Awestruck Heroes: David and Solomon
Awestruck Heroes: David and Solomon. (this post is in process and will be completed soon)
“Lord Yahweh, there is no God like You! You are wondrously great, and Your name is mighty in power. You are unrivalled in Your greatness! Who can fail to be impressed by You, King of the nations. It is completely proper to reverence You, for who could fail to stand in awe before You! It is in Your very nature to be worshipped. Among all the elite of the world, there is still no one as magnificent as You, no one who could compare with you.” (Jeremiah 10:7).
AWE: To encounter vastness, something beyond one’s frame of reference, outside of one’s mental grasp; surrendering reverently to something greater than oneself; an outward-focused sense of wonder and astonishment; not just a momentary feeling, but a spiritual way of life and an actual neurological event that rewires the human brain.
Awesome? Is there a word that has been more trivialized these days than the word “awesome?” I confess that I have unthinkingly become a culprit in this misuse of what is a wonder-full word. Awesome seems to be in the air and ready to escape the lips of practically everyone, describing everything from a hamburger to a TV show, from a dollar store to a restaurant, from a celebrity to a superstar. But the word itself means something vast that is worthy of awe and wonder and astonishment. So let’s get picky here… Really now, isn’t the Lord God, the Creator of the universe, the only one who could be worthy of awesome? In our common experience here on planet earth, it would seem wise to leave a reserved seat for awesome, front row, center aisle, in the worship section. Maybe we could think up some reasonable synonyms for awesome, like tremendous, terrific, superb, fantastic, spectacular, extraordinary, or even sublime or really cool. But I propose that we reserve the word awesome for God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Aspects of Awe will be studied in this blog series as we consider the biblical quality of awe to be a diamond with a lot of facets. We’ll be looking at awesomeness in the Hebrew Bible, in the Gospels, and how the experience of awe affects our brain. Yes, to be in awe is a neurological event as well as a spiritual one.
Awe in the Hebrew Bible. Awe turned out to be a rather common experience in ancient Judaism and the Old Testament. The Hebrew word most used for awe is “yare,” which is often translated as “fear” and has a wide spectrum of meanings. Yare could be used for extreme terror when facing danger, or for reverent awe before the Lord; for withdrawing in fear from something vastly superior, or approaching God in adoration and wonder; an experience that leads to fleeing in dread or worshipping in reverence. Yare could signify escape from danger or obedience out of profound respect. Yare is used almost 400 times in the Hebrew Bible, and its meaning depends on the context. Awe in the OT could be a temporary emotional experience or a more permanent attitude in one’s walk with God. For the most part though, apparently starting with Abraham, yare and the fear of God came to mean awestruck adoration, reverent devotion, profound respect, fearful honor, and loyal obedience as a result of such awe of God. Biblical awe will be studied in the lives of many faithful heroes in the Hebrew Bible who were happy to be awed and to use the word awesome… from Abraham to Jacob; from Moses to David; from Solomon to Isaiah; from Habakkuk to Malachi. As we’ll see, these stalwarts knew how to use the word “awesome!”
David is Awestruck. It’s not surprising that David was awestruck in adoration before God in his ongoing intimate relationship with Him. We certainly saw this in action before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 15). David was full of joy as he escorted the Ark of God back to its rightful place in Jerusalem. The Ark represented the very presence of Yahweh, and it established Jerusalem as the religious center of Israel. David was thrilled that the Ark of the Covenant would be accessible for worship in Israel’s capital. So there was “great celebration” as they brought back the Ark. “David danced before the LORD, whirling about with all his might, wearing a priestly loincloth.” So David and all the people of Israel formed a riotous parade with shouts of joy and the blowing of ram’s horns. But when his wife Michal saw King David “leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for David.” Michal was disgusted with David for making a spectacle of himself before all the people. “How distinguished the King of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David defended himself, and said “I was dancing before Yahweh, making merry out of pure enjoyment… And I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!” After this exchange, their relationship hit the rocks, and she remained childless (2 Samuel 6:12-23). It needs to be noted that David’s priestly loincloth was basically linen underwear worn by priest when offering sacrifices. (Exodus 20:26 and 28:42). The Lord instructed the priests to wear the loincloth over bare skin. But in his celebration before Yahweh, David didn’t worry about playing the fool. He said he would engage in even more of this foolishness if it was called upon! There are plenty of examples of his awestruck adoration as recorded in many of his psalms:
“Worship the Lord and serve Him with awestruck fear (“yare“) and submissive wonder! Celebrate in high spirits and spin around with great joy, yet do so with trembling reverence.” (Psalm 2:11).
“”Who is the person who honors the Lord with awestruck adoration (“yare“) and worships Him with submissive wonder? God will guide and teach that person on the path he should take.” (Psalm 25:12).
“The secret counsel of the Lord is reserved for those intimate friends of His who stand in reverent awe (“yare“) of Him. God reveals His faithful promises to them and confides in them as to the covenant’s deep, inner meanings.” (Psalm 25:14).
“The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who adore Him with reverent awe (“yare“) and worship Him with loyal obedience; and He defends and rescues each of them.” (Psalm 34:7).
Angel of the LORD. In Psalm 34, David was inspired to write down his thoughts on God’s character while in the midst of trouble. He wanted to express how God stands by His believers, and is worthy to be trusted. David highlights how He protects and guards the believers with His presence when they are down and out. In the middle of this profound call to trust in Yahweh’s love, David notes the presence of the Angel of the Lord.
“The Angel of Yahweh is the visible Lord God in the Old Testament, as Jesus Christ was in the New Testament. Thus His deity is clearly portrayed in the Hebrew Bible.” (Amplified Bible notes). The mysterious Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) appears many times from out of nowhere and in unexpected settings. This unique Angel appears as a divine visitor to Abraham, a welcome comfort to Hagar, and a wrestling opponent to Jacob. This same heavenly Messenger saved Isaac from being sacrificed, and spoke in a burning bush to Moses. This Angel of the LORD was God in the form of man, the preincarnate Christ, the appearance of Jesus according to Early Church theologians and many modern scholars as well. Since God is a Spirit, and one cannot see God face-to-face and survive the experience, He sent Jesus as His unique representative to speak His mind and accomplish His will on earth during the life and times of the Old Testament. Scholars believe that when God is seen in physical form in the OT, Jesus has made an appearance. “There is a fascinating forecast of the coming Messiah, breaking through the dimness with amazing consistency, at intervals from Genesis to Malachi.” (Cambridge Bible).
And so David, as inspired as ever, talks about Jesus in this Psalm, the preincarnate Christ who provides a circle of protection around those who worship Yahweh with reverence and awe. David points to Jesus, who will encamp around those who fear Him, surrounding and defending those who live a life of devotion to Yahweh. The Angel of the LORD is offered as a rescuer, a spiritual guard who encircles the believer in times of trouble. The character of Jesus is on display in Ps. 34:7, purposefully and personally caring for the followers of God. It appears that the Spirit of Jesus has long arms, surrounding and protecting our souls from any harm. The spirit of each believer is safeguarded within the presence of Christ, and nothing can overwhelm His love. Once we are in His encampment, our very soul is destined to live in Him all through eternity. This verse refers directly to Jesus Christ, our spiritual security system when we are broken-hearted, in distress, or under attack. The long arms of Jesus encircle each of us during our times of trial. He is our Emmanuel, God-with-us. He is our soulguard, not necessarily our bodyguard, and He is worthy of our worship and trust.