05-'Public Worship' in the Old Covenant

The history of 'worship' goes back a long way. Even before God
formed Israel into a nation and gave them his covenant and its
law at Sinai, men 'worshipped' him. As far back as Genesis 3,
'Abel offered to God [an] acceptable sacrifice' (Heb. 11:4), and
by the time we get to Genesis 4:26, men had begun to 'call on
the name of the LORD'. We know that Noah built an altar (Gen.
8:20) – as did Abram, when he called 'upon the name of the
LORD' (Gen. 12:7-8). Abraham, receiving his change of name
when God told him of the covenant he would make with him
through the birth of a son, 'fell on his face' (Gen. 17:3,17), and,
in his willingness to obey God – even to the extent of sacrificing
that son – he 'worshipped' God (Gen. 22:5), building an 'altar'
(Gen. 22:9). Abraham's servant 'worshipped' (Gen.
24:26,48,52). Job, when he learned of the disasters that had
fallen upon his family and estate, 'worshipped' God (Job. 1:20).
These early episodes give us invaluable clues as to what is
involved in 'worship': submission, adoration, obedience,
gratitude, falling down before, and so on. And Jacob (knowingly
or otherwise) followed his grandfather's example (Gen. 12:7-8;
13:4,18) by adding the concept of a special – not to say, holy –
'place' when he venerated Bethel as the 'house of God', and God
confirmed his decision (Gen. 28:17,22; 35:1-15).