Understanding Worship

Understanding Worship  

Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship (shachah 7812) no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

 Matthew 4:10 “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship (proskuneo 4352) the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

 Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship (proskuneo 432) the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

            The word shachah used in Exodus 34:14 means to prostrate oneself before God.  Likewise the word proskuneo used in Matthew 4:10 and in St. Luke 4:8 means to prostrate oneself before God.  This explanation of the nature of worship gives us the mental picture of worship as a posture and an attitude instead of an event to be consumed by a congregation for their personal enjoyment.

            If the Bible definition of worship is prostrating oneself literally and figuratively before Almighty God, then what is the proper attitude for the Christian’s musicing unto God in public worship?  Most assuredly musical worship is not a public event where the church attender and participator use the God-created and God-given fine art of music to satiate his or her entertainment fancy.

            Strong’s Concordance defines proskuneo as, “from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship.”  Certainly this definition of worship places a new light on worship for most of us.  So much of public worship has grown to be about the individual who has come to the public worship service that God often is forced, by our worship styles, to share his glory with us.