How Do You Do That?
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24 NASB
Worship – Please notice a rather odd thing. Yeshua was not giving instruction to the woman at the well in Greek. He was probably speaking Hebrew or Aramaic. In either case, the word he used was not proskyneo but ‘avad. The difference is quite important. It is a difference that is lost in the Greek translation. As a result, we are left with a disturbing question. “How do we worship God in spirit and truth?” If we knew the Hebrew word, the answer would be entirely obvious.
Proskyneo is an ancient Greek word that refers to adoration including face to the ground in gestures portraying inner respect. The LXX uses this word to translate Hebrew concepts of “kiss,” “serve,” and “worship.” “Most of the instances relate to veneration of the God of Israel or of false gods. proskyneín may also be directed to angels, to the righteous, to rulers, to the prophets, and to the shade of Samuel (Saul). While it may express regard, it also suggests that those thus honored are in some way God’s instruments.”[1] What conclusion may we draw? Proskyneo is primarily attitude reflected in ritual actions.
But ‘avad is quite different. ‘Avad is action. “To serve” means to do something that the god favors, to demonstrate obedience, to practice specifically required rituals, to demonstrate behavior in line with the god’s instructions. The command to worship found in Exodus and Deuteronomy is serving, not maintaining a particular attitude.
If Yeshua is suggesting that worship is really serving then it is obvious what he means. He means, “doing what God requires.” That is worship. Not praise songs, service attendance, sermon preparation, or the dozens of other “worship” activities we substitute for obedience. Worship is doing what God demands, and both Yeshua and the prophets tell us exactly what that is. “To do justice, love hesed and walk humbly before YHVH.”
In the end there is no confusion about what it means to “worship Him in spirit.” It means to follow His instructions. “To be whole-hearted is to serve God with pure motive, that is, for the sake of the worship itself, and without any ulterior motive. The service of God demands whole-heartedness. That excludes both hesitancy and mechanical observance.”[2]
Topical Index: worship, proskyneo, ‘avad, John 4:24, Deuteronomy 29:18, Exodus 20:5
[1] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (948). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.
[2] Moses Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim, p. 13.
“To serve”. What does a servant do? Provide for needs, protect, obey, watch for anything that would increase the ease, happiness or accomplishment of goals, treat any others that were involved in the life of the served the same way that the served one treated them, or wanted them to be treated. I could go on. What a dream. What if all of us were surrounded with servants like that? What if all my desires, needs, relationships, goals were amplified in every way by those around me? Wait. ALL of them? Even the secret ones? Even the ones I don’t know about? Umm. Maybe not. Maybe what I really need is a lover who QUALIFIED all of the above; who desired to do all of the above for me, with me, but only after they carefully sifted out their responses to all in my life that is still there as sin – as actions and intents that were still representing death to me and those around me.
A servant does what a lover does, but without qualification. A servant does not interpret motives, or ask why a need exists, or require the served to justify their actions. Servants are best for those who are already perfect. LOL!
A servant is not different than a lover, as they seek to do the same; a lover desires all in the life of the beloved that a servant provides, and counts it a pleasure to be able to serve the beloved, but a lover recognizes responsibility for the beloved as if they were themselves. A lover shares the authority, as it were, for the life of the beloved.
So to serve the Most High is to seek to act toward Him in all the ways that a lover would act, but without questioning or qualifying. To serve the Most High assumes that He is perfect already and worthy of worship; of service. No ADJUSTMENTS necessary. Hmm
Without a Doubt
Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.
Other Refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.
Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo!—on Thee I cast my care.
Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
—Dying, and behold, I live!
Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all —in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and Holy is Thy Name,
Source of all true righteousness;
Thou art evermore the same,
Thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
Rise to all eternity.
~ Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss (Proskyneo) the Son, [Avad ADONAI]
lest He be angry, and you perish in the way,
for His wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him ~ (Psalm 2.10-12)
~ and when they saw HIm, they worshiped HIm.. – but some doubted ~
(Matthew 28.17)
~ Be not faithless, but believing..~ (John 20.27)
“In spirit” would be likened to having the right spirit, a faith- full spirit, to fully grasping ABBA’s heart in serving Him in ways pleasing and acceptable to Him! It means to follow/obey His instructions, to serve humbly without ulterior motive, of self exaltation, nor abuse of authority. Amein!
Absolutely insightful.
This is super interesting! Just wondering what you used to see this difference? When I look it up I only see the greek translation, which is proskynein.
Since Yeshua didn’t speak Greek as the common language, it is necessary to backwards translate the Greek text into Hebrew. Then we can explore what the meaning is in the language he spoke, and see the differences when we only use the Greek text.
Look it up in Hebrew and you get Avodas Kodesh=Holy worship; service