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they are linked together in that, whether it be David bowing before the Lord's anointed,
or Saul fancying he is in the presence of a miracle, the attitude is one of reverence,
whether genuine or misguided.
The fifth reference is in Numb. 22: 31, where the eyes of Balaam are opened to see
the Angel of the Lord in the way. We read: "And he bowed his head, and fell flat on his
face." Although the word here translated "to fall down flat" is still shachah, "to
worship", it is the only occurrence of the word being followed by such an expression as
"on his face", which lowers it from its true meaning of fear, to sheer fright, leaving
therefore fourteen examples of the use of the word "to bow" associated with the higher
meaning of obeisance or worship.
The only remaining reference in this series is Gen. 43: 28, where the brethren of
Joseph "bowed down their heads, and made obeisance", fulfilling the dream that had
excited their early animosity and foreshadowing the day when Israel shall look upon Him
Whom they have pierced and give Him the long-deferred honour that is due.
We now have left for our meditation the nine occurrences of qadad, "to bow", all of
which are definitely associated with the worship of God.
As we pursue this study let it be kept in mind that we are seeking fuller light upon
the essential nature of true worship. A satisfactory definition of worship is hard to find,
and it is hoped that the present studies will be a useful contribution to the subject. The
nine references are Gen. 24: 26 and 48; Exod. 4: 31, 12: 27, and 34: 8;
I Chron. 29: 20; II Chron. 20: 18; 29: 30 and Neh. 8: 6.
The first pair show us worship in the presence of most evident leading. Abraham had
sent his servant to Mesopotamia to seek a wife of his own kindred for Isaac. Upon
arrival, the servant made the camels kneel down by the well, and prayed:
"O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and
show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and
the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that
the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink also,
let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I
know that Thou has showed kindness unto my master" (Gen. 24: 12-14).
In this prayer there is a delightfully robust, yet simple, faith which the Lord was
pleased to honour. Before the man had done speaking, Rebekah is seen approaching,
carrying her pitcher, not on her head, but upon her shoulder, indicating, as some have
said, her higher caste. Thompson, in "The Land and the Book", is worth quoting here:
"She went down to the well; and nearly all wells in the East are in wadies and many
of them have steps down to the water--fountains of course have. Eliezer asks water to
drink; she hastens and lets down the pitcher in her hand. How often have I had this
identical act performed for myself, when traveling in this thirsty land. Rebekah's address
to the servant, `Drink, my Lord'--Ishrub ya seedy--will be given to you in the exact
idiom by the first gentle Rebekah you ask water from."