Constant Coulibaly

Worship has always been a challenge for man from the dawn of time. Interestingly, the first mention of the word "sin" in the Bible is in connection with the act of worship. This shows that worship is a demanding endeavour. It requires a high level of discipline, effort, and attention to detail.

The very first instance of worship recorded in the Bible is the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:3-7. The two brothers brought offerings to God, but their fortunes were different. While Abel's offering was accepted, as he “brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat” [emphasis, CC], Cain's was rejected because he merely presented “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (vs. 4).

Evidently, God had communicated to the brothers the proper way to worship Him. Abel followed God's instructions and his sacrifice was accepted. But Cain did not comply with the requirements, and his offering was rejected. God reckoned Cain's failure to worship correctly as sin. (vs. 7).

The challenge of worshiping God lies in our tendency to please ourselves rather than focus on honoring and serving Him. We may be inclined to approach God in a way that satisfies our own emotions and preferences, instead of humbly seeking to follow God's instructions on how He desires to be worshipped. One may, for example, feel drawn to worship God through the use of instrumental music, which is not permitted by the law of Christ. However, we must be willing to suppress our own desires and follow God's instructions on how to honor Him with the proper attitude of reverence. We must be willing to submit our personal desires to the will of the Almighty. True worship does not center on what pleases us, but on what pleases God!

Consider the case of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, the first high priest. They were struck dead by God when they tried to worship Him using fire that He "commanded them not" (Leviticus 10:1-2). Both brothers picked fire for their incense that God had not authorized. They must have presumed that any fire would be suitable for sacrifice before God.

However, God's instructions regarding this practice were specific. He had singled out the use of burning coals from the brazen altar in the temple as the only acceptable fire for this purpose. Priests were to take these coals, bring them to the altar of incense, and then place the incense, a mixture of five spices, upon them to burn (Exodus 30:7-8).

Nadab and Abihu were well-informed about the divine ordinance concerning the proper fire to use in their priestly duties. As priests themselves, they were fully aware of the requirements. But they chose to disregard these instructions and took the liberty of using a different, unauthorized fire. In doing so, they acted irreverently in God's presence. Their presumptuous disregard for God's clear commands resulted in their deaths. This tragedy serves as a reminder of the gravity of disobeying God’s commands.

There was a time in Israel's national history when the Jews struggled to worship God with reverence (Malachi 3:4). Instead of offering the best of their livestock as God had requested (Leviticus 1:3, 22:18-20), they brought sick and crippled animals for sacrifice (Malachi 3:6-8). Worship had become problematic for this nation. At the heart of the issue were the hearts of the Jewish worshipers, as evidenced by God's reaction when they brought sacrifices before Him on another occasion (Isaiah 1:11-18). God sternly rebuked them:

“11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”

Clearly, the Lord God rejected the sacrifices from His own people, for their hearts were not right before Him.

There seemed to be nothing wrong with the people's offerings - they had presented them to God exactly as He commanded. However, they had failed to care for the needy (v. 17), thus neglecting the Lord's command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Worship had been reduced to a mere ritual and become a matter of formality, rather than a genuine expression of devotion and obedience. And God was not pleased with that religion empty of the heart.

Under the new covenant, Jesus commands, "they that worship Him [God] must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). God is not merely seeking worshippers, for man is inherently a worshipping being – would worship anything from a river god, the stars, or even oneself. Rather, God is seeking true worshippers, those who will worship Him following the “truth” regarding worship revealed in the New Testament Scriptures by the Holy Spirit.

The acts of worship prescribed in the New Testament include singing, with no use of instruments of music (Matthew 26:30; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), the breaking of bread on the first day of the week, also known as the Lord's Supper or communion (Acts 20:7), giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), praying (1 Corinthians 14:15), and preaching (Acts 5:42). These are the five items through which we are called by God to approach His throne in New Testament worship.

We need to understand that worship is a serious endeavour. Those who have turned worship into entertainment, with a make-feel good purpose, miss the point that God is the audience of worship, not man. In the command to worship God “in spirit and in truth,” the phrase "in spirit" conveys the idea that one must have a profound attitude of reverence and respect for God during worship. It also implies that worship is a time for devotion, with our minds kept focused on spiritual matters, not distracted by thoughts of what we plan to do later when worship is over. This indeed can be a difficult thing to do for many of us.

The Bible is not short of stories that emphasize the significance and complexity of worship. They show that there are specific ways in which God desires to be worshipped. Failure to obediently follow God’s way can have grave consequences.

*Edited