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Upgrade! Pt. 2, Reverence Series (Response to God)
Presenter: Larry Kirkpatrick
Location: Mentone SDA Church, CA, USA
Delivery: 2008-02-02 19:13Z
Publication: GreatControversy.org 2008-02-03 21:13Z
Type: Sermon
URL: http://www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/ser/kir-upgrade2.php
Today, as we continue our series on reverence, three things: first, we review the scene in God’s audience chamber as described in Isaiah chapter six. Next, we consider the issue of response to God via a practice common in the world today—clapping. Lastly, we consider alternative responses in worship. These are vast areas and (in the audio version) we will only be able to spend a small space on each. Let is proceed.
Reverence in the Heavenly Throne Room
It is a rare series on reverence that leaves aside Isaiah chapter six. Consider:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:1-5).
In a monarchy, the death of the king is always a moment of significance. Israel had seen more prosperity under Uzziah than at almost any other time (2 Chronicles 26:1-15; Prophets and Kings, p. 303). Unfortunately, in the prosperity and power of Uzziah he lost his way. He violated the sanctity of the place of worship, entering into the holy place to burn incense at the altar of incense. There was a confrontation between the king and 80 priests, and leprosy broke out on his forehead which remained with him until his death (2 Chronicles 26:16-23). His decease must have come in about 740/739 B.C. Assyrian King Tiglath-pilesser III was warring against Judah. It looked like Assyria would continue to conquer everything in sight. Crisis loomed. It was in this time of anxiety, the king died. That is when Isaiah was given this vision.
Would God watch over His people? Were their lives forfeit at the whims of human kings? Woudl heathen nations rule over the world? In the year that Isaiah was calle dto the prophetic office, God sent a message otherwise. Add Mrs. White’s description of Isaiah’s view of the scene.Suddenly the gate and the inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the prophet’s feet might not enter. There rose up before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while the train of His glory filled the temple. On each side of the throne hovered the seraphim, their faces veiled in adoration, as they ministered before their Maker and united in the solemn invocation, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory,” until post and pillar and cedar gate seemed shaken with the sound, and the house was filled with their tribute of praise. Isaiah 6:3.
As Isaiah beheld this revelation of the glory and majesty of his Lord, he was overwhelmed with a sense of the purity and holiness of God. How sharp the contrast between the matchless perfection of his Creator, and the sinful course of those who, with himself, had long been numbered among the chosen people of Israel and Judah! ‘Woe is me!’ he cried; ‘for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ Verse 5. (Prophets and Kings, pp. 307, 308).
We have to be careful here. Some have drawn some extended lessons on righteousness by faith from this vision which are not sustained. But what we do see, is God seated on a throne. Yes, there is crisis but there is also the transcendence of God. He still rules, He is still in control of the universe. Uzziah lost the distinction of the sacred and ventured to offer respect to God in his own way instead of God’s way. But Isaiah sees God, and let’s get it clear in our minds who he sees here. This is Jesus is it not? He is high and lifted up. His train, apparently a glowing representation of a garment, fills the temple. Angels, seraphim, literally, “burning one’s’ offer worship before the throne.
The seraphim are described. They have six wings, two of which are used for flying. The scene is of these special angels hovering around the throne. While two wings are used for flying, two more are used to cover their feet. They are floating in their air there, their wings gracefully flapping, but their lower wings covering their feet.
This we can understand. In many cultures, the feet are considered to be best kept covered, and it is a sign of disrespect to show your heel to someone. But these holy beings are not in the presence of earthly kings, but the Creator. Their topmost pair of wings goes further. With these two wings, they cover their face. These sinless beings cover their face in God’s presence.
They speak to each other of God. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3). The intensity of the sound, the volume of the expression, is said to be such that the posts of the door are moved by the angelic voice. Mrs. White said that “post and pillar and cedar gate seemed shaken with the sound.” This is what Isaiah saw.
His response was predictable. He felt undone. He felt unclean. He burst out with “Woe is me” and humbled himself at the scene.
There is more to the vision, but we must proceed. What can we learn from it all? The main point in this vision is the uncertainty in Judah at the death of the king, and the humility of Isaiah as he was overwhelmed to be called as prophet. Still, we have the veil pulled back and a snapshot view of heavenly realities. At these we linger.
The vision shows us how beings that are higher than us, beings who have never sinned, worship. And they do not do it as the charismatic churches around us do. All is reverence. They veil their persons. They show respect to God. They are not seen clapping or gyrating, but they are heard offering verbal praise. The volume of this praise is apparently enormous. Perhaps unfallen beings have ears that are able to endure higher decible counts than ours. We do not know.
Some of us have been at a rock concert (not after conversion I hope!) or in a home near the airport, and felt the walls rumbling and the floor moving. But in those cases, the loud sound was created by either jet engines or electrically amplified music. The sound in God’s throne room is produced by the voices of sentient beings. Their singing and speaking, that is what causes the posts to move. Apparently, their praise is heartfelt, and they belt it out reverently.
These observations offer us some help. While our topic today is not dress, we should see how these holy beings cover themselves. It is right for us to upgrade our covering, our clothing for church. These angels cover feet and even faces. The least we can do is come to worship in our Sabbath-best. And practices of adornment that are offensive to God should certainly be changed. But that is another message.
We notice here that these beings are not cavorting around, or abstractly gesticulating, or acting in any way chaotic or earthly. They are thoughtfully, respectfully offering their worship. Also, we see that they are giving their worship vocally. They are not speaking in “tongues” so-called. They are not seen waving hands or bodies. But they are worshipping. When we see the heavenly pattern we see that reverence in the place of worship is wholly appropriate.
Clapping?
The Ease of Empty Worship
As we think on how to behave in the house of God, that is, how to maintain reverence in our worship, we must not forget how easily men lose their way. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Easily we embrace practices, even in worship, not because they are biblically recommended or validated, but because we see others doing it.
A friend emailed us a link to a video of an Adventist choir singing in a public place. At the end of the piece, the crowd that had gathered gave an appreciative round of applause. My little boy standing beside me saw the applause and joined in. He imitated the practice that he saw. It is one thing for a two year old to imitate. But when we worship God, we are not two year olds, and our worship should be intelligent and considered. God does hold us to a high standard.
Jesus said, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). He was referring to the practice of corban, but His statement applies also to worship gatherings. Certainly when we worship, our heart should be close to God. But Isaiah warned that because their lips drew close to God but their heart was far removed, that “their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men” (Isaiah 29:13). How easily we worship the holy God according to what is convenient. We learn what responses are expected in society while we are unconverted, and then we bring those practices over into the church of God and create stumbling blocks for others.
The Question of Applause
People who have attended here have several times over the years mentioned to me that they had noticed that “they don’t clap at the Mentone church.” The mention is always positive. We have also had many remarks about how friendly and warm the congregation is, and how uplifting the worship. I have been told that we are the only Seventh-day Adventist church in the area where people do not clap. Whether that is true or not, still it calls forth a question concerning practice.
Christian bodies around the world have embraced the practice of clapping, offering applause in the worship of God. Many even of our sister churches are doing it. Is it right? How shall Christians respond when they hear truth?
Birthed in Paganism, Baptized in Entertainment
By shortly after the time of Christ, Roman crowds were responding in the auditoriums to the torture and murder of Christians, by clapping. As Christians were pulled apart by horses or tortured with heated metal, crowds clapped at their writhing agonies and death throes. It was considered good sport and premier entertainment.
They were condemned as foes against the empire, as foes of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters. Some were crucified; others were covered with the skins of wild animals and thrust into the arena to be torn by dogs. Their punishment was often made the chief entertainment at public feats. Vast multitudes assembled to enjoy the sight and greeted their dying agonies with laughter and applause (The Great Controversy, p. 40).
As we think of these martyrs for Christ, we find it difficult to emulate their bemused audiences. The human psyche is weak, and fallen man cannot take much. How easily he becomes lifted up!
Somebody might think that all musicians would be in favor of clapping and applause. But listen to one who does not:
In the context of worship, we applaud people with the hope of making them feel appreciated, to demonstrate our approval of the rendition, or to show that we affirm the message of the music. Encouraging, approving, and affirming are not wrong actions in and of themselves. But could we find another method of accomplishing these goals? In our cultural context, applause is the stuff of the theater, the concert stage, the comic routine and the political speech. With such strong associations for approval of a performance, clapping in worship is at best, inappropriate. At worst it is idolatrous. Yet most folks sitting in the pews each Sunday are not bothered by its inclusion in worship.
In fact, it has become so customary to clap that we instinctively applaud for almost anything, particularly if it ends fast, loud, and high. This is simply an unexamined carry-over from the entertainment industry. We applaud in church because we have not thought much about it. Instead, we have allowed our culture’s response to entertainment to gain a place where it does not belong—worse yet, we have allowed entertainment itself a place in the church (Excerpted from “Applause—For Whom Are You Clapping?” Paul S. Jones, D.M.).
Let us be clear minded. The preacher is not a performer in the sense of an actor, nor is the Christian soloist. They are ministering to a congregation, not merely a secular audience. An audience is a group that hears, but a congregation is an assembly of believers. Only the latter gather to worship. In a gathering for worship we will behave differently than in a gathering to hear the mayor speak. There is something different in a gathering of believers. The conscience is quickened and heartfelt gratitude especially flows forth to the righteous God.
Clapping contributes to a loss of the sense of divine transcendence and holiness. It works on the mind so that a religious meeting takes more of a carnival atmosphere. It cheapens spiritual power in a meeting. Worse, it can incline the speaker/singer/presenter to feel that the appreciation that ought to be directed to God is accolades meant for him.
But someone will ask, Does not the Bible sustain the idea of clapping in a worship service? Let’s look at all seven passages where we find clapping. We will simply take them in order.
The Bible Data on Clapping Examined
Clapping and Hissing
First, 2 Kings 11:12-14:
And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
You may recall the wicked queen Athaliah. When opportunity arose, she slew all the sons of royal lineage (2 Kings 11:1), but one was hidden (vs. 2). The royal son was hidden and when old enough to reign under regents, the high priest staged a revolt that making the boy king. Athaliah was taken and slain.
Here we have a bloody, armed revolt, and yes, clapping. But mixed with it, horns are being blown with volume and the city is in uproar. It is a scene of tumult and revolution; it is not an appointed worship service. There is in this incident of clapping no sustenance for the offering of applause in the modern worship service. But if there were, to be consistent we should add side-by-side with our applause, trumpeting. We have never head of anyone advocating clapping and trumpeting together.
The Portion of the Wicked
Next, Job 27:13-23:
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
The passage describes the fate of the wicked, oppressing man. All his riches are removed. His family experiences violence. His life passes quickly, and while he lives he is subject to terror. His end is violent, and when he dies, men clap their hands at him and hiss in derision.
Clapping here is a sign of disdain for a wicked person. In fact, most often this is the biblical meaning of clapping. It is a show of disrespect toward the person clapped at. Again, nothing here to suggest advocacy of applause in a worship setting.
A War Psalm
Consider Psalm 47:1-9:
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted.
Here, clapping goes together with triumph. However, there is derision as well. God will defeat His enemies. By His people He will subdue the nations underfoot. The inheritance His people receive is the land that formerly had been occupied by the heathen. God is triumphant over them. Notice how the psalm is laced with the language of monarchy and war: triumph, king, great king, subdue, sound of a trumpet, reigneth, heathen, throne, shields of the earth.
Were we to make this the pattern for our worship, we have not only clapping, but shouting. The psalm has neither performers mentioned nor any sermon being commented upon; the recipient of the clapping and shouting is God directly. This is not a weekly worship event, but it is obviously connected to a military event. It has reference to times when Israel was under theocracy and God gave victory. Here, there is a victor (God and His people) and a loser (heathen nation). We are, today, however, thousands of years after the time when God’s people constituted a national theocracy. One must stretch this psalm to derive from it any evidence in favor of clapping in the contemporary church worship service.
The Roar of Nature
Now, Psalm 98:
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. The Lord hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.
Here is another psalm. All is directed to God. Singing is directed to Him for delivering His people and being victorious in sight of the heathen. Yet again we have victory over the foes of the Hebrew nation mentioned. Whenever we read “salvation&rdqui; in the Tanakh (Old Testament), we should be thinking not only of salvation in personal terms, but to the ancient Israelites, a translation of “deliverence” better matches what their feeling would have been. These psalms offer first of all, adoration to God for His intervention and military deliverence on behalf of Israel. The psalm urges a whole-hearted praise, and musical instruments are mentioned: trumpet, cornet, harp, voice.
However, no person here is directed to clap their hands. Singing and playing of instruments, yes. But it is in the latter portion of the psalm where we have the clapping. What do we there find? An interesting structure in 7-9:
—sea
——world and all that dwell therein
—floods
——hills
The sea is to roar, and the fulness of the sea. Next comes mention of the world and its fullness. Then the sea again, and here, the floods are instructed to clap their hands. Next, the hills to be joyful together before God. All this because He is coming to judge the earth in righteousness.
The creation is called to a universal giving of praise. The clapping here is clearly a metaphor; ocean waves do not have hands to clap. They do make a loud noise akin to clapping as they break on the seashore. The fullness of the ocean, being a habitation for sea creatures of varied sorts, is here called to offer praise, as far as it can, to its Creator. The call to the world is the same. Not only humankind, but the squirrel, the salamander, the ostrich, the firefly, is to join in with human singing and music-making. God is to be praised in the way possible and appropriate for each part of the creation. All that the mighty sea can do is clap, but humans can play on instruments and sing in a language. The salamander can squeak its praise, the ocean can break its waves loudly along the shore, but only man is made in God’s image; only man is called to sing. There is no call here for the redeemed to clap for a performer on a stage or even a preacher.
Clapping Trees
Next, Isaiah 55:10-13:
As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah speaks of the end of the curse. God’s word will accomplish its purpose. When Jesus has returned, and the earth is redeemed, and the curse of sin is erased, then all creation wears a new aspect. As rain and snow waters the earth and causes new life to spring forth, so God’s word waters the believer and new experience buds.
When the end of the Great Controversy War opens the way for God to restore the earth, He will do so, and with vigor. Here, the creation is represented as singing, the redeemed experiencing joy and peace. The mountains and hills no longer dress in thorns and briers. Instead, trees of fir and myrtle dot the landscape. The mountains and hills offer their praise. All the trees of the field clap their hands. But trees have no hands. All this is a figure, an attempt to explain for us that which is most difficult to represent in words: the joys of the earth made new, a planet remade by the Creator’s hand. Now curseless, it tells the character of the Creator without demonic graffiti misrepresenting the message of love.
The timeframe of this praise and rejoicing is after the curse is ended, after sin and sinners are no more. We are all in renewed bodies, clothed anew and forevermore in incorruption. This passage does not describe a contemporary worship service, nor does it prescribe clapping or applause as an appropriate worship response in earth yet under the curse. The clapping trees are figure of joy in the earth made new. Let us make neither more nor less of this passage than we should.
Jerusalem Ashamed
Next, Lamentations 2:13-17:
What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee? Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment. All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. The Lord hath done that which He had devised; He hath fulfilled His word that He had commanded in the days of old: He hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and He hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, He hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.
Because of her unfaithfulness, God’s people, Jerusalem, are in distress. The city is broken down, the enemy is in triumph. The leaders of the “church” have “seen vain and foolish things for thee.” Rather than straight preaching and teaching about sin, they have presented false burdens. Instead of messages from heaven, the people have been subjected to messages from unconsecrated and unfaithful hearts. The result: captivity, destruction, sorrow, the fall of Jerusalem.
Who is clapping here? The enemies of God. Together with clapping, we find hissing and gnashing of teeth. Thus, clapping here has nothing to do with the worship of God, far from it. God’s people refused His initiatives and He withdrew His protection from her. The enemy claps. And hisses. And gnashes. Clapping is the behavior of those who rejoice to see Jerusalem fallen. There is here no prescription for the use of clapping or applause in the worship of God.
Under Further Judgment by God
Lastly, Nahum 3:15-19:
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them. There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
Nahum prophesies the destruction of Nineveh, and in its end, a figure of the end of Satan’s rebellion against God. In the end the great controversy is won by God. For his enemies comes grievous destruction. Although Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:5-10), her repentance was not enduring, and eventually God did bring devastation upon her. Most of the book of Nahum describes God exacting this judgment.
The leaders are dead, the soldiers are deceased, the people are scattered, the power of the kingdom is forever ended. All who hear “the bruit of thee”—the news, the message of Nineveh’s destruction—clap their hands. That is, the end of her wickedness is cause for rejoicing. Clapping, here, again, has little in it of the worship of God, but is an indication of approval of the judgment that has come upon the enemies of God.
A complete survey of the passages that mention clapping offers us no reason whatsoever to add it to the worship of a holy God. Indeed, most cases have it as a derision of those who did not repent but kept in rebellion against God until He came swiftly and cut them down.
In fact, nowhere in the Tanakh (Old Testament) or the New Testament do we find the use of clapping in a church worship setting. Perhaps this outcome, for most of us, seems intuitive. But now the scripture evidence bears it out.
Even if the kind of clapping we are used to hearing is the same as that found in Bible times (which we did not find suggested in the actual Bible material), still, because of today’s strong association of clapping with showing adulation for performers, we should continue to avoid the practice. Remember, the major concept at hand is the issue of association (see Pt. 1) and of losing our sense of reverence by the introduction of unsound worship styles. Can the practice of applause in worship harmonize with this counsel:
Parents, elevate the standard of Christianity in the minds of your children; help them to weave Jesus into their experience; teach them to have the highest reverence for the house of God and to understand that when they enter the Lord’s house it should be with hearts that are softened and subdued by such thoughts as these: ‘God is here; this is His house. I must have pure thoughts and the holiest motives. I must have no pride, envy, jealousy, evil surmising, hatred, or deception in my heart, for I am coming into the presence of the holy God. This is the place where God meets with and blesses His people. The high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity looks upon me, searches my heart, and reads the most secret thoughts and acts of my life’ (Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 494).
People are clapping because they think they are being entertained. They are applauding the show. But worship is not entertainment.
When we worship God, we are not the audience. We are not even spectators. We are participants. Our worship is directed heavenward, and that is why we don’t applaud each other. We come together as the body of Christ to worship, honor, venerate, serve, and reverence God. Jealously we need to maintain the simplicity and dignity of worship in spirit and truth.
Alternatives
It is wholly understandable that some will ask, what then is the alternative? And there is a precious alternative. In contrast to applause, which is regularly used to show appreciation from people for a human performer, is the offering of healthy verbal affirmations.
Verbal affirmation can take many forms. Most of us are familiar with “Amen.” This is a Hebrew term, meaning to strengthen or affirm. Amen is used in a much more restricted sense than most other words to show agreement and appreciation to God. It is true that some in the world also use the word “amen” indiscriminately. The same will often use God’s name indiscriminately. The practice of the unconverted is never a guide to the practice of the believer. It is true that even “amens” can be abused by believers. But between the offering of applause and the offering of amens, one is clearly associated with the secular, the other with the sacred.
Several worshipful phrases will come to the mind of the biblical Christian.
Hosanna comes from the Hebrew “Hoshana.” The Hebrew means, “please save” or “save now” (Psalm 118:25). Our hosanna is the Hebrew word offered in Greek form. We hear it in Matthew 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9, 10; John 12:13).
Holy, holy, holy is found in our opening passage, Isaiah 6:3. It is sung by the seraphim hovering at the margin of God’s throne.
Hallelujah is actually two Hebrew words, “halallu,” (you praise) and “Yah,” as in Yahweh. We read it 24 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament), mostly in Psalms 111-117 and 145-150 and in the New Testament, Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6. A suitable translation of these words is “Praise God, you people.”
We do not mean to suggest that our worship must be restricted to only these phrases and words. We simply note them as offering biblical precedent. Other affirmations would doubtless be appropriate. For example, Ellen White would often shout “Glory! Glory! Glory!” as she slipped into vision. Since our response in worship is often an affirmation, we could also use the standard English, “Yes!”
Cautions
Of course, all these things can be overdone, can come to detract from the worship experience of others.
Let us keep in mind Paul’s cautions (1 Corinthians 14:23, 26, 28, 31, 40). In these lines are cautions. We are to be thoughtful of what we do in worship, so that we do not seem to be madmen to those who might be present who are still coming to Christ. What we do is to be done in order that the church might be edified, built up, that those present might learn. Everyone is to keep themselves under control. The trend will be towards order rather than confusion.
Nor should what we say become a distraction to others or to ourselves. Our response to God in worship should be heartfelt and spontaneous. We should not be perched in the pews debating in our mind whether we should offer an “amen” or a “hallelujah” or a “hosanna” to what was spoken by the preacher two sentences ago. We should keep between the comfort of saying nothing and the self-conscious strangeness of responding artificially. We are probably more reserved than we should be, but we should not try to generate a praise that is contrived.
Our worship is directed to God, not to man. And yet, the biblical directive is to be thoughtful of how others will perceive our worship. Stumbling blocks are not to be created without satisfactory cause. Paul was stringent. His counsel, you recall, was
If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend (1 Corinthians 8:13; see verses 1-12 as well).
Conclusion
All this then, is to say, we should be reverent in our worship of God. We should be careful, taking note of the due respect we should offer our Redeemer. We should be careful not to adopt worldly worship responses that are not sustained by the Bible. And a variety of options and ideas are found that suggest possible approaches in the giving of verbal praise when it is spontaneous and heartfelt. We need to know Him such that we readily overturn habitual responses that are either too noisy or too quiet, and regroup on the biblical model.
Let us call to mind again the vision with which we today began. Isaiah standing next to the temple in Jerusalem, with an uncertain future before hinm, sees the veil taken away. His eye penetrates to the Most Holy Place. There is Jesus, high and lifted up. There are angels flying, hovering at the margin of the throne. These burning ones cover their feet and veil their faces. They are worshipping God. Holy, holy, holy, they call. One last passage suddenly finds its place. 1 Peter 1:15: “As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” All our behavior is to be holy: In the world; in the church. In this light, it all makes so much sense. One day we will see Him face to face, but even now we should see Him by faith, high and lifted up. Angels bow low before Him. So should we. Let us forsake the cheapnesses that cheapen God in our eyes, and offer Him the worship due His holy name. GCO
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