Worship: Response to Redemption (Moses)

When God calls Moses to lead his people out of the land of Egypt, the intention is made clear. God wants to free his people “so they may worship” Him (Exodus 4:23). This provides us with insight into how God views worship. Our worship should be in response to being rescued or saved. God saved his people from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt, and so they were to worship Yahweh for that. Moses does just this as he sings the song of salvation in Exodus 15 after they have crossed the Red Sea. We also worship today, but for a much different reason. Jesus has saved us from eternal death, he has redeemed us by the shedding of his blood. That’s a reason to worship.

In Exodus 19:5-6 it says that Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This was to be their true worship, their true calling and identity. 

They were to be priests so as to make their entire life a devotion to Yahweh. There were specific leaders called priests who were chosen to mediate on behalf of the rest of the people who had access to the presence of God. For Israel, the entire people were to behave like priests so as to be a light and serve Yahweh as an example to the other nations. On Mt. Sinai, the people built an altar at the base of the mountain which they offered sacrifices to God. The priests were then able to go halfway up the mountain to feast in the presence of God at his feet. Only Moses had direct access to Yahweh in which he was given direct commands for the nation of Israel. He then returned from the mountain and the people agreed to enter a covenant from God. Although the entire nation were to be priests in the way they lived their life, the community did have representatives that went before God on behalf of the people. 

For Israel to be a holy nation meant more than just obeying commands. For the nation to be holy as they were called to be, they had to be a people who lived for Yahweh and with Yahweh. Once entered into the covenant, they had to live out what it meant to be a holy nation. This meant their entire life would become worship. Their daily sacrifices, diets, the way they handled diseases, how they treated one another, etc, all became ways to live out the meaning of God’s presence. They didn’t just go to worship Yahweh at the tabernacle and they didn’t need to be a priest to worship. Their entire existence became worship. Their lives became transformed in such a way that their lives became worship. 

When we think about worship as being our entire lives, worship means more. It means that our relationship with God is expressed through our daily activities and interactions. Our entire lives are so transformed that our relationship with God takes top priority and it changes our hearts. Our worship to God is not a one time act or repeated acts. Our worship is a continual expression of our relationship with God that permeates every activity of our lives.