Encountering the Living God

Remembering who our God really is:

I read the opening chapters of Ezekiel again this morning, and when I walked my dog afterwards, I prayed that I would have the experience that Ezekiel had. Let me explain. In chapter 1 we read about Ezekiel’s encounter with the glory of the Lord.

In verse 28 we read this: “Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

And in Ez. 3 we find his commission to be a watchman for Israel (which is repeated in chapter 33). Verses 22-24 say this: “And the hand of the Lord was upon me there. And he said to me, ‘Arise, go out into the valley, and there I will speak with you.’ So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face. But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet…”

The idea of falling prostrate before the living God is found all throughout Scripture. Indeed, in my personal concordance I have been recording every time a person had an encounter with the living God. One of the most common reactions is that of holy fear.

So often this comes in the form of falling facedown before God. Thus far I have recorded some 55 examples of this. It seems to me that this often contrasts with much of the flippant Christianity of today where Jesus is just our ‘buddy’ and go-to guy when we are in a jam, instead of the holy, righteous and almighty God that he is.

Of the 40 or so cases of this reaction in the OT, consider just a few more examples:

Abram: “Abram fell facedown, and God said to him…” (Genesis 17:3)

Moses: “Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.” (Numbers 20:6)

Joshua “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped…” (Joshua 5:14)

David: “David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.” (1 Chronicles 21:16)

Daniel: “While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, ‘I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe’.” (Daniel 10:15-17)

But what about the New Testament?

Some Christians at this point might say that things are different today, and because of Jesus we do not need that same holy fear. Yes, it is true that Jesus makes a way for us to enter God’s holy presence. Thank God for that. As Ephesians 2:14-18 puts it:

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

And the book of Hebrews speaks to this: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

But this does not for a moment mean that God becomes any less holy, any less majestic, any less awe-inspiring. The same fear of God enjoined in the OT is found in the NT. It does not cease to be the norm. Let me mention just three texts:

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” (Acts 9:31)

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)

And there are at least 15 times in the NT where we see people falling down in reverential awe. Here are a few:

“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” (Matthew 2:11)

“When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.” (Matthew 17:6)

“When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6)

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:3-4)

Often in the book of Revelation we find the same reaction to the living Christ. Here are some of them:

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.” (1:17)

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” (5:8)

“And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” (5:14)

“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.” (22:8)

So I repeat my initial message: it is too easy to be too glib and too cavalier as to the God we serve. Yes, we become children of God through faith and repentance, and to have that love relationship with the Father is phenomenal. But God will forever be God in all his attributes, and we will forever be redeemed sinners. So a proper respect, fear and reverence is not out of place.

Thankfully we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. As we find in Hebrews 4:15-16^: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

But on that throne of grace still sits a holy and almighty God that we must not try to drag down to our level. As A. W. Tozer powerfully put it in That Incredible Christian:

Christ can never be known without a sense of awe and fear accompanying the knowledge. He is the fairest among ten thousand, but He is also the Lord high and mighty. He is the friend of sinners, but He is also the terror of devils. He is meek and lowly in heart, but He is also Lord and Christ who will surely come to be the judge of all men. No one who knows Him intimately can ever be flippant in His presence. The love of Christ both wounds and heals, it fascinates and frightens, it kills and makes alive, it draws and repulses, it sobers and enraptures. There can be nothing more terrible or more wonderful than to be stricken with love for Christ so deeply that the whole being goes out in a pained adoration of His person, an adoration that disturbs and disconcerts while it purges and satisfies and relaxes the deep inner heart.

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