And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you (Genesis 22:5).
We tend to think of worship as singing, or testimonies, or hearing a message. This could hardly be the meaning in our text, however, for Abraham was intending to offer Isaac on a sacrificial altar in accordance with Gods command. Furthermore, Isaac was willing to be offered. They went both of them together (Genesis 22:6,8). Isaac, in fact, was not just a little boy at this time. The word lad in our text is the same word as young men in the same verse.
The first time the Hebrew word for worship is used is in Genesis 18:2. When Abraham saw three men approaching (later revealed as the Lord and two angels), he bowed himself toward the ground. Thus worship means essentially bow down in obedience to the will of the one deserving worship.
Abrahams supreme act of worship, however, was his willingness even to sacrifice his beloved son, if Gods will so required. He trusted so fully in God that he knew God was able to raise him up, even from the dead (Hebrews 11:19), and so he could tell his two servants that he and Isaac would come again to you. No wonder Abraham is called the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11). He was, indeed, strong in faith (Romans 4:20).
The New Testament Greek word for worship also means essentially to bow down to Gods will. It occurs first when the wise men came to King Herod seeking the infant Savior, saying: We . . . are come to worship Him (Matthew 2:2). As, long ago, a great man on Earth bowed down to the three from heaven, so now three great men on Earth bow down to one from heaven, the one who alone is worthy of true worship. HMM