Musting - Don’t let Work be a substitute for Worship!

 

Hebraic Musting - Don’t let Work be a substitute for Worship!

We already know that we can’t work our way into Heaven!!!  But how easy is it to let work get in the way of worship?  The commandment to observe the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) serves as a reminder that while work is important, it must be balanced with rest and worship.  The 5^th of the 10 commandments seems to be a link between the commandments re honoring God and those involving our daily lives. 

“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. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  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 20:8-11 NIV

Psalm 103:1-2 tells us how our Soul is to Bless the LORD.  “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—” and it goes on to describe the benefits.

Work becomes a substitute for worship when it takes the place in your heart, identity, and priorities that should belong to God.  Does work become your identity?  For example -- Instead of saying “I work as a lawyer,” it becomes, “I am a lawyer.”   Is it your job that defines who you are by giving you identity, meaning and purpose at your core?  What do you sacrifice for?  Does your work become Worship when you find yourself sacrificing for the sake of your family?

This perspective challenges the traditional separation of "spiritual" and "secular" activities, suggesting that all work, regardless of its nature, can be an act of worship when approached with the right intention and perspective.  It calls for a shift in mindset where work is viewed as an extension of worship, serving God and others with a heart of devotion and purpose.

Note - Webster’s definitions:
  Work - to perform work or fulfill duties regularly for wages or salary. 
  Worship - to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.

How and when should we be “Praising the LORD”?  This reminds me of the Martha & Mary comparison.  Martha invited Jesus to her home, “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’  ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:40-42 NIV

Who is your boss?  Why are you working and who are you working for?  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  Is your labor an offering?  Colossians 3:23-24 exhorts us to work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were serving the Lord rather than people.

Is a priest or pastor or ministry workers violating the Sabbath when holding church services on Saturday or Sunday?  Is preaching a message on the Sabbath work or is it worship?  What does that depend on?

Points to Ponder

Do we realize daily that we are working for Christ?

When does a priest or pastor or ministry workers get their day of rest, their Sabbath?

Has work become your Source of Security?

The Bible tells us to be diligent workers, so should we be hard workers for 6 or for 7 days?

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                           March 17, 2026            
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

 

Musing – How are you being trapped? By whom?

 Hebraic Musing – How are you being trapped?   By whom?

The Bible warns us well over 50 times about the traps and/or snares that we need to be wary of.   The classic trap we’ve probably been taught in school is the African Monkey Trap where the monkey was trapped by his unwillingness to let go of the banana inside the bottle.  To be free, all a monkey had to do was let go.

Our Bible has over 50 such warnings; here’s a just a sample of 14 traps to consider. (all NIV)

A hunter’s trap – by evil people. Psalm 124:6-7 “Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.”.

A friend’s flattery.  Proverbs 29:5 “Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.”

Sin.  Proverbs 29:6 “Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.”

The bait in traps.  Amos 3:5 “Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set?”  Are we trapped by evil desires or bitterness or attractiveness?

Planned traps.  Matthew 22:15 “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.” 

Rash dedications/vows.  Proverbs 20:25 “It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.”  How might we casually say things like “OMG” or "It's true, I swear!"?

Traps designed, set for me.  Psalm 31:4 “Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.”

The devil’s trap of captivity.  2 Timothy 2:24-26  “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

Overseer’s responsibility.  1 Timothy 3:3-7   An Overseer must “not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Desire to get rich. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”

A heart weighed down with anxieties of life.  Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

Fear of man. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” Prov. 29:25

The ensnaring woman.  “I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.” Eccl. 7:26

Hidden snares in my path.  Psalm 142:3 “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.”

Perspectives:  In our foolishness, we have been caught in many of these traps.  All we had to do was to let go and we would be freed.  I/we need to let go of pride, self-will, my way of doing things, my idea of how things should go, etc. etc.   Anything standing between my complete surrender to Jesus is an idol to be torn down.

Points to Ponder

Lord, what are the traps set for me, in the paths where I walk? 

Who is the trapper and why is he so successful?

What does it take to avoid traps & snares?

“when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinth. 10:13b

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                            March 10, 2026            
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by Mark Sterns’ ”I’ll take Traps for $200” 1/26/26

Musing – How important is Imputed Righteousness?

 

Hebraic Musing – How important is Imputed Righteousness?

Imputed Righteousness is one of those religious terms you've probably heard once or twice, but it sounded too complicated or obscure to ask what it meant.  The term isn't that obscure; in fact, its ideas cut to the heart of what it means to be Christian.

What Is Imputed Righteousness?

Before we can understand Imputed Righteousness, let’s understand what “Imputed” means.  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
 - to Impute means to credit or ascribe something to a person.  
 - Righteousness means to be in the right standing, or right position, before God.  
Together, Imputed Righteousness means right standing or right positioning has been credited to you. 

Is this what happened to each of us?  We were broken—sinful with no right standing before God because of our sin(s).  However, Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, and when you put your trust in him, he takes his Righteousness and credits it to your account.  You gain access to Righteousness not because of anything you have done but because Christ applied it to your account.  This Imputed Righteousness puts you in right standing before the Father as if you had done the right thing all along.

1. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the Righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

2. “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our Righteousness, holiness and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:28-30 NIV

3. “But now apart from the law the Righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24

4. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of Righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:17-19

Within these verses lies a constant theme of Imputed Righteousness, which is a great exchange. Christ took on our sin, which was Imputed to him, and we took on his Righteousness, which was Imputed to us.  Remember when you were once a lowly and despised sinner (not just you, but so was I).  Now you and I stand justified because of the Righteousness of Jesus applied to our accounts.  When you grasp this, it just doesn’t get any better!

Points to Ponder

Does this make you want to shout, “Thank you, JESUS!”

How does it feel to be grown up but now a Child or God?

Is his why we can say “Jesus is my LORD”?

What was that moment like when you realized you had "Imputed Righteousness”?

“… you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:11

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                         March 3, 2026            
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”