Session Devotional

Introduction

Last month we considered how God created man for worship and even provided a sort of liturgy in his provision and prohibition. But the pure worship of God was challenged by the serpent and a false liturgy was presented to Adam and Eve.

Jonathan Gibson The liturgical structure for humanity remained the same: call-response-meal. But the object of worship had changed.

Worship through Sacrifice

Lucifer was cast out of heaven in order to preserve the worship of the angelic hosts. On earth God established a new covenant with man. The covenant of works was replaced by the covenant of grace.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Luke 10:18 ESV

And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

The second Adam would correct what the first Adam destroyed.

Under this new covenant, God begins to show grace to his elect.

Adam and Eve are clothed with animal skin (an innocent party was slain for the guilty).

Perpetual sacrifices required in order to worship God throughout the Old Testament.

Jesus became the final lamb who was slain and now it is only through his sacrifice that we have access to the throne of God.

Worship at Eden, Sinai, and Zion

Old Testament worship can be summarized by the liturgy represented at each stage of redemptive history:

Adam in Eden: Call-Response-Meal

Israel on Sinai (): Gathering-Call-Cleansing-Mediated Access-Divine Communication-Consecration-Sacrifice-Divine Communication-Cleansing-Mediated Access-Fellowship Meal

Solomon on Zion (): Gathering-Cleansing-Mediated Access-Praise (singing and music)-Glory of God fills temple-Divine Communication (through Solomon)-Prayer (by Solomon)-Fire and Glory-Praise-Cleansing/consecreation-Meal-Blessing

Worship was only possible through sacrifice and the mediation of a prophet/priest. Each new element of the liturgy was required in order to counter the effects that sin had introduced into worship.

Adam, Israel, and Solomon - Idolatrous Sons

The gracious arrangement of the covenant made their imperfect worship acceptable. Idolatry was present from the beginning of Israel’s response to the Mosaic Covenant. And that idolatry was never eradicated even after entering the Promised Land. At the dedication of the temple under Solomon, worship reaches it’s climax. But not even Solomon could maintain the purity of worship being drawn into idolatry through the influence of many wives.

Irreversible Idolatry

Jeroboam established two alternative locations of worship furnished with golden calves. Sacrifices were offered under a rival priesthood. This led to the removal of Israel from God’s presence.

2 Kings 17:14–18 ESV

But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

Unfortunately, Judah didn’t fair much better. King Manasseh continued the downward spiral.

2 Kings 21:3–6 ESV

For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

The result was a covenant people who were more corrupt than their neighbors.

2 Kings 21:9 ESV

But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.

Despite the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah, Judah was incapable of avoiding God’s wrath in the form of exile.

2 Kings 24:20 ESV

For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Even after the exile, after returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple, idolatry was present. Ezekiel’s promise had not come to pass.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

ezek

Next month we will get into the fulfillment of the New Covenant which has “already and not yet” aspects regarding modern worship.