Worshiping God: Why the Hour Is Here

Jesus spoke to certain women at a certain well on a certain noonday in John four. Part of that conversation was about worshiping God. That what is the proper way to engage in that activity. Stephen Charnock said the following on the subject.

“God is a Spirit infinitely happy, therefore we must approach him with cheerfulness; he is a Spirit of infinite majesty, therefore we must come before him with reverence; God is a Spirit infinitely high, therefore we must offer up our sacrifices with the deepest humility; he is a Spirit infinitely holy, therefore we must address with purity; God is a Spirit infinitely glorious, we must, therefore, acknowledge his excellence in all that we do, and in our measures contribute to his glory, by having the highest aims in his worship; he is a Spirit infinitely provoked by us, therefore we must offer up our worship in the name of a pacifying mediator and intercessor.”

¹ God is a Spirit that’s what Jesus said to this Samaritan gal and they that worship Him must do it a certain way. That’s the focus of this week’s Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This week’s call is:

Are you a regular worshipper of God. Can the Lord say of you, that in your house dwells one who will always be found worshipping and reverencing God?

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: How do you show the Lord that your commitment is to put Him first in your life? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

You can find additional information on the subject of the Kingdom of God in the resources listed below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

Worshiping God: Why the Hour Is Here

John 4:19–24 (NKJV) — 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worshiping God: An Order from Heaven

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) — 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Revelation 19:5 (ESV) — 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

What is the value of worshiping God?
Worshiping God is the highest expression of faith towards a God that we cannot see.
Jesus people need to air out worship in every aspect of their lives.
And with that thought here’s the question of the day.
Did you know the stats of worshiping God in a family setting?
The statistics on worshiping God in a family setting are hugely critical to understand.
If both your parents worshiped with you regularly while you were growing up, there’s an 80 percent likelihood that you’ll worship God regularly as an adult.
But, if only your mother worshiped regularly with you, there’s only a 30 percent probability that you’ll worship regularly as an adult.
If only your father worshiped God regularly with you, the likelihood that you’ll worship regularly as an adult increases to 70 percent.
Fathers have an enormous impact on their children’s faith and values. One of your most important ministries is worshiping God with your kids!²²
So, Mom, Dad, parents, grandparents, we need to worship God and we need to let our kids see us doing it.
But how do we do engage in worshiping God?

How Do We Worship God?

God is a spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
That means worshiping God from your spirit, or out of your spirit.
That is as opposed to worshiping God from your head or from the physical part of your tri-part being.

2 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV) — 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Believers in Jesus are supposed to minister to God from the spirit and by the Spirit: note the capitalization.
We could say from your heart and by the help of the Holy Ghost.
The Greek word for ‘sufficient’ means to qualify someone or to make fit, prepared, or adequate.
God has made you as His child a fit, prepared and adequate minister of the Kingdom of God.
We are ministers not of the letter which here refers to the Law of the Old Testament but of the Spirit.

The Love of God Is Key

Galatians 5:14 (ESV) — 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:10 (ESV) — 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Love fulfills the law and so walking in the love of God shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost is the law of the Kingdom.
It is the foundational building block of all Spirit empowered activity.
Do you wish to flow in the nine gifts of the Spirit?
The scripture says that it’s useless unless propelled by love.
Do you desire to give financially to support the work of God on the earth?
The Holy Word says it profits nothing without love.
All of you philanthropists take note.
It’s great to give money to worthy causes but unless the love of God is the motivation, the giving will not have eternal consequences.
Now, humanitarian aid will have a temporal impact but it’s all short-lived.
Works of righteousness must be motivated by a higher law than ‘let’s make the world a better place’ type of thinking.
No amount of money can be thrown at the sin problem and make it better.
There is only one solution for making the world a better place, the Return of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
So, the law of the Spirit is the Law of the Believer.
And, so we work out of the Spirit and we offer praise unto God the same way, by the Spirit.
Now in the Bible, there several common words used for praising and worshiping God.
Each word adds flavor and understanding to the fine art of worshiping God.

Definitions for Worshiping God: ‘Halah’

2 Chronicles 5:13 (ESV) — 13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,

The word ‘halah’, in this passage, means to extol the greatness of God or His works as an act of worship.
‘Halah’ also describes the act of praising God through prayer, instruments, and singing both corporately and individually.[1 John Frederick, “Praise and Thanksgiving,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).]
The word ‘praise’, used two times, in this passage is the word ‘halah.’
Note the ‘musical instrument connection’ to the word.
This relationship is on display in several passages of Old Testament writ.

1 Chronicles 25:3 (ESV) — 3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD.

These sons of Jeduthun used a musical instrument to worship the Lord.
The ESV has this stringed instrument as a lyre.
The KJV has it as a harp.
Some scholars think it is some kind of zither.
A zither is like what we know in America as a dulcimer.
Whatever stringed instrument it was, in reality, is not what’s essential.

The Role of Music

What is significant in this passage in Second Chronicles five is that music aids worship.
Note also music’s link to the gifts of the Spirit.
These men prophesied while they worshiped God and in conjunction with their strumming their instrument.
It’s all a package deal.
Again, the Hebrew word here is ‘halah.’
The use of the word ‘halah’ highlights the significant role of music in all things spiritual.
Music aids the anointing of God.
It is part of the realm of heaven.
If you haven’t sensed His presence in a while, play some music you know to be anointed, and worship God along with it.
Now, when I say, ‘music you know to be anointed’, I mean just that.
What music causes the Spirit of the Lord to move upon you may be different than that for another individual.
While you’re worshiping God, try changing the words of the song to your own words of praise and adoration.
Know for certain that the Lord is as close to you as the breath of your mouth.
Just raise your hands to Him and worship.
If you will do that, if you will thank Him long enough and strong enough, God’s Presence will rush upon you

More ‘Halah’ Examples

Psalm 150:1–6 (ESV) — 1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Every word translated praise in these six verses is the same word ‘halah.’
Again, notice the connection to instrument usage in worshiping God.
Now, we don’t want to leave the wrong impression.
It’s not just using musical instruments that connote praise.
The word ‘halah’ appears in Bible verses without musical instruments.
Take a look for example in the one-hundred and seventh Psalm.

Psalm 107:31–32 (ESV) — 31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Definitions for Worshiping God: ‘Rumah’

There are three words for worshiping God in this passage.
There is thanking the Lord, extolling the Lord, and praising the Lord.
All of these are different Hebrew words for worshiping God in a public setting.
The word praise in verse thirty-two is the one we started with, ‘halah.’
The next word we want to look at is the word ‘extol.’
It is the form of the word ‘rumah.’
And it means to exalt or to raise in rank, character, or status.
This word is translated ‘exalted’ in Psalm one-hundred and eight.

Psalm 108:5 (ESV) — 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

Now, extolling God is an activity done out in the open.
That’s what you see in Psalm 107:32.
This is not secret worship but public testimonial worship.
The Psalmist encourages his people and us to praise, extol, and thank the Lord in the ‘congregation of the people.’
That means when you are extolling God, you are serving notice that God has His rightful place as your Lord and Master in your life.
This mini mouth thing that people do is not this kind of worship.
Are you embarrassed to raise your hands to God in a public setting?
Some do the very opposite of what this verse teaches.
They hold back on thanking God in a church service because of what others around may think.
That’s totally backward.
Act on the Word.
Don’t miss your moment to extol the Lord.

Johnathan Edwards on Worshiping God

Johnathan Edwards said the following, and with that thought here is the quote of the day.

If man does not give his highest respect to the God that made him, there will be something else that has the possession of it. Men will either worship the true God, or some idol. It is impossible it should be otherwise; something will have the heart of man. And that which a man gives his heart to may be called his god.¹

Definitions for Worshiping God: ‘Todah’ and ‘Zamir’

Psalm 95:2 (ESV) — 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

The next two words we want to look at are both found in Psalm 95:2.
Note the words ‘thanksgiving’ and the phrase ‘songs of praise’.
Let’s take them up one at a time.

‘Todah’

The Hebrew word ‘todah’ means to offer thanks for God’s past or present deeds in the life of an individual or community. * Such thanksgiving is often accompanied by sacrifice.
Per Psalm 100, this is part of our approach when we come before the Lord.

Psalm 100:4 (CSB) — 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Note the psalmist declared, that you enter God’s gates with ‘todah.’
It’s good to thank God for what He has personally performed in your life.
Did the Lord save you from a life of hell-bent sin?
Declare that before the Lord.
Has the Lord ever gotten you out of a generous jam?
Offer up thanksgiving for it.
Have you ever been delivered from your delirium?
Surely you can testify to that fact before the hosts of heaven.
Has the Most High God, the Lord, the Maker of heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ever resurrected you from a ridiculously dead situation?
Tell the story and recount the glory as you are passing through the gates.
Remember that the gates of thanksgiving is not the Throne of God.

Hebrews 4:16 (CSB) — 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

You enter the gates on your way to the Throne.
Thanksgiving, the retelling of God’s wondrous deeds, is the approach.

‘Zamir’

The next word is the word ‘zamir.’
The scripture says to make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.
The words ‘of praise’ is not in the original Hebrew.
It was added by the translators.
So, this set or words should technically translate as ‘make a joyful noise to God with songs.’
‘Zamir’ is songs or a piece of music that is either played on instruments, sung, or both.
Now, take a look at the phrase, ‘Make a joyful noise with songs.’
Does that mean being all out of tune?
That’s what we say to encourage people to sing whether they are given to music or not.
We say that God doesn’t care if you have any talent in the singing arena; just sing unto the Lord from your heart, in tune, out of tune it makes no difference.
And, this is right and true.
But, that’s not what joyful noise means in Hebrew.
The phrase is all one word and it means to shout or to utter a sudden loud cry.
In other words, the Spirit of God is saying through the Psalmists, open up your big mouth and just let it out.
Sing, shout out your song unto the Lord.
Come through the gates of the Lord singing loud.

Is Praise and Thanksgiving Pillars of Your House?

Reference:

Elliot Ritzema and Elizabeth Vince, eds., 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). ↩
On the Father Front, Christian Service Brigade, Spring, 1995, p. 4 – Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩
On the Father Front, Christian Service Brigade, Spring, 1995, p. 4 – Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩
Elliot Ritzema and Elizabeth Vince, eds., 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). ↩

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Worshiping God: Why the Hour Is Here

Podcast: Light on Life Season 6 Episode 19

by Emery Horvath

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