When we assemble to worship the Lord, the attitude of our hearts is of utmost importance. Worship is first and foremost an activity of the inner man. In rebuking the Israelites, God said, “This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13). Our service to the Lord has to be more than just outward rituals and going through the motions. Our worship assembly cannot be pleasing in God’s sight unless we approach Him with hearts of genuine reverence.
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” (Psalms 89:7). In order to give God “acceptable service,” we must offer it “with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). In this article we will discuss what it means to be reverent and the importance of entering our assemblies with this attitude.
In the two passages above, reverence is tied with the ideas of “fear” and “awe.” Reverence is the attitude of heart that stands in wonder at God’s great worthiness and then falls to the ground in dismay at our unworthiness. The Greek word for “reverence” in Hebrews 12:28 can also be translated “shamefastness.” It holds the idea of casting down the eyes or looking at the floor in the Lord’s presence. When we fully recognize how far we have fallen from the glory of God, our hearts should be filled with a reverent fear at the thought of approaching His throne to worship.
The Lord went to great lengths to instill this sense of reverence in the children of Israel. When they camped at Mount Sinai the Lord commanded Moses, “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 19:12). When God descended to speak to the people we are told, “there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16). The people were so frightened they requested that Moses deliver God’s messages in the future so they would not have to approach His awful glory in this way. Moses responded with reassurance, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you” (Exodus 20:18-20).
The Lord continued to teach His people reverence with His instructions regarding worship. In the tabernacle, only the high priest was allowed to approach the presence of God by entering the most holy place. He was only permitted to do this once a year on the Day of Atonement and the Lord gave very detailed instructions about the preparation necessary for him to enter beyond the veil (Leviticus 16). He was required to bathe before and after, wear specific holy garments, sacrifice sin offerings and burnt offerings in a very particular order, and burn a specific type of incense in a firepan as he entered—“otherwise he will die” (v. 13). The death of Nadab and Abihu illustrates how soberly God wanted His people to approach their worship. When they did not properly honor His instructions they were both consumed by fire in the presence of the Lord. Moses then gives this reminder from God, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored” (Leviticus 10:3).
Things are certainly different today under the New Covenant. “We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). The barrier of sin has now fully been removed. Yet, does this mean God requires less reverence from us? Is God somehow less worthy of our awe and fear today than He was on the summit of Mount Sinai? Is God not bothered as much by irreverence today as He was when Nadab and Abihu were consumed in His presence? God has not changed. He is still a “consuming fire” and the confidence of Jesus as our mediator does not in any way diminish the need to approach Him with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28-29).
In conclusion, our worship assembly should never be approached with a flippant or casual attitude. While we can come to God with great rejoicing and boldness because of Jesus, we must never cease to approach Him with sober reverence in our hearts. We must honor the Lord with more than just our lips, but with the totality of our inner man. No act of worship can be pleasing in His sight unless it comes from a heart of genuine awe and fear. Each time we assemble, let us remember the heights of God’s glory and the depths of our unworthiness. Let us always be committed to assembling reverently.