The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 22:1-5, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”

The word “worship” occurs 172 times in the Bible. It becomes something of a “bookend” verse used first in Genesis and later in the Revelation. It’s first usage signaled a recogniition of superiority, when Abraham instructed his servants to wait for his return with Isaac. It was also obviously intended to provoke obedience.

In the New Testament, the word worship is used by the LORD Jesus in a phrase to focus on doctrinal teaching. He quoted Isaiah as He rebuked the Pharisees:

“Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM
ME. 7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN’” (Mark 7:6-7).

Finally, in the Revelation (22:8-9), the Apostle John says: “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.” At that point, the angel rebuked John saying, ‘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.’”

The question we face is: do we reverence the LORD as we worship? Today, as we gather in church, may the Holy Spirit urge us to humble ourselves before the LORD Jesus in true, unselfish, unadultrated reveremce before Him. He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins. He truly deserves our heart-felt worship. It’s an attitude that should never escape its display in our lives.
Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom