13 The Preeminence of Worship
“Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” Ps 132:3-5
We continue our series on the songs of ascension. Perhaps you will recall that these psalms are the fifteen psalms immediately following Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is the longest psalm and every verse concerns the Word of God. And immediately following this song extolling the virtues of God’s Word is a mini-psalter that details what the Word of God points toward. That is a relationship with God through worship.
Worship is the medium of exchange in our relationship with God. Prayer; sacrifice; intercession; praise - all of these are part of the overall tapestry that makes up worship. In short, worship is the overall picture of how we relate to God and He to us.
The psalms of ascension were written and compiled to be sung as the people of God traveled up the steep hill of Jerusalem. They were sung from memory and most are 6 to 8 verses in length. Psalm 132 is the longest of these songs of ascending. The topic of this song is the preeminence of worship in the life of the godly. One must make a conscience decision to make worship a top priority in life. And then diligence must be exercised to establish the preeminence of worship in our lifestyle.
Making worship a priority demonstrates that our walk with God is a priority. We can have many things of importance in life, but there will be precious few true priorities. Our attitude toward the things and ways God communes with us is a visible demonstration of the priority or lack of priority we attach to our walk with God. This is not judging but rather merely stating the facts. One who withdraws from the body of Christ and does not make worship a priority is not really serving God and walking with Him in fellowship.
A Place for God
“Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” Ps 132:3-5
It is a godly attitude that wants to establish the house of worship. Because worship is the way we relate to God and He to us. It is true that we do not have to be in the house of worship in order to practice worship. But why would a believer want to relate to God without having a place of worship?
The example before us in this psalm is that of King David. David grew restless in his spirit when he observed the comparative luxury in which he lived. David looked at the palace he lived in, the royal clothes he wore, and all the trappings of his royal lifestyle. Then David cast his eyes to Shiloh and the tent that was the house of God. His relationship with God would not allow him to be at peace with this inequity. He felt that it spoke poorly of his priorities and his love of the Lord.
What was happening in the king’s heart was a reaction to the lack of preeminence that worship had in his own life and throughout the kingdom. Someone who is able to be at peace year after year giving God only their leftovers has some serious heart problems. Doesn’t your relationship with the Lord deserve a prominent position in your life? The priority you assign to worship will demonstrate how you feel.
Consider this -
- David had obtained his ultimate position in the natural realm.
- He was king over a united kingdom.
- Saul is out of the picture now.
- All twelve tribes have crowned David and all now recognize him as king of Israel.
- This was as high as David would go in the natural realm.
- This was the ultimate position for David, as king and dwelling in Zion at the center of God’s will.
- And yet he was still lacking something.
David’s spirit was restless and troubled. He paced the marble floors of his palace and thought of the dirt floors inside the tabernacle. He looked at the stone and cedar lined walls with intricate carvings and gold fixtures in his throne room and thought of the ram skins dyed red that covered the tent of the tabernacle. The house of worship did not reflect the importance he placed in his walk with God. Something must be done. He must find a place for the Lord that better bespeaks his love for God. There must be a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob!
Your lifestyle reflects your priorities. What position does the place of worship occupy in your life? Others will be influenced by your attitude.
The Fame of His Quest
“Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.” Ps 132:6-9
And now the pilgrims sing of the fame of David’s temple. This song begins as a plea to the Almighty to remember their beloved David (Psa. 132:1). Is it a prayer for the dead? Not hardly. It is a prayer that God will remember the heart of the shepherd king. It is a prayer that God will remember the attitude of a godly king who wanted to give worship a preeminent position in his life and the life of his people.
The people sung this song as pilgrims climbing the temple mount in Jerusalem. At the end of their long journey to the house of God they would sing about the king who was not content until the house of God occupied a position of high honor. They would go into God’s tabernacle and worship at His footstool. They made a comment that was reminiscent of Moses in the wilderness.
“Arise, O Lord, into they rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.” (vs. 8 )
“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.” Num 10:35-36
David inspired a nation with his love of worship. Not just in his days, but future generations sang of David’s quest for meaningful worship. David believed in exuberance in worship!
“Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.” Ps 132:9
Real worship emphasizes righteousness and produces shouts of joy! When David brought the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle to Jerusalem, there was a celebration like none other. The entire nation observed their shepherd king worship and dance before the Lord with all his might. Preeminent worship is that which sets aside the royal garments and puts on a plain white linen garment of service. Preeminent worship is willing to lay aside all pride and become just another member of the congregation that needs to express love for the Almighty!
Worship That Establishes Your Position
But even having the house of God closer was not enough; David wanted to build a magnificent edifice to glorify Jehovah. He called the prophet Nathan and consulted with him.
“That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.” 2 Sam 7:2-3
There was a desire in David’s heart to elevate the position of worship even higher. It was this desire to establish God’s position in his life that caused God to establish some other things for David. I mentioned that David had risen as far as he could go in the natural realm. And yet a desire to elevate God to a higher position through worship caused God to lift David and establish him on higher ground also. It was this desire of David to build a temple to the glory of God that prompted the Lord to make some promises to David.
“For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” Ps 132:10-11
God blesses those who invest in their walk with Him. The way we invest in our relationship with God is through worship. David worshiped his way from a young shepherd boy to become the shepherd king. David worshiped his way from being just another in a long line of kings, to being the father of the King of kings.
Conclusion:
Worship is the medium of exchange in our relationship with God. Your relationship with God is no stronger than the priority you give worship in your life. Making worship a priority demonstrates the importance we attach to our walk with the Lord.
This certainly does not go unnoticed by God. In fact, giving preeminence to worship allows God to establish and strengthen our position in His perfect will. Giving worship preeminence in our lives will allow us to leave behind a legacy of worship that inspires others.
© 2008 Nevin Bass. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced for the purpose of resale without written permission.
