What is Worship?

Worship is what someone does out of reverence for God. Because worship is not limited to a specific location or deed, it takes many forms and involves many actions. It penetrates every area of a believer’s life because worship is how someone lives for God. Worship is done individually, within the family, within the local assembly, and within the universal church.

THE WORSHIP OF MARRIAGE

Marriage is family worship, and as such, it affects all areas of life. It begins first by allowing God to build the house (Ps. 127), as the word house is used biblically to describe a family (2 Sam. 9:1). Because marriage is family worship and the home is where the family lives, the Chrisitan home is also a place of worship that is modeled after the garden of Eden and functions as the Temple.

THE CHRISTIAN HOME AS THE GARDEN OF EDEN 

The home is the principal place of worship in Christian marriage. When a husband and wife live according to God’s standards their work is worship that reflects the garden of Eden. 

The origin of the Garden of Eden is found in Gen. 2. It was planted by God and given to Adam as a home and filled with fruit-bearing trees he could freely eat from (except for the Tree of Genesis 2:17 (NLT): the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he could not). The garden also contained its own water source, a river that flowed and divided into four branches. Adam’s worship—what he did out of adoration, humility, submission and obedience to God, was taking care of the garden.  

Scripture does not tell us how long Adam was in the garden before God determined he needed a helper. However, God saw that it was not good for him to be alone (vs. 18) and created wild animals, birds, and livestock, but they were not sufficient for what Adam needed. Therefore God created Eve from Adam’s side. Adam rejoiced when God presented her to him, identified himself with her, and gave her a name, which confirmed his authority over her in their union (Gen. 2:23; 1 Cor. 7:3-4; 11:7-10).  

The Garden of Eden is paradise on earth. God’s placement of man within it instituted an earthly place of worship that served as the model for future worship in marriage. The garden was God’s created habitat for Adam and Eve, and His assigned place of provision for them. Adam was the appointed leader and Eve was his assistant. The command to reign and multiply (and to also not partake of the tree of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) was the law. Their worship was the work they did to maintain the habitat God had given them—the garden and each other. God gave Adam a house (a dwelling place and a family). His responsibility was to take care of it in unity with Eve in order to glorify God. Sadly, that did not happen, but the design of marriage remains the same. The work of a husband and wife—leadership, assistance, and submission, was commanded by God in the very beginning, and is the worship He seeks from those united into one by Him. When done according to His design and will, the union is an illustration of Christ’s union with the Church, which was also created to glorify God.

A Husband’s Worship

In the Christian home, the husband functions as the priest. As such, he is the shepherd of his family, just as Christ is the Shepherd of the church. His duties are to lead, provide for, and protect the family that God has given him. All of these things are worship.

A Wife’s Worship

The wife was created to be a helper. As such, she is modeled after Wisdom. In the home she functions as a Levite, those chosen and given by God to assist the priests (Num. 18:16). She assists the husband by taking care of the home and being a mother to his children. This includes carrying them, birthing them, teaching them, protecting them, and raising them. She also aids by practicing hospitality. All of these things are worship.