Worship in Genesis: Two Classes of Worshipers

Daniel's friends had the faith of Abraham.

Worship in Genesis: Two Classes of Worshipers

" 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!' " (Genesis 28:16-17, NKJV).

The Dictionary defines worship as an act of religious devotion usually directed to one or more deities. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something. As we can see, the word has changed meanings. In our understanding, God gives value to us, and we acknowledge His. Based on this reality, someone defined worship thus: "The absolute acknowledgment of all that lies beyond us—the glory that fills heaven and earth. It is the response that conscious beings make to their Creator, to the Eternal Reality from which they came forth, to God; however, they may think of Him or recognize Him. And, whether He be realized through religion, through nature, through history, through science, art, or human life and character." 

But, God is more than Creator. He is redeemer. So, in true Christian Worship there is an acknowledgement of God as redeemer. Thus, there is a heartfelt appreciation for what He is and what He has done, is doing and will do. True worship entails gratitude for creation and redemption. 

Now, the word we translate from the Hebrew as worship means to bow down. In the Hebrew culture, you typically bowed down to your superiors. Servants or slaves bowed down to their masters and subjects to their king. There is an acknowledgment of submission. Now, just because we submit to God, it does not mean there cannot be friendship. Jesus called His disciples friends (John 15: 15). In worshipping God, we willingly submit to One Who gave His life to save those who considered Him an enemy (Romans 5:10). The idea was to show them that God is not an enemy but a Loving Master. A Master that would do anything - even give His life - for His servant's well being. When we truly worship God, we are serving friends. 

Can we reconcile worship with the Hebrew word "to bow down"? How about through submission, we acknowledge not only God's superiority but His love for us. Through submission, we demonstrate our gratitude or heartfelt appreciation for what He has done for us. Through submission, we show gratitude for how much worth He has put on us. 

No one will deny that Abraham was a true worshiper. He lived by faith and is called the father of the faithful. He believed (same word for faith) God's precious promises, and because of this was declared righteous. Did Abraham live in submission to the God he loved? Paul says in Hebrews 11,

Heb11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Heb11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

Heb11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 "Faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Abraham heard God's word and believed it. Abraham did as God instructed; he submitted to God. Abraham did it because he trusted that God had Abraham's best interest at heart. Now, if Abraham was a true worshiper, and therefore an actual submitter, then we can argue that only those who have faith submit and are true worshippers. 

 We have, in contrast, those in Matthew 7:21 - 23 that did works but not out of faith (which is Sin – Romans 14:23). So, they were insubordinate, even rebellious. They were not submitted. They were not true worshippers. Yet, they were deceived in believing they were. Are we deceived also?

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Daniel and his Friends

Daniel and his Friends

How do we develop the enduring kind of patience? Our lesson quotes James 1: 2 – 4 to give us the answer, 

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and com­plete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2–4, NKJV).

The word patience here is from the Greek hupomone, which means endurance, steadfastness, and courage of every affliction that one confronts on one's spiri­tual journey. The word Paul uses in Galatians 5:22 is macrothumia – translated as longsuffering - which essentially means "long tempered" as opposed to short-tempered. 

Although hupomone is not part of the fruit of the Spirit, it is nevertheless essential in our walk of Faith. According to James, it is through trials that we develop the endurance to overcome unbelief continually and remain faithful to God. Our lesson states about this,

'The Greek word for "trials," sometimes translated "temptations," is the word peirazo, which has the broader significance of "proving" or "testing." The devil tries us or tempts us to do evil. The tests and trials that God allows to come into our lives are to develop our characters.' Ellen G. White talks about this,

"The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon no useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work. Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a palace."—Ellen G. White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 10.

The previous quite doesn't mean, however, that every trial is in God's providence. Often we bring suffering upon ourselves through disobedience; often, too, trials and suffering are just the results of what it means to live in a fallen, sinful world where we have an enemy who hates us (1 Pet. 5:8). What this does mean, however, is that through a complete sur­render of ourselves to the Lord, to grasping hold of Him in faith and obedience, no matter what we go through, we can come out better or more refined if we allow God to work in us. No one said it would be fun. Life here often isn't fun, but God gives us this wonderful promise: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

One good example of how trials help develop endurance is Daniel and his friends. It was through trials that they develop the enduring patience that gave them the victory. Now, when we think of Daniel and his friends going through trials, we probably immediately think of the fiery furnace and the Lion's den. And, these were moments in their respective lives when their faith was tested, and they were victorious by the grace of God. But, this trial was not there first one. The first trial was actually while still in Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 38: 17 – 21, Jeremiah tells the King of Judah to surrender to the King of Babylon and "it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live" (Jeremiah 38: 20). Those who did as God asked to surrender to the Babylonian King, it went well with them. Those that did not were either injured or killed. Daniel and his friends surrendered to the King of Babylon. 

You could argue that Isaiah prophesied the second trial. Isiah states that this happened after Hezekiah failed to give God glory for his miraculous healing, and instead took the glory for himself and showed the Babylonians all that was in the house. Isaiah predicted in 2 King 20:17 – 18,

 2Ki20:17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

2Ki20:18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon.

Put bluntly, Daniel and his friends were castrated. Daniel then narrates how he and his friends refused to eat out the King's table. The foods were luscious and sacrificed to idols. They did not want their appetite to lead them astray. Reluctantly, the prince of the eunuchs agrees to make a deal give them a ten-day trial.  

Our lesson states that, "God honors the loyalty of the four Hebrew captives, and at the end of their ten-day testing period they look healthier and better nourished than the other students who have eaten from the royal table. So, God gives His four servants "knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom," and to Daniel alone, God gives "understanding in all visions and dreams" (Dan. 1:17, NKJV). " 

Furthermore, After three years of training in the "Babylonian University," the four Hebrews are brought before the King for the final examination. They are not only healthier than the other students, they surpass them in knowledge and wisdom. The King immediately hires The four.

Ellen White states, 

"Daniel and his companions in Babylon were, in their youth, apparently more favored of fortune than was Joseph in the earlier years of his life in Egypt; yet they were subjected to tests of character scarcely less severe. From the comparative simplicity of their Judean home these youth of royal line were transported to the most magnificent of cities, to the court of its greatest monarch, and were singled out to be trained for the king's special service. Strong were the temptations surrounding them in that corrupt and luxurious court. The fact that they, the worshipers of Jehovah, were captives to Babylon; that the vessels of God's house had been placed in the temple of the gods of Babylon; that the king of Israel was himself a prisoner in the hands of the Babylonians, was boastfully cited by the victors as evidence that their religion and customs were superior to the religion and customs of the Hebrews. Under such circumstances, through the very humiliations that Israel's departure from His commandments had invited, God gave to Babylon evidence of His supremacy, of the holiness of His requirements, and of the sure result of obedience. And this testimony He gave, as alone it could be given, through those who still held fast their loyalty". — Ellen G. White, Education, p. 54.

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz