June 2000 Table of Contents

Off The Top Of My Head
Worship

By Jerry Evans

Jackie and I have had the privilege to go to Argentina for the past few years with our friends Jim and Carol Cymbala. This year I was asked to speak to a group of worship leaders on the subject of "Worship." The only catch was that I only had 24 hours to prepare. I got on the internet and went to our "MusicTalk" line and asked for help. You guys and girls were great. I received within a few hours more than enough material to speak on but I noticed that everyone told me what worship was about or when we were worshipping but I did not get a single definition for "Worship." The dictionary was no help so I defined Worship as "being in God's presence." Please notice that I didn't define as "coming into God's presence." I'm afraid that too often we tend to think that our job is to lead the people of God into His presence. If we check Exodus 20:20-21, we find that Moses couldn't lead God's people into His presence, what makes us think we can? Possibly what we really should be doing is preparing a place where God's presence is welcome. In order to draw an example of this out of God's word, let's look at David's attempt to lead his people to worship God.

We all are aware that the "Ark of the Covenant" represented the presence of God. In the book of 1st Chronicles, chapters 13 and 15, we have two distinctly different ideas of what worship is or should be. The problem is, God only honored one of them. You can read these two chapters in their entirety on your own, but if you will allow me, I will go over the story.

In Chapter 13 David is now King and he realizes that The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol that God had given His people of His presence was not in its proper place, in Jerusalem. Verse 3: David says, "we did not inquire of it during the reign of King Saul." David did not condemn Saul rather he shared the blame by saying, "we did not inquire of it." Jerusalem was the Royal City but it was not the Holy City without the Ark. David did what most of us would have done, he called for an agreement. He asked his commanders and then he asked the whole assembly of Israel if bringing the Ark back to its proper place was a good thing to do. There is a popular expression used today to answer questions like this, DUH!!! Who's going to vote against God? The whole assembly agreed to do this "because it seemed right to all the people." This sounds like it should be the right thing to do so how could David go wrong? It is interesting to note that David asked everyone what to do except Almighty God. At this point David said, "this must be the right thing to do so I am going to do it right." He had a new cart made just for the purpose of carrying the Ark. Remember that while it was in the possession of the Philistines, they had moved the ark with a cart. David copied the way of the World. It didn't work then and it won't work now. He assembled all the people of Israel together and they headed to Baalah to get the Ark.

Now most of us would agree that so far this sounded like a pretty good plan. There was just one small detail that David left out of his plan and that was to check with God concerning dealing with His presence. A friend once shared with me that worship involved four things.

1. A Preparation (seek God, aniticipate the encounter.)
   
2. A Plan (set a time to worship, Bible Study)
   
3. A Possibility: "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46: 10)
   
4. A Place: It may be a bedroom, kitchen, church house, garden, battleground--anywhere, but it is HOLY GROUND because God's presence is there. You see David simply failed the first step. He asked everyone about the plan except the One he should have asked. Had he done his preparation he would have known that God had a set plan for the moving of His Ark and when that plan is followed, His presence is there.

When you read the rest of that chapter you will notice that David and the Israelites were having a grand old time, moving the Ark, singing, dancing, "with all their might," before God, until they came to a bump in the road. David had appointed two of his relatives to lead the worshipers and to make sure "God's Ark" was well cared for. Does this sound like too much of what we do too many times? We lead God's people in a wonderful celebration and we make sure that there is somebody there always to take care should there be any problems, and we expect God to just show up. Well a problem arose and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark and God struck him dead. Have you ever thought that Almighty God does not need our help to bring His presence to His people? When we are allowed lead His people to a point where He feels welcome in our presence, we are a fortunate group indeed.

An interesting side note here is that David became upset with God because God didn't follow David's plan. Please note here that God does not need mine or your plans for his presence to appear. David left the Ark at the home of Obed-Edom and God blessed his household and everything he had. Here is some normal everyday family who just happens to live near where the Ark hits a bump in the road, and David gets mad because God did not do things in the way he thought that He should, so David leaves the Ark at their house and God blesses them. God will always bless where His presence is.

We come to chapter 15 and we notice that David has repented and now prepares to once again bring the Ark to its proper place. This time, he consults with God as to just how it is to be done. Verse 2 says, "No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of the Lord because God chose them to carry the Ark and to minister before Him forever."

In verses 11-15 David explains to the Levites that they are to consecrate themselves in order to bring up the Ark with the poles on their shoulders as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

In verses 16-21 the responsibilities were broken down and in verse 22 Kenaniah, the head Levite, was in charge of singing, which was his responsibility, because he was skillful at it.

If we are to lead God's people to creating a place where God's presence can abide, we must make sure that we are skillful at it. Preparation, planning, praying must become the most important parts of our lives.

Verse 28 tells us that all Israel brought up the Ark. Just because the Levites with Kenaniah in charge were leading the music and celebration, did not mean that God's people are to sit in the seats and watch, no, creating a place for God's presence to rest is a corporate activity. All Israel brought up the Ark. God wants all people to worship. He doesn't need performers, He wants Worshipers

One final note: Verse 29 says that Saul's daughter watched from a window. She saw David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. Not everyone will appreciate you for what you do. Satan does not enjoy it when God's people worship. Keep in mind that this was a woman who David married. Many times in the books of Samuel we are told that she loved David. When God's presence appears we must be prepared for even those who call us blessed to turn against us.

God has called those whom he made skillful at it to lead His singers. The singers always went before the army into battle. He expects us to prepare a place where His presence can come and dwell and His people can be blessed.

Jerry

Email: Jerry.Evans@jjoline.com

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