Earnestly Seeking the Son of GOD
Tonight, I ask the reader, “How well can a person worship the GOD of the Bible and His Son, if that person is not trusting and following the Scriptures, and not being humbly devoted to Them?
If you are a liberal thinking believer, you would probably offer an answer that stems from a denominational purview/perspective. While you are processing that question to answer, I will reply ahead of you.
…not very well.
If using the Scriptures as they lay, and not spin any of Them, you would be able to see that They generally present worship as an inseparable mix of affection, faith and obedience.
Consider these facts that are directly attributed in the whole of the Bible.
Loving GOD has a hoard of equal actions, so, let us look to the Words of Jesus, where He states, "If you love Me, keep My Commands." This was first seen in Deuteronomy 6. Yes, He was the Author of this, since He is the One Who gave this to Moses to Scribe down and later orate to the masses. If we are to speak and share from this perspective, ANY person claiming to worship Him, while ignoring His Instructions, is seen as a walking and breathing contradiction.
It all has to bubble up from somewhere. That place would be the heart, and the heart matters. The heart is not primarily the seat of emotions, as in modern Western thought contributes, but rather, it is the center of the entire inner life. It is the very place where thinking, choosing, understanding, desiring, and committing occur.
Did You Know…? The Bible often critiques "lip service"—as a ritual or praise that isn't backed by a humble, devoted heart. Without humility, worship is described as "clanging brass" (1Cor 13) or empty tradition. Yours and my heart are the very center of every decision of and for the body. It IS the place of intentions, responsibilities and obligations.
Daniel 1:8 tells the person to “Purpose in your heart…”
Do you recall how Pharaoh’s heart is repeatedly described as hardened? Yep, he was stuck and fixated to NOT obey GOD.
If a person… Let’s call him or her, a “believer,” trusts the Words of GOD (the Bible) as the primary Way to know Who the LORD GOD is, then trying to worship Him without following the Scriptures is like trying to love someone while refusing to listen to anything they say about themselves. Whichever scenario, it is not going to work out!
Basically, the GOD of the Bible doesn't just look for "praise," but for a devoted connection built on trust and alignment with His character.
All throughout the Word of GOD (66 Books), Yeshua’s Father emphasizes that He prioritizes a surrendered heart and a lifestyle of following His Word over religious performance or rituals that do not lead to Him. …especially if He did not implement them.
The TANAKH frequently addresses the danger of "hollow" worship—performing GOD’s Commands (His ceremonies) while living in disobedience to His Guidelines or Directions.
Memory jogger… After King Saul disobeyed a direct Command but tried to justify it by offering sacrifices, the prophet Samuel rebuked him: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying Him? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" —1 Samuel 15:22
Even though the Korban offering was HUGE back then for the forgiveness of sins, the Holy One was not wanting them from a High Priest whose heart was far from Him. "…for I desire mercy, not sacrifice…” The obedience and acknowledgment of Him was what He Commanded and desired. How? By how they treated one another. How they were unfaithful to their GOD—even while going through the motions of all the offerings, incense burning and prayers, etc. — Hosea 6:6
You see... RIGHT HERE is where a person who claims “devotion” and “love” of Jesus would speak out of ignorance and proclaim their unawareness. How so? I am GLAD you asked…
The followers of today are just as vile in how they treat the LORD and one another as they did back when the Temples were erected and worshipped in/through.
NOTE 1: In Hebraic understanding, the Templewas not merely a building but the meeting place between heaven and earth—where GOD chose to dwell among His people.
“Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” — Exodus 25:8
NOTE 2: The Temple represented order, holiness, and our alignment with GOD’s will, structured according to His GIVEN pattern, not human invention.
NOTE 3: The Temple was a Shadow (Pattern) of a Greater Reality that was proclaimed to be coming.Scripture talks about this. …and MANY “believers” mock this out of lack of knowledge, trying to explain away the righteousness and Holiness that comes from it. However, we are to RE-present these same type actions TODAY.
“They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” – Hebrews 8:5
NOTE 4: The Temple pointed forward, not only to the Messiah—but also to a transformed way of worship. Keep this in mind, EACH act in the Temple was the Savior in Symbolism. Look into it. It will WAKE YOU UP!
You know, if you recall reading the prophet Micah asks GOD, “What does He truly want?” …and concludes that it is not thousands of rams or rivers of oil, but "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your GOD" – Micah 6:6-8
Many a people act like the sacrifices are “of the Satan.” How did they come up with that belief structure? No, they are no longer doing them, (1) no temple and (2) Passover Lamb has taken care of that. Here is the issue though. GOD implemented all of that. Why? …for the people to see and worship Him in the way(s) He stipulated for them then. It was ALWAYS temporary. GOD had a Plan to send His Son. Here is the funny thing. Jesus did not do away with Temple worship or sacrifices, as some would ignorantly proclaim. Read about Him again, but for understanding this time. He also kept all (7) of the Feasts, along with Sabbath, He implemented. “These are My Feasts,” said the Lord.
He came to rescue His lost Nation from their waywardness and prepared the (12) for the redemption of the non-Jacob, Isaac ad Abraham descended nations. Along the way, He was correcting their arrogance and inaccurate teachings. That sounds a whole lot like what He is still doing today, with US, but by His Spirit of Truth—but to the ones who are listening and looking for Truth in Them and Him.
We are acting just like a naughty bunch, per Micah 6, Psalm 51, Hosea 6 and 1 Samuel 15 (and so many more).
We are the same in HEART!
NOTE: The Torah, TANAKH, the prophets, Jesus and the apostles explicitly link love for GOD and His Commandments with the act of obeying the son of GOD.
John 14:15 & 23: Yeshua told His disciples, "If you love Me, keep My Commands," and followed up by saying, "Anyone who loves Me will obey My Teaching". This teaching is not new; it is spread throughout Scripture. Love and obedience, coupled with faith are the hallmarks of the entire Bible, not just (4) heralding Books.
1 John 5:3: "In fact, this is love for GOD: to keep His Commands; and His Commands are NOT burdensome".
Luke 6:46: Jesus challenged those who claimed to follow Him without acting on His Words: "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Hmm…? This sounds like the prophets relaying the Words of the Father in the “Older Testament” of the Messiah.
Temple (stones or flesh) worship and sacrifices were heavenly shadows. They were always to be physical enactments that are pointing forward to the embodied worship of people. When GOD sent the Spirit to man, after the death and resurrection of Christ, GOD’s dwelling place is no longer confined to stone walls but resides within surrendered bodies.
True worship is now lived, not only executed. It is to be offered daily as obedient, holy lives before their Maker.