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Thursday, March 01, 2007

Worship

Worshipping God…

What’s on your heart…what do you talk…what is your concern…

Teaching children to worship God…

How do we define the word “worship”?

According to the Blue Letter Bible Lexicon, the English word “worship” has more than one Hebrew and Greek word attached to it. For example, the Hebrew word for worship that appears 172 times in the Old Testament is shachah {shaw-khaw'}, means to bow down or prostate oneself before superior in homage, before God in worship, before false gods, or before angel. On the other hand, one Greek word for worship that appears 60 times in the New Testament, also used in the verse John 4:23, “God is a Spirit, they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” is proskuneo {pros-koo-neh'-o}, which means to kiss the hand to one, in token or reference, or to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reference.

By understanding the original meaning of a word or the context in which it was used can help us to understand the word better and in a more complete term.

For example, the word “worship” and “sing” had different root word. The word “sing” also has more than one meaning: to make music (zamar or shiyr - Hebrew), to overcome or to cry (ranan – Hebrew), to praise with a grateful soul (ado - Greek), to play instrument (psallo – Greek).

What is the difference between singing and worshipping? According to the root word mentioned above when we are in a state of worship, we are exalting or giving our reference, and that can come in form of singing, or playing instrument, or dancing. Hence, when we sing, we know and understand what we are singing, and we are acknowledging God’s sovereignty over our lives. Hence, we know why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes, “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But, in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:7-9), because the Pharisees cares more about what people think of them than what God thinks.

I was reading Psalm 84 this morning and amazed at the fact how these verses were sang or written long time ago but are used widely in today’s Christian contemporary songs.

These verses were the cries, prayers, and exaltations that came from the heart of the people back then.

I believe, even David produced some of the psalms when he was young, while tending sheep. Young David knew the God that he serves. He put his whole trust in Him. He grew up knowing who God is as he fought the battle with the Philistines, or when he dealt with Saul, or when he committed adultery or even until his death bed.
God seeks a generation that will worship Him in the spirit and in truth. “He will pour out His Spirit on all people. Our sons and daughter will prophesy; our old men and young men will see visions. There will be many who will call on the name of the Lord and there will be deliverance.” (Joel 2:28, 32)

In conclusion, worship comes from the heart that knows and accepts God’s sovereignty over our lives, that is accepting Jesus Christ, who has died on the cross, as our Lord and Savior. Continue in “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph 5:19)

God bless,

I have listed below sites that I think are useful:

Online bible with lexicon, commentaries, study tools
http://www.blueletterbible.org/

“The Disciple-Making Minister,” by David Servant
http://www.shepherdserve.org/dmm/dmm_20.htm

Free ESL lesson
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/a.html

Lesson Plan on different subjects
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson122.shtml

More for writing ideas and practice
http://www.teenagewriters.com/forum/
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/