When the people of Israel brought their offerings for the consecration of the Tabernacle, all the metal objects, the basins, the bowls, the platters, were weighed against the “shekel of the sanctuary” (Num 7:86). In other words, there was a standard by which their worship was measured. The metaphor here is that worship our worship weighs something. If we think of worship in terms of ascribing God glory do his name, this makes sense. God’s glory literally describes his weightiness. To say that God is glorious is to say he is weighty; he is worthy.
If this is so, when we place his worth on one side of the scale and our sincerity on the other side of the scale, our worship will always be found wanting. We weigh the shekel of our sincerity in our hands, feel its heft, and demand that God accept it simply because we really mean it. But we forget that our sincerity is placed on one side of the scale, while the infinite mass, worth, beauty, and holiness of God is placed in the other side.
Perhaps this is why we want to measure our worship in terms of sincerity—we don’t want to be found wanting. What do you offer an infinitely worthy God? Nothing less than an infinitely worthy sacrifice. But raised hands, closed eyes, and shed tears are not the shekels we bring to God. He does not measure the worship of his children by the shekels of the their sincerity, but by the true “shekel of the sanctuary”—Jesus. He is our North Star. He is the Prime Meridian. He is the plumb line. More than that he is the priest who is also our offering. If we lift up Christ, our worship is always acceptable. And if that truth penetrates our hearts, our worship will not only be true, it cannot help but be sincere.
(I am currently reading through Numbers, so my posts for the foreseeable future will be reflections on Numbers.)
Interesting thoughts on the idea of measurement of worship. I don’t have a Bible infront (yes, I’m aware I’m on the internet but I don’t have time to look up that quote) but what’s the history of worship media? Where they were donating their craftsmanship/creations (as material goods clearly were valued differently than today) as worship as we define it (more/less praising God) or was it as a demonstration of the lack of weight mankind is capable or was it more of a sacrament type thing?
Interesting questions. In this particular passage, and throughout the Old Testament, every sacrifice had some quantifiable measurement. Animals were to be unblemished, and grain type and metal type offerings were to weigh a certain amount. But the Prophets, particularly Isaiah, condemn them for only measuring worship materially, and not being inwardly devoted to their worship. I think this is why we have a tendency to measure worship in sincerity units. But our mistake is the same as theirs if our worship is not properly directed at God, and if we think our sincerity somehow actually tips the scales in our favor.
Morgan,
The realization that Christ is the only offering that truly pleases God reminds me that my worship can never tip the scales in my favor. In Christ the scale is already in my favor. That’s the essence of grace. In a practical sense this deepens my gratitude towards God, which becomes the true motive of worship. If I don’t feel like worshiping, then it makes me realize that I have slipped in my understanding of grace.