I am taking time each week to ask myself "Why we worship"
Psalm 99
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
2 The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
2 The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.
4 The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
8 You answered them, O Lord our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 99
has only 9 verses and three of those verses proclaim the reason for worshipping God that we are considering today.
Verse 3
Let them praise Thy great and terrible Name for it is Holy
Verse 5
Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is Holy.
Verse 9
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is Holy
Why would the Psalmist need to tell us what appears to be the same thing?
Simply because it is not the same.
I believe this Psalm was very deliberately written with these three verses, it is not idle repetition.
Repetition with God's Word shows us how important something is and it is to be carefully noted.
Repetition with God's Word shows us how important something is and it is to be carefully noted.
Firstly we are told that God's Name is Holy
and then
Twice we are told that God is Holy.
An indication that everything about God is Holy.
An indication that everything about God is Holy.
Yes in two of the verses we are told to worship God because He is Holy but in each case a different place is mentioned.
We are meant to worship God wherever we are
because He is Holy no matter where we are.
There is never a time or place when God is not Holy.
We may feel as if some place is holier than another but God is always Holy
and the place will not determine what He is like
nor how we should treat Him.
Do you worship God differently depending on where you are?
Do you believe God is Holy?
This is such a powerful reminder, Sandra. "Never a time or place when God is not Holy." I really need to remember that. I so worship him differently at church than I do anywhere else...okay, this really spoke to me tonight. He is ALWAYS holy not matter where I am at.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Hi again Beth, I think we are all like that, we perhaps see or think of God differently in church from elsewhere but He is not different wherever we are. Thanks for the encouragement too.
DeleteSandra, I come from the opposite position to Beth as I am physically unable to go to church to worship and have to deliberately consider alternative ways instead due to being housebound with M.E and other chronic illness. However, it can be easy to persuade myself that all life is worship as such and neglect to make an effort to seek ways and means to worship God intentionally.
ReplyDeleteI find that joining in services online or listening to worship music helps me focus my mind and spirit better on giving God the attention He deserves. My rare outings in the outside world serve to make appreciation and gratitude for it a form of worship in itself. Thank you for this thought-provoking read! Blessings :) x
Hello Joy, I believe we need variety of how we worship and when we worship as you have made with online services and in your own time at home and Beth has with home and going out to church. I thank God that we can worship Him in our different situations and that there is provision for all of us to do that. Even though He is Holy is does not set Himself aloof from us, praise Him.
DeleteSandra,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for linking to Sunday Stillness. And a powerful message here. God is Holy all the time and we need to seek His Face all the time as well.
My Dad was born in Pettigo - western Northern Ireland. I really want to visit some day. I am not sure how to get around when you drive on the other side of the street. Heard of too many accidents from people forgetting. I wonder if we could get a private driver?
Any way - some day.
Blessings,
Janis www.janiscox.com
Hi again Janis, I know the feeling. We moved to Delaware in 1992 for 3 years and my biggest concern after going to look at houses was Route 7, I95 and the big intersections I knew I would have to drive along on (which was in my opinion) the wrong side of the road. At the end of our three years there I was so used to it all. Later in 2004 we moved from Northern Ireland to live for 6 years in Belgium and of course this meant we had to drive on the wrong side of the road once again but soon got used to it once more. Do not let it put you off travelling especially to Ireland and Northern Ireland as we have some of the nicest scenery you will see anyway - or maybe I'm just a bit biased. You could get a driver I'm sure so why not consider putting it on your wish list/todo list for 2015?
DeleteGod is Holy, His Name is Holy and where He is is holy. When we worship from our hearts (our holy hill?) wherever we might be - together with others at church or alone prostrate on our prayer closet floor or behind our desk at work or in the middle of the kitchen preparing dinner - our worship is to a Holy God.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome thought - we worship for He is Holy.
Yes Amanda anywhere He is Holy so also anywhere we should worship, great isn't it. Really lifts me up to think about it.
DeleteThis is a good message!!! He is so Holy! Thanks for sharing! So glad you linked up!
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline, Thanks for the encouragement. I enjoy linking up with the Faith & Fellowship Blog Hop.
DeleteOur everyday lives need to be worship - everything we do, think, say, write can be a form of worship. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, we worship You. Let everything that has breath, worship You.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry Susan I thought I had replied to this ages ago. You are quite right EVERYTHING should be in our worship
DeleteAmen Susan, every day.
ReplyDeleteGood reminder - God is holy because He is holy....not because I recognize His holiness. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete