“Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.” Psalm 5:7
During the eight years or so that David was in hiding from Saul (1 Samuel 24) he wasn’t free to travel. This meant he wasn’t able to gather with God’s people at the Tabernacle—not for the Sabbath and not for any of the festivals. There were three annual festivals that Jewish men were required to attend. In Exodus we read, “First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread … the anniversary of [their] departure from Egypt … Second, the Festival of Harvest, when [they bring the Lord] their first crops … Finally, the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season … At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord” (Exodus 23:15-17).
The Psalms are full of David’s worship and praise to God and the years of not being able to do this corporately at the Tabernacle must have been hard on David. Yet he learnt to worship God wherever he was. When he was again able to attend, he had a profound sense of gratitude, expectation and excitement.
Every week we have the opportunity to freely gather with God’s people and express our worship to God through songs and prayers. There are many in our world today who aren’t free to do this or do so at the risk of their lives.
David didn’t worship out of obligation or how he was feeling at the time. Rather, he had decided to worship and not causally but with deepest awe. I wonder if we appreciate corporate worship and make every effort to celebrate God’s goodness with others.
Let’s pray
Thank you Lord that for the opportunities I have for corporate worship. Right now, I contemplate your character and goodness in my life. I worship you with deepest awe.
In Jesus’ name
Amen
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