If God has said, “Be holy, because I am holy,” and Paul tells us that we can “[perfect] holiness out of reverence for God.” I would say that we ought to take a closer look at the biblical definition of reverence.
According to the New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (NIBD), reverence is a feeling of profound awe and respect. Because of His majesty and holiness, God arouses a feeling of reverence in those who worship and serve Him, (Hebrews 12:28-29). Did you notice that it says “those who worship and serve”?
Reverence is translated from a few different Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words. A closer look at these will give us a better idea of just what reverence is and how we can better reverence the Lord.
The first word is yârê which occurs over three hundred times in the Bible. It is translated as fear, afraid, feared, terrible, reverence, reverend, and several other words relating to fear. This is the word used in Psalm 89:7, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” Since we know that the Psalms rhyme in thought, we know that “feared” and “reverence” are synonymous in this verse; that to fear God is to reverence God.
What is it to “greatly fear the Lord in [church]”? Are we to walk in the sanctuary door trembling in fear that He might zap us with a bolt of lightning? Of course not, remember the NIBD definition? We are to have profound awe and respect for the Lord. How does this look in church? Maybe it has something to do with showing up on time so as not to disrupt what the Lord is doing in worship. Maybe it has to do with not chit-chatting through worship or allowing our children to do the same. I am not suggesting that children ought to be completely silent. We love the sound of children in our sanctuary. However, there is a difference between the noises children make and children conversing during service. We must teach our children to reverence the Lord, too – first by example and then by teaching. Those who are old enough to speak can be taught proper respect in this area.
I was in the sound booth one Sunday and I saw one of the young adults walking back into the sanctuary during service after tending to a child. The worship leader began to pray and I noticed that although she was halfway to her seat, the moment prayer began; she stopped and bowed her head. My heart was thrilled at seeing her reverence the Lord in His sanctuary. I wish I could remember who it was so I could publicly praise her. She offered a perfect example of what it is to show God proper respect.
Another verse in which this word is used is Deuteronomy 17:19, where the king is commanded to read the Law every day to learn to revere God and be humble. Even back then we were being taught to do our devotions! You can’t please God if you don’t know what His expectations are. We know because it says so in the Word, that we are all kings and priests. Therefore, we must read God’s Word daily so we can learn to revere Him and be humble. Ecclesiastes 5:1 says, “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools for they do not know that they do evil.”
The second word is schâchâh. It is also translated as worship, bowed, down, bow, obeisance, fall, fell, humbly, and stoop. It is used 193 times in the Bible. Are you getting the theme of this reference to reverence? Not only are we to show God proper respect in His sanctuary, but to reverence God is to worship Him in a position of humility. I know we like to spiritualize this one; “I’m humbling myself in my heart before the Lord.” Yet is it really humility when it is kept private?
When Jacob met up with Esau, after stealing his birthright and his blessing, he bowed himself to the ground seven times. He did this not only before his brother whom he’d wronged, but also in front of his two wives, his two concubines, his eleven children, his servants, and the servants of Esau. This was a truly humble moment in Jacob’s life.
If that is the kind of humility the Bible is speaking of, then how is it demonstrated before the Lord? Yes, we must be humble in our hearts before the Lord, but we also need to allow that inner humility to express itself in our physical posture. It would be appropriate for us to physically bow ourselves down before the Lord in front of our spouses, our children, and our church family.
The third word that goes along with schâchâh is Hāwâ. This word is used 170 times in the Bible and can be used as “to bow down” or “to honor”. The verb in the original sense meant to prostrate oneself on the ground (Nehemiah 8:6); it was a common act of submission before a superior. Who is more superior than God our Father?
Abraham’s servant went to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s own relatives. When the servant found Abraham’s family he, “bowed down and worshiped the Lord.” He was bowed down in awe of the Lord’s provision, (Genesis 22:5). “Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshiped. O Lord,’ if I have found favor in your eyes . . . then let the Lord go with us’” (Exodus 34:8). He bowed down to seek the Lord’s presence to go with Israel to the Promised Land. Joshua found himself face to face with the commander of the Lord’s army and “fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’” (Joshua 5:14). He reverenced the Lord (facedown) awaiting His command. Job, having just lost everything, “fell to the ground in worship and said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised,’” (Job 1:20, 21). Job fell on his face and reverenced the Lord in the midst of a most terrible trial. These are all examples of when it is appropriate to bow down to the ground in reverence. Each of the above examples of bowing down was for a different reason and yet they were all acts of reverence.
What is the lesson for us? I think we ought to bow down to the ground and reverence the Lord in all circumstances and in all places; whether it be a time of rejoicing, a time of need, or a time of despair. He is worthy (worth it) and I believe He wants us to realize that. “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,” (Psalm 95:6).
The final word I would like us to look at is môrā which means: fear, terror, or terribleness. The NIBD says that it may refer to reverence toward God. Looking at Malachi 1:6, it is translated as respect, “If I am a father, where is the honor due Me? If I am a master, where is the respect due Me?” Isaiah 8:12-13, tells us not to fear man, but God who is holy and the One we are to fear and dread. This is a godly reverence.
Fear is defined in the NIBD as, “a feeling of reverence, awe, and respect, or an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger.” Fear may be directed toward God or humankind, and it may be either healthy or harmful. Examples of healthy fear are found in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” and 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Back to Paul’s comment that we can perfect holiness; we do this by properly reverencing the Lord. Proper reverence is given by those who worship and serve the Lord. Finally, we are told that reverence is worship that is humble in heart as well as in the body. I challenge you to take a posture of worship (bow down to the ground) and see if the Lord does not do a work in your life.
When we truly reverence the Lord, He perfects holiness in us. We must first fear Him more than we fear man. We also must bow down to him with a profound sense of awe and respect in every circumstance of our lives; whether that be His miraculous provision, seeking His presence with us, waiting silently for His instruction, or in the midst of great loss or troubles. When we are ready to do this, we will find ourselves perfecting the holiness to which He has commanded us through our reverence of Him.
If this article has spoken to your heart, please take a moment right now to pray and ask God to forgive you for any lack of reverence you have displayed toward Him. May I suggest that you bow yourself to the ground when you do this? I believe you will experience a profound sense of awe and respect. Remember it was said because of His majesty and holiness, God will arouse a feeling of reverence in those who worship and serve Him, (Hebrews 12:28-29). If you already worship Him and have not yet stepped out into an area of service, may I suggest this is a perfect time? Why don’t you pray about that and see what He would have you do for Him?
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
for our ‘God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28, 29
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