Poem - His Hands

HIS HANDS

Hands of the One who flung stars into space
Were eager to reach out in loving embrace
Hands that created the Heavens above
Delighted to touch us with wonderful love

Hands that belonged to our Heavenly King
Surrendered themselves, laid aside everything
Hands that belonged to the Almighty God
Exchanged all their power and entered our world

Hands that had fashioned mankind from His heart
Took on their humanity, Light in the dark
Hands that relinquished all repute for none
Were willing to work as a carpenter’s son

Hands that had written on tablets of stone
Now wrote on the sand where a girl stood alone
Hands once exalted, their Glory complete
Now humbly knelt down and washed everyone’s feet

Hands that were stretched out to pay a great cost
Received for their mercy, the nails on a cross
Hands that had never been tainted by death
Died there, once for all, the requirements met

Hands bound in graveclothes, securely interred
Arose on the third day, Victory declared!
Hands that showed scars of the nails they had borne
Reached out to a doubter and proved He is Lord!

Hands that held Glory before time began
Returned to that Glory at the Father’s right hand
Hands that were tempted and suffered as we
Now stand interceding that man may be free

Hands that are waiting will one day arise
And at the sound of the trumpet, appear in the skies
Hands raised in victory, His triumph revealed
Will gather together the ones He has sealed

Hands that will beckon the saints sanctified
Will present to the Master a beautiful Bride-
Whose hands will cast crowns and with angels exclaim
Worthy, O Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!

Brónagh Hayes 2009

Worship Pt 2

1Chronicles 13-15

The Ark of the Covenant was being taken to Jerusalem and David did not make sure and do it according to the law. He consulted men 1Chron 13:2 but he did not consult the word of God. God has prescribed the way to worship Him correctly within the Law and either out of ignorance or folly, David did not adhere to God’s plan. Ultimately this would lead to the death of Uzzah.

Trying to worship God by means not laid out by Him will always lead to death. If we worship God after our own thoughts, disregarding His pattern, it will not end well for us.

 The day that David decides to bring back the Ark, he gathers a large crowd with lots of commotion and music and singing. It must have been a spectacle. 1Chron 13:5-8

If the people had been interviewed that day and asked what they thought, I’m sure they would have used words to the effect of ‘best experience ever’, ‘such rejoicing in God’s presence’ and yet it was all being done against God’s word.

They decide to move the Ark on a ‘new cart’ under the guidance of Uzzah and Ahio.

They are guilty of thinking there is a ‘new’ and better way to worship than has been done before. Laying aside God’s prescribed method, they plough on with their new way.

We need to be very careful to go to the word and seek for how God desires to be worshipped. It is not our place to supersede His express commands exchanging them for an ‘experience’ that looks and feels good. So much of the Body of Christ has done this to their detriment and it will lead now, just as it led then, to a chastening from God.

 In the midst of all the revelry God showed up, but He was not who the people thought He was. They had forgotten that God is not an ‘experience’ but a holy and righteous God. He had lain out His commands and despite their good intentions; the people had rejected them in favour of their own ways.

We cannot worship God any other way than the way He has commanded. For David and Israel it was according to the Law. For us it is according to ‘Spirit and Truth’. And the truth is that God is Holy and Righteous and Just.

David was supposed to ensure that the priests carried the Ark and that there was sacrificing of animals after every 6 steps that the priests took. This would have been costly. This would have looked and smelled gruesome. This would not be high on the list of crowd-winning moves. I’m not sure why David omitted these things but I know that in his zeal, He offended the Lord.

Sadly many in the Body of Christ also want to remove the blood and the sacrifice from the worship of God. ‘Don’t talk about the Cross; don’t sing about the blood, people will find that gruesome. Let’s focus instead on God’s love for us. That’ll please people and they’ll have a great experience with God.’ But we have no right to approach God without remembering the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus. Without these we have no access to Almighty God.

Sadly so many people nowadays willingly exchange the person and power of God for an ‘experience’ of Him, refusing to worship Him as He desires – in all His holiness and splendour and majesty.

 1Chron 13:11 David was angry and fearful of God after Uzzah died. Confused? Shocked? I’d say so. He leaves the Ark at the house of Obed-Edom and goes back to Jerusalem empty handed.

Empty handed; that is the state of many Christians today who have ‘worshipped’ according to their own plans. There is no life, no fruit, and no power in their lives. They run from ‘experience to experience’ and are always running on empty. They are shocked when God shows up and chastens them as He does.

Surely it cannot be called ‘worship’ when we side-step the desire of God and declare that our method is greater than His. Surely that is a contradiction in itself. Worshipping God is declaring His ‘worth-ship’ and if I decide I know better than God how to worship Him…well that’s not worship, is it? That’s pride and disobedience.

 However, in contrast to the emptiness of David, Obed-Edom and his entire house are blessed because of the Ark of God. For 3 months he had a private audience with Almighty God. It must have been an awesome time for him and his family.

The Scripture tells us that David was fearful of God after Uzzah died and rightly so. Psalm 110:10 tells us that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom’. David went away and took some time to prepare a place for God. 1Chron 15:1

Next time David comes for the Ark, he consults God’s directives and carries them out to a tee.  

David puts on his royal robes to approach the presence of God and in his ephod he designates himself as the priest before the Lord. We too are covered by our royal robes – given to us by Jesus- a holy nation, a royal priesthood. We may approach God at any time. What a privilege we have!

There was a great, godly spectacle this time. This time king David gets it right and there is great worship as the procession brings the Ark to Jerusalem.

There is such a difference in outcome when the command of God is adhered to. He set forth the way to worship Him and only obedience will please God. ‘To obey is better than sacrifice’ 1Sam 15:22. This is not voided in the New Testament. Obedience to God has not been set aside. We are still to obey what God has commanded with regard to worship. We worship Him still according to His desire.

 This time David sacrifices as he should. He engages the priests to carry the Ark as was directed by the Lord. There is no effort to by-pass the express wishes of God and as a result there is great blessing and worship. God is pleased.

 For us on this side of the Cross, God has commanded that we come into His presence covered by the blood of Jesus, understanding the confidence we have in His finished work. If we try to enter by any other means, there will be confusion, strife and even death. Ultimately those who try to enter by any other means are robbers. John 10:1

For those who try to enter based upon their own merit or works, the end is condemnation, doubt, fear and despair. No-one may approach a Holy God by their own merit since ‘all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags’. There is nowhere that we are more convinced of our unworthiness than when approaching the throne room of grace. Thank God for the blood that cleanses me of all unrighteousness. I worship at the invitation and the provision of God. He alone makes it possible for me to enter into His presence.

 Lord save us from trying to open a ‘new’ way. Help us to return to your word and discern how you desire to be worshipped. Only then will our worship be a sweet smelling aroma to you.

 Obed-Edom follows the Ark to Jerusalem, where he is chosen by David to be a worshipper and doorkeeper in the tabernacle of God. 1Chron 15:18,24

I like to think that after having such intimate fellowship with the Lord while the Ark remained in his home, anything less than the abiding presence of God would never satisfy Obed-Edom. He had tasted and seen that the Lord is good and he wanted to spend his life in service to his Lord.

I can just hear Obed-Edom singing along with the sons of Korah: ‘How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God…For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness... O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!’ Psalm 84

Oh let us not settle for anything other than the genuine, life-altering, abiding presence of God! Let us not swap true intimacy with the Lord for a short-lived, powerless hype. Let us come before Him with humble hearts, giving Him our very best worship because He is worthy!

Lord, teach us to worship you in spirit and in truth, to glorify you as you deserve and to live as those who love your name!