by Bob McPherson II
Synopsis: Popular notions of “worship” include whatever one decides to offer to God, ironically, often without any consideration of the deference inherent in the act.
This is what the Lord spoke, saying: “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified” (Lev. 10:3, NKJV).
There is no richer description of worship than an attempt to “come near” to God. It was in the context of priestly offerings that God made clear that in worship, perhaps especially in offering worship, He must be “regarded as holy.” The story of Nadab and Abihu demonstrates that their failure to regard God as holy or glorify Him was because they offered worship to Him “which he had not commanded them” (Lev. 10:1-2).
Recognition of the divine requirement to offer our worship to God with regard for what He has commanded is largely absent among modern religious people. Today, many religious groups place considerable emphasis on “worship” but little or no emphasis on ensuring that “worship” is in truth, based on the word of God (John 17:17).
The principle that God, the object of our worship, determines the content of acceptable worship, has been in place from the earliest Bible account of worship. In Genesis 4:3-5, both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, but only Abel’s was accepted. The specific reason that God distinguished between the two sacrifices is not recorded, but in Hebrews 11:4, the Holy Spirit provides an inspired explanation: “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts” (ESV). Because it was offered “by faith,” we infer that Abel’s sacrifice was in harmony with what God commanded. Faith results from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
As J. B. Coffman wrote, “Could it possibly be supposed that these two brothers spontaneously, voluntarily, and simultaneously decided to honor God with a sacrifice at a time when the instruction was unknown and in the absence of any divine regulations whatever concerning such things? How impossible is such a thing even to be imagined?” (Coffman, 75-76). So, although we are not told what guidance (word) God gave, we know that Abel obeyed God and that God “had regard for Abel and his offering.” However, while Cain’s offering was rejected, we do learn an important truth from his sacrifice: simply offering something to God does not necessarily please God.
In his Genesis commentary, Coffman accurately labels Cain “The First Innovator” (Coffman, 78). God had provided instruction, but Cain innovated and offered a sacrifice of his choosing. Are “sacrifices” offered today that originate in the minds of men any different?
Consider some modern “worship” innovations which God “had not commanded.” In contrast to apostolic commands (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16) and a New Testament example (1 Cor. 14:15) of congregational singing in worship, the religious world has added mechanical, instrumental music, quartets, praise teams, and even full-blown worship bands. These innovations may entertain the listener and draw crowds, but they are things offered as “worship” that God has not commanded. Consider the emergence of “contemporary worship services.” The Oxford Dictionary defines contemporary as “belonging to or occurring in the present” (i.e., “contemporary”). The synonyms provided are telling of the nature and origin of things so described: modern, fashionable, latest, recent, newfangled. The idea of “contemporary worship” admits and promotes a newfangled way to “worship” God. As we look across the current religious landscape, at innovative “worship” offered by those who fail to follow God’s instructions “by faith,” we lovingly repeat Jude’s warning, “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain” (Jude 11).
The willingness to innovate in worship is an example of presumption, or “behavior perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and transgressing the limits of what is permitted” (i.e., “presumption”). The story of Nadab and Abihu illustrates God’s view of presumptuous worship:
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord (Lev. 10:1-2).
The fire these men offered was strange (unauthorized, ESV) because it was not the fire God had commanded. God had told them what he wanted, but they presumed to substitute their will for His. God’s response speaks to the disrespect and arrogance of worship that, while professing to honor God, transgresses the limits of what He has commanded. Knight rightly concludes: “Theirs was a flagrant piece of disobedience and disloyalty to God. These men were virtually saying, ‘Our fire is as good as yours, God. We do not need yours.’ This is an acted parable of the way secular man thinks about his relation to God” (Knight, 58).
Modern “worship” in the religious world does parallel this incident as man has substituted his “fire” for what God commanded. The early church observed the Lord’s supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7), yet some have substituted monthly, quarterly, annual or no observation of the Lord’s command to remember His death (1 Cor. 11:23-26). 1 Corinthians 16:2 details an apostolic command for the church to raise funds through a weekly, voluntary contribution as members “put aside and save, as he may prosper.” In contrast, religious bodies raise funds through rummage sales, ticketed special events, or even running businesses. Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus, our High Priest, intercedes with the Father on our behalf (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34), but many today substitute Mary or one of many “saints” in that role.
Remember, Nadab and Abihu were priests, in the process of an act designed to honor God, when their lack of respect for God’s command was decreed a failure to honor God. To presumptuously disrespect God’s instruction for worship by substituting our will is to fail to regard Him as holy. God is glorified when we submissively obey His instruction. That was God’s message for Aaron. “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified” (Lev. 10:3, NKJV). Woe to those who take it upon themselves to decide what “fire” should be offered to God!
Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). To worship in truth means to worship in accordance with what God has revealed in His word (John 17:17). Jesus affirms this in His answer regarding the proper place to worship under the Law of Moses. He validated Jewish worship as “what we know” (vv. 19-20). The Law directed temple services in Jerusalem and was silent on “strange” worship on Mount Gerizim. True worship must be by revelation, not presumption, and demonstrate adoration, not innovation.
Ultimately, we must truly understand what worship is. The word means “to prostrate oneself in homage” (Strong #4352). HELPS Word-Studies adds “this suggests the willingness to make all necessary physical gestures of obeisance (homage, deference).” Inherent in the word “worship” is deference to the commands of the one being worshipped—deference that Cain did not show in his sacrifice, and Nadab and Abihu did not show in their offering. That same deference is missing in the innovative, presumptuous “worship” of the modern religious world.
Jesus applied Isaiah’s prophecy to worship that is offered with no emphasis on truth—that substitutes men’s teachings and practices for that of God: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matt. 15:8-9).
“Contemporary | Definition of Contemporary in US English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/contemporary.
“Proskuneó (Strong’s Greek #4352).” HELPS Word-Studies. Biblehub.com. http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/4352.htm.
“Presumption | Definition of Presumption in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/presumption.
Coffman, James Burton. Commentary on Genesis. Abilene, TX: ACU Press, 1985.
Knight, G. A. F. Leviticus. Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1981.
Strong, James. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Nelson, 1984.
Author Bio: Bob began full-time work with the Eastside church of Christ in Bowling Green, KY in July 2018. He and his wife, Marlene, have two sons. The church website is mightyisthelord.com. He can be reached at bob.mcpherson@mightyisthelord.com.
