The Significance of Worship
Exodus 4:31: "And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshipped."
Moses and Aaron went to the Israelites to tell all that God did and said to Moses. The people received the Lord's words and his messengers. What an amazing gift it must have been to know that God was there - that he heard their every cry, every groan, and that he knew all their affliction. In their slavery, the Israelites must have felt abandoned and forgotten as well as hopeless.
Through the message of Moses and Aaron, their hope was restored. In realizing that they were not forgotten, the people bowed their heads to worship the Lord. It was a time of awakening to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This God who knew and made promises to their forefathers also knew them and would fulfill those promises.
This is the first act of worship recorded in the book of Exodus. It would be quite a process to see the Hebrew people move back into a relationship with the one true God. For hundreds of years, they had been surrounded by the worship of many gods. Worship of the one true God would not come easy to the Israelites. Learning to cry out to the one true God would not be natural. We will continue to see them complaining and moaning to people instead of turning to the Lord.
Throughout the book of Exodus, the Israelites learn what it means to worship Yahweh. They have to abandon the old to embrace the new. There are many new ways - new ways of eating, traveling, worshipping, sacrificing, and living among each other.
Reflection:
What is the significance of worship in your life? Are there any influences surrounding you that lead you away from worship of the one true God? What new thing do you think God wants to do in your life today?
Moses and Aaron went to the Israelites to tell all that God did and said to Moses. The people received the Lord's words and his messengers. What an amazing gift it must have been to know that God was there - that he heard their every cry, every groan, and that he knew all their affliction. In their slavery, the Israelites must have felt abandoned and forgotten as well as hopeless.
Through the message of Moses and Aaron, their hope was restored. In realizing that they were not forgotten, the people bowed their heads to worship the Lord. It was a time of awakening to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This God who knew and made promises to their forefathers also knew them and would fulfill those promises.
This is the first act of worship recorded in the book of Exodus. It would be quite a process to see the Hebrew people move back into a relationship with the one true God. For hundreds of years, they had been surrounded by the worship of many gods. Worship of the one true God would not come easy to the Israelites. Learning to cry out to the one true God would not be natural. We will continue to see them complaining and moaning to people instead of turning to the Lord.
Throughout the book of Exodus, the Israelites learn what it means to worship Yahweh. They have to abandon the old to embrace the new. There are many new ways - new ways of eating, traveling, worshipping, sacrificing, and living among each other.
Reflection:
What is the significance of worship in your life? Are there any influences surrounding you that lead you away from worship of the one true God? What new thing do you think God wants to do in your life today?
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