Judges 7. Gideon, part 37: Worshipping God.Title: Judges 7. Gideon, part 37: Worshipping God.
Jdg 7:15 And it came about when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands."
This is the first time that the word "worship" is used for Gideon. It is this miracle which finally pushes him to the place of knowing the true magnificence and benevolence of God in his heart.
“worship” – hjc [shachah] = "to worship, prostrate oneself, bow down." This is not a general word for a ritual. This is humility and prostration before the might of God.
This is a complete submission to God in awe, wonder, fear, humility, smallness, futility, helplessness, etc. Such worship only flows from the heart when all arrogance is squashed before the magnificence of God and superior riches of His grace.
Worship is from the heart. It is reverence from within from the believer who has come to know God. It is adoration from within, a kiss of love to the only one worthy of it.
It can't be stressed enough that worship of God is the attitude of the humble and contrite believer before God. It comes only from the believer who truly knows Him and counts Him as wonderful and mighty. It is not something that is just done, like a ritual. It is something that is cultivated over time of learning and striving with God.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word [logos] "Jesus is what God has to say." [CS Lewis]
There is only one means of knowing God and His plan well enough that such arrogant creatures as us will completely submit to Him.
Joh 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Worship is only due God and not any other creature, not even a mighty angel.
Rev 22:8 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
Rev 22:9 And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God."
Worship of God will mean healing to all that ails the soul.
Mat 8:2 And behold, a leper came to Him, and bowed down to Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
Mat 8:3 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."
The leper knew in his heart that Jesus could heal him and by calling Him Lord he worshipped Him in his heart and not just overtly in bowing down before Him. By knowing Him as Lord and knowing that He could heal him, the leper’s heart was already clean, far cleaner than those who would not allow him into the temple to worship God.
God’s awesomeness demands worship from all creatures.
Mat 14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.
Mat 14:33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"
They saw Him walk on water. They witnessed Him offer Peter the power to walk on water. They saw Him save Peter when he began to sink out of fear. They saw the wind stop as He got into the boat. The saw that He was above the laws of gravity and the laws that govern mortal men. The wind, the waves, the world had no power over Him. When they understood this they worshiped.
One does not truly worship some obscure image of God. Knowing that there is a God, and Almighty Creator, and knowing that I should worship Him, will not bring worship out of my heart. I must truly understand how awesome and wonderful He is. I must know Him. I must know the deep things of God, which the Spirit of God will reveal to me from the truth. When I know Him intimately then I will love Him and worship Him.
We worship Him even when it may seem that God is saying no to our deepest desire. He may be testing our faith or He may have something better for us. We persist in revering Him.
Mat 15:21 And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.
Mat 15:22 And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed."
She calls Him God and Messiah though she is Canaanite. The Lord is on the coast. This is the home of the Phoenician, a rich but pagan people. Jezebel was from this place. We can imagine that he is somewhere in the region preaching to the multitudes. He is surrounded by many and as He speaks and heals, she keeps pushing her way through the people to get close enough to Him and then again shouts out for mercy. He ignores her but He of course sees her and hears her. Will she persist?
It isn't long until the disciples are quite annoyed by her.
Mat 15:23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us."
Mat 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Mat 15:25 But she came and began to bow down before Him [worship Him], saying, "Lord, help me!"
He didn’t say that He would not help her, but only stated that He was sent to gather the lost sheep of Israel.
Mat 15:26 And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
The church would not receive the bread of Israel, but something far greater.
The wild branches known as the Gentiles were to be grafted in the olive tree. What neither she nor anyone else there that day could have understood is that the bread of Israel would not be offered to the nations, but because of their rejection of Christ, something far more would be offered to them. We are not receiving the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant, but a new covenant in His blood. We have received Him, all of Him and His inheritance, even heaven itself.
Mat 15:27 But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
Mat 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. |