Genesis 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.
This is now about the sixth time God appeared to Abram and spoke to him, reaffirming the covenant promise. This time the Lord changed his name to Abraham and sealed the covenant with circumcision. Abram was 99 years old and it had been 14 years since God first called him. Though he had wavered, he still believed. His response to this appearance was to “fall on his face.”
Falling on one’s face and lying prostrate before a king is a physical way of showing honor, respect, and submission to a higher authority. It is the same with God, but with the addition of awe and worship. When we stand before the Lord God Almighty we cannot ”stand.” We are compelled to bend the knee and fall on our face. Why? For two reasons: 1) the holiness, majesty, glory, and power of God is awe-full and overwhelming; we feel our sinfulness and we buckle in shame; then also, 2) the love, mercy, and grace of God is awe-some and overwhelming; we cannot help but respond with thankfulness, praise, and worship. We fall on our face!
When the Lord speaks to us and touches us we are moved by the brilliant and powerful love of God pouring through us. This is how Abram responded to God’s presence, His Word, His Gospel, and His Covenant Promise. Thus our response to Law and Gospel is complete surrender and submission in faith. We gladly and willingly ”fall on our face.”
The alternative would be to fall on our face unwillingly and angrily at the Judgment; for ”at the name of Jesus every knee will bow [Philippians 2:10].” The Lord is speaking and making a covenant promise to you. Listen, and worship.