Worship - Not as Important as we Thought?

In my church there is an assumption among many that worshipping God is the primary thing God wants us to do. Some cite the story of Joshua going into battle with worship singers leading the way, as an example of the overriding importance of worship. Others, who want to affirm the importance of 'ordinary' life, try to convince us that the tasks of ordinary life can be a form of worship. Denis Alexander has tried to affirm the positive status of technology by suggesting it too is a form of worship.

Surprisingly, perhaps, Scripture does not seem to agree. There is no unambiguous command "You must worship God." There is no clear teaching that worship is a primary thing that is required of us by God. Let us examine this surprising state of affairs, by looking to see what is actually important in God's eyes, looking to see what the status of worship is, and pondering why we seem to assume that worship is so important.

What is Important to God

What is important to God is not worship but:

Micah 6:8: "What does the LORD require of thee: but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."
God criticised those who worship him and did not do justice.
God destroyed his own temple, suggesting that temples and other religious paraphernalia were not all that important to him.
Jesus never gave a command to worship, and one would have expected him to do so if it had been of primary importance; instead, he spoke about truth and kindness and honesty.
and so on (more to be written)

Attitude of heart is what is important to God, attitude of humility rather than arrogance.

The Status of Worship

If we look through all the verses in Scripture that mention worship, then we find something surprising: only one verse seems like an unequivocal command to worship God. The vast majority are either exhortations to worship God by one person to another (e.g. "O! Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!"), instructions about whom to worship, or instructions about how to worship, or stories about people worshipping. It is as though worship is seen as like breathing: as something we will do naturally as human beings, without being commanded to.

Why We Assume Worship is so Important

So why do we seem to attach such importance to worshipping God? It may be that we have unwittingly absorbed a pagan view, in which the deities demand worship more than justice.

The Canaanite deities demanded worship, demanded that their subjects honoured them above themselves, even to the extent of sacrificing their sons.
They had images made as centres of such worship.
Aristotle believed that the primary thing we could say about God was that he is top of the hierarchy of authority, and thus due our worship.

Maybe this is why God expressly forbade the creation of images, even representing himself. Maybe this is why God told David "I have never commanded you to build a temple for me, it did not even enter my mind."

Verses that reference Worship

These are drawn from Young's Concordance, and separate out the different Greek and Hebrew roots.

shachah: to bow self down:

Gen 22:5 "I and the lad will go yonder and worship"
Gen 24:26 "bowed down and worshipped the LORD"
Gen 24:48 "bowed down and worshipped the LORD"
Gen 24:52 "heard their words, he worshipped the LORD"
Ex 4:31 "then they bowed their heads and worshipped"
Ex 12:27 "And the people bowed the head and worshipped"
Ex 24:1 "Come up unto the LORD .. and worship ye" - Sp
Ex 32:8 "have worshipped it, and have sacrificed"
Ex 33:10 "all the people rose us, and worshipped"
Ex 34:8 "bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped"
Ex 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god, ..." - whom
Deut 4:19 "shouldest be driven to worship them and"
Deut 8:19 "serve them, and worship them, I testify"
Deut 11:16 "turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship"
Deut 17:3 "hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped"
Deut 26:10 "set it before the LORD thy God, and worship" - ?
Deut 29:16 "served other gods and worhsipped them"
Deut 30:17 "shalt be drawn away, and worship other" - I
Josh 5:14 "did worship, and said unto him, What..."
Judg 7:15 "worshipped, and returned into the host"
1 Sa 1:3 "to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD"
1 Sa 1:19 "to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD" -
1 Sa 1:28 "And he worhsipped the LORD there"
1 Sa 15:25,30 "turn again with me, that I may worship"
1 Sa 15:31 "turned again after Saul: and Saul worshipped"
2 Sa 12:20 "came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped"
2 Sa 15:32 "top (of the mount), where he worshipped"
1 Ki 9:6 "but go and serve other gods and worship"
1 Ki 9:9 "worshipped them, and served them; there"
1 Ki 11:33 "have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess"
1 Ki 16:31 "and went and served Baal, and worshipped him"
1 Ki 22:53 "For he served Baal, and worshipped him"
2 Ki 5:18 "goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship"
2 Ki 17:16 "worshipped all the host of heaven"
2 Ki 17:36 "him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye" - EOG
2 Ki 18:22 "Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem" - how
2 Ki 19:37 "as he was worshipping in the house of"
2 Ki 21:3 "worshipped all the host of heaven, and"
2 Ki 21:21 "served the idols.. and worshipped them"
1 Ch 16:29 "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" - Exh
1 Ch 29:20 "bowed down their heads, and worshipped"
2 Ch 7:13 "worshipped and praised the LORD, "
2 Ch 7:19 "shall go and serve other gods, and worship"
2 Ch 7:22 "worshipped them, and served them: the "
2 Ch 20:18 "fell before the LORD worshipping the LORD"
2 Ch 29:28 "all the congregation worshipped, and the"
2 Ch 29:29 "king and all that were pesent.. worshipped"
2 Ch 29:30 "and they bowed their heads and worshipped"
2 Ch 32:12 "Ye shall worship before one altar, and" - how
2 Ch 33:3 "worshipped all the host of heaven, and"
Neh 8:6 "worshipped the LORD with (their) faces"
Neh 9:3 "fourth part they confessed, and worshipped"
Neh 9:6 "and the host of heaven worshippeth thee"
Job 1:20 "and fell down upon the ground and worshipped"
Psa 5:7 "in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy"
Psa 22:27 "all the kindreds of the nations shall worship"
Psa 22:29 "fat upon earth shall eat and worship, all"
Psa 29:2 "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" - Exh
Psa 45:11 "for he (is) thy LORD; and worship thou" - EOG
Psa 66:4 "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall"
Psa 81:9 "neither shalt thour worship any strange" - whom
Psa 86:9 "All nations .. shall come and worship "
Psa 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down, let" - Exh
Psa 96:9 "O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" - Exh
Psa 97:7 "boast themselves of itold: worship him" - whom
Psa 99:5 "Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship " - Exh, whom
Psa 99:9 "Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at" - Exh, whom
Psa 106:19 "They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped it"
Psa 132:7 "will go into his tabernacles; we will worship"
Psa 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple" - ex
Isa 2:3 "they worship the work of their own hands"
Isa 2:20 "which they made .. for himself to worship"
Isa 27:13 "worship the LORD in the holy mout at" - how
Isa 36:7 "said to Juday .. Ye shall worship before" - promise?
Isa 37:38 "as he was worshipping in the house of N"
Isa 44:15 "yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth"
Isa 44:17 "he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth"
Isa 46:6 "it a god: they fall down, yea they worship"
Isa 49:7 "princes also shall worship, because of the " - proph
Isa 66:23 "shall all flesh come to worship before me" - proph
Jer 1:16 "and worshipped the works of their own"
Jer 7:2 "enter in at these gates to worship the LORD" - sp?
Jer 8:2 "whom they have worshipped: they shall"
Jer 13:10 "to serve them, and to worship them, sha."
Jer 16:11 "have worshipped them, and have forsaken"
Jer 22:9 "and worshipped other gods, and served"
Jer 25:6 "to worship them, and provoke me not to"
Jer 26:2 "which come to worshiip in the LORD's house"
Eze 8:16 "and they worshipped the sun toward the"
Eze 46:2 "he shall worship at the threshold of the" - how
Eze 46:3 "Likewise the people of the land shall worship" - proph
Eze 46:9 "he that entereth in .. to worship shall go" -
Mic 5:13 "shalt no more worship the work of thine " - proph
Zeph 1:5 "them that worship .. and them that worship" -
Zeph 2:11 "shall worship him, every one from his pl." - proph
Zech 14:16 "go up from year to year to worship the" - proph
Zech 14:17 "whoso will not come .. to worship the king" -

segad - to bow down, do obeisance

Dan 2:46 "worshipped Daniel, and commanded that"
Dan 3:5 "ye fall down and worship the golden image"
Dan 3:6 "whoso falleth not down and worshippeth"
Dan 3:7 "fell down (and) worshipped the golden image"
Dan 3:10 "shall fall down and worship the golden image"
Dan 3:11 "whoso falleth not down and worshippeth"
Dan 3:12 "nor worship the golden image which thou"
Dan 3:14 "nor worship the golden image which I have"
Dan 3:15 "worship the image .. but if ye worship not"
Dan 3:18 "worship the golden image which thou h."
Dan 3:28 "nor worship any god, except their own God"

atsab - to make an idol

Jer 44:19 "did we make her cakes to worship her, and"

abad - to do, serve:

2 Ki 10:19 "that he might destroy the worshippers of"
2 Ki 10:21 "all the worshippers of Baal came, so that"
2 Ki 10:22 "Bring forth vestments for all the worship"
2 Ki 10:23 "said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search"
2 Ki 10:23 "servants of the LORD, but the worshippers"

doxa - glory, esteem

Lk 14:10 "shalt thou have worship in the presence"

eusebeo - to be reverential, pious:

Acts 17:23 "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship"

therapeuo - to serve, cure, heal

Acts 17:25 "Neither is worshipped with men's hands"

theskeia - religious observance

Col 2:18 "in a voluntary humility and worshipping"

neokoros - a temple sweeper:

Acts 19:35 "city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of"

iatreuo: to worship publicly:

Acts 7:42 "Then God turned and gave them up to worship"
Acts 24:14 "so worship I the God of my fathers, beli."
Phil 3:3 "which worship God in the spirit, and re."
Heb 10:2 "because that the worshippers once purged "

proskun: to kiss (the hand) toward:

Matt 2:2 "start in the east, and are come to worship him"
Matt 2:8 "me word again, that I may come and worship"
Matt 2:11 "fell down and worshipped him"
Matt 4:9 "give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me"
Matt 4:10 "Thou shalt worship the LORD thy God, and him only" - whom
Matt 8:2 "there came a leper and worshipped him"
Matt 9:18 "there came a certain ruler, and worshipped"
Matt 14:33 "worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou"
Matt 15:25 "Then came she and worshipped him, saying"
Matt 18:26 "worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience"
Matt 20:20 "worshipping (him), and desiring a certain"
Matt 28:9 "came and held him by the feet, and worshipped"
Matt 28:17 "when they saw him, they worshipped him"
Mk 5:6 "saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped"
Mk 15:19 "and, bowing (their) knees worshipped him"
Lk 4:7 "If thou therefore will worship me, all sh."
Lk 4:8 "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and"
Lk 24:52 "(worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem)"
Jn 4:20 "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain"
Jn 4:20 "is the place where men ought to worship" - how
Jn 4:21 "nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father"
Jn 4:23 "now is, when the true worshippers shall"

(proskunetes)

Jn 4:23 "shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth"
Jn 4:23 "for the Father seeketh such to worship" - attitude,how
Jn 4:24 "they that worship must worship (him)" - how
Jn 9:38 "said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped"
Jn 12:20 "Greeks .. that came up to worship at the "
Acts 7:43 "figures which ye made to worship them"
Acts 8:27 "and had come to Jerusalem for to worship"
Acts 10:25 "fell down at his feet, and worshipped"
Acts 24:11 "since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship"
1 Co 14:25 "falling down on (his) face he will worship"
Heb 1:6 "And let all the angels of God worship him" - ?
Heb 11:21 "worshipped, (leaning) upon the top of his"
Rev 3:9 "will make them to come and worship be."
Rev 4:10 "worship him that liveth for ever and ever"
Rev 5:14 "fell down and worshipped him that liveth"
Rev 7:11 "fell before the throne .. and worshipped"
Rev 9:20 "that they should not worship devils, and" - whom
Rev 11:1 "and the altar, and them that worship "
Rev 11:16 "fell upon their faces, and worshipped God"
Rev 13:4 "worshipped the dragon which gave power"
Rev 13:4 "and they worshipped the beast; saying"
Rev 13:8 "all that dwell upon the earth shall worship"
Rev 13:12 "causeth .. to worship the first beast, whose"
Rev 13:15 "cause that as many as would not worship"
Rev 14:7 "worship him that made heaven, and earth"
Rev 14:9 "If any man worship the beast and the image"
Rev 14:11 "they have no rest .. who worship the beast"
Rev 14:15:4 "for all nations shall come and worship" - proph
Rev 16:2 "and (upon) them which worshipped his"
Rev 19:4 "fell down and worshipped God that sat on"
Rev 19:10 "I fell at his feet to worship him. And he"
Rev 19:10 "worship God: the the testimony of Jesus" - whom
Rev 19:20 "deceived .. them that worshipped him image"
Rev 20:4 "which had not worshipped the beast, "
Rev 22:8 "fell down to worship before the feet of the"
Rev 22:9 "keep the sayings of this book: worship God" - whom

sebazomai - to venerate, reckon as venerable:

Rom 1:25 "worshipped and served the creature more"

sebomai - to venerate:

Matt 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching"
Mk 7:7 "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, te."
Acts 16:14 "a certain woman .. which worshipped God"
Acts 18:7 "that worshipped God, whose house joined"
Acts 18:13 "persuadeth men to worship God contrary" -
Acts 19:27 "whom all Asia and the world worshippeth"

sebasma - an object of veneration:

2 Th 2:4 "all that is called God, or that is worshipped"

References

Denis Alexander, 2003, Worshipping God with Technology, Cambridge Papers 12(4).

Created: 9 February 2004. Last updated: 23 December 2004 some corrections; moved verse list to end and formatted it.