If My People Who Are Called by My Name

Let's turn together to a famous passage and see what the Lord is saying to us through it. This one comes from 2 Chronicles 7 from the time that Solomon dedicated the temple to God. After he finished building the temple, the Lord appeared to him at night and said:

"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chr 7:14, NIV).

There are four tasks in this verse that are our duty, if we are the Lord's people who are called by His name:

1. Humble ourselves 

The first condition within our responsibility is to humble ourselves. It's necessary to humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God and in due time he will lift you up (1 Pe 5:6). There are various ways to humble yourself, including fasting, prostrating yourself before the Lord on the floor, and going without the usual comforts of life and luxuries you typically enjoy. Daniel said, "I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." (Dan 10:3, NIV). Sometimes the people in the Bible would put on rough, abrasive, uncomfortable clothing called sackcloth and sprinkle ashes on their heads.

2. Pray

The second condition that we must meet is to pray. Prayer is essential in order to maintain communion with God. Nothing else can take its place. It's our two-way communication with Him. We talk to Him, and we listen to what He says to us in our hearts by His Spirit and through his Word. We should have regular times of prayer each day, and then there are special seasons of prayer, too. We need to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17).

3. Seek His face

Our third responsibility in order to meet the conditions is to seek the Lord's face. Nobody can do it for you. Seeking His face and seeking His presence are virtually synonymous. We get hungry for God and desire His presence more than the air we breath. We long to be with Him, because we love Him. Everything else is laid aside while we seek His face.

4. Turn from our wicked ways

The fourth condition that is our responsibility is to turn from our wicked ways. This requires repentance for our sins, confessing before Him, and turning our backs on the wicked things we've been doing. For more on this, see Repentance That Leads to Life. The apostle Paul wrote:

"Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'” (2 Tim 2:19, NIV).

A great example of this is the way that Nehemiah prayed. He wrote, "...I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

'Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.'" (Neh 1:4-7). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 8-11.

Daniel was another great example of how to pray. He wrote:

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

'Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.'" (Dan 9:3-6). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 7-19.

Those four conditions listed above must be met in order for us to receive the promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Once we meet them, then the Lord will fulfill His promise and do his part, which includes these three things:

5. I will hear from heaven

If we want the Lord to hear our prayers, which we all do, then it behooves us to meet the four conditions above. It's an amazing thing to know that God in heaven has heard you, and this brings great joy to your heart when it happens. It's God's job to hear from heaven. His ear is not too dull to hear, "but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Is 59:2).

6. I will forgive their sin

Not only does the Lord hear from heaven, but He also forgives our sin, when we meet the conditions above. He is eager to forgive us, which only He can do, but He needs us to do our part first. There can be no forgiveness without sincere repentance and turning away from wickedness. Yet "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9, NIV).

7. I will heal their land

The final thing God promises to do if we meet the above conditions is to heal our land. This is His job. We cannot do it, the government cannot do it, programs cannot do it, scientists cannot do it, doctors cannot do it, and no man on earth can do it. When we look at all the problems in our land -- the crime, the lawlessness, the murder of innocent children, the drug addiction, the sickness, the disease, the hopelessness, the suicide, the poverty, the economic problems, the injustice, the social issues, the deep divisions, the wars, the political problems, the corruption in our government, the environmental problems, and the problems affecting our wildlife -- our land is in desperate need of healing. Only the Lord can heal it, so it's essential that we do our part, in order for Him to do His part.



Closing Words
We must do our job and meet certain conditions, which are to humble ourselves, pray, seeking His face, and turn from our wicked ways. But once we meet those conditions, then the Lord will do His job. which is to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Stay at Home and Seek the Lord (during COVID Quarantine), Ask for the Ancient Paths, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Bowing Low in Worship, Repentance That Leads to Life, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may also enjoy my daughter Charity's poem called America, Turn Back to God. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Amazing Grace

All throughout the Bible we see that God is gracious and compassionate. “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Ps 145:8, NIV). I for one am a recipient of His amazing grace! Let’s look at some examples of those who received His grace in Scripture.
Adam and Eve
Through sin they knew that they were naked, so they became afraid of God and hid themselves from Him.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gen 3:7-11)

God graciously made garments for them to cover their shameful nakedness. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21). These garments required the shedding of blood. Therefore, we see God's grace all the way back to the garden of Eden.

Noah
All men on earth were wicked in the days of Noah. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’"  (Gen 6:5-7)

However, Noah found grace in God’s sight. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:8-9).

He was obedient. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. (Gen 6:22)

He built the ark by faith. “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Heb 11:7)

He was thankful and built an altar to the Lord. “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.’” (Gen 8:20-21)

Abraham 
He was justified by grace through faith. “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,” (Rom 4:2-5)

Lot 
Although he hesitated when he was told to flee from Sodom, the Lord spared his life and that of his daughters. The Scripture says “But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.” (Gen 19:16)

“Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” (Gen 19:24-25)

The Israelites
God had compassion on them and heard their groaning in Egypt, when they were in bondage as slaves.

"Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt."'" (Exo 3:16)

"So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped." (Exo 4:31)

'I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.' (Act 7:34)

Though they worshiped idols and grumbled and complained, and many died because of it, He sent them bread from heaven and water from the rock, which was Christ.

"Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, 'THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.' Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (1Co 10:5-11)

In the Promised Land, they went astray and worshiped idols again. They committed adultery with the false gods of the nations. Therefore, God gave them over to the hands of their enemies, sending them into Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Yet He brought them back to their land afterward and restored them. God was willing to take them back in spite of their unfaithfulness. He preserved a remnant.

Rahab the Harlot
Though she was a harlot, because she had faith and feared God, welcoming the Hebrew spies, she was spared when the Israelites destroyed Jericho (Heb 11:31).

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her." So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (Jos 6:22-25)

She became the wife of a Hebrew named Salmon. Together they had a son named Boaz who married Ruth the Moabite, whose grandson was Jesse the father of David (Mat 1:5-6).

David 
"David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.” (Act 7:46)

Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? "And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord GOD. "Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD! "For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. "For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. "And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? "For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God. "Now therefore, O LORD God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken, that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel'; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. "For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house'; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. "Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. "Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever." (2Sa 7:18-29)

David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." (2Sa 11:4-5)

When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. (2Sa 11:27)

Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. (2Sa 12:7)

Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. (2Sa 12:13)

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him. (2Sa 12:24)

Gideon 
He is listed in the book of Hebrews as a man of faith, although he took the gold earrings he received and made them into an ephod and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) They said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks. Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. (Jdg 8:24-27)

Barak
Although he did not go to battle without Deborah against Sisera and his army, he conquered by faith and is listed in the Hebrews hall of faith (Heb 11:32).

Samson
Although he fell into sexual immorality with a harlot in Gaza, as well as with Delilah, he walked by faith and was used mightily by God to deliver the Israelites. He too, is considered a man of faith in the book of Hebrews (Heb 11:32).

Jephthah
He was the son of a harlot (Jdg 11:1), who made a foolish vow that cost his one and only child her life, yet he conquered the enemy by faith and was another recipient of God’s amazing grace (Heb 11:32).

Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. (Jdg 11:30-34)

Peter the Apostle
Though he denied the Lord three times, the Lord restored him and used him mightily.

Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. (Mat 26:74-75)

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He *said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He *said to him, "Tend My lambs." He *said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He *said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He *said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." He *said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus *said to him, "Tend My sheep. "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, "Follow Me!" (Joh 21:15-19)

The Adulteress Caught in the Act
Although she was caught in adultery, in the very act, Jesus did not condemn her, but told her to go and sin no more.

The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."] (Joh 8:3-11)

As the apostle Paul said, the grace of God teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness (Tit 2:12).

Woman at the Well
She was another adulteress the Lord saved wondrously. Though she had had five husbands and was living with a sixth man who was not her husband, the Lord saved her and used her to bring many to Himself.

He *said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus *said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." (Joh 4:16-18)

From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." (Joh 4:39-42)

Paul the Apostle 
Although he did much harm to the saints and persecuted the church, God had mercy on him. He considered himself to have been the chief of sinners.

He said, "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1Ti 1:15-17)

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; (Act 9:10-18)

Therefore, Paul could say of himself, "By the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Cor 15:10)

Corinthian Adulterer
Although this Christian man committed sexual immorality with his father's wife, and had to be put out of the church, he was later forgiven and restored to fellowship. The people comforted him and reaffirmed their love for him.

Paul said, “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.” (1Co 5:1)

Later Paul wrote to the Corinthians about him saying, “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” (2Co 2:6-11)

Jezebel the False Prophetess
Although she taught and led the Lord’s servants astray so that they committed acts of immorality and ate things sacrificed to idols, He gave her time to repent.

'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (Rev 2:20-23)

Putting it All Together
From Genesis to Revelation, we see that while God hates sin, He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He is constantly showing amazing grace to people all over the world, and will continue to do so until the end of the age. It's no wonder He is known as the God of all grace (1Pe 5:10). Let’s remember that we are saved by grace through faith. As Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9).

Of course, grace is not a license to sin (Rom 6:1; Jude 1:4). Anyone who is familiar with my ministry knows that I emphasize the necessity of Holy Living, Practical Righteousness, the Obedience of Faith, and Aiming for Perfection. Yet while the Lord is holy and requires of us holiness, perfection, righteousness, and truth, He also demonstrates abundant grace to the humble when we fall short. The key is to repent and confess your sin to him as David did when the prophet Nathan rebuked him. He said, "I have sinned against the LORD." If you read Psalm 51, you can see how deeply he humbled himself in repentance before God.

James wrote, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Jas 4:6-10)

In the words of John Newton:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I also recommend reading Costly Grace, Drifting Away, By Grace Alone, The Lord Healed My Backsliding, The Conditional Security of the Believer, The Truth Set Me Free!, Is Obedience Optional?, The Cost of Discipleship, God Forgives and Forgets, The Love of Jesus, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Repentance That Leads to Life, Holding Fast the Faithful Word, No Flesh Will Be Justified By Works, Separation from the World, The Straight and Narrow Path, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, The Apostasy Parables, and Salvation with Fear and Trembling. See the Home page of this blog for more of my articles about Seeking the Lord. You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Bowing Low in Worship

Abraham and the Three Angels

Dear God-seekers,

Today I would like to show from Scripture the importance of bowing low before the Lord in worship. I think this is somewhat of a missing element in our worship these days. Worship has become highly commercialized and is somewhat like a spectator sport, in which we are entertained by watching others worship. I'm not saying that we should not enjoy worship. Certainly we should lift up our hands and praise the Lord, making a joyful noise, singing unto Him, even worshiping Him with celebration and holy dancing in the Spirit. This is the kind of worship God enjoys!

But have we become too proud or dignified to bow before the Lord? Have we become too familiar with Him and too comfortable in His presence that we no longer give Him the worship that is due His holy and awesome name?

Bow Down
The Hebrew verb for “worship” is "shachah," which means, “to bow down” (Strongs).

For example, when Abraham’s servant saw that his journey was successful in finding a wife for his master's son, Isaac, it says, “Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.” (Gen 24:26).

Notice that it says that he both bowed low and worshiped the Lord. The Hebrew verb for “worship” (shachah) is used here. But in addition to that verb, it also explicitly says he bowed low, which is the Hebrew word “qadad”, meaning “contract or bend the body (or neck) in deference: - bow (down) (the) head, stoop.” (Strongs).

Even when Abraham’s servant retold what he did, he says he bowed low and worshipped, using those same two Hebrew words, qadad and shachah.

"And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.”  (Gen 24:48)

In addition to these two verses above that I have just cited, there are other Scriptures as well, where we find people bowing low with their faces to the ground (qadad) and worshiping (shachah) the Lord, such as the following verses:

“So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.”  (Exo 4:31).

“You shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.' And the people bowed low and worshiped.” (Exo 12:27)

The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. (Exo 34:5-8)

Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king. (1Ch 29:20)

“Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.”  (2Ch 29:30)

“Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.” (Neh 8:6)

Faces to the Ground
In this last verse, we discover another Hebrew expression that is used in Scripture as well for bowing in worship. The expression is “faces to the ground.” So what makes this last verse in Neh 8:6 unique from all the others I have just cited is that in addition to containing both the Hebrew words, qadad (bow down) and shachah (bow down, worship), it also contains the Hebrew expression “faces to the ground.” This verse literally says that after they said “Amen! Amen!” While lifting up their hands, “They bowed low and bowed down to the Lord in worship with their faces to the ground.” It essentially uses a triple reference to bowing low to the ground in worship to the Lord.

The Hebrew word for “face” is “aph,” which means “properly the nose or nostril; hence the face; forehead” (Strongs). And the Hebrew word for “ground” is “'erets”, meaning “earth or ground” (Strongs). Let’s look at some other passages that uses this expression “face to the ground” with regard to worshiping the Lord.

Another verse that has this same connotation is depicted in the pictorial illustration above, showing Abraham bowing to the earth before the Lord. The Scripture says, "Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth..." (Gen 18:1-2)

Fall on Your Face
There is one other verse in the Bible that has this same triple reference like Neh 8:6, regarding worship of the Lord (1), bowing down (2) with one’s face to the ground (3). It says, “Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.”  (2Ch 20:18)

In this passage, while king Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground in reverence for the Lord, all the people displayed a much greater act of worship by falling down before the Lord and worshiping the Lord. In addition to containing the expressions, “bowing low”, “face to the ground” and “worshiping” the Lord, this verse in 2 Chronicles 20:18 also uses the expression “fell down.” The expression “fell down” comes from two Hebrew words. One is “naphal” meaning “fall or lie” and the other word is “panim” or “paneh” meaning “face” or “faces”. In other words, this expression literally means they “fell on their faces” before the Lord.

Another passage that uses the expressions “faces to the ground” and “worship” refers to Solomon’s dedication of the temple, when the fire from heaven came down, the glory filled the house. It says, “Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, ‘Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.’"  (2Ch 7:1-3)

This verse also contains another word, in addition to the expressions “faces to the ground” (qadad) and “worshiping” (shachah) the Lord, which is the Hebrew word “kara” meaning in this case to “bow, fall, or prostrate” (Strongs). In fact it even adds that it was “on the pavement” that they fell or bowed down. So this has a beautiful, triple reference to worship of the Lord.

Bowing in the Psalms
Let’s look at a few more verses about bowing before the Lord in the book of Psalms, which is a book of worship.

“But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.” (Psa 5:7).

In this verse, the word “bow” is the Hebrew word “shachah”, meaning “worship.” In addition to that, David the psalmist said that it was in reverence for the Lord that he bowed. The Hebrew word for “reverence” is “yir'ah,” meaning “reverence: dreadful, exceedingly, fear (-fulness)” (Strongs). Therefore, David bowed in worship in the fear of the Lord. This is an aspect that is missing today from our modern worship. We have joy, we have freedom, we have love, but we have lost the fear of the Lord. We need to bring back the fear of the Lord into worship once again. Also see my article, Should you fear the Lord?.

“All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.” (Psa 22:29). This verse uses both “shachah” (worship) and “kara” (bow, fall, or prostrate).

“Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.” (Psa 45:11)

“Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust.” (Psa 72:9)

“And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him.” (Psa 72:11)

“I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.” (Psa 138:2)

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” (Psa 95:6). This verse uses the Hebrew word “barach”, meaning “bless, or kneel”, in addition both “shachah” (worship) and “kara” (bow, fall, or prostrate).

Once again, as with the fear of the Lord, it is rare to see people kneeling in worship any more. We see people standing or sitting in worship, but kneeling is a beautiful and biblical way to express your love, adoration, and worship to the Lord. The Scripture calls us to come worship, bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Bending the Knee in the New Testament

"Thou Art Worthy" by C.V. Lacroix

Under the New Covenant, kneeling is still a common form of worship and prayer. The Scriptures refer to bending, or bowing, the knee before the Lord.

For example, the apostle Paul knelt or bowed his knees before the Father. He said, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,” (Eph 3:14-15)

In Miletus, Paul met one last time with the elders of Ephesus to encourage them. "When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all." (Act 20:36). Likewise, after spending seven days with the disciples at Tyre, they escorted Paul to his ship and knelt together in prayer. Luke wrote, "After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another." (Act 21:5). Another example is the apostle Peter, who got down on his knees and prayed in Joppa, before turning to the dead woman's body and raising her back to life (Ac 9:40).

One day every knee shall bow before the Lord. “For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’" (Rom 14:11)

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11)

Bowing in the New Testament
In the New Testament, we find many different expressions that refer to falling down and bowing in worship before the Lord. Sometimes they are used in conjunction with each other.

The three magi from the east came to Bethlehem of Judea and bowed before the King. It says, "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Mat 2:11). The first thing they did when they found Him, even before they presented Him with their gifts, was they fell, or alighted, to the ground. Then they worshiped Him while they were down there.

The Greek word for worship is "proskuneo," meaning "to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): - worship" (Strongs). The Greek word "proskuneo," is a derivative of two words, "pros" and "kuon." The word "pros" means "toward or forward". The other root word is "kuon," or "dog". These two words together connote the meaning "to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand" (Strongs). The magi were most likely prostrate, as they were worshiping the Lord and adoring Him, paying homage to the King.

The demon-possessed man also did this. "Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;" (Mar 5:6). The Greek word for "bowed down" is “proskuneo” (do reverence to, adore, worship), as used in Mat 2:11.

This is what satan wanted Jesus to do for him, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.  “He said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.’" (Mat 4:9). The Greek word here for “fall down” is “prospipto” meaning  “to fall towards, that is, (gently) prostrate oneself (in supplication or homage), or (violently) to rush upon (in storm): - fall (down) at (before)” (Strongs). The Greek word for "worship" here is “proskuneo” (prostrate, worship, adore).

That is the same Greek word that is found in the response that the Lord gave to satan. Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" (Mat 4:10)

This is the same Greek word for "worship" used in the verse about when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well. He said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (Joh 4:23-24)

The blind man that Jesus healed did this. "And he said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped Him." (Joh 9:38)

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!"  (Mar 3:11). The Greek word here for “fall down” is “prospipto” (fall, fall down).

"But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet."  (Mar 7:25)

"But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, 'Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!'" (Luk 5:8)

I have already mentioned the account of the demon-possessed man in Mark's gospel, where the Greek word "proskuneo" (prostrate, worship, adore) was used. However, in Luke's gospel, the word "prospipto" (fall, fall down) is used instead to refer to the same incident:

"Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, 'What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.'"  (Luk 8:28)

"When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed."  (Luk 8:47; cf., Mar 5:33)

The apostle Paul spoke of the way an unbeliever or ungifted man would fall on his face and worship God, if he entered a meeting, in which everyone was prophesying. He said, "But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you." (1Co 14:24-25). 

The Greek words used here in 1Co 14:25 are “pipto” (fall, alight, fall down) and “proskuneo” (prostrate, worship, adore). Another Greek word is also used to indicate explicitly that it is "on his face" that the man will fall. The word for "face" is “prosopon” meaning “the front (as being towards view), that is, the countenance...face…” (Strongs). 

Falling Down in Worship in Heaven 
Just as worship on earth includes falling down, so does worship in heaven. The same three words used by the apostle Paul in 1 Co 14:25 -- “pipto” (fall, alight, fall down), “prosopon” (face), and “proskuneo” (worship) -- are used in the following verses in Revelation 7:11 and 11:16:

"And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God..." (Rev 7:11)

"And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 'We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.'" (Rev 11:16-17)

Likewise, there are other verses about falling down in worship. "And the four living creatures kept saying, 'Amen.' And the elders fell down and worshiped."  (Rev 5:14)

"And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, 'Amen. Hallelujah!'" (Rev 19:4). The Greek words used in Rev 5:14 and Rev 19:4 are the same as those used in Mt 2:11 regarding the three magi: "pipto" (fall, light on) and "proskuneo" (prostrate, worship, adore).

Bowing Low is Undignified
It's true that bowing low to the ground is an undignified act, but this is the nature of true worship. The flesh (sinful nature) thinks about self and how it will look down their on the ground. It thinks about getting dirty down there in the dust. The enemy will tempt you to think about those things that concern yourself. He'll plant a thought in your mind that you must not bow low or lay prostrate, because it may pose some risk to you, your health, your dignity, your hair, or your clothing.

But the new man denies himself, takes up his cross, and says, “I will die for Jesus, because I love Him, and He’s done so much for me!” The new man says with king David, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Sam 6:22a, NIV). Therefore, resist those temptations that keep you from bowing low, falling down with your face to the ground, and prostrating yourself before the Lord in worship. It's a way of surrendering yourself lovingly in complete abandonment to Him.

Moreover, it's also a way of expressing your reverence and awe of 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." (Heb 12:28-29, NIV)

The Lord Himself Worships This Way
Even our Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, worships this way. He is our example, whose steps we must follow.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, "He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.'" (Mat 26:39)

Just like the three magi from the east, the Lord fell, or alighted, on His face. This is how He prayed to the Father in heaven on that fateful night that He was betrayed. His posture reflected his complete surrender to the Father's will.

Even now in heaven, the Lord prays to the Father, as He always lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). And as I wrote in my article, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, brother Ezekiel of Nigeria, Africa testifies to seeing the Lord in heaven, laying prostrate on His face before the Father's throne. He said, "I was looking for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I wanted to see Him. I looked up and down.  Behold, afar off, I saw King of kings and Lord of lords.  He was lying down (prostrate), and the twenty-four elders were before Him." I highly recommend reading that entire article, which will change your life. The section where I covered this in the article is called, "The Throne Room."

Worship Has Many Forms
Of course, worship has many forms, which are depicted in Scripture, and laying prostrate or kneeling are not the only acceptable ones. I have mentioned some other forms of worship in this message already, such as standing (Ps 134:1), lifting our hands (Neh 8:6; 1 Tim 2:8; Ps 63:4; 134:2; 141:2; Lam 3:41), sitting (Ezra 9:3), singing with joy (Ps 96:1-2; 98:4; 104:33), rejoicing (Phil 4:4; Ps 33:21; 118:24), celebrating His goodness (Ps 145:7), and holy dancing in the Spirit (Ps 149:3). Also see my articles, Lifting Hands in Prayer and Lifting Your Face in Prayer.

Face to the Ground is Ideal for Repentance
That being said, the last thing I would like to mention is that laying prostrate on the floor is the ideal position for repentance. If we are truly repentant, this allows us to express ourselves best to God, as we humble ourselves before Him, seek His face, and turn from our sin, asking for His forgiveness.

Moses lay prostrate before the Lord for forty days on behalf of the Israelites' sin, because the Lord said He would destroy them (Deut 9:25). Likewise, Ezra lay before the Lord on the ground in repentance, because of the unfaithfulness of the Israelite exiles, who had married foreign women with their detestable practices. He was "...praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God..." (Ez 10:1a, NIV).  He was prostrating himself before the house of God, according to the NASB. The Hebrew word used for "prostrating himself" is "naphal" (to fall, lie), which we have already mentioned.

In Jesus' parable of the slave that owed ten thousand talents, he prostrated himself before his master, as he begged him to have patience. "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'  (Mat 18:26). The Greek words used here are "pipto" (fall, light on) and "proskuneo" (prostrate, worship, adore), which is the same word used elsewhere in the Scriptures for "worship". This helps to show that the Greek word for "worship" also means to "prostrate" oneself. It also gives us another Scriptural example of laying prostrate during repentance.

A Hungarian sister, who received a revelation of heaven and hell, testified, "And Jesus said it’s important not just to repent at church, but at home also. And even to get down on your face before God when you repent, and bow before Him. I mean, not bow, but lay prostrate before Him, because the Lord told me this the only acceptable way in front of the Lord to repent. We are not just bowing our heads before the Great God. We have to lay down before Him. It’s important that when we repent, we don’t just, like at church, sit in our seats and just bow our head. But we go up front and take the most humble position and lay before the Lord to repent. We have to lay our lives down before Him and say, 'I don’t care if anyone kills me or what happens to me. I don’t care about anything else—what will happen to me.'”  -- Eudoxia Varga. For the complete testimony, please see Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell.

Putting it All Together
Therefore, we learn from Scripture that even though the word “worship” itself means to “bow down,” it is often used together with other expressions that further emphasize the humble, subdued position of one’s body before the Lord. Indeed, worship involves kneeling before the Lord, even bowing down before the Lord with your face to the ground. It involves falling or bowing prostrate before Him in reverence and awe. It is an act of humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God. All glory and honor be to the Lord forever and ever. It is my hope that this message has helped to inspire you to greater heights in worship, as you lower and abase yourself before the Most High. For there is no other God beside Him, and He alone deserves our highest worship.
  
Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The image of the water color painting, "Abraham and the Three Angels," c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The illustration "Thou Art Worthy" is by my seventeen-year old daughter C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: I also recommend reading Should you fear the Lord?, Lifting Hands in Prayer, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, Crying Out to God Loudly, Avoiding Worldly Worship, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Baptized with the Spirit, The New Wine, Who intercedes for us?, Praying for the Lord Jesus, and Whatever You Do, Do All Like This. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

God Exalts the Humble and Brings Down the Proud

Daniel's Answer to the King

Today I want to show from Scripture how God exalts the humble, but brings down the proud. Below I've laid out the selected examples from the book of Daniel, showing the actions in the left column, and the corresponding consequences for those actions in the right column.

Actions	Consequences
Refused to defile themselves: “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.” (Dan 1:8)	1. Given health and beauty: “At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.” (Dan 1:15) 2. Given knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom: “As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.” (Dan 1:17) 3. Promoted and distinguished by excellence: “The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.  (Dan 1:19-20)
1. Pleaded for mercy from God: “So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” (Dan 2:16-18) 2. Gave glory to God and took no credit: “Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;” (Dan 2:19b) “The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?’ Daniel answered before the king and said, ‘As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.’” (Dan 2:26-28)	Promoted: 1. “Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.”  (Dan 2:48) 2. “And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court.” (Dan 2:49)
1. Refused to bow down to idols: "There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? (Dan 3:12-14) 2. Testified of their faith in God: "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."  (Dan 3:17-18)	Promoted: "Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon." (Dan 3:30)
1. Lived in ease and luxury: "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. (Dan 4:4) 2. Became proud: "Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'” (Dan 4:29-30) "But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly…” (Dan 5:20a)	1. Deposed and glory taken away: "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you…” (Dan 4:31) “…He was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him…” (Dan 5:20b) 2. Sanity Taken away: “…and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. (Dan 4:32-33) “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven…” (Dan 5:20-21)
1. Praised God: “…recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” (Dan 4:25b) "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.” (Dan 4:34) “…He recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.” (Dan 5:21b) 2. Repented and acted righteously: "'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor...'" (Dan 4:27a)	1. Sanity, majesty and splendor restored: "At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom," (Dan 4:36a) 2. Sovereign rule reestablished: "and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me." (Dan 4:36b)
Committed profanity, idolatry, debauchery: “Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.” (Dan 5:1-4)	Executed and kingdom taken: "This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE'--God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. " 'TEKEL'--you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. " 'PERES'--your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." (Dan 5:26-28) “That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.” (Dan 5:30-31)
Rebuked the King for his sin: "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.” (Dan 5:22-23)	Promoted and honored:  "… you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom." (Dan 5:16) “Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Dan 5:29) “It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.” (Dan 6:1-3)
1. Lived a godly, faithful life: “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.” (Dan 6:4) 2. Consistently prayed and thanked God daily: “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” (Dan 6:10) He trusted God.	1. Rescued from harm and death: "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." (Dan 6:22) “Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” (Dan 6:23) 2. Prospered in a period of judgment: “So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” (Dan 6:28)
1. Accused a true prophet of God: “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.” (Dan 6:4) "Then they answered and spoke before the king, 'Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.'"  (Dan 6:13) 2. Conspired together and used political power to do evil:  Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! (Dan 6:6)	Executed: “The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.” (Dan 6: 24)

Scripture Meditations
Here are some other passages of Scripture that speak of God exalting the humble and bringing down the proud.

And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. "and his mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear him. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. "He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed.” (Luk 1:46-53)

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1Pe 5:5-6)

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, " God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (Jas 4:6-10)

"'To the arrogant I say, "Boast no more," and to the wicked, "Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly."' No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another." (Ps 75:4-7)

Putting it All Together
There are too many examples to enumerate in Scripture, in which God brings one person down, and exalts another.  The righteous Hebrew, Mordecai was exalted from his humble place, and Haman, the evil adviser of the king, who plotted against the Jews, was executed.  The righteous shepherd boy David triumphed over the evil giant and all his wicked enemies, while they were brought low and killed.  King Saul who attacked David was humbled and mortally wounded in battle, ending his own life in suicide.  Herod who executed the apostle James and tried to do the same when he imprisoned Peter, died a horrible death when he allowed men to idolize him and failed to give God the glory.  This same principle is found all throughout Scripture.

I close with this poem, which you can make your own prayer to the Lord. It's called, I Want to be Like Daniel.

Lord, I want to be like Daniel
Praying, thanking, and trusting You;
Always humble, holy, and ever faithful,
Rebuking sin, no matter who.

And I know You will take care of me
Making me prosper and succeed,
Giving me wisdom, understanding,
Insight, favor, and all that I need.

--- Anonymous

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading my articles God Chooses the Weak Things,  You're Better Off Following Jesus, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer , God's Supernatural Hand During Crisis, and The Eyes of the Lord. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.