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Worshiping Together
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This tabernacle (or "meeting place" with God) is depicted above. (For a more detailed depiction, please click here)
While the Tabernacle was an Old Testament (OT) expression of worship with which Jewish friends will be comfortable, it is also the foundation on which the New Testament (NT) rests (see Hebrews 9:1-15). It provides a powerful and deeply meaningful pattern for corporate transformational Christian worship - which can also be adapted for personal worship - in the following process:
1. Praising God:
OT: Songs of praise characterized God's people as they came to the Outer Court of the Tabernacle.
NT: Songs of praise are generally more lively and joyful and often focus on who God is: God's character and majesty.
2. Recognizing the Body of Christ:
OT: As God's people walked towards the Tabernacle they greeted friends and relatives who also came to worship.
NT: In corporate worship it's good to have informal time for family and friends to greet one another and introduce themselves to guests. This could take place with a song expressing the nature of God's people, a few moments of "mixing and mingling" or more substantially over coffee or tea or a full meal.
3. Honoring the Sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29):
OT: Inside the Outer Court God's people then came to the Altar of sacrifice where animals were sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin.
NT: In Christian worship we read scripture, sing songs of worship and prayers of thanks which focus on Jesus Christ who gave Himself on the cross as the Lamb of God, for all He is and has done for us.
4. Cleansing:
OT: God's people then came to the Laver where priests could see themselves in the still water. The bronze bowl also served as a mirror. Here they washed themselves for service.
NT: Worship is an opportunity to see ourselves as we are, and recognize our need for honesty with God about our behavior, relationships and heart’s attitudes. Confession to God directly in prayer or with a pastor or friend (James 5:18) brings assurance of forgiveness/spiritual cleansing. The historic churches have developed many helpful liturgies relating to confession and cleansing.
In the Holy Place in the Tabernacle stood three items: the Lamp stand, Incense and Table of Bread of the Presence
5. God's Word as Light:
OT: In the Holy Place oil-fueled lamps provided light. Psalm 119:105 speaks of God's Word in these terms: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
NT: The Word of God shows us reality from God's perspective, helps us see ourselves as God sees us, gives direction for the path ahead and enables us to respond accordingly (James 1:22-25). Worship is enhanced as Scripture is shared, explained and applied.
6. Prayers of the Saints:
OT: In the Holy Place also stood an Altar of Incense which burned as a pleasing offering and aroma to God.
NT: As incense rises to God, so our prayers as His children rise as both an offering and a sacrifice to God (Revelation 5:8). These prayers can be planned or spontaneous, expressed by children or adults, in silence or audibly.
7. Communion:
OT: In the Holy Place also stood the Table of Bread of the Presence (Showbread) which spoke to God's people of the unleavened bread eaten the night of their exodus from slavery in Egypt.
NT: Jesus spoke of Himself as the Bread of Life (John 6), particularly in celebration of the Passover feast Matthew 26:17-30) which Christians celebrate as Eucharist (Thanksgiving), Communion or The Lord's Supper. Christians generally view this celebration as a "sacrament" or "ordinance" but it was first known as a "love feast" i.e. a celebration of Christ's love expressed on the cross.
In the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle stood one item: the Ark of the Covenant. Songs aiding worship here might include those such as Holy Ground.
8. Worship:
OT: Only the High Priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, and him only once a year. It was the place to meet with God. The Ark of the Covenant contained elements relating to God's covenant relationship with His people. On top were symbols of angels with wings and the Lord spoke to Moses from “between the wings of the cherubim” (Ex 25:22)
NT: For the Christian, worship in this holy place is the place of deepest intimacy with God. When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing the reality that we are all now invited to enter the Presence of God and meet with Him, because of the sacrifice of Jesus. So in corporate worship we have the privilege of enjoying His presence, sometimes in silent awe, listening to Him personally or corporately, allowing Him to speak to us – resulting perhaps in sharing a word, a testimony, a prayer or a song. Many Christian traditions also sing or pray in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14)
9. Ministry of/to the Body:
OT: Ministry before Christ was largely limited to formal leadership although there are hints of God's intention (Numbers 11:29)
NT: Christ however has given gifts of the Holy Spirit for ministry to all His people to enable us to minister to each other and to the world. (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4). Worship is wonderfully enriched when participants share their needs and are ministered to by their friends for the building of Christ's Body.
10. Benediction: receiving and carrying God's blessing into the world…
OT: The most familiar blessing of the Jewish community is Numbers 6:22-24 but many other places in the OT show God's intention was to bless all the nations (Isaiah 61:11).
NT: Christians generally conclude corporate worship with one or more of the many expressions of God's blessing from the Scriptures. This blessing brings personal encouragement and refreshment to the Christian life of carrying the blessing of Christ into the world to reflect and show Christ there.
