The Power Of Worship

Worship is the reverential response of creation to the all-encompassing magnificence of God (Isa 6:1–6; Exod 15:11; Psa 148:1–14). In the OT, worship encompassed a variety of activities. Bringing forward an offering to God was an act of worship (קָרַב, qārab). Bowing down in the presence of God was an outward display of an inner attitude of reverence before the Creator (חָוָה, ḥāwâ). The verb רוּם (rûm) could indicate that a person was “lifting up” or “exalting” God with praise. Together, these last two terms provide a rich image of worship: People both bow before God and lift him up in praise and wonder. The verb הָלַל (hālal) could be used to designate the act of celebrating God. The word “hallelujah” is derived from the Hebrew phrase הַלְלוּ־יָהּ (halĕlû-yāh), meaning “praise Yahweh.” This praise could involve זָמַר (zāmar, “singing”). Worship could also be described as “serving” (עָבַד, ʿābad) God. The ritual life of devotion was emblematic of a whole life given over to God.The NT carries over many of the actions described as worship in the OT. The verb προσκυνέω (proskyneō) means to bow down as an act of worship, while κάμπτω (kamptō) signifies bending the knee or bowing in reverence to God. Other words for praising God include δοξάζω (doxazō), for the act of giving God glory, and εὐλογέω (eulogeō), for praising or blessing God.

Adoration,Praise, Lament, Confession

The forms of worship are diverse. Worship can take place in the context of confession, lament, praise, thanksgiving, and adoration. Confession is a form of worship recognizing that people are sinners who stand in need of God’s grace (Psa 51:1–19). Lament is a type of worship that recognizes the distance between the world as experienced, and as it should be, given God’s goodness, power, and love (Psa 44:1–26). It is a request for God to complete his project of making all things new. Praise of God can be in response to his character or his saving acts (Exod 15:1–21). Thanksgiving functions as a means of showing gratitude for what God has done (Psa 138:1–8). Adoration involves contemplating and lauding God for who he is (Psa 8:1–4). Worship could manifest itself in many activities, including song, dance, ritual, preaching, and prayer. The people of Israel sang and played instruments in praise of God (1 Chr 25:6); King David danced before the Lord (2 Sam 6:14). God gave the Israelites a series of festivals that were meant as annual reminders of his saving deeds in the past and his continual provision in the present (e.g., Lev 23; Deut 16:1–17). Physically, worship could involve bowing the knee, lying prostrate, or lifting hands before God (e.g., 1 Sam 1:26; Jer 18:20; 2 Chron 6:13; Ps 5:8; 28:2; 99:5; Isa 1:15).