Psalm 100:1-5 is a thanksgiving song that describes the process of preparation, anticipation, and participation of God’s people in worship. In the procession, as the worshipers reach the gates of the sanctuary (Psalm 100:4-5), they burst out in songs of praise and thanksgiving to God because of His goodness, unfailing love, and faithfulness.
Bible Verse:Psalm 100
1Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Give Thanks with Joy
We can easily understand the people of Israel shouting joyfully to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. God has done lots of great and amazing things for them that they are exhorted to make a joyful shout to the Lord.
Thanksgiving is unrestrained happiness leading to worship. Worship leads to service, and true service is worship. But the psalmist calls for all the nations of the earth to praise God and serve Him with gladness (Psalm 100:1-2), for it was Israel’s responsibility to introduce the Gentiles to the true and living God.
Think of the Sunday school teacher who often grumbles at her class because the students’ work is sloppy and they won’t sit still and be quiet. With one eye on the clock and the other on the door, she fusses about the preacher’s sermon going too long.
As the children leave the room, she does not stop to say goodbye because she is too busy cleaning up. Finally, with all the children gone she dashes to her car to wait for her husband who is talking with a visiting family.
Her husband comes to the car and says, “Honey, we are going to lunch with that new family.” The look she gives him would freeze water. What kind of joy can she be getting from her service to the Lord? None. What kind of love can she be showing from the Lord? None.
The place to be happy is here, and the time to be happy is now. Let us serve the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with singing.
Give Thanks for God’s Authority
Before we can have any real joy, we have to recognize the authority of God. He is our Maker; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). The phrase “made us” means much more than “created us,” for He also created the nations that do not know Him.
It means Jehovah constituted us as a nation, His chosen people. This verse is a simple statement of faith: Yahweh (Jehovah) is God, Creator, Redeemer, and Shepherd, and we must be submitted to Him. If the sheep do not submit to their shepherd, they will stray into danger.
Without an awareness of who God is and who we are, we are not likely to sing a thanksgiving song to Him wholeheartedly.
Give Thanks in Adversity
Being thankful is easy when life is running smoothly. It is another matter when things are not going well.
We are not to blame God for what we do not have because doing so is to fault God’s provision. We are not to blame God for where we are in life – this is to fault God’s leadership. We are not to blame God for who we are or what has happened – this is to fault God’s sovereignty. The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).
The spirit of thanksgiving can cause believers to rejoice on the banks of the Red sea, to look at the fiery furnace and say, “Our God is able,” and to endure life’s impossibilities with the knowledge that “He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The spirit of thanksgiving also helps us overcome some of the “sins in good standing” that too often invade our lives, such as complaining, idolatry, pride, and ingratitude.
Give Thanks with a Shout of Triumph
After the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, marched around the walls of Jericho seven times, they shouted to the Lord with a voice of triumph, and the walls came tumbling down.
There may be some Jerichos or some walled cities of the enemy that will not come tumbling down in our life until we lift our voices to God in the shout of victory and release His power. We do not only shout for what God has done; we also shout in faith for what He will do.
Christians should follow the admonition of Isaiah to “cry out and shout, for great is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12:6).
Giving Thanks Makes Prayer Effective
Thanksgiving is necessary to make other forms of prayer effective. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Without thanksgiving, God does not listen to our prayers. We are to start our prayer time with thanksgiving. The apostle Paul wrote, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8).
Sing a Thanksgiving Song
Psalm 100 is a fitting climax to the collection of “royal psalms” (Psalm 93; 95-100) as it sums up their emphasis on God’s sovereign rule, His goodness to His people, the responsibility of all nations to acknowledge Him, and the importance of God’s people exalting and worshiping Him (see Psalm 95:1-2; 6-7).
Psalm 100:5 shows the importance of worship and praise in a believer’s life. When was the last time you shouted for joy because God answered the request of your heart? When was the last time you served the Lord with gladness? When was the last time you entered His gates with thanksgiving?
If you had to think about the answer, then it was too long ago. Commit yourself to a spirit-filled relationship with Christ, and begin it with a song of thanksgiving.
Whether you celebrate Lord’s Day on a Saturday, Sunday, or other days of the week, praise and worship have become a regular part of the service. But what is praise and what is worship? What are the differences between the two? The focus of this article is praise and all its elements.
The Meaning of Praise
The word praise is from the Hebrew word yadah, which means “To stretch out the hand.” That is, to hold out the hands in reverence, to open the hands and let go of everything, to just stand and praise God open-handedly.
Praise is closely intertwined with thanksgiving, which is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us. When we praise God, we are actually offering Him back appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf. In other words, praise is an expression of our thankfulness.
But is that what praise is all about? An expression of thankfulness to God for all the great things He has done for us? Of course not! To praise God is to acknowledge the glories of His excellent person.
As Charles Spurgeon said, “When we praise God, we simply say what He is because the praises of God are simply the facts about Himself.”
In Scripture, praise is usually presented as energetic, lively or active and uninhibited.
Praise the Lord
Considering that Psalms is a book of praise, it is fitting that the last five chapters (Psalm 146-150) begin with Hallelu Yah – hallelujah – “Praise the Lord!” The exclamation point denotes an excitement, an exuberance, a shouting.
Jehovah (or Yah, for Yahweh) is the covenant name of the Lord. It reminds us that He loves us and has covenanted to save us, keep us, care for us, and eventually glorify us, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross.
The greatness of God is something to shout about. He created all that is. He cared for all He created. He provided salvation when mankind fell into sin. The power of the blood of Jesus has forever broken Satan’s reign over us; the time is coming when He will be forever banished to the eternal fire.
God promises a kingdom to come and we serve a risen Savior who has gone to prepare a place for us so we can spend eternity with Him. No wonder that “praise from the upright is beautiful” (Psalm 33:1).
Praise is Obligatory
Praise is a command. Angels and heavenly hosts are commanded to praise the Lord (Psalm 89:5; Psalm 103:20; Psalm 148:2) and all inhabitants of the earth are instructed to praise the Lord (Psalm 117:1; Psalm 138:4; Matthew 21:16; Psalm 148:1-14).
From the heavens, in the heights, the sun, moon, stars, water, the sea creatures, the depths, stormy wind, the mountains and hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all cattle, all peoples: young men, maidens, old men, children – praise the name of the Lord!
Psalm 148:1-14 reads like a roll call asking for every created thing to celebrate God’s greatness. God created all that is. He also sustains all that is. Were it not for Jesus Christ “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3) the entire universe would fly apart, totally disintegrate into nothingness.
Ever since creation, God has continued to hold His creation together. Further, He supplies the needs of His creation. Psalm 104 lists just a few of the ways God provides for the creatures He made, including mankind.
God invites all kinds of praise from His creation. In fact, Jesus said that if people don’t praise God, even the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40).
How to Praise the Lord
1. We praise the Lord with joyful singing.
Psalm 9:11
“Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people.”
In Psalm 9, David offers wholehearted praise to the Lord for delivering him and his army from the enemy nations that attacked Israel. He also calls upon the suffering remnant to sing praises to God because He is on their side and fights their battles.
The emphasis is on joyful praise and David’s aim was to honor the Lord, not to glorify himself.
Psalm 149:2, 5
“Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.”
In the Old Testament, songs were written to commemorate important events. A song of praise reminds us that God takes pleasure in our joyful praise.
Joy is a matter of choice, a positive attitude that we choose to express. Joy is not a gift delivered to our door each morning. When the events of our lives seem out of control, we must find our joy in the Lord, which produces the strength we need to get through the tough times.
Children will praise the Lord with great joy as they sing songs like “Jesus Loves Me.” Their trusting and meek spirit makes a beautiful melody. When the children were in the temple shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” the priests and scribes were upset by these words.
Jesus asked them, “Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:16).
We need to take a lesson on praising the Lord from our children and let our praise be a song of testimony about the greatness and glory of God.
2. We praise the Lord with shouting.
Psalm 66:1
“Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!!”
As in the previous and the next psalm, Psalm 66 has the whole earth in view and not only Israel. The psalmist understood that God was not only God over Israel but the entire universe. The psalmist then invites all the Gentile nations to praise God with joyful shouting for what He had done for Israel (Psalm 66:5-7).
We offer to the Lord shouts of praise in response to his marvelous works.
3. We praise the Lord with dancing and musical instruments.
Psalm 149:3 (Also Psalm 150:4-5)
“Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.”
The Jews were very expressive people; they used musical instruments, songs, and dances in their worship of the Lord. These dances, of course, were not modern ballroom or club dances but rather interpretive dances that pointed to the Lord and not to a person’s talent (see Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34).
Here’s a beautiful messianic praise dance on the song Baruch Adonai by the Restored to Glory Dance Ministry. Watch and be blessed.
To dance before the Lord the way King David did calls for an unreserved celebration of our faith. Since the Christian life is a life of joy and celebration, we are able to freely dance in celebration of our joy in the Lord.
Why We Praise the Lord
The Bible gives us numerous reasons to praise the Lord:
Because of His majesty, greatness, and power (Psalm 145:3-5; Psalm 21:13).
Because of His glory and excellency (Psalm 138:5; Psalm 148:13).
Because of His goodness and mercy (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21; 2 Chronicles 20:21).
Because of His loving-kindness, faithfulness, and truth (Psalm 138:2; Isaiah 25:1).
Because He has provided salvation (Luke 1:68-69) and has done wonderful works (Psalm 150:2; Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31).
In today’s world of uncertainty, God is worthy to be praised for the reason that He alone can be trusted.
Psalm 146:5
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
When times are unsure, there is only one sure hope – God. Not rank or position. Not military might. Not reputation. Not wealth. Not political friends. Not social status. All these power plays are empty when it comes to building a sure foundation for life, especially eternal life.
People and circumstances come and go like the fog every morning. To trust in them for ultimate help is foolish. But “the Lord shall reign forever” (Psalm 146:10). He is able and sure to help.
Praise the Lord in Times of Trouble
Psalm 147:3, 5
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”
When we are in the desert of our days, we need to praise the Lord. When we are in the valley of the shadow of death, we need to praise the Lord. When we are surrounded by our enemies, we need to praise the Lord. When are discouraged and weary, and overwhelmed with problems, we need to praise Him.
As Jeff and Sheri Easter’s song says, “When everything fall apart, praise His name…”
We are never closer to God than we humble ourselves completely in His presence (Psalm 147:6). There in the shelter of His arms, we will find that His love never changes, and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1-26).
Even though praise, as mentioned earlier, is intertwined with thanksgiving, we should not praise God only when things are going our way. We should praise the Lord for anything and everything (Philippians 4:6).
Closing Thoughts
In the sacrifice of praise, we bow in humble adoration before the Savior. While some people may see that as a sign of weakness and think we’re foolish, we praise God because we believe in a risen Savior. We praise God for all that we have and all that we are. In doing so, we witness to the unbelieving world that Jesus lives.
Jesus Christ died at Calvary as God’s sacrifice for our sins. When He said, “It is finished,” the ritual of sacrifices was over – forever. He does not want a goat, a dove, or a lamb.
The only sacrifice God wants now is the sacrifice of our praise. He wants living, praising men and women.
In my previous article “The Biblical Roots of Christian Praise and Worship,” I dealt with the Tabernacle of Moses from which praise and worship in churches today had its origin. In this article, we will look at the how’s and why’s of praise and worship. Why and how should the people of God praise and worship the Lord?
As a redeemed Christian, I am pretty sure you are familiar with the “praise and worship” part of the church service. Some even say it is their favorite part, aside from the sermon or message, of course. But how much do we really know about praise and worship?
The book of Psalms is a good place to start, for it is all about praising and worshiping God. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to tackle all chapters that deal with this topic and compress them all into just one article.
However, I am convinced that Psalm 95 gives us a basic understanding of praise and worship:
Psalm 95:1-7 (NLT)
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. 3 For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. 4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. 5 The sea belongs to Him, for He made it. His hands formed the dry land, too.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, 7 for He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care.
Understanding Praise and Worship
The Hebrew word “Yadah” translated “praise” means “to stretch out the hand.” That is, to hold out the hands in reverence, to open the hands and let go of everything.
Alban Douglas made a very good point when he said (in his book 100 Bible Lessons) that if we hold the Lord in the highest state, respect or adoration, it would be easy for us to praise Him. That is because we only praise something or someone that we honor and regard so highly.
Worship, on the other hand, has several meanings in the Bible. Worship in Hebrew is “Shachah” meaning, “to prostrate, to bow down, to fall down or to stoop.” In the Greek New Testament, there are 3 words translated as worship:
a) Pruskuneo – meaning “to kiss (like a dog licking his master’s hand), to fawn or crouch to, to adore.” It occurs 59 times in the New Testament, carrying with it the idea of falling down to kiss the ground before a king or kiss their feet.
b) Latreuo – used 21 times in the New Testament, which means “to render religious service of homage.”
c) Sebomai – used 10 times in the New Testament, and it means “to reverence or holds in awe.”
Difference Between Praise and Worship
Basically, praise means looking up, while worship means bowing down. Do you know that some people who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and submitting?
True worship is much deeper than communal praise; for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and experiencing the fear of the Lord and a deeper love for Him
How to Praise and Worship the Lord
The psalmist tells us that our praise should be joyful and enthusiastic – he even commands us to sing and shout, and is wholly focused on the Lord (Psalm 95:1). How do we worship the Lord? By bowing down and kneeling before Him (Psalm 95:6).
Too often Christian praise is nothing but religious entertainment; it never moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. It is important to understand that praise and worship is not a show whose goal is to appeal to the flesh or natural part of man.
The verb “come” (Psalm 95:2) means “to go to meet God face-to-face, and be in His presence.” Do we have a personal encounter with God during praise and worship? Or do we treat this part of church service only as a form of entertainment?
Why We Praise and Worship the Lord
A. We praise the Lord because He is great and above the false gods of this world (Psalm 95:3).
The Scriptures are very clear God; we are to worship the Lord our God only (Luke 4:8; Psalm 45:11) and we are not to worship idols. God is a jealous God and does not want to share His glory with anyone (Exodus 20:5). No wonder when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the command to not have any other god besides Him is first on the list (Exodus 20:2-3).
Unfortunately, many people in the world worship idols of wood and stone, either out of ignorance or because they do not believe in the one true God – the God of the Bible. Many worship idols of self, money, business, possession, power, pleasure, and family.
Let us not forget how God punished the nations for ascribing worship and adoration to false gods. He even punished His chosen people, Israel, for repeatedly falling into the sin of idolatry as a result of living alongside these nations and intermarrying with them.
We should delight in praising God because He is not only the Creator of the universe but He also controls all things. The depths of the sea and the earth, and the heights of the mountains all belong to Him. The Lord knows what is going on in the waters as well as on the earth (Psalm 95:4-5).
*Note: Christians should not praise the Lord only in health and prosperity, but also in sickness and in adversity. We should praise the Lord in anything and everything (Philippians 4:6). Because the true Christian is one who can trust and praise the Lord even through blinding tears.
B) We worship the Lord because He is our God; we are His people and He watches over us and cares for us (Psalm 95:7).
The object of worship is God. He alone is Yahweh the Lord, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our Maker and our Shepherd (Psalm 23). Jubilation has its place only if it becomes adoration and we fall prostrate before Him in total submission, “lost in wonder, love, and praise.”
*Are you a worship leader or an aspiring worship leader? Here’s a short video on how to make a lineup for praise and worship:
Conclusion
In closing, let me just say that there are a lot more reasons why Christians should praise and worship the Lord. But in this age, when inventing clever new worship forms is a common practice and novelty is slowly replacing theology, the Word of God is a vital part of Christian worship. Hearing and heeding God’s word must be central if our worship, private or corporate, is to be truly Christian.
And whether we worship at home or in the church is immaterial. What matters to God is our spiritual condition. Our goal in praise and worship is not only to sing songs of praise and adoration for God; we must come into His presence in total surrender so we can hear His voice and be able to tap into His power and anointing.
What motivates you to praise and worship the Lord? How do you do it? Please let us know in the comments below.
They say that you can never trust someone unless you know them. After all, why should we trust someone we do not know? It’s the same thing with God; we cannot trust Him unless we know Him. But other than that, why should we trust the Lord?
Reasons for us to trust the Lord
A. We can trust the Lord because He is trustworthy.
The Bible tells us that “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind…”(Numbers 23:19). Whatever the Lord plans and purposes to do, He can bring it to pass because He is powerful.
Getting to know God by reading His Word and spending time talking to Him will make us trust Him more and more each day. We will continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord as we read, study and meditate on His Word. The more we know about God, the more we will trust Him.
Faithfulness is one of God’s attributes. Even at times when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful and He will never change (Deuteronomy 7:9; 2 Timothy 2:13). We read the story of the nation of Israel on how they repeatedly rebelled and turned away from God. And yet, every time they called on Him to deliver them from the hands of their enemies, God was always there for them.
Why? Because He made a covenant with Abraham that He will make his descendant as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore; God promised to make them a great nation and a blessing (Genesis 12:2-3; Genesis 17:4-7; Genesis 22:17).
God also has a covenant with those who trust in Him. God promises many blessings to us and we can be sure that God will fulfill them because He is faithful. He is faithful to the nation of Israel and He is faithful to His bride, the Church.
Here’s a beautiful song by the Free Believers in Christ Fellowship International (FBCFI) Concert Team entitled “Trust in Me.”
Absolutely! We can and should trust God even when things in our lives and around us do not seem to be going the way we want them to be. God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent; there is nothing that is hidden from His sight, nothing that He can’t do.
We all go through some rough times but we find comfort in knowing that God loves us, He cares about us and always has good intentions for us. Let us then“trust the Lord with all our heart, not leaning on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). God wants us to always trust Him in all circumstances.
Are you having a hard time trusting the Lord? Please do share your life-changing testimony on how the Lord has worked in your life the moment you made the decision to trust Him completely.
*Are you looking for Bibles, Christian resources and study materials, gifts, souvenirs, CD’s, DVD’s and more? Visit Christian Book Distributors with their Bestsellers!
NO BETTER PLACE (Words & Music by Ptr. Ruel Buyacao)
Someone once said that if you want to know what heaven is like, think of the most beautiful and most peaceful place on earth, multiply that a thousand or hundred thousand times and you get a glimpse of heaven. Well, no matter how beautiful that place is, it surely cannot compare to what heaven has to offer.
Here’s a song that expresses how much one longs to be in the presence of the Lord. You may want to sing it to the Lord, and sing it from your heart.
Recommended Resource:Worship: Believers Experiencing Godby Henry Blackaby
Nothing is higher on God’s agenda for Himself and for His people than worship. To God worship is so vital that to fail to experience genuine worship is fatal. Yet it is possible to go through life thinking we have worshiped without ever having done so. Any study of worship is incomplete without a life-action response.
This six-week interactive study presents a process where God brings you face-to-face with His truth, then guides you to interact with that truth. This study brings the pastor, staff, church leaders, and congregation to a mutual conviction regarding what worship is as God has revealed it in His Word.
The purpose of this study is to help a church corporately come to the unity of heart and life in their understanding and experience of God’s requirements and standards for worship.
Week 1: What God Did in Creation
Week 2: Why God Is So Central in Worship
Week 3: What Is God’s Standard for Acceptable Worship?
Week 4: The Lifestyle of a Transformed Worshiper
Week 5: Heaven’s Pattern for Worship
Week 6: What Would Happen if We Returned to Worship?
One of the most powerful truths that we can offer whenever we are placed in a position to engage with the world in order to defend our Christian commitment is true hope. For only Jesus Christ offers real hope for the hopeless.
Someone once said that people can survive with little food, water, clothing, shelter, transportation, and even affection but not without hope. Hope is the essence of the Christian faith. We hope that God answers us when we call to Him; we hope that our labor will not be in vain and we hope that someday we will go to heaven to spend eternity with God.
What is Hope?
Outside of the Christian context, the word “hope” entails wishful thinking or the desire to receive something we might not receive. For instance, we may hope for a better job or good health, without assurance if we will receive them. We may hope for a better day yet we do not really know what a day may bring.
But the Christian hope refers to an assurance concerning the future; it is a desire for something we are certain to receive. No matter how uncertain our circumstances, we know for certain that God will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
Do you know how praise and worship in Christian churches started? Why do we sing an opening or welcome song and then proceed to sing up-tempo songs before finally transitioning into high intimacy worship songs? Is there some kind of pattern that we’re supposed to strictly follow? Or can we modify it to suit our liking and styles?
To best understand the biblical roots of Christian praise and worship, it is necessary to look at the history of Jewish worship, for it was this past manner of worship that the worship of the early church was patterned from.
After the nation of Israel left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, God gave them the law and commanded the construction of a tabernacle where He would meet with them and His people would offer their burnt offerings and sacrifices. The Bible tells us that Moses had a glimpse of what is in heaven and made a complete replica of it (Exodus 25:8-9). In other words, the Israelites built on earth what was built in heaven.
The Tabernacle of Moses
The Tabernacle of Moses is the key to understanding Christian praise and worship today. But what is the tabernacle? The word tabernacle is a translation of the Hebrew mishkan, which means “tent,”“place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a portable tent and a sacred place where God chose to meet with His people, the Israelites, during the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness.
Specific instructions about the manner of worship and sacrifice such as what was to be sacrificed and the reason for the offerings were provided for the Israelites in Exodus and Leviticus and the tribe of Levi was set aside to minister as priests.
*The Tabernacle of Moses may be equated today to a place of worship or church building where the believers of Yeshua come together to worship and offer their sacrifices to God. While the Israelites brought animals without blemish to offer to God, we the believers in Jesus bring our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, the fruit of our lips.
*The Tabernacle may also be the room or place in the privacy of our own homes where we meet and commune with God, read and meditate on His words and offer songs of praise and adoration to Him. The Bible says that God’s tabernacle or dwelling place is His people (Ezekiel 37:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Revelation 21:3).
Parts of the Tabernacle
The Tabernacle of Moses had three distinct sections: the outer court, the inner court or holy place and the most holy place also called the holy of holies. So let us take a look at them to see what each one corresponds to in terms of how praise and worship are done in Christian churches today.
A. The Outer Court
At the outer court are the gate, the brazen altar, and the bronze laver.
1) The Gate or Entrance
The tabernacle had only one gate or one entrance. A person could not simply come from any direction into the tabernacle as he pleased – he had to enter through the one gate which was always located to the east. Why? This was to inform the Israelites that there was no other way they could come to God except in the way He prescribed.
*Jesus Christ is the representation of the one gate as the only way through which one could worship God and fellowship with Him. God is using the Tabernacle of Moses to tell us today that we too, must come to God only through the way He has provided for us – Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the way by which we can come to the Father (John 14:6) and He is the gate through which we are saved (John 10:9).
*Note: This is the part of praise and worship where we sing entrance or gate songs to enter into His courts.
2) The Brazen Altar or Altar of Sacrifice
Photo Credits: Upon This Rock Ministry
The brazen altar serves as a reminder of man’s sinfulness and his need for a blood sacrifice in order to fellowship with a holy God.
*Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice through His death so there’s no need for the believers today to offer animals (Mark 14:24; John 1:29; Hebrews 10:11-12, 18). Instead, praise songs are presented as offerings before the Lord; we bring to the Lord sacrifices of praise which goes up to His throne as a sweet aroma.
*As we continue to sing praises to the Lord our God, His presence starts to come down, dwell and manifest in the midst of His people. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, He is enthroned in our praises (Psalm 22:3).
*The altar which was raised on a mound of earth that is higher than its surrounding furniture is a projection of Christ, our sacrifice, lifted up on the cross, His altar, which stood on mount Golgotha (John 8:28; John 12:32).
3) The Bronze Laver
Photo Credits: Pinterest.com
The bronze laver was a circular bowl filled with water which was made from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. This is a reminder that the people need cleansing before approaching God, so the priests wash their hands and feet before ministering to the Lord.
While it is at the brazen altar where priests atoned for their sins through a sacrifice, they cleansed themselves at the laver so they would be pure and not die before a holy God.
*The application for Christians today is that we are forgiven through the work of Christ on the cross, but we are washed through His Word. We must allow ourselves to be washed daily in the Word of God and be cleansed so that we can serve and minister before Him (Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 10:22).
*The Tabernacle of Moses is a pattern for the praise and worship of the believers in Yeshua (Jesus) today. We enter His gates and come into His “courts”with praise (Psalm 100), singing up-tempo songs, clapping, dancing, rejoicing, giving wave offerings and shouting for joy. In this way, we are offering ourselves as “living sacrifices on the altar of God”(Romans 12:1). We are also being “washed by the water of the Word” as we sing these songs based on the Scriptures represented by the laver.
B. The Inner Court or Holy Place
After the priests have washed their hands and feet at the laver, they can now enter the holy place, the first room in the tent of the tabernacle. In the holy place were three pieces of furniture: the menorah, the table of showbread, and the golden altar of incense.
1) The Menorah also called the Golden Lampstand or Candlestick
Photo Credits: Thirdwell.org
The menorah which is the only source of light in the holy place had a central branch from which three branches extend from each side to form a total of seven branches. Without the menorah to provide light in the holy place, the priests would be moping around in the dark.
*Jesus today is our Light (John 1:9; John 8:12; John 12:46). The main branch in the lampstand represents Jesus Christ and we the believers are represented by the six branches that extend from the main branch. The branches serve as a picture of Jesus’ description of our relationship with Him. He is the vine, we are the branches and without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
*And since we are now living as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), drawing our source from Jesus the true light, we are commanded to “let our light shine before men so that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
*Jesus is our Light who will lead us into the presence of God during praise and worship. While the priests prepare themselves to enter into the presence of God to offer on behalf of the nation of Israel, we the believers continue to sing songs of praise and adoration to the Lord as we gradually enter into the dwelling place of God where we can finally behold His glory and majesty.
2) The Table of Showbread also called Bread of Presence
The table of showbread has 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel; it is a picture of God’s willingness to communion and fellowship with man.
The Bible says, “Jesus is the bread of life” (John 6:35, 49-50). Jesus’ coming down to earth from heaven to give eternal life to those who would partake in it was a demonstration of God’s desire to fellowship with man.
*Today, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper as one of the only two ordinances for the church, to remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ for the redemption of mankind and to declare that He is coming again.
3) The Golden Altar of Incense
Photo Credits: Pattern of Approach Ministries
The golden altar of incense should not be confused with the brazen altar. The golden altar of incense was located in front of the curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.
The priests are commanded to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, the same time that the daily burnt offerings were made and the incense is to be left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
*The golden altar is a representation of Jesus Christ, our intercessor before God the Father, while the incense was a symbol of the prayers of the intercession of the people going up to God as a sweet fragrance. Since we have been forgiven of our sins through the blood of Christ, we can now come boldly to Him in prayer in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-14).
*As we enter the Holy Place from the outer court, a transition takes place. The music slows down and we feed further upon the word of God, the Bread of Life Himself. Our minds are illuminated by the fire of the Holy Spirit, represented by the lampstand. We place “fresh incense” on the altar as we “sing in spirit” with “tongues of angels.” The fragrance of pure worship “permeates the veil” and pleases God.
C. The Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place
The holy of holies is where the Ark of the Covenant is, covered by a lid called the “mercy seat.” It is where the glory of God is – His very presence.
The holy of holies was the most sacred room which no ordinary man could enter. It was God’s special dwelling place in the midst of His people. Between the holy place and the holy of holies was a veil or thick curtain to separate them.
The veil was essentially there to shield a holy God from sinful man. It was a picture of the barrier between man and God, showing that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. The veil was placed there to make sure that no man could irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence.
The very presence of God remained shielded from man behind the veil throughout the history of Israel. But when Jesus died, it was torn in half from top to bottom exposing the Holy of Holies (Matthew 27:50-51). No matter how shocking this was to the priests ministering in the temple that day, it was indeed good news to us as believers.
The torn veil illustrated Jesus’ body that was broken for us, opening the way for us to come to God. We can now boldly enter into God’s presence, “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf “ (Hebrews 6:19-20).
Photo Credits: Bible.org
*As we enter into the holy of holies during worship, we are consumed by a cloud of glory, fall down before the Throne of the Almighty, and worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) as a royal priesthood, purchased by the blood of Jesus. It is at this point during praise and worship that each worshiper can now express his adoration to God, to enjoy and experience God’s awesome presence, comfort, and loving embrace.
*It is the goal of every worshiper to come into the very presence of God. On our way to the most holy place, no one can do it for us. We need to press through all the distractions to get to the place where we are face to face with God. We need to keep pressing in and pressing in.
*I personally believe that anyone who truly experiences God during worship will never be the same again because only a personal encounter with God can cause a transformation that is almost always impossible to take place under any ordinary circumstances.
Conclusion
Although there have been significant developments in the way the Christian Church throughout the centuries has conducted praise and worship, it appears that the manner of worship seen today remains to be patterned from the way God instructed His people to come into His presence to present their sacrifices and burnt offerings.
The Christian praise and worship that we know and still practice today is biblical; it has its roots in the Tabernacle of Moses, which God asked His people to construct to be His dwelling place as well as a place for His people to commune and fellowship with Him.
This manuscript was previously published in 1990 by Alive Ministries as a Bible conference guide. This version includes significant revisions. You will find the principles here dynamic. This is not your typical tabernacle book.
“The tabernacle,” Small says “is a template for prayer and worship, a kind of roadmap into God’s presence, a call for balance in prayer and worship.” There is an old saying that testifies to the relationship between the Testaments: “The New is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.”
When the New Testament writers penned their histories and letters, they referenced the Law, the Prophets, and the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. The New Testament is rooted in the Old Testament.
It is hardly understood without it. Paul says to the Romans that the things “written before were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4, NKJV). In the first letter to Corinth, he calls the events of the Old Testament “examples… written for our admonition” (10:6, 11).
The Law and the Tabernacle, both given at the same time and on the same mountain, are a ‘schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Jesus reminds us, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17).
The Old was a shadow of the things to come. It is in the New revealed.
The Tabernacle of Moses is the key to understanding Christian praise and worship today. But what is the tabernacle? The word tabernacle is a translation of the Hebrew 
The tabernacle had only one gate or one entrance. A person could not simply come from any direction into the tabernacle as he pleased – he had to enter through the one gate which was always located to the east. Why? This was to inform the Israelites that there was no other way they could come to God except in the way He prescribed.
The table of showbread has 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel; it is a picture of God’s willingness to communion and fellowship with man.
