3.6.a Universal Worship of G-d
The Messiah will restore the whole world so that all will serve G-d in unity.
Zephaniah 3:9: “For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they all invoke G-d by name and serve Him with one accord. “
Isaiah 2:2-3 and Micah 4:1-2 “In the days to come, the Mount of G-ds House shall stand firm above the mountains and tower above the hills; and all the nations shall gaze on it with joy.
And the many nations shall go and shall say:
“Come, let us go up to the Mount of G-d, to the House of the G-d of Jacob; that He may instruct us in His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.”
For instruction shall come forth from Zion, the word of G-d from Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 14:16: “All who survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the Supreme G-d of Hosts…”
In Zechariah 14:9 we read:
הָיָ֧ה ה’ לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֧ה יְ־הֹוָ֛ה אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד׃
“And G-d shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one G-d with one name.” [1]
3.6.b Contemporary significance for Noahides
The whole world will worship G-d. Worshipping Him has everything to do with having respect for G-d. The basis of the second commandment for Noahides (namely the prohibition on cursing G-d’s Name) therefore is: show respect to G-d.
However, how can one command respect, love or appreciation for someone. After all, you can’t force feelings. In Chapter 3.5. we read about how important it is to have knowledge about G-d.
By your focus on getting to know Him, especially by taking the time to think about all the wonderful and great deeds G-d is doing in every moment, —the fact that He is constantly creating everything for a purpose and is in control of everything — will lead you to getting inspired to love Him, to praise and glorify Him. After all, by experiencing His Greatness, we realize our own smallness and dependency.
Or in the words of the Rambam:
“What is the path [to attain] love and fear of Him? When a person contemplates His wondrous and great deeds and creations and appreciates His infinite wisdom that surpasses all comparison, he will immediately love, praise, and glorify [Him], yearning with tremendous desire to know [God’s] great name, as David stated: “My soul thirsts for the Lord, for the living God” [Psalms 42:3]… When he [continues] to reflect on these same matters, he will immediately recoil in awe and fear, appreciating how he is a tiny, lowly, and dark creature, standing with his flimsy, limited, wisdom before He who is of perfect knowledge..”[2]
As king David said:
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃
מָה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃
“When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place, what is man that You have been mindful of him? “[3]
Getting to know G-d makes creates a sense of wanting to know more and learn more about Him and about His attributes, which will lead to even more respect, love, and appreciation.[4]
This respect leads Noahides to serve G-d the proper way in both deeds and speech. This intended G-dly service is divided into two categories: that which is directed inwardly—the person wants to correct his natural character and habits, and deeds towards G-d’s will— that which is directed toward G-d—namely prayer and praise.
The above-mentioned way of worshipping G-d will lead to a Universal way of worshipping G-d. It is good to set the right example for our environment and give direction to how G-d wants to be worshipped.
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources
[1] Mashiach written by Rabbi Jacob Immanuel Schochet.
[2] Yesodei HaTorah 2:2 – found in Shir haShirim publishing house ArtsScroll Tanach Series.
[3] Psalms 8:4-5
[4] Seven Gates of Righteous Knowledge written by Rabbi Moshe Weiner and Dr. Michael Schulman. See: the third gate; the gate of prophecy of serving G-d, chapter 1, the essence of the service to G-d.
Thanks to Dr. Michael Schulman for the feedback
Translated by Withney Ann Sieverink-McNair
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further.
