Many Christians have expressed disappointment and frustration in recent weeks for not being able to gather to worship because of the COVID-19 crisis. I’m one of them. I miss the sermon, the song, the prayers, and the brotherhood; I also wonder when we will be able to return to service; However, a question came to mind last Sunday: Is God losing our service?
God is sovereign in all things. ” Will there be harm in the city without the Lord doing it?”(A2 3. 6). It was he who stopped our worship as a meeting of Christ’s body on a Sabbath. Maybe we should wonder if he’s not teaching us something we’re not learning yet. Wherever calamity strikes, I think of the teaching of Jesus recorded for us in Luke 13, calamity must lead us to consider God’s judgment and lead us to repentance. The disaster of the closure of the churches should lead us to ask ourselves whether we should evaluate our worship and perhaps repent.
- Several prophets at different times have criticized God’s worship in the Old Testament.
- Paul criticized religious service in Corinth.
- Do we make sure that worship compares to the standard of God’s Word?.
Perhaps God is tired of those churches that have priests who offer sacrifices that God did not approve of; Perhaps God is tired of listening to preachers who present teachings that contradict His Word; perhaps God is tired of the sound of our false and invented praises. the appearance of the form of our worship is appropriate, but our hearts and our lives as worshippers are not. Maybe I’m very critical. But we can certainly agree that we must listen again to the prophets, especially Isaiah and Amos, about what we think of worship.
Isaiah, in the first chapter of his book, complains about the worship of Judah as one of the main elements of God’s controversy with his people (Is 1:10-20). Start by calling them to listen to the Word and teachings. God (Is 1:10). And then simulate the sins of his worship. He rejects his various sacrifices (Is 1:11) and his meetings for the holy days (Is 1:12-14). He refuses to listen to your prayers (Is 1:15). Am I tired of suffering? (Isaiah 1:14). As they abandoned divine worship, they also abandoned God: “His land is also full of idols; love the work of your hands, what have your own fingers done?”(Is 2:8).
Atos made several of the same notes in his complaint against Israel, sometimes even more forcefully. His warnings of judgment and his calls to repentance cover several areas of sin in people’s lives, but is the refrain?(Agos 4. 6-11). God declares that He will find them in judgment, for they have not met God in an appropriate service: “Prepare, Israel, to meet your God” (Agos 4. 12). In the name of the Lord, Aus, like Isaiah, rejects his sacrifices and assemblies. In known and powerful words, the Lord declares:
“I hate, I despise your feasts and with your solemn assemblies I have no pleasure. And even if they offer me burnt offerings and their food offerings, I will not be satisfied, nor will I pay attention to the peaceful offerings of their barley animals. Keep away from me the sound of your songs, because I won’t hear the melodies of your lyre. ? (Amos 5. 21-23)
The Lord rejects their false gods and idolatry (Amos 5:26), and He promises to destroy their false places of worship 😕 And I will rise by the sword against the house of Jeroboam. (Amos 7. 9) They despised His Sabbath (Amos 8. 5). The music that they invented for themselves, God will make a lament (Amos 8,3,10). “May you sing for free to the sound of the lyre and invent, like David, musical instruments for yourself” (Amos 6: 4-5).
The reference to David here is fascinating. David added several instruments to worship God in the temple (see 1 Cr. 26: 25-29). Apparently, in the days of A so many, Israel had allowed himself to invent music to worship because of what David had done. However, their songs dedicated to themselves attracted only themselves. And his appeals to David were completely misleading. David did not act to exercise imaginary freedom. David acted according to God’s revelation only through the prophets Nathan and Gad (2 Cr. 2:25). Sinners in Israel attacked by A2 had left David’s house (Amens went to Israel in the north who had rejected the reign of David’s sons) and the temple of David. Still, they had the audacity to reclaim David’s example to justify his disobedience.
Just as we can see God’s concern for the form of his service, are we willing to pause and reflect for a moment on the content of the service we offer you?Have we questioned only what we like instead of questioning what he likes?Did we make an effort to carefully observe the biblical teachings on worship and compare them to the liturgy of our churches?Do we have acts of worship that we must repent of?
Just as the prophets spoke clearly of the corruption of the outward appearances of worship, they also spoke of the hearts of God’s worshippers. A2 reminds people that God expects them to turn to Him (Aas 4. 6) and God calls them, “Find me and live?(A2 5. 4), a call in the context of worship God expects correct and sincere worship.
Even in the midst of so many serious warnings of judgment because of the worship of Israel, the prophets offered hope of forgiveness and renewal. Isaiah’s promises of cleansing are powerful: “Wash, cleanse yourself, take evil out of your works before my eyes. ; Stop doing evil? Then come and reason, said the Lord; even if your sins are like crimson, they will turn white like snow; even if they’re red like crimson, they’ll turn like wool. ?(Is 6:16. 18). Here is a great encouragement for all of us: where we have sinned, even in our worship, God will forgive us for Jesus.
When Isaiah tells God’s people to wash, he does not teach us to cleanse or save us; the prophet clearly teaches that it is the Lord who washes and forgives his people; We see it in Isaiah’s call and purification (Is 6:7) and also in his promise: “The rest of Zion and those who remain in Jerusalem will be called saints; all who enlist in Jerusalem, for life, when the Lord cleanses the filth of the daughters of Zion and purifies Jerusalem from the guilt of blood in her midst, with the Spirit of righteousness, and with the purifying Spirit (Is 4:3-4). But in Isaiah 1:16-18, the prophet indicates the responsibility of sinners to turn to the Lord and promises that when they do, they will find mercy. Does Alys speak the same thing? Seek good, not evil, for you to live, and so the Lord, God of armies, will be with you, as you say. (A2 5. 14).
Now is the time to examine our hearts, have we become cold and indifferent in our worship?Every once in a while, have we just followed feelings? We always need God’s mercy and grace to help us be faithful worshippers.
Shapes and hearts duly devoted to worship fulfill the first commandment, which is that we love God. But those who worship in an acceptable way must also live a life acceptable to God, also remembering the second commandment. Jesus clearly taught that we cannot truly love God and hate our neighbor (Mt 22: 34-40). The prophets also clearly teach that you cannot draw near to God if you despise the image of God in others. Shortly after these fiery words about worship, Amos declares: “Rather, judgment runs like waters; and righteousness like a perpetual stream. (Amos 5. 24). He clarifies what this justice means: “Therefore, as you trample on the poor and demand tribute from them, you will not live in the stone houses that you have built; nor shall you drink wine from the desirable vines that you have planted. Because I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are grave; You afflict the righteous, take bribes, and throw the needy out the door. (Amos 5. 11. 12). God’s people cannot have a hard heart toward those in need and be oppressive and unfair to them. As Isaiah said 😕 Learn to do good; be attentive to justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the rights of the orphan, defend the cause of widows. ? (Isaiah 1:17).
We must also listen to the prophets and examine our lives. Are we trying to love people?What should we repent of?
Today we are surrounded by great dangers, how many of us consider the loss of worship to be one of our greatest dangers?What if God does not open the way back to worship us?Atos spoke of the greatest danger that a rebellious people can face: “Behold, days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send hunger to the earth, not of bread or thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. (Agos 8:11). With the same hunger, people will hate faithful preachers: “You close what you rebuke and hate what you say sincerely. (A2 5. 10). To avoid such calamity, we must cling to the Word of God with his instructions, warnings, and promises. We must pray for the Lord’s mercy so that we can worship Him again in the right way. We must pray for a great renewal in the churches and a great return to Jesus in true faith throughout the world. We must remember Isaiah’s call: “Have I heard the word of the Lord?Do I hear the law of our God?” (Value 1. 10).