THE PROPER FOCUS OF WORSHIP

Psalm 98, like so many others, deals primarily with corporate rather than individual worship. It envisages a praising company of people, extending its embrace from “the house of Israel” to include “all the ends of the earth”, v. 3; even the natural world joins in celebration of Jehovah’s majesty, vv. 7-9. And yet, despite this most impressive gathering of worshippers, the object of attention remains God Himself, for all is done “unto the Lord”, vv. 1, 4, 5, and “before the Lord”, vv. 6, 9.

Is our praise ever distracted by a consciousness of one another? On the one hand, corporate worship demands mutual consideration, 1 Cor. 11. 33, mutual courtesy amongst those who participate, 14. 30, and clarity of expression so that all the saints can appreciate the thanksgivings offered on their behalf, 14. 9, 16. We must remember that there are others present. Sometimes, an anxiety to avoid periods of silence provokes brethren into hasty or unprofitable speech. But the command “Let all things be done decently and in order”, 14. 40, encourages neither a sluggish apathy nor an unseemly rush to take part. May our praise ascend to God worthily as from one heart, Acts 4. 24, “that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”, Rom. 15. 6. On the other hand, it is “Jesus only” whom we would see, Matt. 17. 8. Our praise is for His pleasure, not for self-display. How sensitive we need to be to the Spirit’s leading.

Our worship is also “before the Lord”. There is no need to travel to some ornate temple, nor even to wait until the Lord takes us to our heavenly home before we can appreciate Him. By grace, all our adoration now is offered in His very presence. Properly understood, this truth will promote in us a spirit of reverence and godly fear. How carefully, how solemnly we would prepare our hearts if we fully grasped that we were coming, not before the saints, but before the Lord. Yet reverence does not preclude joy, for each time the psalmist speaks of God’s presence it is in the context of rejoicing, vv. 8, 9.

“Now unto him … be glory in the church by Christ Jesus”, Eph. 3. 21.