December 25, 2002
Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

 

“They saw the young Child …, and fell down and worshiped Him” (11)

 

As I consider different denominations the concept of worship varies. To some it is the Sunday morning service in its entirety, while to others it is a portion of the service led by a worship team where the primary (often only) activity is singing. Worship of God has been practiced all the way from the patriarchs in the Old Testament to the final scene in the book of Revelation. When compared with modern day worship, these incidents reveal some radical differences.

The first recorded instance of worship is found in Genesis 24. We do not know the name of the man who worshiped the Lord, only that he was the head servant of Abraham (24:26, 48, 52). Other instances are Exod 4:51 – the elders of the Children of Israel and Joshua before the Angel of the Lord (Josh 5:14). One of the differing features between then and now is the act of bowing. Wherever worship is recorded the worshipper is said to bow his head, knees, fall as dead, lay prostrate, etc., before the Lord. I can only imagine what would happen if someone lay prostrate in the aisle in most of our churches! The physical act of bowing means nothing unless it is accompanied by the attitude of worship. We often see Muslim congregations bowing in unison as they “worship” Allah. Tragically, it goes unheeded because they worship a dead hero.

The wise men sought the newborn “King of the Jews” to worship Him. When they found Him, they did not raise their hands in praise, they “fell down and worshiped Him.” Bowing before a monarch is an indication of respect for the office he holds. It is a physical act of submission to his authority and an outward expression of awe for his high rank and position. This was in the hearts of the wise men as they found the baby Jesus in cradled in a manger.

Read in succession Rev 4:10-11; 5:14; 7:11-12; 11:16-18; 19:4; 19:10; 22:8-9. The verses give us an idea of what worship really is. I consider prayer as asking God for something, praise as an acknowledgment of what He has done, and worship as the expression of awe for Who He is. These are of course generalities, but I find myself and the church in general greatly lacking in worship.

Recently I was sharing these thoughts with a sister in Christ. She referred me to Rev 5:8-14. We read it together and, with tears in her eyes, she said, “That’s where I long to be. When I read these words I include myself in the ‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’” This great number “fell down before the Lamb” and worshiped Him. The wise men did the same. So ought we. It is our privilege and honor to worship the Lamb that was slain. He is the One who is worthy. When no one else in heaven was found worthy to open and read the scroll, Jesus, the Lamb, “came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” This act alone caused this spontaneous expression of worship. This great number who worshipped the Lamb also stand before the “Ancient of Days” and serve Him (Dan 7:9-10). When we learn how to worship the King of Kings, we join the hosts of heaven, the wise men, the blind man whom Jesus healed (John 9:38), Justus (Acts 18:7) and myriads of saints who love the Lord and consider it an honor to own Him as Lord.

“So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped” 2 Chron 29:28-30.