Week 4 (1/22/2003) - Worship's History - Biblical Perspective

There is a mistaken assumption that when the New Covenant came into effect that the Old Covenant was made null, irrelevant. This is not true

John 4:20-24
The Woman at the well asks Jesus, "Where are we supposed to worship?"
Jesus' answer "...for salvation is from the Jews" is an allusion to the long roots of worshipping God.

There is no discontinuity between Old and New Testaments.

The Bible of the New Testament Church was the Old Testament.

Things that have changed

• Approach God through Jesus, not High Priest. Hebrews 10:4
  
• Law was nailed to Cross. Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15, Galatians 3:24-25

Things that have stayed the same

• The law still describes the eternal nature of God.
  
• Jesus fulfilled the law Matthew 5:17-19
  
• Jesus summarizes the law Matthew 22:37-40

Worship in the Old Testament

Sacrifice

Earliest forms of worship centered around sacrifices:
Cain and Abel Genesis 4:1-7
Noah Genesis 8:20
Abraham Genesis 22:2

Sacrifice:
Sin requires death.
The death of an animal symbolically pays the penalty, but it is through faith in God that one is justified. Romans 4:1-3

Tabernacle

Tent-like structure. This was necessary because the people were wandering in the wilderness. This signifies God's desire to walk with us.

5 structural elements

1. God calls his people Exodus 24:1
   
2. People respond and participate Genesis 24:5
   
3. God proclaimed his Word to the people
   
4. People respond with a renewal of commitment to God
   
5. God ratifies covenant with people through sprinkling of blood on people

Temple

When the Jews became established as a kingdom under David, worship was centralized in Jerusalem.

Worship in temple was institutional, several orders of priests. Much formality.

Synagogue

Means "Gathering place"

Sometime during Babylonian captivity.

Lead by common people, not priests.
Less formal than Temple
Teaching of scripture formost vs. Animal sacrifice in Temple


Elements of Synagogue worship

• Praise. Synagogue ruler would call worshippers, "Bless ye the Lord, the One who is blessed." Congregation responds, "May the Lord, the blessed One, be blessed forever and ever."
  
• Prayer. Recitation of shema and 18 benedictions Deuteronomy 6:4
  
• Instruction. Reading from books of Law. Reading from prophets
  
• Men and women segregated. Men bareheaded, women veiled.