The history of 'worship' goes back a long way. Even before God formed Israel into a nation and gave them his covenant and its law at Sinai, men 'worshipped' him. As far back as Genesis 3, 'Abel offered to God [an] acceptable sacrifice' (Heb. 11:4), and by the time we get to Genesis 4:26, men had begun to 'call on the name of the LORD'. We know that Noah built an altar (Gen. 8:20) – as did Abram, when he called 'upon the name of the LORD' (Gen. 12:7-8). Abraham, receiving his change of name when God told him of the covenant he would make with him through the birth of a son, 'fell on his face' (Gen. 17:3,17), and, in his willingness to obey God – even to the extent of sacrificing that son – he 'worshipped' God (Gen. 22:5), building an 'altar' (Gen. 22:9). Abraham's servant 'worshipped' (Gen. 24:26,48,52). Job, when he learned of the disasters that had fallen upon his family and estate, 'worshipped' God (Job. 1:20). These early episodes give us invaluable clues as to what is involved in 'worship': submission, adoration, obedience, gratitude, falling down before, and so on. And Jacob (knowingly or otherwise) followed his grandfather's example (Gen. 12:7-8; 13:4,18) by adding the concept of a special – not to say, holy – 'place' when he venerated Bethel as the 'house of God', and God confirmed his decision (Gen. 28:17,22; 35:1-15). |