Are You Ready?

Are you ready to begin this journey with me?  To understand what the Bible has to say about worship?  I'm so excited as we begin this journey together, and I'm can't wait to see what God is going to show us along the way!

We  began on Friday by looking at the first place the word "worship" is used in the Bible, in Genesis 22, and I asked you to read the chapter to get ready for this journey.  If you haven't read that chapter, I urge you to do it now.  Having read the whole chapter as background, we will begin digging in and today we will focus on the first ten verses of Genesis 22. 

Genesis 22 uses the word "worship" only once, but we are going to gain some foundational truths about this topic as we study the chapter.  Let's think first about what the word "worship" means.  It is the Hebrew word shachah which means to prostrate oneself or to bow down.  In the Old Testament, it is the common term used for coming before God in worship to honor Him.

You probably remember the story of Abraham....how when he was 75 years old and childless, God promised to make of him a great nation through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed.  Isaac, the son God had promised, was born when Abraham was 100 years old.

Read Genesis 22:1-10.  If you're using your colored pencils, note every time you see the name "God" used and mark that in some significant way.  (I use a red triangle, but you can do whatever works for you.)  Note the word "worship" and mark that as well.  Also mark every reference to Abraham.

Now that you've done that, answer the following questions:

• What do you learn about God?
• What did God instruct Abraham to do?
• How does Abraham respond?
• What is Abraham's relationship with God?
• What is Abraham's relationship with his son?
• Is there anything that surprises you about what you read?

Go back and read the passage one more time, looking for every reference to "burnt offering" and mark that.  If you aren't familiar with the burnt offering, you can find more information in Leviticus chapter 1.  A burnt offering was a voluntary offering.   The entire offering was to be placed on the altar.  Nothing was to be held back.

What do you learn from these verses about the burnt offering and how it relates to the act of worship?

Think about that today, and we'll continue tomorrow.