Hebrews 9:1-10

Hebrews 9:1-10

There is nothing casual about worship. This is not to say that when we worship, we must wear formal clothing. A person can have a casual attitude regardless of his clothes. What this is to say is that when we worship, it is not common, it is not flippant, it is not unpremeditated, and it must not be driven by our predilections or our whims. The author of Hebrews is showing the vast superiority of the high priestly function of Christ over the functions of the Levitical high priest by showing the superiority of the place of service where Christ served as supreme as compared to where the Levitical high priest served. To do this, the author recalls the place of the Divine service, the Tabernacle. It is well worth the time to study in detail the symbolism of the Tabernacle and its furniture.

Even a cursory reading of this passage and any review of the Old Testament worship services will reveal that the worship of God and approaching Him was thoughtful, planned carefully, and taken very seriously. How different is that from our approach to our time with God? Sometimes we make the decision together with other believers as if it were an optional recreational event for the weekend. Without much planning or thought, we anticipate going and being with other believers, but if any little thing comes up, we will nix our plans. We often take the same lackadaisical attitude toward our own personal devotions and prayers. It is a priority, but it is not a high priority. It is important, but it's not “that important.” Our faith is stagnant and shallow, not vibrant or growing, and we never stopped and asked if it is because our faith is not a priority in our lives. There will be undulation in our faith walk. There will be hard times to be endured and hard times through which we mature. But if we allow how we feel to set the standard of our earnestness, then we will experience a downward cooling of our passion for God. At first the decline will be slight and negligible, but it will accelerate into lukewarmness.

Passion for worship does not earn our salvation. But it ought to be the natural outflow of the grace we have received, and it is a means for us to appreciate that grace. The marvel and the grandeur of our position in grace cannot be comprehended by a casual glance. It must be the object of intentional focus. And the more attention we pay, the grander we see that it is.

“Keep me passionate in my worship of You. AMEN”