1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Obedience is the highest and most important aspect of any worship which produces reverence in the one who obeys. When satan had rebelled against God in heaven, he did show up for worship, but there was a strange and fierce war taking place in his heart, and therefore, even though he had bowed in reverence before God, his worship could not be accepted. Here is where many persons in our day struggle to differentiate reverence and true worship, because the external aspects of worship are misinterpreted to be true manifestations of acceptable worship.
A pastor or televangelist, or a priest may dress up in sacerdotal garments. They may carry their Bibles reverently and they may speak softly and walk quietly in the sanctuary but all of the good outward manifestations are not definite signs that true worship is taking place. Lucifer participated in worship up in heaven, and as the angelic choir raised their voices in praise to God he actually joined them, because, not only was he the choir, and music director, but it is a known fact that music has the ability to melt stubborn hearts in some instances, even though it may be temporary.
Ezekiel 28: 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him Thus, saith the Lord God; you seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets, and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that you were created.
1st Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!