Truth Magazine

The book of Psalms is filled with exuberant expressions of praise to God. His various attributes are exalted and his wonderful works and blessings are gratefully acknowledged. Along with the recognition of his majesty, the book of Psalms exhorts to practical application of that recognition. Let’s look at an example of what I mean.

Psalm 89:5-8 reads as follows, “And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee?”

The italized portion of the passage is the practical application of the words of praise and glory that surround it. Yes, God is all those things and more; worthy of praise, incomparable, strong and faithful. Our acknowledgment of those attributes demands expression. In view of all that God is, how reverent our worship should be! I think of Isaiah when he recognized that he was in the presence of Deity. He said in Isaiah 6:5, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” I am reminded of the reaction of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai when they heard the voice of God and saw the multiple expressions of his presence. In Exodus 20:18, 19, we find, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” In each case there was a profound sense of awe and wonder, as well as a sense of their own unworthiness in the presence of God.

It is a glorious and wonderful blessing to be able to worship God. What a privilege to be able to join our voices together in “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody” in our hearts to the Lord; to sing “with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” We talk to God together and know that he is listening in our prayers. Each Lord’s day we commemorate the greatest manifestation of love the world will ever know, the death of the Son of God, in our partaking of the Lord’s supper. We also freely, and with joy in our hearts, give for the work of the Lord as we have been prospered, and together we study and seek to learn more fully “the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls.”

Is there a danger that familiarity can dull the sense of awe, reverence and wonder, when we come before the Lord to worship? Is there a danger that this incredible privilege might become commonplace? Truly, the more we worship the more we should come to adore him. The better we know God, the greater should be the sense of awe and holy fear. But I fear that in many cases, familiarity breeds a diminishing of the sense of reverence, wonder, and holy fear when we come together to worship God.

In Nehemiah 8, we find a situation where the Jews who had returned from Babylonian captivity requested to hear the words of the book of the law of Moses. This was the first time in a very long time that these people listened to the word. Verse 3 of Nehemiah 8 tells us, “And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.” Verse 5 says, “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up.” The close of verse 7 tells us, “and the people stood in their place.” The last sentence of verse 9 informs us “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” What an incredible display of reverence and respect for God and his word that day was! It was also a pivotal day in the history of the Jews. For six hours or more the people “stood in their place” in the street, and “were attentive unto the book of the law.”

I would never say that reverence and respect for God demands that we all stand in a street for six or more hours and listen attentively to the word. But I do believe that reverence and respect means that we will sit attentively for 40 minutes and listen to his word. Perceived familiarity with God may very well be the thing that causes adults to be unable to sit without a drink of water for an hour long service. Or for those who do not have a medical reason, to be unable to endure perhaps a bit of discomfort and wait until services are over to go to the restroom.

Have we become so used to the idea of worshiping God that we cannot stay awake for one hour? Sometimes I think of the words of Jesus, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matt. 26:40). Can’t the children be played with before and after services, and be taught that the services are a time for reverence and respect? Surely, nobody seeks to be disrespectful to God and his word on purpose. I believe it is something that folks just fall into without thinking, and that is the problem. If we truly think about our worship and who we are worshiping, we will humble ourselves and with awe devote our full attention to what we are doing.

As we consider our approach to God in worship there is a passage that comes to mind. It is found in 1 Timothy 2:8-10, which says, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” I do not believe that the principle of proper adornment is limited in God’s word to women only.

It appears to me that the context of 1 Timothy 2 is the matter of public worship. In verses 3-7 Paul digresses from that subject a little, only to come back to it in verse 8. In verse 9, the word for “adorn” means to put in order, arrange, make ready. “By the use of this word, Paul indicates that the adornment of the Christian woman should be one in which order, not disorder, obtains. And this orderliness must not extend merely to the relationship of the various articles of wearing apparel to one another, but also to the relationship of that apparel to her Christian character and testimony. In other words, the apparel must be congruous with, fitting to, and consistent with what she is, a child of God” (Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Vol. 2, 46).

The word translated as “modest” means well arranged, seemly, decent, according to a standard that is proper and decorous. Surely, when all such is considered, the point can and should be made that how we appear should always be, first of all, consistent with the character of one who follows Christ; and secondly, congruous with and decorous according to what we are doing. Obviously that principle does not apply only to women.

When we come together to worship God, should not our dress manifest the sense of reverence, respect, and awe that we have for him whom we are worshiping? Should it  not  be  appropriate  for  the  most  important privilege that we have? How can T-shirts, blue jeans, and such like, that are completely appropriate for certain activities we engage in, be appropriate when we come to worship the God of the universe? If such clothing is all that we have and the best we have, fine. But if it is not, what could be a more appropriate activity for wearing the best we have than worship? And certainly, when any man stands before the assembly to lead in prayer, preach, make announcements, serve at the Lord’s supper, isn’t it appropriate and decorous to be dressed in such a way as to show any visitors that might come that we are in awe of our God? Shouldn’t our dress at worship reflect the deepest reverence and respect and the knowledge that our worship to God is the most wonderful and glorious privilege that we have?

The biblical account of creation is initially set forth in simple narrative form in Genesis 1-2. The account shows every sign of being an historical narrative to be under- stood in its literal and obvious sense. Dealing fairly with the text itself demands one acknowledge that the first readers would have concluded a simple truth: God created the world and all things in it, including man, over a period of six literal, consecutive days at the beginning of time. However, this article will seek to address the view of the creation presented in other passages of Scripture as the inspired writers look back on the Genesis account of creation. In this way, we can see the divine commentary given to us to aid in properly interpreting this important and fundamental text.

Genesis 5:1-3

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth . . . (ASV).

The fact that Adam and Eve were created on the same day is here affirmed. Two measures of time, a day and years, are used in the same context. Consistency demands the same rule apply to interpreting both. Was the day actually a long epoch or a literal day? Were the years a period of approximately 365 literal days or a collection of many epochs? Obviously, the literal sense of both “day” and “years” best fits the context.

Exodus 20:9-11; 31:14-17

Each passage views the six days of creation and following day of rest as analogous to the Jews’ six days of work and following day of rest, the Sabbath. The days are analogous in length, order, and function. If they are not meant to suggest such likeness, there would appear no legitimate purpose for the parallel made between them.

Psalm 33:6-9

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap: He layeth up the deeps in store-houses. Let all the earth fear Jehovah: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast (ASV).

God’s power as manifest in creation is the focus of this passage. When God spoke, it was done and stood fast. How could this passage be harmonized with an interpretation of the creation account which holds that God spoke to begin a process that took millions or billions or years to “stabilize” into the form ultimately reached? There is no way to harmonize the two for Psalm 33 is diametrically opposed to such views. Yet, our progressive creationists tell us that when God spoke into existence the heavens and the earth, he actually caused the big bang to take place 15 to 20 billion years ago which finally resulted in the earth forming some 4.5 billion years ago. They tell us that when God spoke light into existence on a first day, it took millions of years for enough cooling and clearing of the atmosphere to take place so that the sun, moon and stars could be seen to have already been made when he spoke to make them on a fourth day. Such interpretations may sprout from a fertile imagination, but they wither away when examined in the light of the plain teaching of Psalm 33.

Mark 10:6 and Matthew 19:4-6

In answering a question asked by the Pharisees about divorce, Jesus referred them back to the origin of marriage with Adam and Eve. Jesus affirmed, “He which made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matt. 19:4, KJV ). The progressive creationist might respond that this refers to the beginning of marriage which may have come millions or billions of years after the beginning of creation. However, the parallel account of Mark 10:6 takes care of that quibble by saying, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” If the progressive creationists are correct, man and woman were brought on the scene much closer to our end of time than the beginning. Again, the interpretation forced on the Bible by Progressive Creationism does not harmonize with other biblical references back to creation. Bert Thompson made the following point in commenting on the same passage:

In this context, there is additional information that should be considered as well. For example, concerning Adam and Eve, Jesus declared: “But from the beginning of the creation, Male and female made he them” (Mark 10:6; cf., Matthew 19:4). Christ thus dates the first humans from the creation week. The Greek word for “beginning” is arche, and is used of “absolute, denoting the beginning of the world and of its history, the beginning of creation.” The word in the Greek for “creation” is ktiseos, and de- notes “the sum-total of what God has created” (Cremer, Biblico-Theological Dictionary of New Testament Greek, 1962, 113, 114, 381, emp. in orig.). Unquestionably, then, Jesus placed the first humans at the dawn of creation. To reject this truth, one must contend that: (a) Christ knew the Universe was in existence billions of years before man, but, accommodating Himself to the ignorance of His age, deliberately misrepresented the situation; or (b) The Lord, living in pre-scientific times, was uninformed about the matter (despite the fact that He was there as Creator — Colossians 1:16). Either of these allegations is blasphemous (Thompson, Creation Compromises, 1995, 179).

Other passages could be addressed regarding the issue as well. However, these are sufficient to show that the biblical writers looking back on the creation account took it as a literal statement that God created heaven, earth and all therein in six literal, consecutive days with man’s creation taking place in that beginning of  thecreation week. Any conclusion to the contrary needs to deal with these passages as well as Genesis 1 and 2 in order to show from the contexts that such a conclusion is sustained by proper exegesis.

Paul wrote the Romans that “whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). He had earlier written, in the same epistle, that they had “died to the law through the body (death) of Christ” (Rom. 7:4). In spite of the fact that the Bible clearly teaches that we are under the covenant dedicated with the blood of Christ and not the one dedicated by the blood of animals, many continue to have problems with bringing over things dedicated with the blood of animals as law.

The Old Testament teaches that men were to give a tenth (tithe). Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20), and the law of Moses commanded that a tithe be given to the Levites (Num. 18:21-24). Can we learn something from these examples about God’s will for us? I think so. But can we teach tithing as a part of the law of Christ? Certainly not. The law dedicated by the blood of Christ does not give a percentage. We are to give as we have been prospered (1 Cor. 16:1, 2), and as we purpose in our hearts (2 Cor. 9:7). Does fact that God did not give a specific percentage mean that we should not give liber- ally? Again, no! But it does mean that we should not bind the law of Moses as our standard of giving.

Another problem that has arisen among some is women wearing pants. The law of Moses said, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God”(Deut. 22:5). When the pantsuits first came out, some opposed them on the basis that the law dedicated by the blood of animals revealed God’s intention about such and is still binding on us.

The inconsistency of this is glaringly obvious when they do not bind verse eleven of the same chapter. “You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.” How do we decide that verse five is binding today but not verse eleven?

Is there anything that can be learned from the instruction of Moses? Maybe so, but we need to remember that one who binds part of the old law “is a debtor to keep the whole law” (Gal. 5:3). The New Testament teaches that women should conform to the customs of the day, so long as they do not conflict with God’s law. Paul told the women in Corinth not to shear or shave their heads because “long hair is a glory” to them. He also forbade them removing their veils, because that would have been shameful conduct in Corinth (1 Cor. 11:2-16). The men in Corinth wore togas, which looked like a modern day dress or robe. Does this mean that we should put on the “toga of a man,” as Paul did? No, the Lord did not give specific attire to men and women, but he gave principles that regulate our attire.

Another problem has arisen over what is “modest apparel.” Some contend that the “tunics of skin” that God made for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21) were garments that came to the knee. Also, the priests were to wear “linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs” (Exod. 28:42). Does this prove that Christians must have linen trousers to the knees? If so, Paul dressed immodestly when he put on the toga of a man. A toga was different from trousers. Further- more, when it was customary for women to wear garments to the ankle, Christian women would have been immodest to have worn a garment just to the knees. What does the New Testament say about women’s attire? “In like manner that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good work” (1 Tim. 1:9, 10). “Do not let your beauty be the outward adorning of arranging the hair, or wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” (1 Pet. 3:3, 4). We may wish the God had given a specific length, height and tightness of the skirt, but he did not, and to teach the Old Law as God’s standard is the same mistake as teaching the Old Law on giving.

Does this mean that ladies may wear their skirts half way up their thigh? If we cannot draw a line on the leg where immodesty begins, does that mean that God has no standard? If some Pharisee would just tell them exactly what is modest they would appreciate it. But God gave no such instructions through the covenant dedicated with the blood of Christ. He did not say how much the hair can be arranged, how much gold you may wear and how expensive your clothing may be, but he did say it should manifest “a gentle and quite spirit.” I’m convinced that if Christians understand the principles of godliness and have a heart that is transformed, the externals will take care of themselves. The godly person will be neither ostentatious nor skimpy in dress. The principles taught in the Old Law were written for our learning, but we must remember that it was not dedicated by the blood of Christ. To bind even parts of the Old Law is to “become estranged form Christ” (Gal. 5:4).

One lady, convicted about her failure to attend church services, tried to soothe her conscience by writing these words:

I’m sorry You put Sunday where You did, Lord. You see, we could attend church services more regularly if it came at some other time. After six days of work, we’re all tired out. Not only that, it comes right after Saturday night. That’s one time we feel we should enjoy ourselves, so we go to a party or a place of amusement. Often it’s after midnight when we head for home, so it’s almost impossible to get up in the morning. I mean no disrespect, Lord, but it’s the day when we have the biggest dinner and I must be here to prepare the meal. My husband John is cooped up in his office all week, and Sunday morning is the only chance he gets to tinker with the car and mow the lawn. We know we should go more often, but our seat is empty because You’ve chosen the wrong day.

Unfortunately, this sentiment expresses the feelings of far too many Christians today. Too often for too many Christians, the attendance of worship services is done, not out of a true commitment or genuine sacrifice for God, but out of convenience. If the times for assemblies do not fit their schedules or personal agendas, then they will not attend. Is God pleased with such attitudes? Most certainly not! We do not have to look very far into the Scriptures to see why.

Let us remember the main reason why we come together in the first place, and that is to worship the Lord. Both the Old and the New Testaments express the importance of worship. “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods . . . Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth” (Ps. 96:2-4, 9, NAS). Jesus taught that the Father is seeking people who will worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). With such importance placed upon worship, one might wonder to what degree worship will be emphasized in Heaven. The Revelation letter answers that question: “The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created’” (Rev 4:10-11, NAS; read also the entire chapter). For those who worship God only out of convenience, do you suppose God would want such people there with him in Heaven? Our worship of God in the here and now is indeed preparing us for the eternal life to come. To neglect our coming together to worship God does not demonstrate good things for eternity.

Second, we must remember how much God’s people need to meet together as often as they possibly can. Christians must make time for public worship and make personal sacrifices to be at each and every assembly period. Each member of the Lord’s church needs the spiritual nourishment of the apostles’ doctrine, fellow- ship, the Lord’s supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42) upon the first day of each week (Acts 20:7). Each member needs to give as he prospers (1 Cor. 16:2) in order to be a part of the contribution for the work of the church. Each member needs the encouragement from each other to continue steadfastly in all faithfulness. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24). Failure to attend the worship assemblies because it isn’t convenient not only is wrong, but it is also very damaging to our spiritual lives and our relationship with God and our brethren.

Third, we must remember that other Christians need us for spiritual strength, comfort, and encouragement.

Worship assembly is not only about worshiping God. Neither is it only about what we can get out of it for ourselves individually. Worship assembly is also about what we can give to each other spiritually. When we come together we are to purpose ourselves to encourage and edify each other (1 Thess. 5:11). We teach and admonish each through our singing (Col. 3:16). We encourage each other through fellowship in the things that we share or have in common in Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:1-2; 1 John 1:3). It isn’t just about you. It’s about a whole host of disciples that need and welcome your presence and encouragement. When Christians have the attitude that they will attend the assemblies whenever it personally suits them or whenever they happen to feel like it, they are being selfish. They are looking out for their own interests but not for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). Let us remember that we need each other! If we aren’t mindful of each other throughout the week (and we should be!), let us at the very least meet together at the times designated for public assembly. “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification” (Rom. 15:2).

In conclusion, let us not be like some of the Hebrew Christians who had deserted their assemblies. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). The Greek word for “forsaking” is a very profound and forceful one and it denotes to abandon or desert in time of danger. It is the word used by our agonizing Savior on the cross, when he cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). How far are you from abandonment? You may not have forsaken the assemblies as of yet, but remember that attitudes such as “personal convenience” will lead you down that road if you aren’t careful. We must all take heed lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12). May we never forget the importance of attending the worship assemblies.