You must not worship the LORD your God the way they worship.
Deuteronomy 12:4 NET
I doubt any followers of our Lord today worship in the same way the Israelites were instructed to do in the Torah. We do not have the same kind of priesthood, centralized place to worship, or sacrificial system. But what God tells Israel here is still appropriate to us.
They were told not to worship in the way that the people around them worshipped. The people of Canaan had priests, places of worship, and sacrifices. So, what was different? What was it that Israel was not to do?
One difference was likely in how they dealt with the blood of their sacrifices. But even more significant was the object of their worship. The pagans worshipped false gods. And often in ways contrary to God’s instruction in the Torah. In ways that appealed to the Israelites and led them away from true worship.
What is our worship about? Is it about praising and honoring God? Bowing down before him in humble adoration? Or has it become a form of entertainment that appeals to our human nature?
This is not an argument for or against the different worship styles and practices found in churches today. We can quite successfully worship God in a variety of ways. The real question is, “Do we?”
It should not be a matter of what we like. Or what will attract other people. We are not the focus of worship. God is. We may, and should, be drawn closer to God as we worship. And different “worship styles” may do that more effectively for different people.
But if what appeals to us, rather than what enables us, is the determining factor, then our “worship” is actually a form of entertainment. And we are “worshipping” like the pagans around us.
