Description
Instructions:
You will write a 12–15-page paper tracing God’s plan for worship from Genesis through Revelation. Use class notes, materials suggested or recommended in class, recordings, or any other materials on the internet websites, church or denominational publications, and resource materials. DO NOT SEEK HELP from any other student. Make sure to document all material and make special note of any materials that are not original with you. THIS RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE BY 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of our final module/week. The Research Paper must be in Turabian Writing Format. The finished document should be submitted via the Research Paper link in Blackboard for grading.
Background to Consider
Over this last term, we have traced God’s plan for worship through the Bible. In Chapters 1 and 2 of our text, Called to Worship, we were witnesses of God’s first revelation: His desire for relationship with man, which would be achieved through worship. In the book of Genesis, God revealed Himself to us as the Creator of a perfect universe—and perfect humankind, with whom he chose to dwell. We further studied in Genesis the three great worship wars and observed the outcome of those conflicts upon all humanity. Sin. Disgrace. Death. Yet even so, God still seeks to dwell with man. And in Chapters 4–6 of our text, He made that desire known by revealing Himself to the patriarchs Abraham and Moses.
The books of history, further taught us about man’s response to God. Later, we focused on worship as defined by three successive kings. One wanted to worship above the law. One chose to worship as a servant. And one, even if for a few years, was a most sincere worshipper. But from the lives of all three, valuable lessons in worship are there for the mining.
The books of Poetry and Wisdom, taught us about building relationship with God through song—and integrity. The Prophets gave counsel for overcoming idolatry. We talked about the four hundred years of silence, with no official record of God’s voice moving in the hearts of men.
And in Module/Week 5, we witnessed the worship of fishermen, prostitutes, soldiers—and the Son of God. Jesus Christ became the ultimate example of worship. He worshipped in the sanctuary; He worshipped by serving; He worshipped in song—and He worshipped by submitting—to death on a cross.
In Modules/Weeks 6–7, John, Peter, Silas, and Paul drew our attention to the worship of the early church, and again, we saw God revealed—in the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, we beheld the culmination of the plan begun in Genesis—in the book of Revelation. Lesson 8 unveiled both history past and the future to come. First, from history, then, as the Desire of the Ages, Jesus Christ, the exalted Bridegroom, joins His bride and dwells with His worshippers forever.
ASSIGNMENT:
Scope and Subject: This study outlines God's plan for worship from Genesis through Revelation. The study is divided into four areas: Old Testament Principles for Worship; Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms; New Testament Principles for Worship; and Practical Application of Worship to daily living. A brief glossary of Biblical terms related to worship, entitled “Words for Study,” must be provided as well.
Source material for your paper must be taken from class notes, commentaries, text books, book reports, and of course, your Bible. These notes and materials may include, but are not limited to: lessons on worship presented in class (including guest teachers), notes posted on Blackboard, and Dr. Whaley’s book.
The Format should be designed as an outline with narrative. It should include Four sections. Section Four should also serve as a two-page Summary:
Title Page
Table of Contents
Brief Introduction (1 page)
Lesson One: Old Testament Principles for Worship
Lesson Two: Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms. Include overarching theme of Psalms, organization, and subjects identified in the five sections (also called books).
Lesson Three: New Testament Principles for Worship
Lesson Four: Application of Worship to Daily Living
Appendix: “Words for Study” is a Glossary (20–22 terms about worship, defined). Words used in the "Defining Worship" assignment can be used as a starting point for this section.
Caution: This paper must be practical for YOU to use in the future–something that you can quickly pick up and present to a group. It needs to be thorough so as to clearly present the Biblical scope of worship.
The project is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of Module/Week 8.
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Explanation & Answer
Thank you for working with me
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God's Plan for Worship from Genesis Through Revelation
Name
Course
Date
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Table of Contents
Title
Page Number
1. Brief Introduction………………………………………………………………3
2. Lesson One: Old Testament Principles of Worship……………………………..4
3. Lesson Two: Principles Learned About Worship From Psalms………….…….6
4. Do Not Hesitate to Speak Out Your Mind……………………………………....7
5. Do Not Cover Up Your Mistakes………………………………………………..8
6. Wait For God’s Outcome………………………………………………………..8
7. Be Ready For Whatever Outcome………………………………………….……8
8. Lesson Three: New Testament Principles of Worship……………………….......9
9. Lesson Four: Application of Worship To Daily Living Today……………….…11
10. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….13
11. Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..15
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Brief Introduction
The main reason why a man was created and put in the Garden of Eden was to worship
God. A man was expected to give praises to God for the beautiful work He did of creating the
universe and everything that is in it. A question to ask ourselves would be what worship is?
Worship has been mentioned severally in the bible right from Genesis to Revelation. God’s
biggest desire was for man to acknowledge Him as the creator and beginner of the universe. He
intended man to depend solely on him as the only provider and of everything that man needed
including life itself. God intended man to worship and acknowledge Him by honoring and
bowing to him for the right works He had done. However, man has not been able to worship God
comfortably up to date because of the attacks of the enemy, the devil. 1McGee defines worship
as personal and intimate communication with God (McGee, 1984, 181). It is mainly through
worship that we relate to God by opening our hearts to Him and sharing our deepest desires and
challenges in life. “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin, pour out your
hearts like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your
children who faint for hunger at the head of every street” (Lamentation 2:19). God has given
clear guidelines for the way of worship both in the old and New Testament. This paper,
therefore, intends to look at the scriptures from Genesis to revelation with a purpose of finding
out God’s perspective regarding worship.
1
McGee, Vernon, Genesis through Revelation. (California: Library of Congress cataloging and
Publication Data, 1984), 181.
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The style of worshiping God, however, does not vary throughout the bible. God has
provided human with clear instructions on how they should worship Him, especially in the Old
Testament. There are also punishments subjected to anyone that does not worship God in truth
and spirit. In the Old Testament, disobedience to God is a severe offense, and there were severe
repercussions to it. The consequences of not worshiping God are seen in Leviticus 5:19, “If
anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do
not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. They are to bring to the priest as a guilt
offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way, the priest
will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will
be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the LORD”.
Lesson One: Old Testament Principles of Worship
The topic worship frequently appears in the bible and it a crucial topic even to believers
today. Authors of the Scripture have come up with some books about worship suggesting ways
to which humans are entitled to worship God. All biblical literature from the book of Psalms
where every verse leads believers to worship God through praise for the good works He has done
in the universe and to man, the Gospel that propels man to worship God for the gift of salvation
through His only begotten son, Jesus. To accurately grasp the way of worship in the Old
Testament, it is essential first to understand what worship means. 2Worship is a Greek word
2
Small, Douglas, Principles of Worship: A study of the Tabernacles of Moses. (United Kingdom:
Alive Publications, 2013), 10.
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προσκυνεο which means to pay ultimate respect to someone (Small, 2013, 10). Worship means
“the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who
believe in the same god” as defined by Webster Dictionary; These two definitions give a
foundation into understating what worship is. However, the more biblical meaning of worship is
still required. There are various forms of worship. For instance, the book of Psalms shows
worship to God through music.
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According to Rowley, (2010, 3), the first form of worship to God in the Old
Testament was done by dedicating the temple to God. The temple was dedicated to God by
prayers and animal sacrifice I Kings 8:38, 62 and 2 Chronicles 6:40-7. Anyone who talked to
God by the temple was considered honoring God by going to the most sacred place to
communicate with Him. Going to the temple was regarded as an act of worship to God. Rowley
goes ahead to say that another way that God was worshiped in the Old Testament was through
animal sacrifices. Various scriptures across the old testaments books talk about some Gods
servants who killed an animal mostly a lamb and offered it a burned sacrifice to God. Animal
sacrifices were primarily made to plead forgiveness from God. References bible verses are 2
Chronicles 13:10-11, Isaiah 1:11-16. No single verse in the bible shows a woman leading
prayers, preaching or reading of scripture. All priests mentioned in the text are men hence
women were not given the authority of leading people to worship God in the Old Testament.
3
Rowley, H, Worship in Ancient Israel: Its Forms and Meaning. (United States: Wipf & Stock
Publishers, 2010), 3.
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From the book of 2 Chronicles 20:4, 13 and Ezra 10, it is clear that when Israelites were
glorifying God, children were also allowed to be part of the worship. Singing was a crucial part
of worshiping God, especially while in the temple Nehemiah 12: 27.
Private worship was evident in the Old Testament especially when Babylonians took
over Israel and destroyed the temple of the worship of Yahweh. Israelites did not cease
worshiping God because they had no place to do so or the freedom to worship God as a
community. PSALM 137:1-5 and Daniel 6:10 are perfect examples of personal worship that is
seen in the Old Testament. Confession of sin was another form of worship in the Old Testament.
Nehemiah and Ezra are recorded making a confession of their sin in their books. Daniel did a
great prayer of confession to God on behalf of the Israelites. Other forms of worship recorded on
the Old Testament reading of the law, prostration, and reconstruction.
Lesson Two: Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms
The book of Psalms served two purposes in the Israelites; it was a prayer book and also a
hymn book. The text of Psalms shows a record of how the ancient Israelites worshiped God
through prayer. Prayer is one of the most fulfilling exercise in the life of a believer yet the most
difficult sometimes. Prayer can be said to be fulfilling because of it the most intimidating aspect
of worshiping God. However, it proves to be challenging to pray sometimes because it is usually
viewed as a one-sided conversation. 4The book of Psalms can teach a believer how to pray.
4
Edwards, Suw, Psalms: Discovering Authentic Worship. (United States: Kregel Publications,
2012), 13
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Psalms do this by revealing the emotions and correspondence of the participants in the book
(Edwards, 2012, 13). The beauty of the book of Psalms is that it can help you relate to
contemporary issues. Three-quarter of the book of Psalms is attributed to David. David was “a
man after my own heart” as referred to by God in Acts 13:22. David was a man who had his fair
share of mistakes: anxiety, sorrow, frustration, anger as well as joy and hope. Amidst him being
a King and a very influential person to the Israelites, did not hesitate to humble himself to God
and pour out his heart to God.
According to Edwards, the four principles of worship derived from the book of Psalms
are as discussed below.
Do not hesitate to speak out your mind
When approaching God through prayer, you should always humble yourself by acknowledging
His sovereignty and entering His courts with praise. There are moments in our lives when we
feel close to God and are marveled by what he is doing in our lives. In such instances, we are full
of joy and only want to sing praises to God ass seeing in Psalms 65. However, this is not usually
the case. There are times when we are low, and our hearts are taken over by sorrow, fear, and
anxiety. In such times, David showed us how to pray and ask help from God in (Psalms 70:1, 5;
38:22; 40:13, 17; 143:7). These books of Psalms teach us how to pray in times of distress and
seek God’s help.
Do not cover up your mistakes
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Believers have a hard time approaching Go through prayer when they have done something
against the teachings of God. Believers feel unworthy and not to go in the presence of the Lord.
During these times, it is essential to remember Psalms 51 when David had committed adultery
Bathsheba and orchestrated the murder of her husband, Uriah. David had committed sin in the
Lord, yet he recognized his sins and sought forgiveness by humbling himself before God and
confessing his wrongs Psalm 19:12-13. Just like David, it is crucial for believers to acknowledge
their sins and seek forgiveness.
Wait for God’s answer
As believers pray, they expect God to answer the desires of their heart Psalm 37:4. In situations
when God takes longer to respond their requests or He answers contrary to their expectations,
believers become devastated and start walking away from God. Psalms 25:14 encourages
believers to be patient and wait on God.
Be ready for whatever outcome
Psalm 9:10 teaches us to be confident in whatever issue. As we read the scriptures of David in
the book of Psalms, God is represented as a friend. He is close to believers, and we should trust
Him completely. When we feel discouraged, disoriented, rejected or humil...
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