Why Study OT Worship?

Why go back to study worship practices that were established 3500 years ago? Isn’t that just an academic exercise? “It sounds as dry as dust,” someone said. We know that Jesus Christ fulfilled them all, so why not just study what He did? How can that have any relevance to my life anyway?

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution to read through the Bible? Genesis moves along very nicely, as well as most of Exodus. Then the text moves to seemingly meaningless details about building a tabernacle in the desert, sacrificing animals and waving loaves of bread, and so you skim it hurriedly to get to more intelligible material, or else just skip it altogether. Why bother with it anyway?

One could argue that 2 Timothy 3:16 gives sufficient reason for the in-depth study of any Bible passage or topic: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” [Italics mine] God doesn’t waste words or “breathe out” insignificant trivia.

We are told in Romans 3:1,2 that “[The Jews] have been entrusted with the very  words of God.” God was unequivocal when He gave instructions to Moses regarding the regulations for worship He was about to establish: “Have [the craftsmen]…make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” (Ex. 25:8,9). Why was accuracy so important? Because as the apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 2:17, “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” As the writer of Hebrews states, the “man-made sanctuary was a copy of the true one; Christ entered into heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” (Heb. 9:24) Every detail of worship prescribed by God is important because it foreshadowed the realities to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

And so the tabernacle was built in accordance with God’s blueprint. It was furnished with various utensils designed by Jehovah Himself. Understanding the meaning of some of the details of these forms of worship thus gives us insight into what pleases God. It reveals to us more of the character of our holy, compassionate, just Creator, leading us to deeper, more focused, more meaningful worship. We can comprehend more clearly the unchangeable nature of God and the consistency through the centuries of His dealings with man.
Priests were assigned to perform the various duties in the functioning of this place of worship. Specific instructions were given by God for the sacrifices to be offered. Study of this Old Testament priesthood can provide insight into our role as believer-priests in our present era.
A specifically-designated man assumed the prescribed role of the High Priest. From his special clothing to his unique function we can gain a more complete understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest.

God Himself established the calendar for the nation of Israel. He designated seven feasts to be observed on set dates each year. He gave instructions regarding the sacrifices, offerings, and rituals to be used for each feast. All these detailed regulations had meaning and purpose, so that the Israelites’ worship would be pleasing to Him. We will learn     that the feasts prescribed by God set forth His master plan for the ages. As we see the exact fulfilling of events foretold by the first four of His appointed feasts, we can grow in expectation and in the confidence of our hope in the precise accomplishment of the events prophesied by the remaining feasts.

Outwardly, these forms of worship were very similar to those used by the nations around Israel. But the inner meaning was vastly different. These other peoples thought of worship as acts they themselves initiated, to present something to their god(s), to appease their wrath, or to win their favor. In contrast, Hebrew worship was initiated by Jehovah. The sacrifices and offerings were a response to what He had given them in the first place. Believing that God had provided a means of atoning for their sin, and in obedience to His provisions for reconciliation instead of trying to establish their own, the worshippers followed in every detail the practices He had prescribed to establish and maintain their fellowship with Himself.
Many Christians today have only a vague understanding of this section of the Old Testament. This deficiency is only exacerbated in developing countries where relevant resource material is essentially unavailable because of language barriers or prohibitive cost.

These studies are designed to require only a Bible as resource, practicing the principle that “Scripture is its own best commentary.” We will thus try to substantiate types, interpretations, and applications only by Bible passages that clearly correlate with them or are indicative of their meaning. We have attempted throughout to supply the most widely accepted relevant passages.

The topic is divided into four sections. The first section, The Covenants, lays the foundation of God’s interaction with mankind from the beginning of Creation to the end of time. His plan for the redemption of sinful man is portrayed through the Tabernacle, the focus of Section Two. Section Three studies the implementation of His communication with man as facilitated by the priesthood.  The fourth section, focused on the feasts ordained by God, reveals God’s timetable for the ages.

Margaret F. Hensley  March 2007

From the preface to Discovering Jesus in Old Testament Worship.