Begin By Bowing

Reverence is the start to gaining a right perspective and a posture that allows your relationship with God to blossom.

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it…David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head.” 1 Chronicles 20:1-2 

Does anything seem to be missing from this story? Where is God mentioned? Is He the center of decision making, or are the people simply following the patterns of the world? Is it not strange that people would fight just because it was springtime?

God is not interested in being ignored or cast aside. He looks for the person whose heart is aligned with His and who is open to learning a new way of living. Doing whatever you please or fitting in with the crowd does not honor God. Is your calendar controlled by the season of life or by your Lord and Savior?

David was a man after God’s heart, and a crown is placed on his head in this chapter. Coronation is a process we may be unfamiliar with, as we live in a democratic union. To be crowned requires that one bow down and bend their head in order to receive authority. God wants to put a crown above your head, but before He does, we are called to bow before Him.

“Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies. The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭58‬:‭1‬-‭11‬

David takes the time to evaluate what he sees in the world around him. Rather than jumping to conclusion, he takes the time to ponder. If we are going to be people who are faithfully learning, it is important to build margin so that we can see from many perspectives in order to determine which most aligns with our Heavenly Father.

Unfortunately, when David looks at the ways of the world, he sees injustice and inequity. Can you relate? If you turn on the news today, what will you read about? How will you respond when you see inequity and injustice? David turns to God and asks for help. He gives plenty of suggestions for what he thinks God should do to those who practice evil, but he makes the decision to let God be the judge. Do you? Many times it is when we see things that we know are not right that we play judge and jury. It is good to be able to discern right from wrong, but it is not good to play God when it comes to judging others.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. my son, do not go along with them…do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil…they ambush only themselves! Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it. Out in the open wisdom calls aloud…“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings…they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:7-33

What does it mean to you to fear the Lord? If the fear of the Lord is the beginning, where does the road of knowledge lead? The Hebrew word Yirah means fear, awe, reverence, respect, and awareness of authority. Solomon is saying that before you do anything, it is best to start by seeing correctly. Jesus often said the same thing. He said to change the way you are thinking or looking at people, problems, and patterns.

How does that challenge or change us? The person who fears God acknowledges that they do not have the final word; God does. To fear the Lord is to proclaim that Jesus is the center of our lives, and we crown Him King. The righteous person submits to God’s authority, recognizes they are not God and therefore do not know everything there is to know, so with a humble heart they seek to learn.

Do you see the contrast? The one who does not fear the Lord is someone who will not listen. Solomon describes the sinful, the prideful, the wayward, and the complacent. Each falls short because they refuse to have ears to hear or a heart that honors God. Each person who practices evil is telling the world with their actions that they do not care what God thinks. What have your words, actions, and attitude told the world about whether you fear the Lord?

The key point is not just the beginning, but where the road leads. The word knowledge is about knowing God, drawing closer, and desiring to dwell with Him. Jesus said many times, come to Me, follow Me, stay close to Me. The fear of the Lord is what helps us begin our journey of knowing Jesus and enhancing our relationship with Him. Do you want to draw closer to Jesus? Start by changing your perspective and bowing before Him.

“Ishmael son of Nethaniah, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah…While they were eating together there, Ishmael…struck down Gedaliah…with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land…Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah…Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes…they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon…Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled” Jeremiah 41:1-15

People who do evil do not often think of how things will end. It was a fairly simplistic assassination plot and one that we’ve seen many times over the course of history, but where does that road lead? Military or makeshift coups do not typically hold on to the crown. More often than not, each person who lives by the sword dies by the sword.

You may not connect much with this passage. You are not likely to be planning to overthrow the federal government or even your local city council. But the deeper reflection comes when we consider the state of our hearts. How often do we assassinate others with our words or in how we look at them? Are we thinking about where the road of offense leads? Have we considered whether our heart’s posture or attitude honors God?

Every time you insult others, gossip, hold on to offense, or harbor ill will in your heart toward one of God’s children, you are stealing the crown from your King and playing God. You cannot fear the Lord and hold on to unforgiveness. When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, He instantly connected loving God with loving others. Where have you allowed the actions of others or the world around you to create offense in your heart and cause you to lose the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is the beginning, and our covenant with Christ calls us to see that we are all part of the body.

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly…he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius…send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter…About noon…Peter went up on the roof to pray…He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals…a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean…the voice said…Do not call anything impure that God has made clean…the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you…A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house…As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him…it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen. …Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message…the good news of peace through Jesus Christ…While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.“ Acts 10:1-47

It is always amazing to see how the passages of Scripture align. Today we are invited to draw closer to God by humbling our hearts and seeing beyond ourselves. The story of Peter and Cornelius is radical and a great reflection of how God is working to bring people together. Peter awakens to the reality that God does not play favorites but loves all who open their hearts to Him.

Look at how Proverbs is lived out in this passage. A Roman soldier is rewarded for honoring God by giving to the poor, praying, and pursuing Him. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, is the one who most needs an attitude adjustment. It was the one who thought he knew what was right who did not know what was righteous. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking we know what is best and stop approaching life with a holy curiosity.

Do you see how the fear of the Lord led Cornelius to a place where he listened and wanted to learn? God wants to guide each of us to have learning as our heart’s posture. The very root of the word disciple is one who learns. We are meant to daily learn to walk like Jesus, serve like Jesus, and love like Jesus.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning, but it is not the end of the road. Reverence helps us bow our heads before the King, but from that posture God crowns us with His righteousness. Jesus invites us to rise and follow Him into wide-open fields ready for harvest. The truth is, there will never come a day when you have learned everything there is to know about God.

There is always more of Jesus to discover, more of His heart, His mind, and His soul. As the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are empowered to pursue intimacy. The call is to let humility, curiosity, and a willing spirit lead you to listen. Let Jesus guide your thinking and change the way you see others. Choose to fear the Lord, listen to His voice, and follow Him wherever He leads. Often, He takes us out of our comfort zones and onto strangers’ couches.

Ultimately, the crown belongs to Jesus, but the invitation to be a disciple leads us deeper into His presence, transforms us into His likeness, and teaches us how to carry His love to others. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowing the One who already knows everything about you and wants you to learn everything you can about Him.