Bowing Down | The Institute for Creation Research
Bowing Down

“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge” (Proverbs 22:17).

“Bow down” is a word used many times in the Old Testament. It is translated “incline” in the sense of asking God to hear prayer: “Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry” (Psalm 88:2). God hearing our prayer can be illustrated by other uses of this word. For example, His “outstretched” arm (Deuteronomy 26:8) or His mercy that “extends” to us (Ezra 9:9). It is God reaching to man.

Bowing down can be used in the sense of a command to listen and obey: “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55:3). Listening to God is an intense exercise. This is illustrated well in the story of Samson as he stood between the pillars in the great Dagon-worship building. “And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed [or inclined] himself with all his might; and the house fell . . .” (Judges 16:29,30).

Whether it is God listening to our prayers or our attempting to obey His commands, there is a distance that must be crossed. There is only One who has bridged that gap, allowing man to communicate with and obey his Creator. God hears our prayers because He heard the cry of His only begotten Son: “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: . . . He delivered me, because He delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness” (Psalm 18:16,17,19,20).

That is why we bow down, whether to pray or to obey . . . in Jesus’ name. CJH

The Latest
CREATION PODCAST
I Have NO Credentials! | The Creation Podcast: Episode 50
Do you need a science degree to be a champion of creation? How do we communicate the truths of Scripture to our friends and family? The good news...

NEWS
Shark Jaws
Sharks are back in the news, and it’s in regard to their most formidable and fearsome structure—their jaws. Zoologists recently studied...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Established Day 4 | Creation.Live Podcast: Episode 13
Humans have long been fascinated by the night sky. As Psalm 19:1 reminds us, "The heavens declare the glory of God"—His creative signature...

NEWS
Physical Evidence Trumps Evolution Theory
One of the hallmarks of good science is to formulate a cogent theory based on the physical evidence. For example, if the physical evidence (e.g. a fossilized...

NEWS
Solar System Symmetries
Most all school children can recite the planets in our solar system using memory devices such as: “My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Names”...

NEWS
Does Iron Toast Union Rescue Long Ages?
The puzzle persists after all these years. On the one hand, biochemists perform decay rate studies that show biochemicals cannot last a million years...

CREATION PODCAST
The Industrious Efficiency of Bees | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
Bees? BEES! When it comes to these incredible insects, we often think of hives and honey—and stingers. But these little creatures are incredibly...

NEWS
Blinking Fish Transitioned to Land?
The mudskipper (Boleophthalmus caeruleomaculatus) of the order Perciformes, is a fascinating fish whose evolutionary origins are quite unknown. They...

NEWS
Man: Created to Walk Upright
One of the many serious problems with “human evolution” is how, when, why, and where our alleged apelike ancestors decided to rise and walk...

NEWS
''Prehistoric'' Reptile Designed to Swim
Locomotion in the human and animal world means the power to move from one place to another. Recently, evolutionists have published research regarding...