1. "Towdah" and means to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
2. "Yadah" which means to lift our hands.
3. "Baruch" which means to bless.
4. "Shabach" and means to shout.
5. "Zamar" and means to play a musical instrument or to sing before the Lord.
6. "Halal" and means to rave or boast about the Lord.
Did you notice #5 "Zamar"? This is the word for playing a musical instrument or singing. This is a form of praise and is not worship. In fact, there is NO Scripture about worship in which there is music or singing involved. This is not to say that praise cannot lead us into worship. This is not to say that worship cannot lead us into praise. It is to say that when we are singing or listening to a "Christian" song it is either a form of praise or entertainment but not to be confused with worshipping God. Praising God is not worshipping, and worshipping God is not praising.
WORSHIP:
It is amazing that the first time the word worship is used in the Bible it was used by Abraham. The situation in which he used it was incredible.
Genesis 22:5-6 ESV Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." (6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
Abraham was headed up to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac, his son of promise. He turned to his servants who had come on the journey with them and told them to stay while he and Isaac go and worship the Lord.
The Hebrew word used here and a total of 171 times in the Word of God is shaw-khaw'
TO WORSHIP MEANS: To prostrate before; to bow to pay homage to royalty or to God; To bow down, crouch down, or fall down flat in humility; To revere in the heart and with physical body; to stoop to; to adore.
TRUE BIBLICAL WORSHIP IS AN INWARD AND OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF HUMILITY:
We can’t truly worship unless we humble ourselves. Being prostrate is good because we are as low as we can be to see how big God is. Fear the Lord God = awe, reverence, (who am I in comparison to God). Think of a speck of dust in air, a pebble at foot of the mountains, or one of our tears compared to the size of the ocean. YET GOD LOVES ME AND KNOWS HOW MANY HAIRS ARE ON MY HEAD.
I can praise God to someone by boasting and shouting and singing praise, but I can’t worship God to someone. Real Biblical worship is personal. Real worship is the most intimate time with God a person can have.
To be continued: