WORSHIP NOTESVolume 20, No. 11 (November 2025) Here is the second of the three keynote Bible lessons I gave at the conference. CELEBRATION Sing to the LORD, all the earth!Tell of his salvation from day to day. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;bring an offering and come before him!Worship the LORD in the […]
CELEBRATION (Day 2 of NPWC 2025) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 18, Nr. 3 (March 2023) Israel One of the promises and blessings granted to the covenant people of God in the Mosaic Covenant was His special presence in their midst. Hence, once the Tabernacle is finished we read: So Moses finished the work.Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:33-34) Similarly, when Solomon completed construction of
Temple to Temple(s) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 7 (August 2021) Scott W. Hahn, in his excellent article “Canon, Cult and Covenant:The Promise of Liturgical Hermeneutics” (in Canon andBiblical Interpretation, ed. Craig G. Bartholomew, Scott Hahn,Robin Parry, Christopher Seitz, Al Wolters [Zondervan, 2006]),has given a fascinating overview of the entire spectrum of biblicalrevelation as centered in and heading towards worship. In fact,he shows how each major movement in the scriptural recordculminates in worship.
The Worship Trajectory and Goal of the Entire Bible (Part 1: Old Testament) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 14, No. 6 (June 2019) What Matters Most When Christians think about Old Testament worship, the tendency is to automatically invoke images of the complex system of Israel’s worship centering on its ornate Tabernacle, with its priests, ritual sacrifices and festivals. While this system was instituted and carried out according to the explicit and detailed commands of God (communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai), we miss God’s
Worship from the Heart (part 1) Read More »
THEME: Worship in the Old Testament, 15th in the series WORSHIP NOTES Volume 8, No. 1 (January 2013) 4. Exodus 3:12; 4:23; 7:16; 8:1,20; 9:1,13; 10:3 (see also 10:7,8,11,24; 12:31) God redeems the nation of Israel so that they may worship Him. (The translation in these verses is sometimes “serve” Him/Me, with the sense of worship; as in Exodus 23:24: “you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them.”)
Important Old Testament Worship Passages (Part 2) Read More »
THEME: Worship in the Old Testament, 13th in the series WORSHIP NOTES Volume 7, No. 10 (October 2012) 1. Their Unique Contribution It is reported that Athanasius, an outstanding Christian leader of the fourth century, declared that the Psalms have a unique place in the Bible because most of Scripture speaks to us, while the Psalms speak for us (Bernhard W. Anderson, Out of the Depths: The Psalms Speak for Us
The Psalms: Israel’s Worship Book Read More »
THEME: Worship in the Old Testament, 12th in the series WORSHIP NOTES Volume 7, No. 9 (September 2012) This month we look at Israel’s worship as the nation goes into exile, and then returns in preparation for the coming of Christ. 5. EXILIC and POST-EXILIC ISRAEL a. The Exile In spite of God’s grace in restoring their nation repeatedly after times of rebellion and idolatry, the spiral continues downward, until finally
Worship in Old Testament History (Part 9) Read More »
THEME: Worship in the Old Testament, 11th in the series WORSHIP NOTES Volume 7, No. 8 (August 2012) This month we look at Israel’s worship as the nation descends further into idolatry and ultimately exile, yet with the promise of a future of Spirit-enabled worship. 5. PRE-EXILIC ISRAEL e. Continuing decline and exile After Solomon, Israel splits into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The cycles of true and false worship, and orthodoxy and idolatry,
Worship in Old Testament History (Part 8) Read More »
THEME: Worship in the Old Testament, 10th in the series WORSHIP NOTES Volume 7, No. 7 (July 2012) This month we look at developments during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. 5. PRE-EXILIC ISRAEL c. The Significance of King David for Israel’s Worship (and Ours) David was an immensely significant figure in the history of worship in at least three areas: 1) He greatly developed Israel as a worshiping community. David
Worship in Old Testament History (Part 7) Read More »
