We are in chapter eleven of Exodus with our word for today. חוה bow down, bow oneself down, to sink down, to get into a prostrate position, as in submission, homage, humility, worship or grief. It is used 170 in the Old Testament. Most of the time we find our word used in reference to worshiping God. Genesis 22:5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will וְנִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה worship and then we will come back to you.” Exodus 33:10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֔וּ worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. Exodus 34:14 Do not תִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 1 Chronicles 16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. הִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. We also see our word used to bow down to others as in submission, show respect, humility or grief. Genesis 23:7 Then Abraham rose and וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. Genesis 33:3 He himself went on ahead and וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 2 Samuel 24:20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. This is how our word is used in our chapter. Exodus 11:8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוּוּ bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
This is an amazing thing to say to a king that their people will bow down to you instead of their own king. This just didn’t happen because simply standing before a king could get you killed because one didn’t always know what mood the king was in. We see this reality in the Bible. Proverbs 19:12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. Esther 4:11 All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. Not only is Moses standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt but he is telling him that his own servants would bow down to Moses. It takes a lot of courage to step out and trust God. I’ll close with this great passage that encourages us to be courageous. Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
