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When They Heard…They Bowed Down and Worshipped

²⁹Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, ³⁰and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, ³¹and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Exodus 4:29-31

God highlighted the above verse as I read my Resting at the River’s Edge reading yesterday, and at the risk of writing back-to-back blogs about the same topic, actually from verses that read almost identically, I feel compelled to write about the Israelites reaction to their promised deliverance.

My previous blog came from Genesis 47:31

Jacob bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

I love the picture of Joseph, at the end of a very long life, leaning on his cane and bowing in worship. And I am challenged to “finish well” – worshiping God even as I lean on my cane in old age.

Yesterday, we read about the call of Moses and his return to the Israelites in Egypt. I had forgotten that Moses and Aaron first go to the Israelites and brings the elders together. Aaron tells them that God has seen their circumstances and heard their cries and that He has sent Moses to deliver them. Verse 31, then says “And they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.”

Jacob bowed in worship after seeing God’s faithfulness throughout his life. The Israelites in Egypt bowed in worship before seeing God’s faithfulness. They bowed in worship believing that God would do what He said He would do.

Yesterday my prayer was that I would finish well. Today, my prayer is that I would live well. And that living means submitting in worship to everything that God brings into my life each day.

I have no doubt that the Israelites lived a worship lifestyle even in the midst of their oppression by the Egyptians. If they had not, their first response would not have been to bow in worship at the news of their deliverance. It may have been one of disbelief and doubt, or perhaps anger and resentment or maybe even confusion. I can easily hear them saying things like “yeah, right…,” “if God really saw….,” “where was God when…,” or even “why…” There are many ways they could have responded.

The most unlikely response would have been to worship. If they had not been in the habit of worshiping the Living God through it all, they would not have bowed simply at the news that He intended to deliver them. But that’s what they did. They heard Moses’ story, they saw him perform the miracles God gave him to prove his story, and they believed and bowed down and worshiped.

Lord, help me to live a life of worship and respond to all you bring my way by bowing down and worshiping You.

I also find it curious that both verses say “bowed” in worship. Much of the worship we do in the church services and private worship today is celebration. I love celebration! Celebration is clearly Scriptural.

So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Psalm 32:11

Come, everyone, and clap your hands for joy!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
Psalm 47:1

These are just two of many verses that encourage us to celebrate God with exuberance! Yet these celebrations can more accurately be called praise than worship. The word translated most frequently as “worship” in the New Testament word is proskuneo (pros-koo-neh’-o). Look at the definitions Thayer’s Greek Dictionary gives for this word:

Proskuneo
1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
2) among the Orientals, especially the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication

There can be no doubt that worship, as described in Scripture, carries with it the connotation of bowing in reverence, respect and/or supplication; bowing before the King. And in America we don’t like bowing much. In other cultures, whether the English bowing before the Queen or Orientals bowing in greeting, it is a common sign of respect and a form of humbling oneself in deference to the other. Again, not things Americans do well. We show respect by giving a firm handshake, which is actually more a way of saying “I consider you worthy of the respect of a handshake.” That’s a far cry from “I bow before you.”

I wonder how much of our culture seeps into our relationship with God. Do we tend to show the Lord handshake respect or the respect of a bow? I hope it’s the latter. It’s the latter attitude that is encompassed in the word worship.

Lord, help me to always bow before you, never to greet you with handshake respect.

God is so very good to me. And I know that He is very good to you. You may or may not see it right now, but I know His character, so I know He is and has been good to you. I also know that He promises good things for your future. Will you pause for a moment with me today and bow down in worship?

A recent discussion on a leadership forum has raised the issue of the appropriateness of women in ministry again. I’ve briefly blogged on the issue here. In re-visiting the sometimes controversial topic, I see that I never posted the position paper I wrote on it. If you want more on the topic, you can check out the paper here.

²⁸Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he was 147 years old when he died. ²⁹As the time of his death drew near, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If you are pleased with me, swear most solemnly that you will honor this, my last request: Do not bury me in Egypt. ³⁰When I am dead, take me out of Egypt and bury me beside my ancestors.”

So Joseph promised that he would.

³¹“Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted.

So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.
Genesis 47:28-31 (NLT)

There is a lot I don’t understand about the story of Joseph – the Lord devotes twelve chapters in the book of Genesis to his story – the same amount as devoted to Abraham. And while there are many minor lessons that can be taught from Joseph’s story (if any lessons can be classified as minor), I feel like I am missing the big one. But setting that aside, I love the picture developed in this passage.

Joseph is now the governor or prime minister of Egypt, controlling all the grain distribution during the seven years of famine. His brothers come to buy grain and eventually Joseph reveals himself to them. They then go and bring their father, Jacob (also called Israel), and the entire family back to Egypt. Seventeen years later Jacob is nearing his death. He calls Joseph and asks him to promise that his final resting place will not be in Egypt – that after he dies, they will take him to the land of his fathers and bury him there. After Joseph agrees…

“Jacob bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.” Genesis 47:31b

And that’s the picture I love. I hope and pray that when I am old, that I bow, leaning on my cane, and worship the One True God.

There is something very precious about children in worship – children who have not yet been disillusioned and battered by life, offering pure, unadulterated worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Their purity and freshness encourages and blesses those who see it.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is also something very precious about the elderly in worship – those who have experienced life’s ups and downs and who no longer stand with strength and vitality. Those who are aware of who and what they once were and that they no longer are. Those who understand that their years on this earth are almost finished. Their testimony of the goodness of God over long years of life’s challenges and more recent years of frailty shouts louder than their voices can begin to project.

“Jacob bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.”

Lord, thank you for the faithfulness of men and women over the generations who have reached their elder years and still bowed in worship to You. May I become a part of that crowd of witnesses some day, Lord. Help me to finish well and when I am near my end, to lean on my cane and worship the One True God who has blessed my life through all its challenges and victories.

Today, February 1, 2010, I find myself pondering the date. That’s partly because Phil & I have a date scheduled for tomorrow – somewhat of a tradition at our house – to celebrate Ground Hog Day. We’ll eat garlic sausage, watch the movie Ground Hog Day and just generally have fun with the holiday. But it’s more than that. The first month of the new year is over and I find myself asking questions

• Have I begun to take hold of the eternal life to which I’ve been called?
• Have I listened for God’s voice more diligently?
• 8.3% of the year is over! Did I spend that 8.3% glorifying God in all that I did?

I can tell you the answer to the last question is clearly “No, not in all that I did.” Yet, there is a slow, gentle excitement growing in spirit – I can feel God working even though I can’t put my finger on it specifically. I am becoming dissatisfied with “life as usual” and with many of the ways I’ve “lost” time over the past year. Being aware of unhealthy or sinful patterns is the first step toward repenting of them. God is making me aware of such patterns and nudging me toward change.

Two Examples
I’d like to share two examples with you, but I do so with some trepidation. In my heart of hearts, I’d like you to believe that I have it all together! Of course I don’t. And I’d like you to believe that I’m an incredibly mature, godly woman. I’m not. I am a sinner, struggling to apprehend all that God has for me while still needing to overcome my selfishness, laziness and many insecurities. So, friends, I ask that you extend grace to me as I share these examples.

God is Challenging How I Use My Time
A few days ago, I wrote this in my journal:

A new experiment – What would it REALLY look like if I believed that ALL my time was God’s time? If I REALLY believed that God was in control of my time? (And on course, if I REALLY gave Him full control of my time?) I don’t know if I could sustain such an experiment for more than a few hours… What would my life look like if I REALLY trusted God with every minute and followed His leading?

Let’s start now and see what it looks like. I’m scared, that’s true. But let’s give it a try!

I’m sure we’d all like to believe that God owns our time, but when I took a hard look at how I spent mine, I couldn’t in good conscience say that He does. So for a day, I never went from one task to another without pausing to pray and consider what God wanted me to do next. The result? Some normalcy, some rebellion (I did what I wanted to do anyway) and some peace (when I listened to God, not when I did my own thing). The next day I forgot the experiment! (Amazing how much I can forget while I’m sleeping.) But the thought has come back to me periodically and I have been more conscious of how I’m spending my time (or should I say “God’s time”). In my heart of hearts, not only do I want you to believe I’m perfect, I also really want to follow God more closely and be in constant fellowship with Him. He’s beginning to bring that desire to the front of my mind more frequently and I am being obedient to respond to it more quickly – even in the midst of life’s daily priorities, whether they be work priorities, family priorities or my personal priorities.

God is Reminding Me to Listen and Watch for Him
Our small group came up with an assignment for this week: Look for “God Sightings” each day. God Sightings – circumstances in which God is moving or has moved in your life. It might be to bless you, whisper something in your ear, or convict you of sin. Who knows? Just keep your eyes and ears open for “God Sightings.”

If we believe that God is at work in us conforming us to Christ’s image, if we believe that God leads and guides us, and if we believe that God wants to bless His children, we really ought to be able to recognize His work in our lives on a daily basis. Yet for most people, it’s not as it sounds. In grad school I had a class called “Spiritual Formation.” As a part of the curriculum, we were required to journal every day what God was doing in our lives. Again, one would think such an assignment would be easy for grad students preparing for ministry. Few if any of us found it so. Thinking about this over the past several days, I’ve concluded that there are two reasons that I can’t fill pages and pages with God Sightings each day: (1) most of the time I live my life oblivious to the spiritual realm, and (2) I take the things God does for me every day for granted. I don’t want either of those things to be true about me.

Some times God has to hit me over the head to get my attention. I don’t want to be that way. I want to be ever attentive to Him. But that comes with practice and I don’t practice it enough. God is reminding me to practice!

I’m thankful for the woman in our small group who suggested we look for God Sightings this week. I’m pretty sure her suggestion was a God Sighting – His way of reminding me that it’s something He’s been nudging me toward. And I’m trying to be diligent to pause regularly to ask “is this what You want me to be doing right now, Father?” I’m afraid my independent streak deceives me into believing I can do things on my own and make my own decisions. I don’t want to live independent of God.

How about You?
How closely are you walking with God? Is He really in control of your time? Do you see Him working in your life? May I encourage you to spend some time in prayer over the next couple of days? Ask God to help you grow closer to Him. Appreciate and thank Him for the many, many things He does in your life each day. Ask Him to make you more aware of them.

Imagine how different your life would be if you were aware of the things God does for and in you each day!
As I’ve said (perhaps in a round-about way), I want to live in that knowledge. How about you?
P.S. Here’s an example of one woman who sees God in her life every day – it may seem an unusual way to see God every day, but God has revealed Himself to me in similar ways.