Bow before God

Dear friend

During the horrendous torture of the Lord by the Roman soldiers, not only did they inflict wounds to His holy body, they also ridiculed Him. This is recorded in the New Testament, Matthew 27:29

29 And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

It is interesting to note that they "bowed the knee" in dramatised derision as part of their scoffing sarcasm. The act of bowing in front of an authority figure is as old as time. While Christ truly was a king, in this case it was applied contemptuously; but remember, they knew not what they were doing.

Another example of bowing comes from the incident when Nephi was miraculously released from his bonds after his brothers tied him up and plotted his death. When others intervened the brothers realised the gravity of their evil plot. Their attempted apology is found in the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 7:20.

20 And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me.

The brothers used the act of obeisance, accompanied with pleading, to show the apparent depth of their repentant sincerity. If only they had been willing to show such desperate deferential respect to their God.

Bowing before royalty is still culturally commonplace; albeit many republican thinking people refuse. They cite that all men are equal. If only we all realised the vast inequality between mankind and God. Then the humility of bowing would come easily. This is simply and sweetly said in the Old Testament, Psalm 95:6.

6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

It is our privilege to be subject to God. Let us never feel that bowing is beneath us. We owe everything to Him. Bowing is a small act of humble, loving recognition.

Samuel.