s words to Ezekiel are as relevant today as they were then: “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them, you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 33:30-33)
The wrong response grieves the heart of God. It indicates a lack of knowledge of God and sets one on the path towards eternal damnation. We must entrust our lives to Jesus Christ to appropriately respond to the call for worship. To do this, click here.
References
1. The Unknown God. https://www.trulyanchored.com/post/the-unknown-god
2. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 95. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-95/
