Fear of the Lord, Part 1 – “Mercenaries” in the Sanctuary
In the book of 2 Chronicles, a coalition of three nations was planning to fight against the Kingdom of Judah. King Jehoshaphat, being the ruler at that time, was desperate. So, after much praying, fasting, and singing praises to the Lord, together with his people, he received guidance from God. He then decided to go to war against their enemies. However, he did something that didn’t seem wise.
After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” 2 Chronicles 20:21
Because they trusted in Him and praised Him, the Lord went ahead of the army of Judah and caused the coalition of the three nations to kill each other without his people having to fight. Not a single one from the enemy’s camp escaped. The army of Judah only had to gather the plunder, which took them three days. Then they returned home just like they left before the war, singing praises to the Lord. As a result, this followed:
When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 20:29-30
So, even their enemies experienced the fear of God. What about us Christians, do we fear the Lord today? I suppose some do, and some don’t. Even many church leaders demonstrate that they no longer fear Him. If they did, they would have taught their flock about the sacredness and power of worship as seen in the Bible. They would have instructed them not to conform to the customs of the world, instead of approving them.
In the Old Testament, the Tribe of Levi had been set apart by God to serve Him, in and around the Tabernacle. The Levites were supposed to protect the honor of His name, assist Aaron the priest in his duties, and serve the community. From priesthood to worship, to care for the Tabernacle and the Sanctuary, etc., only they, could perform these sacred tasks. It was a serious matter.
Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death. Numbers 3:38b
Likewise, in our time, those who are serving the Lord and the Church should take their role seriously because it’s important to God. However, in this context, we are specifically considering those in the Worship Ministry and the leaders who appointed them.
In some churches, some things are not as they appear to be. When you look at the musicians and singers on the stage of a sanctuary, or the technicians at the soundboard or camera, you would assume that everyone there is a Christian. Wrong.
These days, many perform these duties without having a relationship with God. That’s what I call “Mercenaries”. Like the name implies, these people are there to get paid for their services. They don’t necessarily pledge allegiance to God or the devil. They don’t attach themselves to the Light or the Darkness, though they unknowingly belong to the latter.
The “Mercenaries” are employed solely because of their skills. The love and the fear of the Lord are not required of them. I agree that it’s commendable for a church to desire to offer an excellent worship to the Lord. He certainly deserves the best. The Bible indeed says to use our skills to praise God.
Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. Psalm 33:3
But I think that God would rather receive mediocre worship done wholeheartedly and with purity than have great songs from unrepentant sinners who don’t care about Him and sometimes despise Him behind closed doors. As the Bible says, what relationship can there be between darkness and light? But in church, children of the darkness are brought in to perform praise songs for the Light Himself. They should always be welcomed in to hear the Gospel, because salvation is for everyone, but not to execute these special duties.
As we saw at the beginning of this post, the Levites worshiped before leaving for war, on the road to it, and on the way back home. Why? Because God is enthroned in the praises of His people. God is present when we lift up His name, and there is power in His presence. Without God in their midst, the army of Judah would have been defeated and destroyed.
Now, we are not fighting against a physical enemy, but spiritual warfare is constant and very real. Without God’s presence among us, we are no match for the devil. It would be like someone with a small knife, facing an adversary in possession of weapons of mass destruction. It would be pointless.
The Bible also commands us to worship the Lord because He is Holy.
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2
But there are requirements:
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Psalm 15:1-2
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God, their Savior. Psalm 24:3-5
As God’s people, we need to worship Him, not only with our songs but also with our lives, offering ourselves as a holy sacrifice to Him. We need to fear Him and be in awe of His Greatness. Our Lord is Worthy.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! 1 Chronicles 16:25-26
The book of Revelation gives us an idea of worship in Heaven. This passage speaks of the behavior of the Four Living Beings and the twenty-four Elders before the throne of God.
Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night, they keep on saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” Revelation 4:8-11
People who lead the church in worship to the Lord should have great intimacy with Him to begin with. Though they will not be perfect here on Earth, their lives should be pleasing to the Lord and fully committed to Him, not just doing a job. Hiring God’s haters to bring Him praise should not be a thing. It’s not like hiring someone to care for the lawn or fix some electrical or plumbing problems. The “Mercenaries” are stepping into Holy Ground, and their heart should be intimately connected to God.
Who knows what they were doing the night before Sunday’s services? It’s a possibility that they were not doing anything wrong, but the opposite could also be true. What if a “mercenary” was at a bar hours ago, getting drunk and being promiscuous? Do you think that his performance would be acceptable to the Lord? Do you think that God would feel honored, knowing the things this person was doing not too long ago? His participation in worship would be like defiling a holy place.
It’s like you invite a king to come to receive honors at a special ceremony. He expects respect and decorum according to his high rank. When he arrives, he is led to a “seat of honor” prepared especially for him. Before he sits down, he glances at the seat and, surprisingly, notices that it is dirty. It is soiled not just with a little dust but smeared with a mix of mud and feces. Would that be the correct way to receive a king? I don’t think so! What do you suppose his reaction would be? Happy? Certainly not!
I am pretty sure he would feel dishonored, disrespected, and even humiliated. I can guess that he would call the host to rebuke him. He would turn around and leave, never to come back. Certainly, harsh consequences would follow for everyone responsible for this huge gaffe. Let’s go even further, imagine you are that king. Would you be pleased to be disrespected like that? You would be angry without a doubt. So why do people think it’s okay to treat God any way they want and expect Him to be delighted?
The Church is God’s house, and things should be done the way it pleases Him, not us. Imagine you have a favorite baker from whom you order on all the important occasions in your life. Two months ago, a special family celebration was ruined because she delivered your order hours later than she promised. When you respectfully voice your displeasure, instead of apologizing, she greatly insults you. You tell your family about it and decide to never use her services again. But lo and behold, your birthday is here, and your spouse, seeking to “please you”, orders your favorite cake from that baker. Though the cake looks perfect, because she is the best in town, would you be pleased that your spouse disregarded your will and minimized the insults you received? Would you be okay with him or her saying that they did it because they wanted to make you happy? After all, it’s your favorite cake, and they made sure it was well done. Is that a good enough reason?
What about God? Is it all that matters to Him? A worship well done, but without purity of heart and sincerity? And you, church leaders, when you hear the songs performed, you are satisfied and think you did a great job, hiring the skillful “mercenaries”. But you forgot the most important thing: God’s approval. Is God pleased with this kind of heartless and tainted worship? Once again, I will say: I don’t think so! The truth is, you were trying to please yourself, not God. You’re getting a boost to your ego every time people say that you have a wonderful and gifted worship band. Yes, great skills have been used to prepare a delectable dish for the Lord, but it’s poisoned. He knows it and He will not eat it, no matter how pleasing it looks to the eyes. It is defiled and rejected.
Anyone who has disrespected God in such a manner should repent quickly and expect the outcomes of their action. Though the Lord will forgive, the consequences will follow anyway. It is time for all people, especially Christians, to fear the Lord once again and give Him all the respect that is due Him.
And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Isaiah 29:13
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. Mark 7:6-7
Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” Job 28:27-28
By Nissi, 04-29-25
Remember, God is Love, but He is also Holy and Just. Therefore, He will judge all unrepentant sinners. Turn away from sin and come to Him.
