The Message: “What Praise and Worship is and is not”

 What is Worship?

What does YESHUA/JESUS  say about Worship?

The true worship (prostrate, bow down) that our FATHER desires is in SPIRIT and in Truth (John4:23-24).  We belong to the MESSIAH YESHUA and are to bring forth fruit to GOD.  We serve in the new way of the SPIRIT and not in the old way of the letter (Ro. 7:4,6), which enables us to truly worship (serve) the ALMIGHTY.  YESHUA (JESUS) our MESSIAH (CHRIST)said that we are to love YEHOVAH* with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.  HE said  that there is no commandments greater than these (Mark 12:29-31, Deut. 6:4,5, 10:12; , Lev 19:18; Matt 22:37;Luke 10:2, Ro. 5:5). 

Let us take a brief walk back into Biblical times to where worship and praise began.

 

Tabernacle and Temple Worship

Israel 2010 Western Wall

     “Let my son  go, so he may worship (avodah – Hebrew) ME… hold a festival to me in the desert,… we must take a three day journey to offer sacrifices… with our young and old men with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to YEHOVAH.. to ring sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to YEHOVAH our GOD ” (Ex. 4:23, 5:1, 7:16, 8:1,20, 27, 9:13, 10:3, 9, 25). 

In the scripture versus above, the word worship means service. (The Hebrew word is avodah. The Jewish people call it service of the heart).  When you read the scriptures above,  YEHOVAH  tells Moses  to tell Pharoah,  in the Book of Exodus, chapters 4, 5,7, 8, 9, and 10, not one time or two times, but 10 times, to let HIS people go to worship HIM. Was worship important to YEHOVAH?  You bet is was and it is important to HIM today!    In the verse above, YEHOVAH tells Pharoah how long they would worship HIM; where and who was to go; what to bring with them; and how they were going to worship HIM.

Old Jerusalem Today

When the children of Israel left Eygpt, YEHOVAH instructed Moses to build  a mobileTabernacle (Ex 25:8; 26).  This structure would be where the worship would occur. The Tabernacle (Hebrew – Mishkan) was built,  consecrated by the Presence of YEHOVAH (Ex 29:43-44) so that HE might dwell among the children of Israel (Ex 29:45).  Years later King David wanted to build a Temple as a  place of worship for YEHOVAH GOD, but HIS son Solomon built it (II Sam 7:1-7; 6; 7;8) . Through worship HE was establishing a relationship with HIS people (Ex 31:46) in the place where HE set HIS Name.  The place was Jerusalem (“…I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.”2 Chr 6:6).  

The worship consisted of  the Tabernacle and Temple consecrated unto YEHOVAH and everything in it (Ex 29:36-37; 40:1-11); sacrificial  system;  High Priests and Priests, descendants of Aaron, only,  consecrated (Ex 28:41; 40:12-16; Lev 8) for the service of the MOST HIGH YEHOVAH; specially made, sacred garments/ robes and turbans, consecrated and worn only in the service of YEHOVAH MOST HIGH.  The Levites changed into other garments to minister to the people (Ex 28:1-41; 29, 39:1-30; Lev 16:23-24). The material used for these garments was Linen.   Do you know why (Ex 28:6)?  It absorbs sweat. (YAH’s work is not hard. It is a sin to sweat while doing the Temple work.  Go back to the fall of man in Genesis 3 .  Sweating is a curse.) These  were robes of righteousness for the High Priest and Priests. The Saints will be wearing fine linen which symbolizes righteousness (Rev. 19:8).  The High Priest, descendents of Aaron,  sacrificed (Ex. 28;29). The Levites served Aaron and his sons and took care of special utensils for use in the Tabernacle and Temple for the service unto the ALMIGHTY YEHOVAH (Nu 8:19, 14, 22; 18:23, 28:41) .   There were tithes and various types of offerings from the  produce of the ground, from the flocks and herds, and birds of the air (Deuteronomy 12:4-6.).    There was a preparation for  transporting of the Ark of the Covenant.   The Levites were the only ones that could carry the Ark (Lev 10:8). The duties performed by the High Priests, Priests, and Levites were a worship unto the ALMIGHTY GOD.

Worship a Life style of the Israelites.  Put in place to show the people how to live with one another (Love YEHOVAH and love your neighbor as yourself )  were civil and moral laws(Exodus and Leviticus).  A life style of Holiness and Obedience.  All this was unto the Glory of YEHOVAH GOD.  Again, HE was establishing a relationship with HIS Covenant people and setting a standard for the world to follow unto HIS Glory (Ex 31:46)

There were Feasts Days instituted weekly, the Sabbath, monthly, New Moon,  and annually Passover (Hebrew – Pesach), Unleaven Bread, Feast of Weeks (Hebrew- Shavuot, English – Pentacost), Day of Blowing  (Yom T’ruah) , Day of Atonements (Yom Kippurim) and Feast of Tabernacle/Booths (Hebrew –  Sukkot)  (Lev  23).  

SUKKOT, WDC

These are appointed times (the Hebrew word is moadim.  In Chumney’s Book “Seven Feasts of MESSIAH”, he calls them rehearsals .)  Three times a year Israel went to Jerusalem to celebrate these feasts of the ALMIGHTY YEHOVAH; three times a year all males were to go up to  the place YEHOVAH  GOD set HIS Name, which was Jerusalem; and they were not to come empty handed  bringing  the best of the produce of the land (Exodus 23:14-19; 34:23; Deuteronomy. 16:16). This was a time of praise. Israel came up to Jerusalem singing, dancing, rejoicing, waving leafy branches, and produce of the land (Lev. 23:40).  The feasts all had a day of rest associated with them  (no work) (Leviticus 23:3,7-8, 21, 32, 35-36 ) .  In Hebrews 4, Paul speaks of a ‘rest’.  Did you know our “REST” is a PERSON (read it for yourself).  Who is that PERSON? JESUS(YESHUAH) the MESSIAH.  

All these celebrations pointed to the MESSIAH of Israel and the World ( two have not been fulfilled).  

These moadim/rehersals were times of awakening of the assembly, mourning, self-examination of the assembly and repentance/return (including the High Priest).

The people came with great joy, waving leafy branches and offerings of  the produce of the land, the herd, and the flock before the MOST HIGH, thanking HIM for the Blessings of provisions that YEHOVAH has bestowed upon them  (Leviticus 23).

What is Praise? 

        “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength YEHOVAH provides, so that in all things YEHOVAH may be praised through YESHUAH (JESUS) the MESSIAH (CHRIST).  To HIM be the glory and the power for ever and ever.  Amen” (1 Pe 4:11).  

In the definition section of this website you can find the dictionary and other meanings of Praise and Worship;.

     Brother Dallas, a Bishop in the Episcopal Church said to me, “praise flows out of worship” to YAH.   In studying the scriptures, I agree.  When we come together we “Praise” to confess WHO YEHOVAH is to us and  what HE is doing and what HE will do in us and in our lives.

Here is an example of a life of worship and praise  being expressed by Abraham because of what the  ALMIGHTY GOD declared.

YEHOVAH told Abraham to sacrifice his son.  He obeyed. Abraham told the other men  to stay  behind that he and Isaac were going  to worship ( worship meaning he was going to obey go and  build and altar and sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering) and come back.  Isaac (the child of Promise) asked where was the sacrifice, “Abraham said that GOD would provide HIS own sacrifice  (Praise, Trust)”.  GOD provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac (Word True).  “Abraham called that place, the YEHOVAH will Provide(YIREH) (Praise).” The ALMIGHTY said that HE would Bless him for obeying and reaffirmed the covenant HE made with Abraham (Reward) (Gen 22:1-19).  

     Give thanks to the LORD of lords: HIS loves endures forever.  To HIM WHO alone does great wonders, HIS love endures forever.  WHO by his understanding made the heaven, HIS love endures forever. (Ps. 136:4,5)

     Praise be to the LORD my ROCK, WHO trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. (Ps. 144:1)

     Praise HIM for his acts of power; praise HIM for HIS surpassing greatness. (Ps. 150:2)

 

 

Praise and Worship Today

The words ‘worship and praise’ are used interchangeably most of the time.    Whether it is on a Saturday or Sunday, in a church, store, office building, and/or in the homes where the Saints gather for their meetings, you have praise and worship.  It is usually called a Worship Service  with music, liturgy, scripture readings, testimonies,  sermons/exhortation/message, a call to follow (YESHUA)JESUS and/or Breaking Bread (Communion).  Various ways of “praise’ are songs of rejoicing, singing, raising of the hands and dancing, clapping, waving banners jumping, tears of joy and leaping. Worship is usually the playing of slow tempo Christian or Gospel music with gestures of bowing, weeping, laying prostrate, or sitting quietly.  

There is no excuse why we cannot fulfill this commandment to love because “YESHUAH being sacrificed is making us holy by the HOLY SPIRIT testifying to us about the Torah/instructions/law  that is in our hearts and written on our minds. ( Jeremiah 31:31-Hebrews 10:15)” Through the Power  of the SPIRIT of YESHUAH/JESUS  we are able  to live a life style that brings Glory to the MOST HIGH.  

Paul and James Says This about  Praise and Worship/Service

Pauls says,” through YESHUA (JESUS), therefore, let us continually offer to GOD a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of our lips that confess HIS Name (Hebrews 13:15)”. “We are chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people that belongs to YEHOVAH declaring the praises of YEHOVAH (1 Pe 2:9)”.

Paul in Romans 12 says that “we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to GOD this is our spiritual (reasonable)act of worship (service)“.  Are we to serve the FATHER only?    No! We are to serve one and other,  take care of the poor, window, orphan, stranger, hungry, the naked and the incarcerated (Matthew 6).  James says that we should be doers of the Word, not just hearers, only (James 1:21). We are to serve YEHOVAH our GOD and others with a clear/pure conscience (2 Timothy 1:3, Leviticus 19:9-37). We are “to put away malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy,  and slander of every kind, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry, sexual immorality, impurity, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,  orgies, fights, quarrels, covetousness and the like.” (Galatians 7:19-21; Pe 2:2; Ja 4:1, 2).  “Love each other sincerely, offer hospitality…without grumbling, and using the gift he has received to serve others faithfully. administering YEHOVAH’s grace in its various forms.  so that  ‘YEHOVAH may be praised through YESHUAH (JESUS) the MESSIAH (CHRIST) (1 Pe 4:8-9).” We are like”” living stones being built into a spiritual house to be holy a priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices ( becoming one with the FATHER and YESHUA. What can we give to HIM? Everything we have has been given to us from the FATHER and we are Blessing HIM for it when we come before HIM rejoicing and thanking HIM for it) acceptable to YEHOVAH through YESHUAH the MESSIAH, WHO is the CAPSTONE/CORNERSTONE (I Pe 2:5-7).

Sister Ruth and Director of Jewish Community Center bringing food bags to van 2014

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR GRATEFULNESS AND LOVE FOR YAH AND YESHUA HIS SON AND YOUR NEIGHBOR

GRATEFUL HUG OF LOVE

“When you compare the Tabernacle and Temple ‘Praise and Worship’ with today’s ‘Praise and Worship’, there is some similarity, but there is a big difference.”*

Let us serve the ALMIGHTY.  Obey, love, cling, and fear HIM (Deuteronomy 10).  HE will provide all your needs (Philipians.4:19), and from the deepest part of your being, a spirit of gratefulness rises up in you with thanksgiving and praises will begin to flow out from you to the MOST HIGH for all HE has done for you. Our confession of YAH leads people to the sovereignty of the MOST HIGH “WHO is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think” (  Ephesians 3).  Praise HIM!!!

 I am the only one talking about Praise and Worship.  There is tons of Information about “Praise and Worship” that can be found on the web/internet. The internet has made a lot of things more accessible to us.Search it out.  

Bless you all in YESHUA the MESSIAH for stopping by to read the information on this site.

*Ancient Hebrew Research Center.