Have you ever heard worship lyrics that encourage us to “lift our hands”, “dance” or “shout unto God with a voice of triumph”? Whether you like it or not, you probably have. There seems to be a very extroverted quality to modern worship songs, our bodies are supposed to be engaged. So why aren’t they? Is it even biblical to implore people to be active in worship? Let’s explore this in the handbook of worship, the Psalms; and in the life of its greatest champion, king David.
David and the Heavenly Temple
All throughout David’s life as well as in the Psalms, we are introduced to a kind of sense David had about the presence and worship of God. Even from a young age, David understood that God likes music, and that he gladly engages with mankind in the midst of it. David played before the Lord and it brought deliverance to Saul; it doesn’t even say that he sang! What does that do to our theology of worship? Another exciting insight is that all throughout the Psalms, David expresses delight about encountering God in His temple. The fascinating point is, there was no temple at that time. Some translations even say the word he used here was “palace”; so the place where the King lives. What temple or palace is he talking about? A heavenly temple. David was one of the first to realise that God lives in heaven and is worshipped there non-stop. David’s heart was to join in that chorus, you could say: to partner with the heavenly host in the worship and praise of the heavenly King. But this wasn’t just some mental assent on David’s part, he lived this with all of his body and soul. He danced, shouted, fell prostrate, and made music before the Lord; and he expected all of Israel to join him.
Israel’s Institutional Worship
David changed the entire infrastructure surrounding the worship of God. He began with the tabernacle and entrusted his vision regarding the temple to his son Solomon. Israel was ordered to put the ark of the covenant in the center of the tent so that Israel could literally surround the presence of God as they worshipped. They were instructed to build instruments, hire musicians and singers, organise shifts so worship could be conducted 24/7. Basically the entire society was reshaped to revolve around God’s presence and the worship of His glory. Additionally the Psalms serve as an indicator as to what this worship was supposed to look like. The Psalms form the song book of Hebrew worship, and much like the examples mentioned above, the Psalms are full of instructions regarding the form their worship was supposed to take. Here are a just a few examples:
Sing (Psalm 33:1-3), Shout (Psalm 95:1), Dance (Psalm 149:3-4), Rejoice (Psalm 32:11), Play Instruments (98:4-6), Lift Your Hands (Psalm 134:2), Kneel Before the Lord (Psalm 95:6).
The call of the Psalms is for the entire person to be fully involved in the experience of worshipping God. According to the Psalms and to David, worship does not take place in quiet meditation, contemplation or even prayer. These are all important, but they do not constitute worship in the davidic sense. Similarly worship is not a matter of emotionalism, it is in fact quite the opposite. God is worthy. Our worship is therefore consistent and vibrant regardless of feelings or circumstances. God is worthy to receive our praise and worship. And not just of the mind or the heart, but also of our bodies fully given to an expression of our adoration of God that is incarnational and holistic.
Scriptures for further study: 2 Samuel 6:14-16, 1 Chronicles 16:37-43, Psalm 69:30-31, Psalm 108:1-3, 2 Chronicles 7:6
Daniel Reinhold
Creative Director, Relayer Music