Kissing the Lord

"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (I Kings 19: 18 KJV)

"If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above." (Job 31: 26-28 KJV)

"And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves." (Hosea 13: 2 KJV)

These verses tell us about the ancient practice of "kissing" the various idols or icons of the heathen, or Pagans. It was common for a worshiper, as part of his interaction with the god, to kiss his image. It was one way in which the worshiper united himself with the god. Sometimes this was done in a similar manner to the way people now "blow a kiss" to others by touching their hands to their lips and then breathing on the hand towards the object of affection, being a symbolic gesture of giving devotion to one far away, as a deity would be.

Sun and moon worshipers, for instance, seeing they could not actually kiss these heavenly bodies, would blow them a kiss and Job denies that he had been guilty of such idolatry, either secretly or openly.

"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." (Psalm 2: 12 KJV)

In this verse, Lord God commands all men to pay homage, not to the false idol gods, but to his only begotten Son, to the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides the paying of homage to Christ, what else does it mean to "kiss the Son," to "kiss" Jesus?

"And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment...Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet." (Luke 7: 38, 45 KJV)

Mary, unlike Simon, literally flooded the Savior with kisses! It was an expression of her deep love for him! Simon, on the other hand, did not feel such love, and therefore gave the Lord no kiss. He did not obey the words of the 2nd Psalm that said - "kiss the Son."

But, of course, we cannot today kiss the literal feet of Christ or physically lay in his bosom, as did the apostle John. But, we can certainly in our hearts "blow him a kiss" from just where we are! We also kiss him in spirit, in our hearts, when we express to him our deep love for him. He also, thankfully, returns kisses to his people!

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." (Song of Solomon 1: 2 KJV)

Those who have kissed Christ, and been kissed by him, know the sweetness and the intoxicating effect of the experience! One kiss of Christ's lips is enough the make a love slave of every soul!

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15: 20 KJV)

This is the story of the "Prodigal Son," who upon "coming to himself," immediately "returned" to his Father, and to his house and family, and in contrition, humility, and faith, and was met with love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and with fervent kisses of delight and affection.

Every sinner who has returned to the Lord, through Christ, has met with this reception, in spirit. It is a glorious experience to receive this kiss of welcome from the Lord!

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." (Proverbs 27: 6 KJV)

The kiss that brings salvation and supernal joy, and that fills the soul with irresistable love, is not the kiss of an enemy, or of a deceitful person, the kind that Judas gave to Christ.

"Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him." (Matthew 26: 48, 49 KJV)

Judas gave the kiss of an enemy, not the kiss of a friend. His kiss was not genuine, but pretend. His kiss was deceitful and unholy.

"Salute one another with an holy kiss." (Romans 16: 16; I Corinthians 16: 20; II Corinthians 13: 12; I Thessalonians 5: 26; I Peter 5: 14 KJV)

This exhortation about Christians greeting each other with a "holy kiss" or with a "kiss of charity (love)," indicates that there is an unholy kiss, one that lacks love. Judas gave this kind of kiss. It was a kiss of death instead of a kiss of life.

"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalm 85: 10 KJV)

This took place on the cross when Christ willingly laid down his life for the salvation and eternal justification of sinners from the "law of sin and death." Justice and mercy were both exhibited in the death of Jesus. The death of Christ for sinners opened up the way for God to now "be just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus" (Romans 3: 26)

Friend, do you believe in Jesus?