In Exodus 19, God called His people to prepare to meet Him at Mount Sinai, where He would give them the law. On that solemn occasion, they were not allowed even to touch the mountain. Hebrews 12:22–24 reminds us that we have not come to such a mountain:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

If the people were commanded to prepare themselves before receiving the old covenant at Sinai, how much more should we prepare to meet the Lord each week for His greater new covenant blessing?

The Lord has specifically set aside one day in seven that we may worship and enjoy Him as we rest from our labors. God Himself exhibited a pattern of work followed by rest, and He weaved this pattern into the fabric of creation. From the beginning, God’s people were called to rest and worship on the seventh day. We are also called to rest from our labors and worship one day of the week, though the pattern flipped after the resurrection of Christ. We worship on the first day of the week, moving from rest to work on the following six days. Such is the great privilege of living in the resurrection power of Christ. This affects every moment of our lives and should move us to prepare to meet the Lord and experience the peculiar joy that is worship on the Lord’s Day.

Throughout the Week

Worship can take place in more than one context. Westminster Confession of Faith 21:6 says that individual believers should worship God “in secret.” This calls to mind Jesus’ statement that the Father who sees in secret will reward those who pray in secret (Matt. 6:6). Secret worship simply refers to a believer’s worshiping alone. In preparation for worship on the Lord’s Day, we may prepare by reading the Scriptures, by meditation, and by prayer, especially for God’s blessing on the ministry of Word and sacrament.