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CELEBRATING THE WONDER OF GOD!

A young boy sitting in a catechism class, or perhaps it was a confirmation class, was asked, “What is the chief aim of man?” Without hesitation the boy replied, “Man’s chief aim is to glorify God and annoy Him forever.”
Clearly, the boy’s answer was only partially correct, which made it incorrect. But, it inadvertently contained a dose of truth that we need to swallow as our own. For in fact, much of what we classify as worship probably annoys God, assuming God can be annoyed.
Now I don’t know what, if anything, annoys God about our attempts to worship Him. But, I can tell you what annoys me. I’m annoyed when verses are used out of context. I’m annoyed when others talk through the service. I’m annoyed when hymns are chosen simply out of habit. I’m annoyed when someone wears their blouse with the tag showing. And, I’m especially annoyed when we use the applause mode to honor those in our midst. I call each of the above – a case of worship malpractice!
I saved the “applause” issue until last just to annoy you! But it is a genuine issue in today’s worship services. In this regard, I believe that Miss Manners, Judith Martin, has the correct answer for us. In Miss Manners Rescues Civilization she writes:
“ Having forgotten church manners, people are substituting those that would be proper for a performance . . . . Hard as it may be to imagine, musicians in church are supposed to play or sing for the glory of God, not the pleasure of the congregation (which people interestingly slip and call ‘the audience’). That is why there should be no applause in church. Not even for small children, who particularly need to have the purpose of their performance explained to them.”
In response to the protest that the Bible authorizes clapping (as in Psalm 47:1 or 98:8), Miss Manners proves herself a better theologian than many evangelical worship leaders when she asked:
“ Where is the biblical reference by which God commands applause to honor musicians?”
She concludes by saying:
“ Miss Manners hopes she is not pressing too fine a point when she distinguishes between the clapping of hands as an expression of religious awe or joy and the clapping of hands to denote approval and appreciation for the achievements of our fellow mortals.”
If you think worship malpractice is no big deal, than we had better take a moment and read Leviticus 10:1 - 3. It reads:
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
“‘ Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all people
I will be honored.’“
Aaron remained silent.
Aaron, though undoubtedly grieved, held his peace. He was their father, but he was wise enough not to question God. Or maybe, he was just a quick learner!
Leviticus, of course, is all about worship. But, it is primarily prescriptive in that it lays out in detail how to avoid annoying God. Or rather, how to please God. It lays down the laws and regulations for worship in and around the tabernacle. If you were a seminary student wishing to go into the ministry within Israel you would spend a lot of time studying Leviticus. And, in the end, like a well-trained pharmacist you would be able to write out all sorts of prescriptions that defined worship.
However, it is possible, even probable, that you wouldn’t be able to give people the flavor of true worship. You could prescribe it, but you couldn’t describe it! For in addition to the do’s and don’ts what you needed to complete your education was to experience a good worship service. Well, in Nehemiah 12, we have a worship service that is descriptive in nature.
The wall has been repaired, the relationship between the Lord and his people has been restored, and the city of Jerusalem has been repopulated. Clearly, it was time to celebrate the goodness of God and that is exactly what we see happening in the twelfth chapter of Nehemiah. After the priests, Levites, and gatekeepers are acknowledged (which is the first thing people want to know about a worship service) we have a description of the service in vv. 27 - 47. We read:
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem – from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.
I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, as well as some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his associates – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani – with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people – past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.
The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, as well as the priests – Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets – and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing could be heard far away.
At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David, and his son Solomon. For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portion for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
A careful reading of this passage reveals ten aspects of acceptable worship. First, and foremost, worship is the celebration of God’s goodness. It is a celebration of all that God has said and done for those he loves. It is all that we are, responding to all of who God is – his love, his power exercised on our behalf, his truth, his care, and his beauty.
This celebratory response primarily reveals itself in our thanksgiving and in our dedication to him. For in thanksgiving we acknowledge his goodness to us and in dedication we surrender our will to him. In Romans 12:1 - 2, for example, Paul urges us to dedicate our lives to God, and he does so in the context of celebrating the amazing grace of God.
Second, it is to be noted that this worship service was a joyful occasion. We saw their joy earlier in the book when Scripture was being read to them by Ezra and explained to them by the Levites. We also saw it when they participated in the Feast of Booths and recalled all that God had done for Israel. Now, they look back over all that the Lord had done on their behalf in the past year and great was their joy.
But they weren’t simply joyful because of fresh insights into what God had done for them. They were joyful because they themselves had come clean before God. For you see, the secret to happiness is not better circumstances. The secret to being truly happy is found in holiness, it is found in maintaining a clear conscience before God. It is found in purification.
Charles Swindoll in his book on Nehemiah put it this way: “Moral carelessness and borderline sin give laughter a hollow ring. Mark it down, there can be no tolerance of evil, no laughing off of the things God hates. Any leader who expects his efforts to lift the spirits of others must start with purification.”
Clearly, worship is not meant to be a drab experience. God’s people are to come before him with joyful songs and hearts. For they have more to delight their hearts than anyone else in this old world. True worship is a natural outflow of jubilant spirits.
Third, this leads us to the observation that their hearts were of greater importance than their voices. For if believers were to stand before a holy God, they must come with clean hands and a pure heart. The fact that this is the case here is seen in the fact that this was not a compulsory service. Those involved were participating because they desired to magnify God’s name. Then, as noted above, we know their hearts were clean because of their great joy.
Fourth, worship involves a variety of people and gifts. It is not monochromatic. Here, choral music was given a prominent place as many singers joined the two choirs to express thanksgiving and praise. But there was also a variety of instruments and perhaps even some clapping! Also, there must have been a word from Nehemiah.
Fifth, there is a prescriptive side to worship. This company of men, women, and children were pleased to continue in the tradition of David and Solomon. Likewise, the songs they sang were probably taken from the book of Psalms. The event was novel, but the songs and the way they did things gave expression to their teachable spirit.
Sixth, the worship service was a public act. It was a witness to the watching community. You had to be a remote hermit not to know that this congregation was honoring God by spending their time and energy in celebration of his goodness.
What this means for us is that any unbeliever in our midst who happens to be observing our service ought to see or sense the key ingredients of our faith. They ought to see adoration, thanksgiving, intercession, dependence, assurance of forgiveness, confession, the freewill offering of our gifts, the exposition of God’s Word, and the submission of our wills to the revealed will of God. Granted, they may not see all of this in a single service but over a period of a few Sundays they ought to see the totality of our faith.
Seventh, worship is a vibrant experience. It ought to have some energy to it. In this passage the choirs were not just choirs they were great choirs, the sacrifices weren’t just sacrifices they were great sacrifices, the joy was no where near ho-hum, it was great joy. There was nothing halfhearted about this service. God, Nehemiah, and others had poured their heart into it and it showed.
Eighth, this service united not only the citizens of Jerusalem but those from the surrounding villages. It brought a variety of people together. It was a unifying experience for all these people had one thing in common. They were all in equal need of God’s mercy and in debt to his amazing grace. Many of the things that might otherwise divide them receded as they worshiped together.
Ninth, the narrative gives us the impression that things were done well. There was nothing that took place haphazardly. For we don’t get the sense that it was hurriedly thrown together at the last minute. It had all been thought out by Nehemiah, Ezra, and others.
Finally, authentic worship always prompts us to give of our resources and of ourselves. The men and women on that day gave, not because they had to, but because the wanted to support the good things that God was bringing about in their lives. They were determined not to neglect the house of their God. Worship is always participatory.

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