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Date: 2009-07-05
Title: Isaiah 58
What is worship? The word worship is often used just to refer to singing praises to God. Many even use the phrase "worship leader" to refer to a person who is responsible for preparing, coordinating and performing music. Some times this phrase is extended to include leading corporate prayer and other public expressions of praise. However, is this what God wants us to think of when we think of worship? What kind of worship does God desire? Consider the following passages of scripture:
"Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.
'Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?'
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
--Isaiah 58:1-12
Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!
Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
"I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
--Amos 5:18-24
In light of those passages, consider the following video and song called "Worship" and based on Isaiah 58:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aCATrRLrQ4 (YouTube version)
http://static.radicalx.org/WORSHIP-ISAIAH58.mp4 (a higher quality version you can download)
http://static.radicalx.org/shirleyboothworship.mp3 (the MP3 of the song)
Here are the lyrics to the song to read along:
It seems so far away, the thought of suffering, hunger and need.
Lord, we're so comfortable. They're only pictures on the TV screen.
Oh, we fast but we know we can eat the next day
and we travel to church in a car.
There are carpets to comfort our knees as we pray
and no danger in being what we are.
Are my praises so loud that they drown out the cries?
Do I fail to stoop down because my hands are raised too high?
Are my eyes shut so tight when I pray I won't see?
Am I worshiping God for only me?
You say that worshiping, Lord,
is more like something I should do with my life.
Not just at Sunday school.
No Lord, you're calling me to put these things right.
There are hungry to feed.
I have so much to spare.
For the naked and downtrodden too.
So much hurting around me.
Please help me to care.
Lord I want to start worshiping you.
But are my praises so loud that they drown out the cries?
Do I fail to stoop down because my hands are raised too high?
Are my eyes shut so tight when I pray I won't see?
Am I worshiping God for only me?
You make me shine like the sun
and your glory will shelter me.
When I cry out, you come.
You restore me Lord.
Setting me free.
But are my praises so loud that they drown out the cries?
Do I fail to stoop down because my hands are raised too high?
Are my eyes shut so tight when I pray I won't see?
Am I worshiping God for only me?
As you reflect on these scripture passages and this song, consider the current situation you live in. Unless you are a rare exception to the norm in Western Christianity, you use your time and money to support a lifestyle of luxury unimaginable to most of the world's population. At the same time, many of your brothers and sisters are not even able to meet their most basic needs. What do you think that God thinks of praise given in this context? When Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me", do you think he meant for people to dress in expensive clothes, sit in beautiful air-conditioned buildings, sip lattes, and sing praises to him, accompanied by expensive instruments, while elsewhere others long just to have their own copy of scripture? Is this the kind of worship God desires? When we buy so many luxuries made by people who's unjust wages allow us to be able to buy more, do you think God wants to hear our praises? If Yahweh despised the songs and assemblies of the Israelites because they neglected justice and righteousness, why would he view our songs and assemblies differently? If Yahweh spurned the selfish fasting of the Israelites, why would he love our prayers, songs and fasting if we act in the same selfish ways?
If you think I've misread the scripture I've used, please let me know. As always, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the topic.