1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magia from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’b ”
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (From Micah 5:2)

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The second mention of worship is crossing the Red Sea.

Image from
http://www.yeshshem.com/song-of-the-sea.htm

The tabernacle is a portable structure to provide a place where God would dwell as a pillar of fire by day, and fire by night. There are explicit directions on building it in Exodus 25-40. Instructions included directions for the furniture, curtains, poles. and lots of gold. Took seven months. Made while people were wandering in the wilderness, and first set up on day 1 of year 2 after they left. Donated materials came in such abundance, Moses had to stop them. (Exodus 36:6) These were likely things given to them when they left Eqypt on the night of Passover, and the Egyptians gave them as they fled.

The exterior curtains were plain, but the door of entry was beautifully woven and it was the only way in. When you entered first thing you would see an altar. Place for sacrifices. There were prescribed sacrifices.

The bronze laver contained water for cleansing. When this was recreated for Solomon's temple, the bowl sat on top of statues of 12 bulls.

Holy Place - Only priests could enter in. Contained a table with 12 loaves of bread; candlestick, which provided light, and an altar for burning incense.

There was a ceiling to floor curtain made of the brightest colors and most beautiful materials that separated the Holy of Holies which contained the Ark of the Covenant. High Priest entered once a year on the Day of Atonement. Put blood on the ark.

The Temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

Plundered then destroyed in the Babylonian exile.

Rebuilt by Zerubabbel at return, then rebuilt again by Herod, and destroyed in 70AD by the Romans.

One way into the outer court - Jesus is the way, the gate, the door

Altar for sacrifices - Jesus is the final sacrifice; sprinkling of blood, spilling of his precious blood

Laver - water for washing; Jesus is water of life; we are cleansed from sin through him allowing is to be ready to come into the holy place

Holy Place, or sanctuary - separated; holiness requires us to separate from the world. Covered with 4 layers; only one way in.

Showbread - Or Bread of the Presence. 12 loaves, 12 tribes; Jesus is the bread of life.

Candlestick - Provided light in the holy place. Jesus is the light of the world. Priests kept it burning.

Altar of Incense - incense represents prayers

Veil - separates the Holy of Holies.

Holy of Holies - High priest entered 1x/year. Needed blood to get in. Wore bells. Tied a rope on his ankle in case he died. They listened for the jingling. Completely dark. With the blood of Jesus, we can enter in.

Ark of the Covenant or Ark of the Testimony - Gold. Cherubim on top with wings touching. Contained Aaron's rod that budded. 10 commandment, jar of manna

Psalm 95:6

Barak - worship with your body.

Barak to kneel and bless God as an act of adoration, implies a continual conscious giving place to God, to be attuned His presence

http://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2013/11/worship-praise-difference/

Yadah to throw out, to worship with an extended hand

http://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2013/11/worship-praise-difference/

Look at the focus in heaven where worship is non-stop

Isaiah 6
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

Revelation 4:2-11
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]

who was, and is, and is to come.”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

We are often distracted when we try to worship. This is where we need to take our thoughts captive.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.