More on Psalm 107

While doing a bit of study for yesterday’s post from Psalm 107, I stumbled upon some interesting commentary. Apparently, the Eastern Orthodox church holds that 105-107 (104–106 in their numbering) are considered a unit because they each begin with the heading Alleluia or Praise the Lord.* I looked at these psalms but was confused by the comment: 105 and 107 do not begin with this heading. I checked multiple translations and still found nothing.

The solution to this puzzle can be found in the layout of the Septuagint. The Hebrew text used by the original translators had moved Praise the Lord from 104:35 to 105:1 and from 106:48 to 107:1, along with removing it from 105:45. The arrangement, therefore, gives a cohesive unit of theology as explained in The Orthodox Study Bible:

Psalm 104, 105, and 106 form a trilogy, each with the heading, Alleluia, which means “praise the Lord.” This heading emphasizes praising the Lord and giving Him thanks for His works of mercy (104:1–3; 105:1, 2; 106:1, 2). These works are traced in great detail from Abraham on, and are fulfilled in the coming of Christ to save mankind: He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their corruptions (106:20). The Father sent His Word, who crushed the gates of bronze and shattered the bars of iron (106:16). He trampled death by His death and Resurrection, bestowing life on those in the tombs (those sitting in the darkness and shadow of death, bound in poverty and fetters, 106:10; He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains to pieces, 106:14). The response of those who are wise and shall keep these things, and shall understand the mercies of the Lord (106:43) is “Alleluia.”

If one follows the theme of each psalm, there is a recognizable progression: God’s faithfulness to His people (105) demonstrated in His continual forgiveness of sin (106) resulting in the overflow of thanksgiving for His works (107).

Someone may retort that there is a problem with this unit because the book of Psalms is divided into five sub-books with a division between 106 and 107. I contend that this issue actually adds to the beauty of the progression because of the arc created within the triplet. Book Four ends with a description of His character and willingness to display it over and again, while Book Five begins a cascading chorus of praise to God carried through to the end.

Read and meditate on these three psalms. Follow the progression of His mighty promises, to our sin and desperate need for mercy, and His glorious work for which we respond with abundant thanks.

Theology and Doxology

Domenico Gargiulo, “David before the Ark of the Covenant”

Theology and doxology are inseparable.  Praise of God and faith in Him must spring from speaking about God using the Word of God.  The Word's own claims of power unto salvation drive us to confess the truth of the word that we obediently convey to the world in the discipline of theology.  The Word of God is never a dead letter, rather being spirit and life, it gives life and salvation to us who are dying and by nature damned sinners.

Who, when granted such a salvation, would not break forth in paeans of glory to the God who becomes man for our sakes in Christ?  Who would not praise the one who breaks the darkness?  Who would not offer prayers to honor the God who debases Himself in our Lord Jesus for our sakes?  Theology that does not echo in prayer and praise to God is not theology but self-babble, the blather of those confined to theological navel gazing.  It is an abuse of the word theology when it is not also doxology.

Praise of God also admits the true limits of theological talk.  What God has said we may repeat.  What God has not said, we may not say.  It is neither theology nor doxology to speculate about what God has not revealed in these last days by His Son.  True praise of God thus also includes faithful acceptance of the limitations that God has placed on us to distinguish us from Him.  He knows all.  We do not.  He reveals some things about Himself to us, others He has not.  We speak of what we know.  We remain silent when we do not.  Like rests are music, silence may also be eloquent praise too.  Our speculations about God must be made in silence, that God only may be praised.

Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray

Requiem for a Brother

Yesterday, there was a memorial service for a brother in Christ who had died unexpectedly and suddenly at age 64.  Occasionally, there is time at a memorial for those in attendance to share their remembrances, and so, as is my custom, I had prepared brief remarks.  The service was more scripted with appropriate music, a solid message sharing the gospel, and one eulogy that captured the deceased’s life in Christ.  That being the case, I decided to share below what I had.

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I served with Steve Ball on the deacon board, and what I most noted of him was a constant refrain from all who remembered him: he was a servant.  Every willing and ready to help where needed, he was a tireless worker when the need arose.  He did his work without fanfare and exemplified the Biblical standard to do everything

not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.  (Col 3:22-24)

That will be sorely missed.

I was also in a small group that Steve and Coleen were part of, and since his death, I have had multiple conversations in which the subject was broached that our study group was literally dying off.  You see, in less than a year and a half, three of our number have left this life and entered the presence of their Lord.  In a way, we are getting used to it.

As I considered this more, I could not help but be glad for those who have gone before.  Even now Steve and the others are joining angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven in praising God for all He is and all He has done.  What joy for them, but not just for them, because each Sunday morning, we get to join our voices in the chorus of all who have died in Christ.  We look forward to a day when we shall also be with those who have gone before, not simply to reminisce or enjoy each other’s company, but to join with the throng in giving all glory, laud, and honor to our King.

Until that time, we await—sometimes patiently, sometimes not—to be with our Lord Jesus.  We long for the day of His return, but we may die instead.  Either way, we look forward to a resurrection and eternity with the One who died to save us.  And that is worth waiting for.

He Is Worthy of Our Praise

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.  (Eph 3:20-21)

But in the meantime let us grant, in submission to your ideas, that Christ was one of us—similar in mind, soul, body, weakness, and condition; is He not worthy to be called and to be esteemed God by us, in consideration of His bounties, so numerous as they are?  For if you have placed in the assembly of the gods [those deities who discovered natural items and uses]—with how great distinctions is He to be honored by us, who, by instilling His truth into our hearts, has freed us from great errors; who, when we were straying everywhere, as if blind and without a guide, withdrew us from precipitous and devious paths, and set our feet on more smooth places; who has pointed out what is especially profitable and salutary for the human race; who has shown us what God is, who He is, how great and how good; who has permitted and taught us to conceive and to understand, as far as our limited capacity can, His profound and inexpressible depths; who, in His great kindness, has caused it to be known by what founder, by what Creator, this world was established and made; who has explained the nature of its origin and essential substance, never before imagined in the conceptions of any; whence life-giving warmth is added to the rays of the sun; why the moon, forever in her motions, is believed to alternate her light and her obscurity from intelligent causes; what is the origin of animals, what rules regulate seeds; who designed man himself, who fashioned him, or from what kind of material did He compact the very build of bodies; what the perceptions are; what the soul, and whether it flew to us of its own accord, or whether it was generated and brought into existence with our bodies themselves; whether it sojourns with us, partaking of death, or whether it is gifted with an endless immortality; what condition awaits us when we shall have separated from our bodies relaxed in death; whether we shall see or have no recollection of our former sensations or of past memories; who has restrained our arrogance, and has caused our necks, uplifted with pride, to acknowledge the measure of their weakness; who hath shown that we are creatures imperfectly formed, that we trust in vain expectations, that we understand nothing thoroughly, that we know nothing, and that we do not see those things which are placed before our eyes; who has guided us from false superstitions to the true religion,—a blessing which exceeds and transcends all His other gifts; who has raised our thoughts to heaven from brutish statues formed of the vilest clay, and has caused us to hold conversation of thanksgiving and prayer with the Lord of the universe.

Arnobius of Sicca, Against the Pagans I.38

Open Letter to Praise Bands

James K. A. Smith has written an open letter to praise bands commending them for their desire but noting shortcomings.  His three main points I give here:

1.  If we, the congregation, can't hear ourselves, it's not worship.

Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular "form of performance"), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music.  In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo.  And there's nothing wrong with concerts!  It's just that Christian worship is not a concert.  Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice—and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship.  It is a way of "performing" the reality that, in Christ, we are one body.  But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us.  When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can't hear ourselves sing—so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become "private," passive worshipers.

2.  If we, the congregation, can't sing along, it's not worship.

In other forms of musical performance, musicians and bands will want to improvise and "be creative," offering new renditions and exhibiting their virtuosity with all sorts of different trills and pauses and improvisations on the received tune.  Again, that can be a delightful aspect of a concert, but in Christian worship it just means that we, the congregation, can't sing along.  And so your virtuosity gives rise to our passivity; your creativity simply encourages our silence.  And while you may be worshiping with your creativity, the same creativity actually shuts down congregational song.

3.  If you, the praise band, are the center of attention, it's not worship.

I know it's generally not your fault that we've put you at the front of the church.  And I know you want to model worship for us to imitate.  But because we've encouraged you to basically import forms of performance from the concert venue into the sanctuary, we might not realize that we've also unwittingly encouraged a sense that you are the center of attention.  And when your performance becomes a display of your virtuosity—even with the best of intentions—it's difficult to counter the temptation to make the praise band the focus of our attention. When the praise band goes into long riffs that you might intend as "offerings to God," we the congregation become utterly passive, and because we've adopted habits of relating to music from the Grammys and the concert venue, we unwittingly make you the center of attention.  I wonder if there might be some intentional reflection on placement (to the side? leading from behind?) and performance that might help us counter these habits we bring with us to worship.

His postscript to the original post is also worthwhile, reminding us that worship is not just expressive but also formative.  That being  so, worship must be intentional.

Rejoicing in God as He Rejoices in Us

Praise is, in fact, one of the sacrifices that please [God] most of all (Heb 13:15-16).  What’s more, he has created the church as his choir to stand before him and praise him. He has appointed us as his praise singers for the good of the world and its people, for through our praise he reveals his glory and his grace to suspicious people in a fallen world.  When we sing our songs of praise in the divine service we preach the gospel with the whole of our being to each other and the world.  Our praises disclose the mystery of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who reaches out to us in word and sacrament, to fill us with the Holy Spirit and give us access to God the Father.  In praise the church not only announces that heaven has come to earth in Jesus; it also receives a foretaste of heaven as it gives thanks and adores the triune God.  So then, by praising God we enjoy him and share our enjoyment of him with others.  That’s why God is so pleased with our orthodoxy, our right praise of him.  We rejoice in him as he rejoices in us.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Praise Transforms the Worshiper

We are transformed as we praise the triune God.  As sinners we are turned in on ourselves and seek our own glory.  Like Narcissus we admire ourselves and boast of our achievements.  But praise of God changes our orientation, the idolization of ourselves.  It takes us out of ourselves and opens us up to the glory of God.  As we contemplate and glorify our Lord Jesus, we too are glorified (2 Cor 3:18).  We become what we are meant to be, people who reflect the glory of our Creator.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Adoration of God Gives Us a Foretaste of Heaven

All thanksgiving ultimately leads to adoration of God (2 Cor 4:15).  When we stand before him and discover what he is like, we cannot but adore him.  That’s what the angels do as they surround him and serve him in heaven (Rev 4:11; 5:12; 7:11-12).  They sing: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty” (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8).  As they stand before him and see the glory of his Son, they sing: “Glory” (Ps 29:9; Rev 5:13).  Ever since the incarnation of our Lord they invite us to stand with them before God the Father in the divine service and join with them in giving glory to him (Luke 2:13).  Our adoration of God therefore gives us a foretaste of heaven.  As we adore the triune God we begin to do on earth what we will do forever in heaven; we begin to enjoy our God who is so good and great that we never come to the end of our enjoyment of him.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Angels Assist Us in Praising the Triune God

Since Christ has become incarnate and is now present with us to bring us peace and make us holy, we adore him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, by singing these songs together with the angels and the whole communion of saints.  The angels, who have been appointed as liturgising spirits to serve us, assist us in our adoration of the Triune God (Heb 1:14; 12:22).

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Praise Plants God's Word Deeper So To Praise Him More

Paul speaks about this kind of praise-full proclamation [of God's goodness] in Colossians 3:16 and explains how it functions in the church.  He says: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you and hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”  The last clause could also be translated: “as you sing about God with Spirit-produced psalms and hymns and songs with grace in your hearts.”  Praise begins with Christ himself.  Through his word, the message of the gospel, he teaches us God’s grace and speaks that grace to us.  By his word he gives us the reason for our praise and its content.  And more than that, he actually produces our praise by giving us his Holy Spirit through his word.  So then, the more Christ’s word dwells in a congregation, the richer and fuller its praise.  This affects us corporately and personally.  On the one hand, by the use of songs that are inspired by God’s word and full of the gospel we teach and admonish each other to take in God’s grace and to praise him for his grace.  We therefore proclaim the gospel to each other in our songs of praise.  On the other hand, as we sing the psalms and hymns and songs that the Holy Spirit generates, Christ plants his word deeper and deeper into the hearts of each person.  The sung word imbeds God’s grace there, so that it can bear its full fruit in our lives.  That grace produces thankfulness, a sense of overwhelming gratitude at the generosity of God.  That, in turn, issues in greater praise.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Praise Communicates God's Goodness

God does not need us to flatter him, but he does want us to tell others about his goodness, so that they too will put their trust in him and enjoy his good gifts.  And that is what we do when we praise him in songs that proclaim his goodness.  In fact, most psalms of praise do just that.  They do not address the Lord, but address the congregation and anyone else who cares to listen.  They sing about God and his goodness.  These psalms have three main parts to them.  First, they name the Lord and announce his presence in the divine service.  Second, they praise his goodness and speak about the good things that he has done.  Third, they invite their hearers to join with his people in receiving his gifts and praising him for his generosity.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Jesus Leads in Songs of Praise

Jesus leads the church in its songs of praise.  He does not just proclaim his Father’s name to those who are his brothers and sisters; he invites them to join with him as their lead singer. He teaches them to praise by giving them his word (Col 3:16) and his Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18-20).  The church then sings its songs of praise together with Jesus.  This amazing result of the incarnation is expressed in a number of different ways in the New Testament.  Both individuals (Rom 1:8) and the church (Rom 7:25; Col 3:17) give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. They give thanks to him in the name of Jesus (Eph 5:20).  Jesus is also the leader of the church in its performance of doxology.  As people who serve with Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary we give glory to God through Jesus (Rom 16:27; 1 Pet 4:11; Jude 25) and in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:21).  So, since we have Jesus as our great high priest who is physically related to us and able to stand in for us physically with his heavenly Father, we are to offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus (Heb 13:15).

The church then follows Jesus in singing its songs and in performing its praises.  It does not, however, sing its own song; it sings the song that it receives from him.  Nor does it sing that song by itself with its own instruments.  The vision of St John in Revelation 15:2-4 shows how the saints hold ‘the harps of God’ in their hands as they sing ‘the song of the Lamb’.  The song of the Lamb is the song of Jesus, the song that he sings as he adores his divine Father.  Jesus does not copyright that song, but he makes it freely available to us.  We can sing it with him because he sings it for us, like a mother teaching her child to sing.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Our Vocation As Praise-Singers

St Paul explores the implications of [a new song of praise sung by a new human/angelic choir] in Ephesians 1:3-14.  As he writes this extravagant sentence, he contrasts the new choir created by Christ with the old choir at the temple.  The temple choir had been appointed to praise God for the blessings that the Israelites had received from him here on earth.  Each of the musicians had been given their allotted place at the temple before the Lord.  Their vocation from God was to praise him whenever they were rostered for duty there at the temple.  But now Christ has created a new cosmic choir.  The church is that choir.  By his incarnation he has united earthlings with angels, just as he has united Jews and Gentiles by his death on the cross.  Both human beings and angels are now subject to his headship.  He has redeemed people and made them holy by their union with him.  They now have the same status as Jesus.  They share in his sonship and have every blessing that belongs to him as God’s Son.  They join the angels in a single choir that spans heaven and earth.  That choir consists of both Jews and Gentiles.  Through the incarnation of Jesus, human beings have access to the heavenly realm as they continue to live on earth.  Both angels and people have the same vocation as praise singers.  Those who have been redeemed by Christ have been appointed as praise-singers for God the Father here on planet earth.  They are called to live for the praise of God’s glory (Eph 1:6,12,14).

They cannot do this in his absence.  In and through Jesus they praise God the Father as those who stand ‘holy and blameless before him’ (Eph 1:4), for Christ has united them bodily with himself and has taken them bodily with himself into the Godhead.  As recipients of God’s grace they sing the song of God’s amazing grace to the world.  In fact, God is so utterly good and gracious, so much more generous, philanthropic, and loving than the best human being, that they can only communicate something of that grace by wholehearted, full-bodied praise.  The praises of the church then are full of wonder and amazement at the great mystery of the incarnation, by which the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily in Jesus, so that we humans can come to fullness of life in and through him.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

God's Presence Inspires Praise

The song of praise performed a very significant theological function in the temple service.  It was not spoken to God as a gesture of flattery, or even as an act of adoration, but was addressed to the congregation.  As is shown in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, David proclaimed the goodness and steadfast love of the Lord to the congregation through the choir.  He called on the people of Israel and all the nations to join him in seeking God’s gracious presence and praising him to the whole world.  The song of praise therefore proclaimed the Lord’s name and his saving deeds to all people.  It acknowledged his presence and announced his availability to his people.  The presence of God in grace inspired the song of praise, even as the song of praise made his gracious presence known to its hearers.

This connection between access to God’s presence and the performance of praise is shown most vividly by the account of the dedication of the temple by Solomon in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14.  This story tells us that after the priests had placed the ark in the inner sanctuary of the temple and had come out of the temple, the full choir began to sing a song of praise to the accompaniment of lyres and harps.  As soon as they began to sing the Lord’s song, the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple.  But the glory of the Lord was not seen, because it was hidden in a cloud.  It was revealed to the people audibly to the human ear in the song of praise, rather than visibly to the human eye.  The performance of praise in music and song disclosed the hidden presence of the Lord and announced his acceptance of the people.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Christ's Incarnation: Our Basis for Praise

In his great vision of heavenly worship in Revelation 5:6-10, St John sees twenty-four elders singing a new song.  The elders, twelve for the patriarchs of Israel and twelve for the apostles of Christ, represent the people of God in both testaments.  As John watches, they rise from their thrones and fall down before Jesus the Lamb, because he has just received the sealed scroll from God.  That scroll is his script for the last act in the drama of world history.  Each of the elders holds two things in their hands, a lyre for accompanying their songs of praise, and a bowl full of incense for presenting the prayers of the saints to God.  As they fall prostrate before Jesus, they sing a new song of praise to him.  In this song they acknowledge that by his sacrificial death, Jesus has created a new international priesthood for God.  Their task is to reign with him on earth.  And they reign in a strange way indeed.  As those who stand before God and have access to him, they reign by their performance of prayer and praise.

This vision shows us how singing of praise is connected with the incarnate Christ.  He himself has created this priestly choir by his self-sacrifice as the Lamb.  This choir now performs its song of praise in his presence here on earth.  In music and song it acknowledges and praises him.  It sings its song together with all the angels and the whole of creation (Rev 5:11-14; cf. Ps 148:1-14).  By that song it proclaims the hidden kingship of Christ to the world and announces what he is doing as the cosmic world ruler.  He does not reign as the Lion of Judah, but as the Lamb of God.  In its song of praise the church proclaims the presence of the incarnate Son of God and tells of his work as the redeemer of the world.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Christians Are Called To Praise God

We Christians are called to praise the triune God.  That, in fact, is the main purpose of our life here on earth (1 Pet 2:9).  It is part of our vocation as members of God’s royal priesthood.  We have been redeemed from a life of suspicion and mistrust to be praise singers.  This is no occasional task, something we do once a week, or every now and then when we feel moved to do so.  Nor is it something that we do by ourselves.  Since we belong to the church, we have joined God’s heavenly choir here on earth.  This means that our whole life is, in some way, caught up in praising God.  We are well-placed to do so, because we, like the holy angels, have access to God and grace.  Since we stand in the light of his presence, we can reflect that light in our rejoicing.

John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)

Prayer with Conviction

O greatest, O Supreme Creator of things invisible! O Thou who art Thyself unseen, and who art incomprehensible! Thou art worthy, Thou art verily worthy—if only mortal tongue may speak of Thee—that all breathing and intelligent nature should never cease to feel and to return thanks; that it should throughout the whole of life fall on bended knee, and offer supplication with never-ceasing prayers. For Thou art the first cause; in Thee created things exist, and Thou art the space in which rest the foundations of all things, whatever they be. Thou art illimitable, unbegotten, immortal, enduring forever, God Thyself alone, whom no bodily shape may represent, no outline delineate; of virtues inexpressible, of greatness indefinable; unrestricted as to locality, movement, and condition, concerning whom nothing can be clearly expressed by the significance of man’s words. That Thou mayest be understood, we must be silent; and that erring conjecture may track Thee through the shady cloud, no word must be uttered. Grant pardon, O King Supreme, to those who persecute Thy servants; and in virtue of Thy benign nature, forgive those who fly from the worship of Thy name and the observance of Thy religion. It is not to be wondered at if Thou art unknown; it is a cause of greater astonishment if Thou art clearly comprehended.

Arnobius of Sicca, The Case Against the Pagans, Book I, cap. 31

Worship: In Spirit and in Truth?

The desire in the North American church for experiential worship is alive. One example is the wide audience and use of “Praise and Worship” music with its somewhat faulty attempts to express gratitude to the Most High. Others include interest in walking a prayer maze, meditative practices, and “Walk to Emmaus” weekends to name a few. Without judging the correctness of these activities, we can appreciate the recognition that something is missing in the Christian life and worship that needs to be addressed. Believers find themselves desiring more but without turning to Scripture for answers. Seeking to escape the shallowness of “bumper sticker” theology, they pursue a relationship with God to deepen their experience without attempting to more fully know or understand the person and work of the triune God.

I was amongst those who call themselves Plymouth Brethren, who are arguably the closest I have encountered in Biblical corporate worship. One might think they should be immune to this thinking because of the continual practice of breaking bread each week with active participation of any man being led by the Holy Spirit, but even there the corrupting elements have made an impact because those in fellowship do not understand what Scriptures says on the subject. If I may be so bold, Christian teaching on worship is nonchalant. Certainly, all the pertinent facts are presented definition of worship, example of Abraham, offering of Isaac; sacrifice of Christ, lordship of Christ, example of first believers in Acts, etc.¹—with exhortations concerning the Christian's obligation to offer worship. But there are limitations inadvertently being imposed in the local church.

The first limitation deals with practice. After the standard teaching mentioned above, there is little or no application. The believer is left to form his own conclusion on the proper practice of worship in the local church. Somehow the believer is expected to know what the Lord desires and how to offer it. Someone may ask, “Can one teach how to worship?” Of course. We teach how to study the Bible. The apostles asked Jesus how to pray (Luke 11:1). Why would we not teach how to engage in so wonderful an activity? In Exodus through Deuteronomy, the Lord gives a myriad number of detailed instructions on proper worship. Why should the church be any less careful? Somehow the church today sees worship as a very private matter: how I do it is between God and me. This is not so, but even if it were, we would be doing the fellow Christian a great service by helping to do so better.

One way for the local church leadership to address this limitation is to work with a brother as soon as conveniently possible after he has shared at the worship meeting.² Gently instruct on what is yet lacking or could enhance. Another way is through a practicum. Have the brothers put together thoughts on paper of what they would share if the worship meeting was right then or later that day or next morning. Go through the presentation to ask questions of why the particular thoughts are being expressed and to help in placing focus on where it properly belongs.

The second limitation has to do with the breadth of teaching on worship. Generally, the teaching has a Christocentric focus and is therefore limited in scope to the New Testament and those Old Testament passages that are Messianic. This deprives the learner of a great deal of solid teaching that can be garnered from Israel's worship of God. For example, the psalms are a treasure trove of examples. What is the circumstance of the psalmist? What is he presenting to cause focus on the one true God in praise and worship? Is there a specific attribute or work? Not directly related to worship but integral to its proper use is the Biblical theology of God. How is it being addressed in the local church? Do believers need to better understand who He is and what He does and why? Another useful section is the Levitical offerings found in the first chapters of the book. How was the presenter worshiping? What were the elements that made the sacrifice worthy of acceptance? What made the worshiper worthy to come? These are just the beginnings of what is neglected in the Old Testament concerning worship.

Lastly, both of these limitations come from incorrect assumptions stemming from dispensational teaching.³ Not that dispensationalism is incorrect, but there tends to be an artificial boundary set between the Old and New Testaments that is not there. The fullness of God's revelation is in the Lord Jesus Christ to whom belongs all worship, but the bulk of teaching on worship is in the Mosaic Law. Use it to understand more fully who is being worshiped and how. It has its own issues. Multiple times the psalmist writes Praise the Lord! or Hallelujah! depending on the translation. This phrase is more than an exclamation of joy. It is a command—a command to be followed. Let us do so thoroughly and abundantly.

¹ An excellent resource on these and other points is A. P. Gibbs' book Worship: The Christian's Highest Occupation.
² This assumes any group with participative worship similar to the Plymouth Brethren meetings mentioned previously.
³ Other theological systems are not off the hook. I am addressing the issues of only this one.