Category Archives: Bowing

A man carrying a glowing, magical orb with constellations and runes on his back while walking on a mountain path
Awe, Bible, Bowing, Isaiah, Romans, Scripture, Sin, Worship

BOWED BACKS

ROMANS 11:10

“‘MAY THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT AND BEND THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY.’”

When I was growing up in rural Southwest Georgia, I worked for Walter Pollock and Sons. Mr. Walter was a farmer and businessman. One of his operations was a Feed and Seed store. We also sold fertilizer and other crop products. During peanut season I would often get sent out to the warehouse to load land plaster which the farmers used to dust their peanuts. Those bags were about the size of concrete bags and weighed about 80 pounds each. We would load two or three bags on our shoulders and carry them onto awaiting trucks, usually ten to fifteen tons. That will bow your back after a full day.

The imagery Paul uses in today’s verse is of the Jews who would suffer hardships due to their refusal to follow the Lord. We know that during Paul’s day he saw many Jews suffering under Roman rule. Some of those Jews were forced into servitude in mines or building roads. Their backs were bent from this work. Hardships often follow disobedience. You’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it.

APPLICATION

Paul isn’t referring to bowed backs due to just hard work. There’s nothing wrong with hard work. But when our disobedience causes extra burdens to bear, that’s when God’s judgment can come into play. Are you hearing me? Are you under a heaven burden right now of your own making? Take a step back and do a little observation. What is the Lord trying to steer you away from? What is He asking you to change about your life?

The Topical Lexicon explains the word used by Paul for “bend.” It is the word sunkamptō and appears once in the New Testament here in today’s verse. “Paul quotes Psalm 69 to portray divine judgment that leaves the unrepentant with ‘backs … bent forever’ (Berean Standard Bible). The verb pictures a forced, continuous bowing that contrasts sharply with the joyful, voluntary bending of worship.”

So, tell me what you would rather do – bend your backs in servitude to the sins that weigh you down or bend your knees in worship? I know what I prefer. Bowing before a holy God in reverence is a good bending. It is a sign of humility and awe. Try that today. Bend your knees and your back before Him. He will lift you up. I guarantee you the devil won’t pick you up. He’ll keep putting more weight on your shoulders.

Thank You, Lord, for lifting my burdens on Calvary. I bow before You now is reverence to Your name.

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Allegiance, Bible, Bowing, Jesus, Kneeling, Scripture, Worship

KNEELING

PHILIPPIANS 2:10

“so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

I’m at the age now when I kneel down to get something, I pause to see if I need to do anything else while I’m down there. Lol. Can you relate? Kneeling gets harder with age. Our bones crack and moan more. Our backs strain getting back up. Now, I’m not in awful shape physically, but I definitely feel my age more these days. Maybe helping watch my ten-month-old grandson has something to do with it. You think?

Paul makes a declaration in today’s verse which is directly from the mouth of God. He says that one day, “every knee will bow.” And when he says “every” he means EVERY. He covers them all – in heaven, on earth and under the earth. Everyone will bow before the only true and holy Savior, Jesus Christ. He is Lord! John says something similar in his vision statement in Revelation 5:13. “And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.’”

APPLICATION

The Greek word translated as “will bow” is kamptó which “primarily means to bend or bow, often used in the context of bowing the knee as an act of submission, worship, or reverence. It conveys the physical act of bending as well as the metaphorical act of showing humility or deference.” (Strong’s Lexicon). It is only used three other times (Romans 11:4. 14:11; Ephesians 3:14).

In Romans 11:4 Paul writes about the story of Elijah when he was complaining to God and was told by God that He had kept 7,000 men in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. In other words, their allegiance was to Jehovah and bowed only to Him. Later in Romans 14:11 Paul is quoting God from Isaiah 45:23 which says, “‘I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.’”

Finally, as Paul begins his prayer in Ephesians 3:14, he writes, “For this reason I bend my knees before the Father,” You see, Paul knew there was only one God and to Him only would he bow. Paul would bow to no man. Kind of reminds you of three youth who got thrown into a furnace for refusing to bow to an earthly king, doesn’t it?  Today, bow your knee, bow your heart, kneel and pray and lift up the name of Jesus.

O Lord, I will bow before You and praise Your holy name.

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Bible, Blessing, Bowing, Heart, Honor, Humility, Prayer, Scripture

BENT KNEES

EPHESIANS 3:14

“For this reason I bend my knees before the Father,”

Eusebius of Caesarea quotes the writing of Hegesippus, a chronicler of the early Church concerning James, the half-brother of Christ and leader of the early church. “He alone was permitted to enter the holy place, for he did not wear woolen but linen garments. And he frequently entered the temple alone and was frequently found situated upon his knees asking forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard after the manner of a camel, on account of always bending down upon a knee while worshipping God and asking forgiveness for the people.”

I wonder if Paul’s knees were also calloused due to kneeling in prayer. I know mine aren’t. Paul begins a prayer in today’s verse that goes through verse 21. It is one of the most encouraging prayers in Scripture. It is one of many of Paul’s prayers recorded in the New Testament (some say his writings contain as many as 45 prayers or prayer “snippets”). “For this reason” points back to the preceding verses. Paul had many reasons to pray, but the salvation offered to the Gentiles was at the top of his list.

APPLICATION

Okay, this is one of those “duh” verses. What do I mean by that? I mean we can all see how to apply this our lives. I need to bow my knees before the Father a lot more than I do now. I cannot pray enough. In 2 Chronicles 6:13, we see Solomon, the king of Israel, bow in humility. “For Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.” At this point in Solomon’s life, he was not ashamed to humble himself and pray.

How about this example of kneeling in prayer, despite the danger. In Daniel 6:10 we read, “Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously.” We know the consequence of this. He was thrown into the lions’ den but escaped death because of his obedience to be faithful in prayer.

What is stopping you from kneeling today? Maybe you have bad knees or a bad back and can’t physically kneel. Bowing our knees before God in prayer is about much more than our physical position. It has more to do with our spiritual position. Bow yourself in humility. Recognize the awesomeness of our God. Give Him the honor that is due Him when you pray.

O Lord, forgive me, cleanse me, purify my heart. I bow my heart and spirit before You today.

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