Title Worship (6)
Contents
Worship/禮拜 (Genesis 28:10-22)/⑹
There are about 230 countries in the world, of which 30 are developed countries. The surprising fact is that 28 countries are Christian countries and non-Christian countries are Japan and Singapore. Even these countries live on the basis of honesty, diligence, and sincerity, which are the fundamentals of Christianity. The essence of Christianity is to worship (worship) the God who is in charge of history's rise and fall, human life and death, and prosperity and prosperity. Jacob, who appears in the text, deceives his dark-eyed father (Isaac) and steals the blessing of the firstborn that his older brother (Esau) should receive from his father while his older brother goes hunting. So, knowing that his brother would get a sword if he found out about this, he ran away to a place called Haran where his uncle (Laban) lived. As I was walking toward the wild field, as the setting sun sets, I slept with the sky as a blanket and a stone from the wilderness as my pillow. God appeared to Jacob in a dream and gave him tremendous blessings. The same blessings granted to his grandfather (Abraham) and his father (Isaac) will be given to Jacob as well. Here, Jacob is thrilled and builds an altar (worship) to God. What lessons does Jacob teach us?
First, Jacob knew that the Lord was here (Gen. 28:16).
‘Jacob awoke and said, ‘Surely the LORD is here, and I did not know it’. We tend to worship without knowing that God is present in this place where we worship. The Bible tells us, “Where two or three gather in my name (Lord), I am with them.” Therefore, we must keep in mind that the place where those who receive Jesus and receive salvation gather to worship and worship is a holy place.
Second, we must worship with fear and trembling (verse 14).
“They were afraid and said, ‘Awesome, this place is nothing but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. The meaning of fear is ① respect and ② trembling, and the place where God is is a temple of God, so we should worship with respect and worship the Lord with a trembling heart.
Third, it must be a monumental worship service (verse 18).
“Jacob got up early in the morning, took the stone for his pillow, set it up as a pillar, and anointed it with oil.” The stone that used to be a pillow was erected as a pillar to commemorate the God who appeared in Jacob's dream. And the anointing of the stone speaks of Jacob's devotion. Therefore, it is important to recognize that each worship service should be a monumental worship service, not a habitual worship service that is wet with inertia.
Fourth, there must be a determination to make a decision through worship (20-22).
“Jacob made a vow,” he said. We hear the voice of the Lord through worship. So, it is not just about listening to sound, but also changing one's behavior and personality. In order to do that, there must be specific actions to put into practice the words you have heard. The Bible says, “As the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is dead.” Only those who make a decision and practice God's promises can become a Christian who can experience and feel God's promise.