Kidan
Moderator
[b said:
Bethel is a symbol for Fellowship with God
Ai is a symbol for the world.
Abraham lived between them both. It's a physical representation of a New Covenant principal (as so much in the OT is). As Christians we are to live between our fellowship with God an this world. How? By our prayers, our praise and our worship.
Praise and worship is not just some random thing you do on Sunday mornings, it should be a daily task you do alongside EVERY devotional. It helps us as we walk out of the AI and closer to Bethel. It helps us to leave behind our concerns of the world, and focus more closely on Christ.
That said, we also should be very watchful of what you give praise and worship to. There are numerous forms of praise and worship found in the Old and New Testaments. The most common is music and that's generally what everyone thinks when praise and worship is spoken of. Yet some uncommon ones are screaming, dancing, raising hands, clapping and tithing (yes tithing is a form of worship as well as an exercise in obedience and trust).
but on the screaming and dancing. Think of the last concert you went to or saw, maybe last years VMA's. What were the people in the crowds doing? They were screaming, dancing, raising their hands and clapping. They were giving these people praise and worship (clapping I can understand, most of the people that give concerts do deserve the praise for getting up there and giving it, but to perform the other acts of worship such as screaming and dancing that's the issue). The Bible is clear that we should reserve our worship for Him alone. Think about that the next time you are at a concert, even a Christian concert. What message are you sending to God, when you'll scream, dance and clap for these human musicians, when all they do is tell you their names, when you won't do those things for Him.
Our God is a jealous God, and He wants us to worship Him alone. So rather than worship just on Sunday mornings, sing a song as you read your Bible, even if it's just Jesus loves me, and think hard before you scream for the band of the week.