We are in an age where the Biblical meaning of worship is fading quickly. It is being replaced by something that is less reverent, and more pleasing to our souls. It is less serious and will result in us losing the real meaning. I have put two verses from the Old Testament and two verses from the New Testament below, they will give us insight into the things we may have forgotten.
Ex 34:8 And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship.
2 Chron 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
Matt 4:8-9 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.
Biblical worship is bowing in reverence. There are many places in the Bible where these types of verses appear. Those verses support each other and give us a clear understanding of what worship is. Worshiping God has to do with bowing in honor to Him, and in many cases, it meant bowing down, or falling down before Him. It is the realization of the greatness of God, and the littleness of man.
Most of the cases of worship in the Bible really have no music or musicians during those acts of worship. Yet our modern culture has made the music the main element of our worship. That makes it enjoyable for us, yet in Biblical worship there is an element of fear and reverence in many cases.
It is important that we distinguish between praise and worship. As a worship leader I recognize that what I do is lead people in praise to the Lord. While there can be times of “bowing in reverence” during a service, it is mostly praise. Praise in the congregation is a very important aspect, and leading people in praise is of great importance. We are commanded throughout the Bible to do so. We are commanded to praise Him and we are commanded to worship Him, let us not lose the distinction between those two great words.
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