February - 8
SUCCESSFUL WORSHIP
The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Leviticus 9:23
Is worship successful because you sing contemporary hymns? Have a traditional liturgy? A friendly and entertaining preacher? Doctrinal preaching?
Israel’s first worship service was successful because God was there and God accepted the offered sacrifice. God was pleased, and the people rejoiced.
“If only our worship were like that all the time!” we might say. But Israel’s worship was not always so dramatic. Day after day the priests kept the burnt offering going and received other sacrifices. Every week they observed the Sabbath, and every year they celebrated great feasts. Worship was exacting, repetitive work—and yet God was there, accepting their worship.
After the days of Aaron, God appeared again in great glory in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:11), but when the people turned away, God’s glory left them (see Ezekiel 2-12). Many centuries later, when God’s glory appeared outside Bethlehem one night, only a few shepherds were amazed. Jerusalem itself and the temple’s worship team were unwelcoming (Matthew 2:1-12; John 1:11). Only Simeon and Anna waited faithfully, patiently—and they praised God for his great salvation (Luke 2:25-38).
Patient, faithful, and devoted worship is successful worship. The Lord has come. Worship him. Pray that he will come again—quickly.
PRAYER
Grant your servants peace, O Lord, for we have seen your salvation. Strengthen us to serve you faithfully and patiently—and please, come, Lord Jesus. Please come again. Amen.
敬拜之所以成功，是因為你唱的是現代聖詩？有傳統的禮拜儀式？有友善和談笑風生的講員？抑或是有合乎教義的講道？
以色列民第一次的敬拜是成功的，因為有神在那裏，而且神接納了他們所獻的祭。神感到喜悅，百姓亦歡喜快樂。
我們可能會說：「若我們的敬拜可以時常都如此便好了！」但以色列民的敬拜並非常常如此戲劇化，祭司們日復一日地保持燔祭的火燃燒，並接受其它供物，每星期謹守安息日，每年慶祝盛大的節期，久而久之，敬拜變成吃力而重複的工作，但神依然在那裏，且悅納他們的崇拜。
亞倫的時代過去後，神在所羅門的殿裏再次榮耀顯現（列王紀上8:11），但當百姓離棄神，神的榮耀也離開了他們（參以西結書2至12章）。許多個世紀以後的一個晚上，當神的榮耀在伯利恆城外顯現時，只有少數牧羊人感到希奇，耶路撒冷和在聖殿裏敬拜的人都沒有表示熱列歡迎（馬太福音2:1-12；約翰福音1:11），只有西面和亞拿忠心和孜孜不倦地等候，他們為神所賜的偉大救恩而讚美祂（路加福音2:25-38）。
忍耐、忠心和敬虔的敬拜，便是成功的敬拜。主已來臨，我們要敬拜祂，祈求祂早日再來。
禱告
主啊，求祢賜祢的僕人平安，因為我們得見祢的救恩。求祢堅固我們，叫我們能忠心而耐心地事奉祢。主耶穌啊，請祢來，請祢再來，阿們。