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What’s the purpose of the religious laws of the Old Testament?
“Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” Exodus 25.9
What was true concerning the construction of the Tabernacle was true as well concerning the work of the priests and Levites, the varieties of offerings, and the times set aside for the worship of God. God tells us how to worship Him; we should expect our worship to be acceptable to Him, and, thus, beneficial for us, to the extent that we bring to Him what He requires of us.
What then does God require of His covenant people?
He requires that we give ourselves to Him in the same way that He has given Himself to us – soul, body, and life.
The forms and elements of worship are means whereby we come before the Lord to give ourselves to Him. We give our hearts in gratitude and love. We give our praise and thanks, using the strength of our mouths and the posture of our bodies to exalt His holiness and celebrate His love. We give our confessions so that He may bear our sins away and renew us in His Spirit. We give our gifts, denying ourselves and freely offering for the work of His Church and Kingdom. We give our burdens to the Lord, casting all our cares on Him in prayer and trusting in His steadfast love and faithfulness. We give our attention to His servants as they minister to us by Word and sacrament. We give our commitment to Him, declaring in testimonies and song, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do!” And we give our lives to Him each day as the salt of the earth, bringing the benefits of God’s covenant to our neighbors and our times.
Come to worship to give, and you will get infinitely more than you offer. Come to worship to get and you may not receive anything of lasting value at all.
For a fuller study of the pattern of worship revealed in Scripture, order the book, The Highest Thing, by T. M. Moore, from our online store. These studies and brief essays will help you to see how the pattern of sound worship, which began in the Law of God, comes to complete expression in the rest of Scripture. Subscribe to Crosfigell, the devotional newsletter of The Fellowship of Ailbe.