When Worship Ceases

Have you ever wondered what a society would look like without worshipers? Would anything in particular take place if we stopped assembling and singing and making music to the Lord together? Would anything major change? In the large scheme of things, how much does worship, most specifically the singing and playing of instruments actually matter? I’m so glad you asked.

400 YEARS OF SILENCE

Let’s make our first visit in history to that terrible period of time we encounter at the end of the Old Testament. 400 years of no glory, no presence, no intimacy with God.

You know what was happening with worship then?

The beautiful worship of the tabernacle of David had been abolished. Instruments had been all but removed from synagogues and temple service (and the Pharisees removed them entirely). Why? Because those same instruments were used by pagan cults of Asia minor in demon worship. The joyful songs of the nation’s history had been expunged. The songs of Moses, Miriam, David, Cheneniah, Asaph and Solomon were no longer heard. Musical singing was abandoned by the laity and synagogue singing was confined to the ritualistic chanting of a handful of priests.

The result? A nation bound by apostasy, idolatry and unbelief. What came first; the lack of worship or the apostasy and spiritual decline? No one can say, but the lack of worship was like a spiritual canary in a coal mine.

You might say, ok but that may just be a coincidence. Fast forward with me now to a period the history books call the Dark Ages. This time in history was marked by economic, intellectual, and cultural decline.

THE DARK AGES

By the time we get to this moment in history, we find the church has moved away from singing songs to God almost entirely. Songs to the virgin Mary and other saints were the order of the day. Musical instruments were ruled out in church for the same reasons the Pharisees had used. The Chants of Bishop Gregory (Gregorian Chant) became the only thing the Catholic churches would allow and Bishop Gregory himself had rejected congregational singing entirely. In order to cement this style he had created, he founded a school and sent out its graduates all throughout Europe to indoctrinate the churches with this new kind of musical sound, teaching the congregants to sit and listen to this unaccompanied and somber style of music. Almost all individual engagement evaporated from corporate worship, as churchgoers learned to look on while a few appointed musicians worshiped for them.

Is there a correlation between dark times and the silencing of the voices of the Ekklesia? In my study of this topic I couldn’t help but think of my own anecdotal evidence.

CURRENT DAY

Remember March 2020? All of the churches were locked down and no one could come together to worship. Do you remember the massive media attack on singing and specifically on churches singing? I’ve never seen so many articles about church choirs in my life. I remember our Governor finally reopening churches but forbidding that congregants sing.

After months of the American church failing to gather and sing corporately, American cities degenerated into places where fires burned and riots went on for days. Our election process turned into a mockery as the world watched on, the death numbers rose and rose, and Americans began to turn on one another, even in the church.

We can see here in these examples what happens when our corporate praising stops. So if things this dark seem to happen when worship ceases, what happens when it abounds?

Two words. Great awakenings.

GREAT AWAKENINGS

Every single revival of blessing and prosperity in Israel or Judah during old testament times under Godly kings was accompanied by a return to the order of worship of the tabernacle of David. Not to the actual place- but to the type of worship established under David’s reign. Every single time.

So what happened in this tabernacle that seems to have been able to bring light and revival to the entire nation over and over?  I am glad you asked.

THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID

There was unceasing day and night worship there and thousands of people were included in the roster of musicians and gatekeepers. Unlike Moses’ temple, it had no animal sacrifices. Well, there was one in the beginning when they dedicated it, but it was once and for all (see the foreshadowing of Christ here?). The sacrifices in David’s tabernacle were praise and joy. Unlike Moses’ temple, there was no veil between everyone and the Ark of the Covenant.  All were allowed close to the glory.  All had full access to the presence of God. 

Song and praise was the service of David’s attendants before the ark.  Many believe that David, acting in his office as prophet was able to know the mind of God concerning real spiritual worship and his temple was a foreshadowing of the way the church would and could worship once Jesus went to Calvary.  Therefore, the tabernacle of David was a prophetic foreshadowing of what the church would look like in worship in New Testament times.

Here are the ministries that are recorded – note the various expressions of worship.

Singers and singing

Musicians with instruments

Levites before the ark “ministering”

Scribes who wrote what was said and sung

Ministry of thanksgiving

Ministry of Praise

Ministry of Psalms

Ministry of Rejoicing and Joy

Ministry of clapping of hands

Ministry of shouting

Ministry of dancing

Ministry of lifting of hands

Ministry of worship

Ministry of spiritual sacrifices

Ministry of saying “amen”

Church historians, along with the bible tell us that the early church worshiped in the style of David’s tabernacle.  But it didn’t take long for division to arise around the elements of worship.

Why is worship so divisive?  Because the enemy knows what we don’t.  When the Ekklesia worship, we push back darkness in supernatural ways that we can’t begin to imagine.  And when the church’s praise is silenced, territory is lost.

Can the spiritual health of a nation be measured by its corporate worship?

I’m going to argue here that history plays out the answer as a resounding YES.

REBUILDING THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID

I truly believe in these last days, there will be a revival of Davidic worship.  In fact, we see its fortelling in Amos 9:11 where the word of the Lord says:

I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins—
    and will rebuild it as it used to be

I don’t know about you, but I want to do my part. Let’s begin to open our mouths, reacquaint ourselves with our holy dance, clap our hands and shout unto God.  If there is one major characteristic of Davidic worship, it is joy.

How does the church get her strength back in this hour?  By worshiping in spirit and in truth.  For the joy of the Lord is our strength!

May the Tabernacle of David be rebuilt, person by person, song by song, praise by praise in this nation in this hour.

• Much of the information for this blog was taken from an excellent book by Kevin J. Conner called The Tabernacle of David.