Why was God so concerned with having centralized locations for worship? I think that there were two main reasons for this. First, the sacrificial system foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of Christ and having the sacrifices performed in a central location made it less likely for changes or variations to take place which would cause it to lose this great meaning.
Second was the role of community. Having a centralized place for worship brought an aspect of community that would be lost if everyone was able to worship at their own home.
Community is important for us as well. While Jesus declared that there is no longer one and only one place for worship (John 4:21), the need and value of worship in community is still present (Hebrews 10:25). Without community we risk isolation and discouragement in our Christian lives. We also miss out on the biblical instruction and correction that comes from our elders and the accountability that is present in community. Are you valuing the community of faith and its role in your life?
The theme that has been running through this entire week is a willingness to do things God’s way. Worship for Israel was very detailed. God had directed through Moses how they were to worship Him.
As Christians and members of the new covenant, we do not have this amount of detail from the Lord for our worship services. At best we have some principles in the New Testament and the model of the first century church in the book of Acts. Even though the amount of detail differs, the need for a willingness to worship God according to His way remains.
In your worship, is it more about God or more about your wants and needs? Are your preferences in worship more important than God’s desires? What are you doing to cultivate a willingness to do things God’s way? Spend some time with God today, as Moses did, asking Him to show you where you need to submit more to His way.
Labels: acts, bible, covenant, God, leviticus, old testament, submission, willingness, worship
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