Covenant theology as a key foundation for worship

[Stephen L Smith]

"God has to come down from His lofty position, condescend to His creatures, impart, reveal, and give Himself away to human beings; then He who inhabits eternity and dwells in a high and holy place must also dwell with those who are of a humble spirit [Isa 57:15]. But this set of conditions is nothing other than a description of a covenant. If religion is called a covenant, it is thereby described as true and genuine religion. This is what no religion has ever understood; all peoples either pantheistically pull God down into what is creaturely, or deistically elevate Him endlessly above it. In neither case does one arrive at true fellowship, at covenant, at genuine religion. But scripture insists on both; God is infinitely great and condescendingly good; He is sovereign but also Father; He is creator but also Prototype. In a word, He is God of the covenant."
Herman Bavinck Reformed Dogmatics 2:569-570.

I am reflecting on the implications of this tremendous statement for Reformed and Biblical worship. Worship is covenantal, must be linked to genuine religion (regulated by scripture). The above statement suggests to me a covenantal balance of objective and subjective in worship. Ie, much of so called worship today is like pantheism. Yet a covenantal worship should be neither pantheistic or deistic, but that Biblical balance as brought together in the covenant.

There is much to think about in this rich statement.

Any thoughts?

 

[Peairtach]

In relationship to worship, one thing that it emphasises is that worship must be regulated by the terms if the covenant or testament which are the OT and NT.

God condescends to us in His covenantal Word.

Creational and creative elements such as musical intruments as part of the worship itself or the words of men in song will be excluded from public worship as not having the high scriptural warrant necessary.

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