Jesus told the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) God has always desired that His creation worship Him. The first act of worship we see in Scripture is found in Genesis 4 when Cain and Abel brought offerings before the Lord. Another early occasion is seen in Noah building an altar and making sacrifices to God (Genesis 8:20). Later, we find Abraham saying, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” (Gen 22:5). Then, of course, there are the laws of worship that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai and their execution of them with the tabernacle and the Levitical priesthood (Exodus 20-40). That form of worship remained in place for nearly 1500 years until Jesus came and established His church. At that point, worshiping God changed. So, is worship all that different today than it was back then? Let’s compare the similarities and differences and learn together!
Authority for Worship
The first principle that must be established is where does one find the rules, or God’s will for worshiping Him? In the beginning of the Old Testament, we observe that God spoke directly to mankind concerning His will (cf. Gen 8:21-22). After many centuries, God then gave specific laws and commands to the Hebrews, His chosen people, concerning His will for worship (Ex 20). Today, we find His will for us in the New Testament (Hebrews 1:1-2). In the beginning, worship was conducted among the patriarchal families. It was later centralized among the Israelites, and now, it is rendered among the baptized disciples of Jesus in His church (cf. Acts 24:14).
Place and Time for Worship
During the “Patriarchal Age,” worship occurred at any time and anywhere an altar was built for sacrifice. During the “Mosaical Age,” worship was mandated to a specific day, the Sabbath, and certain seasons (Passover, Day of Atonement, and Booths). Worship was to be conducted at the Tabernacle (later the Temple in Jerusalem) where the bronze altar was located for sacrifices (1 Samuel 1:3; 2 Kings 18:22). Any Israelite who desired to worship God had to present himself and his sacrifice/offering at the gate of the Tabernacle/Temple. Today, Christians worship “on the first day of the week” (1 Cor 16:2; Acts 20:7) and with the “assembly of the saints” (1 Cor 11:17-34) all over in the world.
The Pattern and Methods of Worship
Under the Law of Moses, God commanded that worship be conducted by a High Priest, clothed in specific vestments (Exodus 28) and men from the tribe of Levi to serve as court priests, dressed in specific clothing (Ex 39). These priests handled all the animal sacrifices and the blood required for commanded rituals. Only certain animals were accepted by God and each had to be without blemish. They also received the other offerings brought for worship, such as the tithing of first fruits, grains, and wine (Deut 12-14). Only the High Priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies, a place within the tabernacle, once a year, to atone for his own sins and those of the nation of Israel (Lev 16).
When Jesus established His church, on the Day of Pentecost, we see the pattern of worship change (Acts 2:42). No longer was a High Priest required because “Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands,” (Heb 9:11) and “not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another” (Heb 9:25), but became that perfect sacrifice once and for all (Heb 7:27, 9:12).
Thus, today Christians all over the world are now serving as God’s priests in worship (Rev 5:10), clothed in Christ (Gal 3:27), giving of themselves as a “living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1), and partaking of the “body and blood of Christ” during the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11). As part of worship, they sing, pray (1 Cor 14:15), and give an offering to the Lord (2 Cor 9:7). The pattern is very similar to that of the ancients, but has now been perfected through Jesus Christ! Praise God!