“…a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, Queen of Ethiopia, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.” – Acts 8:27

I tried to find out where the word ‘worship’ is first mentioned in the Bible and what I found was a bit of a surprise.

It is in Genesis 22 where Abraham traveled a long distance to the mountain where God told him to sacrifice his son.

When he got there, he told his servants to remain behind as he and his young son Isaac go up the mountain “to worship” (verse 5).

As a way of testing Abraham’s love and commitment, God had instructed the old man to offer his only son as a sacrifice!

To Abraham, worship was about obediently making the journey to the designated place, building an altar and laying his greatest treasure on it as a sacrifice.

In contemporary Church liturgy, the notion of ‘worship’ has taken on completely different meanings.

To some, worship is all about singing slow songs; I mean you know it’s time for ‘worship’ when the slow songs start. It is indeed common to hear someone say that the “worship today was or wasn’t so good.”

In our scripture reference today, we see a man who embarked on a torturous journey of over 1,500 miles (no mean feat in a horse-cart!) from Ethiopia in Africa to Jerusalem, purposely “to worship.”

In the Law of Moses, gentiles were allowed to convert to Judaism and this man was such a proselyte.

Once every year, all male Jews and proselytes were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend the Passover festival. This gentleman was returning home when Philip met him.

From the narrative, there are three or four things that we note about this particular gentleman.

Worship is not just a matter of slow songs; it is a lifestyle of humble devotion to God, which finds its true expression, fulfillment and reward in embracing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

First, he was a foreigner, a black African.

Secondly, he was a man of great authority in the palace of Candace (Queen Amantitere), the powerful and wealthy monarch of the Kingdom of Kush.

Thirdly, he was a very wealthy man, given that he was in charge of the vast kingdom’s treasury. 

That notwithstanding, he was a man who could do anything for the sake of worshipping the living God.

Additionally, he was a man who loved reading the Scriptures. His heart was hungry for God. For that reason, God dispatched an angel from heaven to instruct Philip to meet him.

After hearing the message of Jesus Christ, he was humble enough to ask Philip to baptize him in a river with dirty water.

Worship is an attitude; it’s the response of the heart and the spirit to the sovereignty of God.

His earlier hunger had led him into religion – Judaism. He still remained unsatisfied.

Then he was introduced to Jesus and became a Christian, and historians say that this brother later led a movement for the gospel in his country.

What valid excuse do you have for not being a true worshipper of God? Race, wealth, power and influence are not and should never be sufficient excuses.

In John 9:31, it says if ANY man be a worshipper of God, his prayers would be heard.  What price are we willing to pay to be true worshippers of God, who worship Him in Spirit and in truth?

Worship is not just a matter of slow songs; it is a lifestyle of humble devotion to God, which finds its true expression, fulfillment and reward in embracing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

We were created to worship and to worship God alone.            

Prayer:

Almighty God, You are the great God who deserves all my worship! More than anything else and for the rest of my life, help me to be a person who worships you in Spirit and truth, amen!