brother Abel, he might have enjoyed like acceptance with Abel, and have

avoided the murderer's curse.  Those who see in Ezekiel 28 something more

than a reference to an ordinary King of Tyre, may perceive that an attack

upon true worship, a usurpation of Divine prerogative, lies behind the

judgment that caused the chaos of Genesis 1:2.

Coming to the end of the Sacred Volume and viewing the crisis and

conflict there depicted, it can be truthfully asserted that it is mainly a

conflict between true and false worship.  Worship lies in the forefront of

the ten commandments and is found in every section of the inspired

Scriptures.  The heart of the redeemed responds to the call:

`O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our

Maker' (Psa. 95:6).

Redemption, the gospel, prophecy, dispensational truth, are the outer

court of the Temple of Truth, but the inner shrine, the goal towards which

the whole purpose of the ages leads, namely, `that God may be all in all', is

the summing up in word and in fact of all that acceptable worship means.  A

theme that is so near the centre of all truth should therefore receive from

all who love the Lord the most earnest and prayerful attention, for if we are

right here, we have a corrective against all other evils, doctrinal,

dispensational and practical.  On the other hand, if we are wrong here, we

may be wrong all along the line.

In every argument or study it is a necessity that terms be defined.  We

must arrive at a clear, Scriptural understanding of what the word `worship'

means and all that the term connotes.  The inspired Scriptures were not given

in our mother tongue, but in Hebrew, Chaldee and Greek, yet, upon

examination, the English word `worship' itself will yield its quota.

The meaning of the word `worship'.  The reader will not need a long

explanation concerning the qualifying suffix, `ship', which is used in such

words as `fellowship', `discipleship', or in the less familiar form as in

`landscape'.  The word `worship' comes from the Anglo -Saxon weordhscipe,

`worth', or `worthy', with the added suffix, and primarily means

acknowledgment of `worth', wherever found.  Formerly the word `worship' was

not so restricted as it is now, e.g., Wycliffe gives a startling rendering of

John 12:26, `If any man serve Me, My Father shall worship him'! a usage of

the word that would now not be tolerated.  In our A.V., however, we still

read, `thou shalt have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with

thee' (Luke 14:10).  The Church of England marriage service contains the

words, to be uttered by the bridegroom, `with my body I thee worship', yet,

not idolatry, but recognition of the high place of honour in which the

husband holds the woman who has given herself so wholly into his keeping is

intended.  We still speak of a magistrate as `your worship', and of certain

Guilds as a `worshipful' company, without transgressing either Bible teaching

or good taste.  In all these usages the primary meaning, `worthy -ship', is

retained.  In every act of worship there is either expressed or implied the

sentiment, `Thou art worthy', and, commensurately with the advancing ranks in

the scale of being and holiness of those to whom this recognition is

addressed, will the `worship' offered grow richer, fuller and more exclusive.

All this however but skims the surface of meaning.  The only words that can

unfold the mind of God in this, and all other matters of truth, are the

inspired words of Holy Writ.