CONSIDER YOUR WORSHIP

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DAY 5 - January 9

In the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, you read of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who journeys from Spain to the Egyptian pyramids seeking treasure but ultimately finds it back where he started, in an abandoned church in Spain.  Poor Santiago endured many roadblocks, struggles, and hardships all along his journey, only to discover that the treasure he sought was right in front of him all along.  The treasure was never lost - he was.  

Though the parallels between this story and scripture are minimal, I can’t help but notice the correlation between Santiago and me.  Before I became a Christian, I did a lot of “searching”, always coming up empty!  Until I met Jesus.  And then everything changed!  I had hope, purpose, joy, and peace!  No wandering required.  Much like the treasure Santiago sought in The Alchemist, Jesus was there all along.  I just wasn’t looking for Him! And you would think, after having found such a precious treasure, especially after so much aimless wandering, that I would NEVER let it out of my sight again!  But, unfortunately, that is not the case. 

Even though I have found the greatest treasure in Jesus, I still tend to guard my earthly treasures (my bank account, my car, my cell phone) with more diligence than that treasure I have in Him.  What do I mean?  Revelation 2:1-5 states it plainly:

“...These are the words of Him who holds the seven starts in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.  I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.  I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you:  You have forsaken the love that you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you dot not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (NIV)

These words were written to the church in Ephesus, but they echo loudly the state of the church both then and now and of the Israelites in the Old Testament.  Take a moment to read Ezra 6, paying close attention to any verses that allude to their having “forsaken the love that they had at first.”

To recap what you just read, in response to the request made by Tattenai, which we read about at the end of Ezra 5, a diligent search began to determine whether a decree had in fact been issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of the temple of God in Jerusalem.  As a result of this search, a scroll was found on which was written the decree we read back in Ezra 1, “giving the Jewish people who wanted to return to Jerusalem and Judea the right to return from exile and to repopulate Judea and to rebuild Jerusalem.”*  From there the decree goes on to describe the way the temple should be built, even providing the funding needed to do so!  Verse 5 even goes on to instruct that all the “spoils” that were taken from the house of God generations prior be returned as well.  

​Talk about a story of rags to riches!  And King Darius was so serious about righting the wrong that had been done against the Jews that he boldly proclaims in verse 11 that anyone who even ALTERS his edict will be impaled, and on a beam taken from his own house!  You better believe the people listened! The temple was FINALLY rebuilt and, as we read in verses 13-18, dedicated the back to God.  Verse 17 tells us that at the dedication, they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and 12 male goats, and verse 18 goes on to say that they “set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.”

The “Book of Moses” named here is not some lost book of the Bible.  Instead, the author is referring to the Torah, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).  And it was the Torah that contained all the laws and instructions not only for the building of the temple, but also for the priestly duties and Levitical practices.  In other words, the Lord hadn’t just called His people to rebuild the temple (a mere building that could once again be destroyed); His ultimate goal was to restore proper worship in Jerusalem.  

You see, after the destruction of the first temple, the Jews' worship had become somewhat “muddied”, if you will.  Without a Temple of their own, the Israelites, instead, worshiped at local “high places” with altars, sometimes incorporating Canaanite elements into their worship.  Over time, the muddiness only thickened until it became normal practice for the Israelites to incorporate other gods into their worship.  Though the Priests continued to teach the law, adherence to it varied greatly.  

Does that sound familiar to you at all?  How often do we sit in church services or listen to sermon podcasts and are taught the law of God, and yet opt in and out of obeying it?  The “law” we are hearing is the same for us all, but our adherence to it…that varies greatly!  How often do we opt to worship at “local high places with altars”, all in the name of evangelism, only to look back and find that we have incorporated “Canaanite elements” into our worship?  

If you are feeling that nudge of conviction, you are not alone!  We have all been here!  To say we haven’t would be a lie!  And, unfortunately, we will find ourselves here again.  But that doesn’t mean we throw up our hands and say, “Well, it is what it is!  Here, God, you can have my muddy worship.  It’s the best I’ll ever be able to do!”  Because, though it is the best YOU can do, it is far inferior to what you can offer when you partner with Him and all HE can do.  

That, my friends, is “returning to your first love.”  That deep longing of “God, I can’t live a moment of this life without you!” that you felt when you first accepted Him into your heart and life.  It’s that simple.  And do you want to know the best part?  You don’t have to wander in a desert or live in exile in order to get back there!  All you have to do is, like the Israelites did in Ezra 6, rebuild the temple and restore pure worship.  

Remember the story of Santiago from the Novel The Alchemist that we discussed at the beginning of today’s devotion?  Just in the same way that Santiago’s treasure was there with him all along, and just like Jesus was never lost, I was, I just wasn’t looking for Him - the answer to the Israelites' struggles with opposition in rebuilding the temple and restoring worship was there all along…they just weren't looking for it!  How do I know?  Let’s look back at Ezra 6:1-2:

“Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored.  And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record.”” (ESV)

The edict was always there.  The directive had never changed.  It had simply gotten lost in the muddied water and needed to be restored to its rightful place and rightful glory.  

So what does that look like for you and for me?  

First, rebuild the temple!  Relay a firm foundation built on Jesus, removing all of the “Canaanite elements” that have crept into your worship and “muddied” the waters a bit.  

Second, just as King Darius ordered the temple relics to be returned, return to God all that was His in the first place.  I’m talking about the good things (the blessings), the bad things (the burdens), and the ugly things (what we long to keep buried).

Third, restore order.  Just as the Jews had to put the priests and the Levites back into their proper divisions, we must place our priorities in proper order as well.  (Just a hint - the proper order ALWAYS puts God first.)

Fourth, don’t forget to celebrate.  If you read the Old Testament, you will find countless celebrations and festivals.  This isn’t just because God’s people like to have fun or even because they knew how to throw a good party.  No, these celebrations had a powerful purpose - to celebrate God’s faithfulness, remember His promises, and encourage one another in Him.  Today, we don’t celebrate all of the festivals of the Old Testament, but do you know what we do have?  Sunday morning service.  Wednesday Night classes.  Sunday night Home Groups.  Each of these moments is an opportunity for us to restore worship in our lives!  Where we can come together, celebrate God’s faithfulness, remember His promises, and encourage one another in Him.  

So I ask you, consider your worship.

1. In what ways has your worship become “muddied” by outside influence?

2. In what areas of your life do you need to realign your priorities, putting things back in proper order?

3. What of the Lord's have you taken ownership of in your family life, professional life, and spiritual life that you need to return to the Lord?

4. Are you engaging in regular celebration with others?  Are you regularly attending church on Sundays and Wednesdays?  Are you plugged into a life group?  If no, what roadblocks are standing in the way of you being a part of these “Passover celebration” moments?

   
   

Finally, don’t forget to “consider your worship” regularly.  If we can learn anything from the ebb and flow of the Israelites' worship and commitment to God, it is that we must stay alert and aware of the health and strength of our relationship with the Lord.  So today and every day, don’t just make this a scripture you memorize, make it the cry and prayer of your heart.

​“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (KJV)