Bow Low

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BOW LOW

Gen 18:1-15

18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way — now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. 9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. 10 Then the LORD  said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

NIV

We did not dismiss the last verses of chapter 17 regarding every male being circumcised and that Abraham did this when he was ninety-nine and Ishmael was thirteen. It is just that was a fact, but one that, once again, demonstrated the faith of Abraham, and his obedience to the LORD. Some time later the LORD appeared again to Abraham but this time with two angels, as we will see in Chapter 19. For now, we have the LORD and his two angels approaching the tent of Abraham and he hurried off to bow low to the ground. This would be the natural expression of honor, praise, and worship of the LORD, for we know Abraham would not bow before angels, just as we would not, but we also think we do not bow low to the ground in the presence of our Lord. That may have been customary to bow before the LORD in the time and culture of Abraham, for it is not our custom. Yet, we wonder if we might still bow low to the ground in a spiritual sense when we come into the presence of our Lord as we enter the sanctuary of our church. But then Abraham was not in a church, but this was his home, this tent was where he lived, and the LORD showed up, just walked right up to Abraham’s home, and spent some time enjoying refreshments. It took time to bake bread, slaughter, and cook the choice tender calf, which is another interesting point to ponder. Abraham slaughtered a calf for the LORD, and the LORD is going to offer the Lamb of God, to be slaughtered in a sense, for the descendants of Abraham. However, we want to focus on this bowing low to the ground when the LORD is present. We think we could do that in the physical sense when the LORD appears to us in our home, but then, of course, he is always with us, as the Holy Spirit dwells within us. So then how can we bow before his presence if he is always present, and still do our daily work? We must then walk in the spirit, bowing our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits before Him worshipping in spirit and in truth. This is the kind of worshippers the Lord seeks, so then let us worship Him in the manner Abraham did, bowing low to the ground, in spirit, and in truth. Abraham also did not prepare any calf or bake any bread but served the LORD the best he had. We should give or offer the Lord the best that we have, which is ourselves, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord, which is our spiritual act of worship. So let us bow low before our Lord.