Do Not Worship God at a Time of Your Choosing

By definition, every Christian in the world believes in God and thereby believes in the Bible. Why, then, do so many people disregard the teachings in the Bible when it comes to when we must worship God? 

God Prescribes His Appointed Times

From the time Moses put God’s laws into writing with the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), the times for worshiping God have been known, whether they are the daily, weekly, or yearly observances. We see this beginning with the weekly observance of the Sabbath and the annual spring feasts of God.

Leviticus 23:1-6 The Lord said to Moses … These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. … These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; …

The Sabbath Is A Sign

The appointed times for God’s observances are given in the same manner, always with a prescribed day and, on occasion, a given time (e.g., at twilight). As these are the words of God, they are commandments that we must follow. God even made the fourth commandment of the renowned 10 Commandments given to the Israelites from Mount Sinai as a reminder to observe the Sabbath and said it would be a sign between Him and his people forever.

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 31:13-17 Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. … It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.

Ezekiel 20:20 Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.

Those Who Don’t Worship God On The Sabbath

The prevailing practice throughout the world is to have weekly worship on Sunday. Does this follow the teachings of the Bible? If not, does it matter? By looking at examples in the Bible, we can understand the importance of following the prescribed times for worshiping God and not a time of our choosing. No single verse in the Bible says we are blessed when we keep Sunday worship, but many say we will be cursed if we desecrate God’s Sabbaths.

Exodus 31:14 Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;

Ezekiel 20:13 They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws … and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness.

God Provides A Stern Warning Through Aaron’s Sons

A common stance on worship is that God accepts worship at any time. This may sound like a reasonable opinion, but is it grounded in Scripture? On the contrary, there is nothing written in the Bible that supports the keeping of worship whenever one desires, but there are examples against it. One example involves Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, priests of God Most High.  

Leviticus 10:1-2 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

Leviticus 16:1-2 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. …

Worship God At His Appointed Times

We see through Scripture that God taught us that we must observe His appointed times and not desecrate them. Despite some claims that we can choose our own Sabbath, there is only one day of the week chosen by God. If we insist on choosing our own times to worship God, we are breaking the commandments of God and cannot receive His blessings. Without blessings, there can be no salvation.

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

God has made His will clear, and only by doing God’s will can we be saved. Therefore, let’s follow God’s will by keeping the Sabbath Day and observing all of God’s feasts at their appointed times.