Attitude in Worship

Worship.  What does the word mean to you?  

Variously it is described as:

 

An act of devotion, respect, and submission to God.  

 

An act of showing reverence and devotion to someone or something that is considered sacred or important. 

An act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. 

An act to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power.

Is worship only an act?  Jesus defined true worship as worshiping God in spirit and truth -- a wholehearted and loving devotion to God. This study shows that we are to come to God with a heart fully focused on Him alone.

Many things in this world want our attention.  People, marketers, advertising, books, phones, activities, groups, solicitors, and just about every thing, person and idea you encounter daily wants your attention.  

What we "stretch out to" with our conscious attention varies wildly from day to day, but our attention should never override our focus on God and God's guidance. 

 

When we keep our hearts and minds focused on God we can rightfully and properly address and discern the other things in our lives.

We are looking at Psalm 40:1-11 to see what motivates our attitude for worship.

Psalm 40:1-5

1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. 2 He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord. 4 How happy is anyone who has put his trust in the Lord and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies! 5 Lord my God, you have done many things—your wondrous works and your plans for us; none can compare with you. If I were to report and speak of them, they are more than can be told.

David said "I waited patiently for the Lord." In the Hebrew it literally reads "I waited waited...". This indicates an impatient wait for a long time.  As we know from his history, David was in a bad situation and desperately needed God to act.  How often it seems what is an eternity to us when we are "waiting waiting" is in reality a relatively short time.  Like children we want the answer when WE want the answer.  But sometimes it takes time for “the chess pieces to line up" so that the desired end may be achieved. 

But David also tells us that God, "turned to me and heard my cry."  One turns to give their attention to something.  This pictures God bending down to pay attention to David and listening to him.  David’s cry shows that he was in a situation of distress.

The imagery used by David to describe his situation indicates a "slippery slope", a muddy, clay slime leading towards a pitfall.  David was in danger of slipping into a pit, a trap.  But God reached him and put him back on stable ground, providing for his security.

David observes that many while many may apprehensively fear God and so will trust his power, how happy is the one who trusts God out of faith (as opposed to fear).  David is highlighting that it was not out of fear or apprehension that he turns to the Lord, but rather because he has a relationship of faith with God and is happy for it.  He has not swerved from that steadfast faith in God, neither does he deem himself self-sufficient, hence his appeal for God's help.

David concludes this segment with the observation that God's good works are too numerous to name.  David's reliance upon God is because of his faith in God and God's track record.  Note that David switches to us indicating that this song was meant for all of us.  When we remember God's track record, when remember our faith and relationship with God, then we too can be as happy as David described.

David narrows the focus for us regarding the kind of worship that God desires from us.

Psalm 40:6-8

6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; you open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering. 7 Then I said, “See, I have come; in the scroll it is written about me. 8 I delight to do your will, my God, and your instruction is deep within me.”

King Saul, the first King of Israel and David's predecessor, chose disobedience in the name of worship. The book of first Samuel tells the story of the victorious King Saul keeping part of the spoils of war against the command of God. When confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul attempted to justify his sinful choice with the promise of a worship sacrifice. Much like today’s politicians it was an “oops you caught me, I’ll make it up with more offerings later.”

Psalm 40:6 is an echo of Samuel’s response to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22: “Then Samuel said, ‘Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?’” Obedience is what is most important to God.  When we are obediently focusing on God's desires and directions we are most attuned to worship.  Doing more sacrifice is not what God desires.  Being more loving, just, kind, obedient and all of the other good things that God is, is what God desires.

David pointed out that God does not delight – desire or want – sacrifice and offering...all of the stuff offered is already God's possession.  David's point was that all such offerings have no value unless the worshiper's heart is in it.  Think back to Cain and Abel...Abel selected the best of the flock that he was raising to sacrifice to God.  Cain picked some fruits and vegetables and gave what already belonged to God, back to God.  Cain did the work, but Abel did the sacrifice.  The whole thrust of the system involving sacrifices was that God deserves obedience, trust and faith from those that follow him and not just unfeeling ritual performances.  Worship is NOT just an act of theater.  David notes that God "gets David’s attention" so that David receives and understands the instructions of God.

He then notes that God did not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.  While it may seem like “well God described and codified into law the whole burnt offering, isn’t that ‘asking for it’. The whole burnt offering was a sacrifice made to God by burning an animal entirely on the altar.  It was a voluntary offering and the worshiper received nothing in return.  It was made merely for the please smell “of a barbecue.”  

The sin offering was a voluntary offering made for intentional and unintentional sins symbolizing the need for forgiveness and the need to atone for such sins. David is pointing out that while the sacrificial system was developed under Moses, God didn't set a schedule for such voluntary sacrifices or call for them to be made continually.  David is pointing out that these offerings were more for "when you are moved to" than for "you have to do it on a fixed schedule."

David next uses language that is responsive language, as a servant might say to his boss: "Here I am.  I heard you when you called and here I am."  It calls attention to the fact that David was going into the Lord's presence to declare his intention to do the Lord's will.  David points out what his intention was God’s principles and laws "I delight to do your will" and "your instruction is deep within me." 

For David, conforming to God's direction was not a task of demonstrating obedience, it was a task of delight.  He literally meant that "it is my pleasure to serve God", "to do his will".  He knows what God's will IS AND he seeks to carry it out.  But more than just out of “because it is written", it is because the desires that God instructed for humanity were written on the core of David's inner being, "by heart".  David exemplified God's desire for Israel, and for us.  Hear God, Listen to God, Understand God's directions, seek to carry out God's directions not because "it is written", but rather because it is "our pleasure" to do so.  This is a characteristic of the righteous.

Next we see how David takes this lifestyle into the public domains.

Psalm 40:9-11

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; see, I do not keep my mouth closed—as you know, Lord. 10 I did not hide your righteousness in my heart; I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal your constant love and truth from the great assembly. 11 Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. Your constant love and truth will always guard me.

David points out some traits that we need to be aware of.  David proclaimed, he used a loud voice that everyone can hear.  David's proclamation is the Hebrew term for "bringing good news", harkening our attention to the good news that Jesus brought.  

David's theme was the righteousness of God that causes him to deal well with David and all those who seek to follow the Lord faithfully. David made his proclamation in the “great assembly”,  in public, he is not tight lipped about his devotion to God, he openly tells people about his relationship with God and the good news that God has done for him. He doesn't shy away from sharing his beliefs with others.  David could describe the character of the God who delivered him and who performed wondrous acts in Israel's history.  He didn't just lock away that good news and not let it be known.  He spoke of it every opportunity he could.

As we studied last week, the Hebrew term hesed is used for the two words here rendered constant love and the word truth describes firmness, reliability, stability.  Humanity needs to learn of, understand and seek after God's constant love and God's firmness, reliability and stability.  This is what David was sharing in the "Great Assembly" and what Jesus was sharing with ALL of humanity, including us.  This is but one way that Jesus is like unto David – publicly proclaiming that he loved God.

David notes that God does not make his inner self hidden, God shares with those that seek him and will keep safe those that seek after God and God's direction, character, truth, constant love, compassion, reliability and stability.  

While worship of God is called for worship is to be a voluntary act of love for God done in an attitude of worship and shared publicly out of love for God.