“To my mind there are very few words that we have watered down that have hurt us more than the way we have watered down worship after such a manner.”
Worship: A scheduled section of a church service in which songs are sung before and after a sermon.
This clearly is not the true definition of worship, but when we say worship, I could guarantee that most minds shift to a song, artist, group, or service section as the mental representation of worship. Meaning even though we know the definition above isn’t necessarily true, it’s still the cognitive definition many Christian minds shift to at the mere mention of the word.
The Bible uses a few different words for “worship.” The first word we will go over that is translated as worship is the Hebrew word, “שָׁחָה” pronounced, “shachah.” This word can be found approximately 170x across the scriptures, and what it means is, “worship, bow down, fall down, crouch, to stoop low.” This is a very significant definition and possibly the foundation of a true heart of worship. I think the beauty of this definition is that it actually highlights a physical posture. Our worship should always be a posture of bowing down to our King, this posture of bowing down can be a literal position or an extended position of the heart and intentions.
Another word is linked to “worship,” more specifically, “worshippers.” This Hebrew word is, “עָבַד” pronounced, “avad” is a word that is mentioned nearly 300x. As a person studying Biblical Hebrew, It would be detrimental for me, not to mention an essential point. This word is most commonly translated as serve/to serve (227x) compared to it being translated as “worshipper” only 5x, which is comparably less than the word serve. This is important because I want to stay true to the text and not add any theological implications for a word that only appears a handful of times and uses a different word much more. However, I will continue to explain this because I don’t think the two words are mutually exclusive. I believe a key part of being a worshipper is serving and being a servant. To connect it to the last word, “shachah,” servants often take the posture of bowing down and stooping low.
As we lay a foundation for exploring worship, these two words help us understand more of what worship looks like in whatever we do. Simply put, worship has to be an act in which we bow down, stooping low ready, and willing to serve our God. Whether in song and dance or in our actions and lifestyle, all the forms of worship God has blessed us with must always start with a humble servant ready to honor our Lord.
Many Nations 