History of Israelite and Jewish Worship
From the beginning Israel's worship is a response to Yahweh for the acts he has performed in its history. Israel's whole history is a life of coexistence with God, a partnership in a historical drama. The emphasis is on Yahweh as the initiator, but Israel responds. The people address Yahweh in a personal way. They offer praise, ask questions, complain about suffering, and converse with him about all the issues of life. This conversation of worship is recorded throughout the Scriptures, binding Jewish history together in celebration of this relationship with the Creator God. In the New Testament church the emphasis falls on the historical acts of the triune God, with the central focus on the Incarnation, the Cross, and the exaltation of Jesus Christ the Lord, made real by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:18). These details are covered in seven entries.…
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Chapters & Articles in History of Israelite and Jewish Worship (7)
The central figure of patriarchal worship is Abraham, who received Yahweh's promise of land and descendants. The …
After the Exodus the worship of Israel became more formalized, characterized by the Mosaic institutions and regulat…
In Canaan Israelite worship incorporated elements from pagan worship, especially that of Baal, and Israel went thro…
Under David's leadership, worship was established in Jerusalem. David organized the functions of the priesthood, pl…
Although Solomon completed and dedicated the temple, the foreign influences and faulty civil policy that set in dur…
The return of Israel after the Exile brought renewed interest in worship; the temple was rebuilt and sacrifices wer…
Prior to the first Christian century, Judaism began to develop traditional interpretations of the Law that would ev…