Do You Worship With Your Body?

(1) Do you lift up your hands when you pray to God?

LORD, I call upon you daily; I stretch out my hands to you —Psa. 88:9.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD —Psa. 134:2.

Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice —Psa. 141:2.

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands —1 Tim. 2:8.

(2) Do you get down on your knees?

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker —Psa. 95:6.

And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying, that he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven —1 Kgs. 8:54.

At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God —Ezr. 9:5.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home and in his upper room, and with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed —Dan. 6:10.

For it is written: As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God —Rom. 14:11.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed —Lk. 22:41.

For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ —Eph. 3:14.

(3) Do you bow your head and put your face to the ground?

So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped —Ex. 34:8.

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant —Jos. 5:14.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD —2 Chr. 20:18.

Then all the people answered, Amen, Amen! while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground —Neh. 8:6.

Behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean —Lk. 5:12.

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will —Mat. 26:39.

If you do, then good. These are all biblical forms of worship.

From Passover to the Lord's Supper

The practice of Covenant Communion is easy to establish by an argument from the continuity of the sacraments—specifically, from the Passover to the Lord's Supper. However, when I present that argument to my NAPARC friends, they usually respond in one of two ways. Either they deny that children partook of the Passover, per Calvin, or else they admit that fact and simply look for ways to avoid the inevitable conclusion—namely, that covenant children, therefore, have a right to the Lord's Supper.

In my experience, their most common reply is to say, "But there's not a one-to-one correspondence between the Passover and the Lord's Supper!"

Now, for those who appeal to Calvin, I usually point them to this article: https://www.pauliberati.com/blog/access-granted-studies-on-covenant-communion-pt-3, and then seal the deal with a lengthy quotation from Herman Witsius.[1]

But for those who try to avoid the conclusion by saying that there's not a one-to-one correspondence between the Passover and the Lord's Supper, I begin with a very simple question: Is there a one-to-one correspondence between Circumcision and Baptism?

You see, the fact is that no Reformed theologian, whether he holds to Covenant Communion or not, has ever taught or even tacitly assumed that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the sacraments of the Old and New Testaments. But the point here is that there doesn't have to be.

Just like there doesn't have to be a 1:1 relationship between Circumcision and Baptism for us to conclude that our covenant children should be baptized, so also there doesn't have to be a 1:1 relationship between the Passover and the Lord's Supper for us to conclude that they should also be admitted to the Lord's Table.

In other words, all that is necessary for the practice of Covenant Communion to obtain is for the sacraments of the New Testament to occupy the place and role of those of the Old. And, according to Reformed Theology, that is precisely the case.

// As Baptism has, therefore, succeeded Circumcision, so the Lord’s Supper has succeeded the Passover in the New Testament // [2]

---

End Notes:

[1] In his classic work, The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, published in 1677, Herman Witsius set forth what many Reformed theologians today consider the finest treatment on Covenant Theology ever written. Whether that’s the case or not, one thing is indisputably clear, namely, that contrary to the anti-paedocommunion rhetoric so common in our day, Witsius taught that from the beginning, and down through the centuries, both women and children did in fact partakere of the Passover. Indeed, he showed that according to Scripture, they not only ate but had a right to eat of that sacramental meal. Here is what he writes in 4.9.11-14:

// As to the guests, they were in the first place all true-born Israelites, if they were not excluded by legal uncleanness. For, Exodus 12:6, 47, “all the congregation of Israel” is commanded to solemnize the Passover; and then the proselytes, who “were circumcised and became Jews,” Esther 8:17; whether they were bondmen born in the house, or bought with money, or mercenary, or inmates of the land of Canaan, subject to no bondage, or in fine, those whom they called proselytes of righteousness, who, upon being circumcised, had a right also to eat the Passover, Exodus 12:48. It is a question, whether women were likewise excluded by the same law that the uncircumcised were, especially as the law commanded the males only to travel to the three festivals, Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16. It would seem they were not.

// First, because women cannot be numbered among the uncircumcised, nor accounted as such, for circumcision did not belong to them, but they were reckoned along with their circumcised parents or husbands. Second, because “all the congregation of Israel” as we have just shown, is commanded to celebrate the Passover. But the women make a part of this congregation, Deuteronomy 29:11.

"Thirdly, that the women together with the men celebrated these solemn festivals, appears from the example of Elkanah, who yearly carried with him his two wives, with his sons and daughters, to Shiloh to the solemn festivals, 1 Samuel 1:3, 4. Joseph also and the holy virgin, traveled yearly to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover, Luke 2:41. From which it appears, that the same thing may be concluded concerning all the pious women in those times.

// Fourthly, from a parity of reason; because in other eucharistical sacrifices, or שלמים, peace-offerings, women also had their portion: thus Elkanah gave to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and daughters, parts of the sacrifice; but to Hannah, whom he loved, a worthy, a double portion, 1 Sam. 1:4, 5. When David likewise offered eucharistical sacrifices, he dealt out a part of them to all Israel, as well to the women as men, 2 Sam. 6:18. And the daughters of the priests ate of the sacred food, Numb. 18:11, 19. And why may we not suppose that women also partook of the Passover, which was a kind of eucharistical sacrifice or peace-offering?

// Fifthly, we add the testimony of Maimonides, who says that women were not only admitted to the paschal feasts, but also at times there was a company which consisted only of women, de Pasch. c. ii. §. 5. But the command concerning women’s appearing at Jerusalem to keep the Passover is nowhere to be found in express terms. Hence it is said in Talm. Hierosol. Tract. Kidduschin, fol. 61, col. 3, “the Passover of women is a discretionary thing.” But those women who were led by a zeal for religion, were accustomed to present themselves before God, in order to partake of this sacrifice, Lightfoot, ad. Luc. 2:43.

// The guests who partook of the paschal lamb, are commanded to meet by houses or families, Exodus 12:3. But if a house had not a number sufficient to consume a lamb, the neighbours were to be called in, till a just number was made up, verse 4. The Jewish masters took care that the number of guests should not be under ten, nor above twenty. Which Jonathan’s paraphrase on Exodus 13:4, and Josephus, de Bell. Jud. lib. xvii. c. vii. observe. In those companies or societies, called φρατρίας by Josephus, by the Hebrews, חבורות, men and women sat down together, old men and young, whole and sick, masters and servants, and in fine, every Jew that could eat a morsel of flesh, not excluding even young children //

[2] Zacharias Ursinus trans. by G. W. Williard, The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism (Cincinnati, OH: Elm Street Printing Company, 1888), 440

From the Least to the Greatest: What Jeremiah 31:34 Doesn't Mean

Contrary to the common (Baptist) assumption, Jeremiah 31 does not teach that every single new covenant member without exception will know the Lord in a true and saving way.

In verse 34, Jeremiah uses a specific quantifying phrase that appears again and again throughout his book: "From the least to the greatest of them." That exact phrase or very similar wording appears in 6:13; 8:10; 16:6; 42:1; 44:12; etc. with close parallels in 5:4-5 and 9:3-6. Yet, in none of those instances does it mean "every single person without exception." Instead, it simply refers to that which is "pervasively but not exhaustively true."

The difference, then, between the Old and New Covenants with respect to the condition of the people was that they have gone from a pervasive ignorance to a pervasive knowledge of the LORD. However, this knowledge cannot be seen as the prerequisite condition for New Covenant membership anymore than the former ignorance was for Old Covenant membership.

In 6:13 and 8:10, Jeremiah uses the phrase in question to describe the pervasive corruption of the people, saying, "From the least to the greatest of them, every one is greedy for unjust gain." But this statement clearly does not mean that "every last member" of the covenant was greedy for unjust gain. For if we take the phrase in such an exhaustive way, it would mean anyone who was not greedy for unjust gain was not a member of the Covenant. This in turn would mean that Jeremiah himself was also excluded from the Mosaic Covenant!

So in the end, the point should be clear. In Jeremiah 31:34, the quantifying phrase "from the least to the greatest of them" is added to the term "all" to communicate the idea that in the days of the New Covenant there will be a much greater number of people who know the LORD than there was in the days of the Old. But it does not indicate that every individual member will know the Lord in a true and saving way.

Don’t Sacrifice Your Children

About 12 years ago, my wife and I decided to pull our kids from the government school system and commit to giving them a home education. When we did that, some of our friends and family members thought we were crazy: "What do you mean you're homeschooling?"

We explained to them that God's Word commands us to raise our children in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." We explained that every successful student becomes like his teacher, just as Jesus said, "Every disciple who is fully trained will be just like his Master."

We told them them that because we didn't want a godless, anti-Christian, government-run school system to disciple our children, we were willing to sacrifice up to half our total income to protect the hearts and minds of our little ones. Some nodded of course with eyebrows lifted, eyes glazed over, and the little corners of their mouths pointed downward. But that was okay. We knew they didn't understand. We knew we would have to bear the shame of stepping out in faith and obedience to God's Word. We knew we would be characterized as religious fanatics and regarded as overzealous and extreme.

But you know what? Today more than ever we are proud of the decision we made. Our walk with the Lord has been greatly strengthened and our faith has been confirmed time and again throughout the past 12 years. Especially, as we look around at the current state and condition of our nation, we know that we did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The degeneracy of public education is manifest.

In the picture below you can see just how far we've fallen. What "show and tell" used to be and what it is today is a clear testimony to the absolute corruption of our society.

And no, this is not one of those "I told you so" kind of rants. The facts are what the facts are and it's not about me or my family. This whole thing is about God. This is about the truth of His Word and the deceitfulness of the lies that unbelieving and hateful men both tell and believe. This is a wakeup call to those of you with any fear of God left in your souls still sitting on the fence wondering what you should do about this question of public education.

* To all the parents who still have your kids attending public school, you need to repent, come to Christ, and see to it that your kids get a good Christian education. And yes, if you need help and guidance and don't know where to start, then let me know. You can private message me and I will help you no matter who you are or where you live. This is that important!

* To all the Christian parents who still have your kids drinking from the filthy waters of public education, you also need to repent. Stop sending your children to Baal. Stop sending your children to Caesar. Go and get your kids and give them the education they deserve. Christian children have a right to a Christian education, and one day you'll have to give an account to Jesus Christ himself. You already know this and therefore have no excuse. To whom much is given, much is required.

* To all the pastors who turn a blind eye to the educational decisions of the members of your congregation, you need to repent more than anyone else. How is it that you can just stand there and watch as God's covenant children are being ravaged by the open haters of Jesus Christ? Honestly, your time is up. You have blood on your hands. This is a call for you to wake up, wash your hands, and put an end to your shameless infidelity.

And here, I'll end with this. If you're a pastor of a local church but you're not willing to use your God-given authority to put down this seditious rebellion within your own church and denomination, then you need to step down and go home. It's quite clear that you are not a true shepherd of God's people, called and ordained by Jesus Christ. You are just as the hireling in John 10, who when he sees the wolf coming, leaves the whole flock open and unprotected. If you think anyone else has something to answer for, then you have more. To whom much is given, much is required, and to whom much more is given, much more is required. You know this better than anyone else, and each man will receive according to his works.

To the fathers, pastors and Christian statesmen, it's time to man up and show your faithfulness to the Lord. It's time to deliver these little ones from the paw of the bear.

Did the Ten Commandments Exist Before Moses?

In the Reformed Faith, we hold that the Ten Commandments are but the summary of the whole Moral Law written on the heart of mankind in creation (Rom. 2:14-15). This is why we find so many instances of men operating out of an awareness of these commandments before they were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

* In Genesis 35, Jacob commanded the members of his household to put away their foreign gods, showing his awareness of the first and second commandments: Thou shalt have no other gods before me, and Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

* In Job 1, Job offered sacrifices for his children in case they happened to curse God in their feasting and drinking, showing his awareness of the third commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

* In Exodus 16, the LORD chided the people in the wilderness for working on the seventh day, showing their awareness of the fourth commandment: Thou shalt remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.

* In Genesis 28, Jacob obeyed his father's prohibition against taking a wife from among the Canaanites, showing his awareness of the fifth commandment: Honour thy father and thy mother.

* In Genesis 4, Cain expected to be executed for killing his brother Abel, showing an awareness of the sixth commandment: Thou shalt not kill.

* In Genesis 39, Joseph refused to sin against God by lying with Potiphar's wife, showing his awareness of the seventh commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery.

* In Genesis 20, Abimelech pleaded his innocence for taking another man's wife, showing his awareness of the eighth, and tenth commandments: Thou shalt not steal, and Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

* In Genesis 12, Pharaoh rebuked Abraham for lying about his relationship with Sarah, showing his awareness of the ninth commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness.