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Israel's Worship and Ours: the Importance of Divine Transcendence

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Israel's Worship and Ours: the Importance of Divine Transcendence Leaven Volume 1 Issue 1 Worship Article 3 1-1-1990 Israel's Worship and Ours: The Importance of Divine Transcendence Paul Watson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Watson, Paul (1990) "Israel's Worship and Ours: The Importance of Divine Transcendence," Leaven: Vol. 1 : Iss. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol1/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Watson: Israel's Worship and Ours: The Importance of Divine Transcendence 6 LEA YEN' Winter 1990 By Paul Watson The centrality of worship for biblical absolute transcendence of Jehovah. As Genesis faith may often be overlooked, but it cannot be 1:1-2:4 makes abundantly clear, God is solely denied. Creation itself culminated, not in the responsible for creation; but he is in no way a formation of humanity, but in the sanctification part of it and is not to be confused or identified of a certain day on which humanity and all with it. He is 'over against' the world; thus creation honors the Creator (Gen. 2:1-4; Exod. nothing in the world may be used to represent 20:8-11). Immediately after the flood, Noah his likeness (The Second Commandment; Exod. worshipped (Gen. 8:20-22); and immediately 20:4-6). Similarly, God is distinct from his after his arrival in Canaan, Abraham did the people, either as individuals or as a community. same (Gen. 12:7-8). The covenant at Sinai was God is responsible for the very existence of made during a worship service (Exod. 19:24). Israel as a nation, as the Exodus-story proclaims The worship of God both preceded (Josh. 3-5) and (Exod. 1-15; 20:2); they are "his people" and he is followed (Josh.24) the conquest of Canaan. The "their God" (Exod. 6:7). But God is not "personi- central architectural wonder of Judaism - the fied" or "embodied" by Israel. He remains Temple in Jerusalem - was built (1 Kings 5-8), distinct from them and calls, rebukes, blesses, repaired (2 Kings 22-23), rebuilt (Hag. 1-2) and punishes and delivers them from without. Even cleansed (Mark 11:15-19) for the pure worship of God's greatest servants within Israel must keep God. Worship surrounded the proclamation of their distance from him, e.g. Moses (Exod.3:1-6; the gospel (Acts 1:12-14 and 2:41-47) and awaits 33:17-23) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:9-18). No one the eternal congregation of God's people (Rev. can capture God (cf. Gen. 32:22-32). Nor does 22:3). any individual have the right or the power to If worship is so central, so important for manipulate God through the use of his name both Israel and the church, what is its primary (The Third Commandment; Exod. 20:7). focus or goal? In other words, why is worship so Above all, God is to be differentiated important in the life of God's people? That from all other "gods," who in fact turn out to be question is being addressed throughout this "no-gods" (The First Commandment; Exod. 20:3). issue ofLeaven. Here let me propose the follow- Jehovah God is not one among many; Jehovah ing answer: Above all else, worship is the God is unique (Deut. 6:4). By virtue of such fundamental way for us to approach a unique uniqueness, Jehovah God transcends all human and holy God. limits (Ps. 139:7-12), all human thought (Is. 55:8- 9). While he may choose to reveal himself to us, God's Transcendence in the Old even to enter into the most intimate relation- Testament ships with us, God always remains at least to some degree "hidden," 1 "the great stranger in The place to start in explicating this the human world." 2 answer should be where Israel started: with the Paul Watson is the minister for the Cole Mill The Holy Otherness of God Road Church of Christ in Durham, North Caro- Closely linked with God's transcendence lina. He previously taught at the Institute for is his absolute holiness; indeed, they come close Christian Studies in Austin, Texas. Paul has a to being the same thing. 'Holiness' defines both Ph.D. in Old Testament from Yale. God's own existence and his expectations for Israel: "You shall be holy; for I Yahweh your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2). Isaiah's favorite name for Published by Pepperdine Digital Commons, 1990 1 Leaven, Vol. 1 [1990], Iss. 1, Art. 3 All chings praise thee. Lord may we 7 God is "The Holy One ofIsrael" (Is. 1:4, etc.). into the presence of the Holy One. Israel God's holiness is, in part, His mysterious, was born in the hour of the covenant to awesome power that transcends human under- be a holy nation or people. In her wor- standing and brooks no comparison: "Who is like ship she remembers God's self-witness, thee, majestic in holiness, terrible in glorious "I, the Lord, am holy," and to it she deeds, doing wonders?" (Exod. 15:11 cf. 1 Sam. responds confessionally, ''The Lord our 2:2) 3 Such power, which cannot be compre- God is holy" (Ps. 99)...In the cult, Israel hended or contained, is the one appropriate remembers the holy past, and in the object of human fear (Is. 8:11-15; Deut. 7:21). 4 spoken recital it becomes present, for i.? God's holiness also has an ethical dimen- truth it was meant for every present. sion: "it is the awesome contrast between God's purity and man's sin." 5 Thus Joshua warns The first word that Israel utters in her Israel, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a response to a transcendent God is a word of holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive praise: "Hallelujah." Israel is invited first and your transgressions or your sins" (Josh. 24:19). foremost to celebrate God's majestic goodness: This is precisely how Isaiah encountered God in "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his his vision of God in the temple. Isaiah heard the courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his seraphim say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of name!" (Ps, 100:4). Other appropriate responses hosts"; and Isaiah's most appropriate response cluster around this initial response - confes- was, sion, thanksgiving, petition, reflection - but "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a praise comes first: man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the It is appropriate to address God in need, midst of a people of unclean lips; for my by way of petition and intercession. But eyes have seen the King, the LORD of address in need occurs in a context of hosts" (Is. 6:3,5). lyrical submission in which God is ad- dressed not because we have need, but Israel's Response To God's Wholly simply because God is God and we are summoned to turn our lives in answer to Otherness God. It is appropriate that we should In spite of her 'distance' from God, Israel address God in submission. It is inap- is nevertheless summoned to approach God in worship. God invites Israel into his presence and seeks from her an appropriate response to While he may choose to reveal his 'holy otherness'. In such worship Israel is able to acknowledge God's majestic transcen- himself to us, even to enter into dence and her own subservience to and depend- the most intimate relationships ence upon him:"Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his with us, God always remains at people, and the sheep of his pasture" (Ps. 100:3). least to some degree "hidden, " As G.H. Davies puts it, "thegreat stranger in the human Israelite worship centers on Israel's God. He is the author of sacrifice (Lev. 17:11) world". and of Israel's system of worship. He both gives grace and glory and receives propriate that God should not be worship and glory. True Israelite wor- addressed. This is a God who ship is dominated by enthusiasm for evokes address of gratitude and awe, God. 6 simply because of who God is. 8 In such worship Israel is also able to claim God's Nor is such praise limited to Israel's hymn-book, goodness and holiness: "Father of the fatherless the Psalms; such doxologies and hymns are sung and protector of widows is God in his holy at the Sea (Exod. 15:1-18) and at Shiloh (1 Sam. habitation" (Ps, 68:5; cf. 100:5). Thus, 2:1-10) by David (2 Sam. 22:1-51) and by the Worship is holy meeting. In worship, prophets (e.g. Amos 4:13, 5:8-9, 9:5-6). man enters into the sphere of holiness, Such praise, however, must be holy https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol1/iss1/3 2 Watson: Israel's Worship and Ours: The Importance of Divine Transcendence 8 LEAYEN Winter 1990 praise. Israel, of course, cannot duplicate God's holiness, but she must acknowledge and practice That our worship must be holy worship is it; otherwise her praise is in vain.
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