If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou won1dest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water (John 4:10).
These words tell us of the streams of God’s grace which flow down through the Son, by the Spirit, into our hearts; and just as a river has its eddies, and the water in those eddies flows back again towards its source, so is it with worship. It is the outflow of a heart, that has known God as a Giver; that has known the Son, through whom the gift flows down from heaven; that has tasted of the living water of God the Holy Ghost; and, having drunk, has found in that Holy Spirit a source of living water within his heart, that springs up unto everlasting life, and flows back again towards its source in adoration, worship, and praise (John 4:10, 14, 21). It is the answer of a soul that has found out that it is by God’s will that he is saved and sanctified, that that will has been carried out by God the Son, by a sacrifice that has for ever put away his sins, and given him a perfect conscience; the Holy Ghost testifying to his heart, — Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Heb. 10:7-17). Such an one will cry, “Abba, Father,” which name is revealed to us Christians, for the adoring worship of our hearts; and will be one of the true worshippers whom the Father seeks, during this dispensation, to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).
But we must go to the Greek Testament, in which language the New Testament was originally written, to see the exact meaning of the word “worship.” Two words in the Greek language are used to express it, proskuneo and latreuo. The former word signifies to do reverence or homage by prostration, to pay divine homage, worship, adore (Matt. 2:2, 11; 4:10; John 4:20, 2l; Rev. 4:10). The latter is used in Heb. 9, 10, rather in regard to the public worship of the sanctuary, and is translated often by the word “serve,” “service” (Heb. 9:1, 6, 9; 14). In other verses, however, it is rightly translated worship (Heb. 10:2; Phil. 3:3). The general idea, then, is giving praise and homage to God and the Father, for what he is in Himself, and for what He is for those who approach Him. Thus we see that it is the very opposite of prayer, which asks something from God, whereas worship gives to God. Prayer may be truly mixed up with it, and be included in the general thought, but I may pray without one thought of worship, beyond the acknowledgment of God.
Going to hear an Evangelist preach is not worship. The Evangelist addresses himself to the world, whereas worship flows back to the Father from Children’s hearts. The mixture, then, of the two together in one service is mischievous, and calculated to destroy the division which God has made between the world and the Church. Going to hear any kind of ministry is not worship, though it may produce it. Ministry flows down from God to the people, whereas worship is what ascends from the people to God.
Alas, alas, the idea of worship is well nigh lost in Christendom. The world is invited to worship God, the people of God are mixed up with it, and then in the same meeting oftentimes the Gospel is preached to the unconverted. The Word of God carefully keeps the two things apart; Satan has mixed the two up together to the great detriment of God’s children and dishonour to the Lord, for it is written, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 21:27). See, also, Isa. 1:10-15; Psa. 50:14-21. But let us look at two or three instances the Word of God gives us as to what worship is: — (See Deut. 26.) When Israel came into the land of Canaan, they were to bring the firstfruits of that land to the place where the Lord had chosen to put His name and offer it to the Lord. The offerer was to go to the priest, and to him profess that he was come into the land which the Lord had given to them. How beautiful! It was as an Israelite already come into the land, and professing it, that he offered his basket of first-fruits to the Lord. It is as a Christian already seated in heavenly places in Christ, and confessing it, that we worship the Father. (Cp. Eph. 1:3; 2:4-6, 18.) Then he was to say to the Lord,
A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour and our oppression: And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first-fruits of the land which thou, O Lord, last given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God {Deut. 26:5-10}.
Such is worship. The worshiper is himself seated in the heavenlies in Christ and blessed with all spiritual blessings. He gives back to the Lord the precious fruits of praise and adoration which spring from a heart filled with Christ. We have a beautiful picture of worship in Matt. 2:1-11. The wise men having found the Christ they were seeking, in the manger of Bethlehem, right outside the religious center of worship at Jerusalem, they fall down and worship Him, presenting their best treasures as gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Lastly, in Rev. 4, 5, we see what the worship in heaven will be, and surely that is what we should follow most closely. In Rev. 4:11, it is the worship of the Creator:
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Not a word of prayer in it. It is the ascription of praise for what God is, and for what He has done. In Rev. 5:9, it is worship for redemption:
Thou art worthy, . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Such even now should be the pattern for our worship; but, alas, how few worship-meetings do we find where such worship is expressed. Reader, do you understand what such worship means? Do you find yourself in a meeting where such worship is expressed?
Yet, beloved reader, Christ is made unto all believers, sanctification; (1 Cor. 1:30), That is, He is the measure of our separation to God. He is set apart for God’s use, in His very presence, as the High Priest Aaron was set apart for the service of the sanctuary. So are we. We are sanctified through His offering; we are separated to God, we have boldness to enter into the holiest through His blood. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ. Let us give then unitedly, and all together, the fruits of this heavenly land, an offering to the Lord. Let us own the Lord Jesus in heaven as the only center of worship, as we see in Rev. 5:6-10, the redeemed saints in heaven will do, and as we see in Matt. 2 the wise men did, when He was a young child on earth. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, and say, — “Thou art worthy.” Reader, do you know what such worship means? Surely, if you do, you must see that the general worship that goes on around falls far short of it. Is such worship what agrees with heaven? Will such worship do for the holiest? Are the worshippers that fill the churches of Christendom sanctified ones? Yet you must be that for worship in the holiest. The Lord give the beloved reader to consider what is God’s due, and to see that worship is a gift which is to be given to God, and therefore must be perfect to be accepted; lest any should get His rebuke;
If ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil; and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil; offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? saith the Lord of Hosts: But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing; for I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts (Mal. 1:8, 14).