Just as tubes of oil paint do not produce on the mind the same effect

as a picture, so these supply the material, but do not teach the true meaning

of worship.  It must be our delight as well as our duty to use these

materials, and under the guidance of the Spirit, to learn something of what

is meant by the worship of God.

The implications of posture have occupied the attention both of doctors

of divinity and of medicine.  A lazy posture is inimical both to serious

study and reverence in worship, and as the close association of 'bowing the

head' with worship meets us very early in the Scriptures, let us examine the

passages in which this expression is found.

The word used is the Hebrew qadad, and occurs fifteen times.  Of this

number of references, nine deal with the worship of God, and six with various

acts of reverence or fear in the presence of man or angel.  We shall be

following the Divine method of instruction if we begin with the three

passages that refer to man, for, after all, the bowing of the head in the act

of worshipping One who is Spirit, borrowed as it is from this evident token

of human respect, can have no intrinsic meaning as related to God Himself,

Who sees the thoughts and intents of the heart, whatever attitude or posture

is adopted.

The first pair of references occurs in 1 Kings 1:15, 16,31.  Between

the two verses lie the asking of a request and the granting of it.  The

subject of Bath-sheba's request was the fulfilment of David's oath that her

son Solomon should succeed to the throne, but that need not take our

attention here.  It is sufficient to see that in making the request of the

king and in her acknowledgment of the answer given, Bath-sheba 'bowed and did

obeisance' and 'bowed, and did reverence'.

'And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king

was very old ... and Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king.

And the king said, What wouldest thou?' (verses 15 and 16).

'Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence'

(verse 31).

The reader will not be surprised to learn that both 'obeisance', and

'to do reverence', here, are translations of the Hebrew word shachah 'to

worship'.  It is a simple matter to translate the attitude of Bath-sheba,

when making her requests and in thanksgiving before an earthly and aged king,

into higher terms, and see their application to the worshipper who approaches

the King Immortal with requests and thanksgiving:

'Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.

Thine, O Lord, is the Greatness, and the Power, and the Glory, and the

Victory, and the Majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the

earth is Thine; Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as

Head above all.  Both Riches and Honour come of Thee, and Thou Reignest

over all; and in Thine hand is Power and Might; and in Thine hand it is

to make Great, and to give Strength unto all.  Now therefore, our God,

we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name' (1 Chron. 29:10-13).

Worship contains more, but never less, than this great ascription of

praise; a greatness that is intrinsic and His own, and a greatness that is

solely at His disposal, a God Who is sovereign, and a God of sovereign grace.