For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship

by Daniel I. Block

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2014

Overview

Current discussions about worship are often driven by pragmatics and personal preferences rather than the teaching of Scripture. True worship, however, is a response to God’s gracious revelation—in order to be acceptable to God, worship must be experienced on God’s terms. In this volume, respected Old Testament scholar Daniel Block examines worship in the Bible, offering a comprehensive biblical foundation and illuminating Old Testament worship practices and principles.

Block develops a theology of worship that is consistent with the teachings of Scripture and is applicable for the church today. He also introduces readers to a wide range of issues related to worship. Ideal for professors, seminarians, pastors, and church leaders, For the Glory of God is illustrated with diagrams, charts, and pictures that help the Scriptures come alive for readers and make the concepts discussed understandable.

Key Features

• Makes Scripture the guiding principle in the study of worship
• Offers a comprehensive biblical foundation of worship
• Illuminates Old Testament practices and principles
• Develops a theology of worship based on the Scripture

Contents

• Toward a Holistic, Biblical Understanding of Worship
• The Object of Worship
• The Subject of Worship
• Daily Life as Worship
• Family Life and Work as Worship
• The Ordinances as Worship
• Hearing and Proclaiming the Scriptures in Worship
• Prayer as Worship
• Music as Worship
• Sacrifice and Offerings as Worship
• The Drama of Worship
• The Design and Theology of Sacred Space
• Leaders in Worship

Top Highlights

“In a recent book on worship, Edith Humphrey correctly identifies five maladies that plague worship in the North American church: (1) trivializing worship by a preoccupation with atmospherics/mood (it’s all about how worship makes me feel); (2) misdirecting worship by having a human-centered rather than God-centered focus (it’s all about me, the worshiper); (3) deadening worship by substituting stones for bread (the loss of the Word of God); (4) perverting worship with emotional, self-indulgent experiences at the expense of true liturgy; and (5) exploiting worship with market-driven values.² After observing trends in worship for a half century, I agree with Humphrey completely.” (Page xii)

“YHWH is worthy of worship because he is sovereign over the cosmos.” (Page 45)

“YHWH is worthy of worship because he is supreme among the gods.” (Page 45)

“Fourth, true worship involves action. It is not primarily interior, as if God is concerned only about what is in our hearts and disinterested in external ritual and ethical expressions.” (Page 24)

“Fifth, the God who calls Israel to worship him assigns to them the mission of representing him to the world.” (Page 43)

Endorsements

. . . an insightful study of worship that has practical implications for all.

—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

Pastors and other worship leaders will wonder how they ever got along without it. We are all in his debt.

—John H. Walton, professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College

With its careful exegesis of the Bible, clear understanding of ancient Near Eastern culture, and practical suggestions for the local church, For the Glory of God is destined to become an essential text for putting God at the center of worship.

—Philip G. Ryken, president, Wheaton College

Product Details

• Title: For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship
• Author: Daniel I. Block
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 432
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Worship
• ISBNs: 9781441249098, 9780801098567, 1441249095, 0801098564
• Resource ID: LLS:9781441245632
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-06T20:40:46Z

About Daniel I. Block

Dr. Daniel Block, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, has been teaching God’s Word for more than 30 years.

It has been a special joy for Dr. Block to watch students, who often take introductory courses in Old Testament only because they are required to do so by the curriculum, suddenly awaken to the fact that the Old Testament is understandable and its message is both life-giving and relevant for modern, everyday life.

Dr. Block has published a number of books and essays in scholarly journals. The paradigm for his research and ministry is set by Ezra, as described in Ezra 7:10: he committed himself to the study the Torah of Yahweh, to put it into practice, and to teach his revealed will in Israel. This means constantly asking serious questions of the Scriptures: What does the text say? Why does the text say it like that? What did the text mean to the original audience? What does the text have to say to me today? In order to answer these questions, one needs to understand both the worlds out of which the biblical texts arose and the worlds in which modern people live.