11/25/Th – Casting Crowns

NT: “Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:8-11‬ ‭CSB)

When the prophet Isaiah experienced, in a vision, an open heaven and was able to peer into the throne room of God (Isaiah 6:1-5), he heard the thunderous cry of the heavenly creatures shouting out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty…” Coming face to face with the reality of God’s holiness caused Isaiah to quake in fear and fall to his face under a deep conviction of his sin. In John’s vision, he heard and witnessed the proclamation of the same reverberating chorus. Over and over, day and night, non-stop, the creatures in heaven proclaim God’s holiness, upon holiness, upon holiness – for God never changes and is forever holy. Instead of falling down under the weight of conviction, every time the creatures proclaimed the holiness of God, the twenty-four elders bowed down in honor and humility.

Just a few verses before this, John described the twenty-four elders as wearing robes of white and crowns of gold. The elders did not fall down under the weight of conviction, for they had been made righteous and holy. They were no longer wearing the stained garments of a sinful world, but were wearing the pure white clothes of God’s kingdom. On their heads were crowns of pure gold. In the Bible, gold often symbolizes the divine nature, which does not tarnish, corrode, or waste away. Crowns often symbolize an achievement, a reward, or the power and authority someone has been vested with. After each fresh declaration and revelation of God’s abject holiness, the twenty-four elders fell down before God and cast their crowns – the symbols of their God-given rewards of power and authority – before God’s throne. They didn’t say, “woe is me, a man of unclean lips.” The proclaimed, as they cast down their crowns, “God, You and You alone are worthy to receive glory, honor and power.”

God is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor and power – that is so very true. But God, through His grace and mercy, has made us worthy to partake of His glory, honor and power – and He gladly shares that glory, honor and power with us, provided that we do not let it go to our heads. We need to keep a proper perspective with all the graces and blessings that God entrusts us with. That perspective is that He is the one on the throne at the center of our lives… All that we have has been graciously gifted to us by a merciful and loving Father… He is the one worthy of the glory, honor and power, and we are merely gracious partakes in it.

Proverbs: “Happy is the one who is always reverent, but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:14‬ ‭CSB)

The one who remains reverent before the Lord God… the one who humbly recognizes his limitations and mortality before the indescribably holy, ever-living, ever-present God and submits wholeheartedly to God’s word, will and ways will be happy and blessed. On the other hand, the one who becomes arrogant and allows his heart to be lifted up in fist-shaking rejection of God’s word, will and ways will fall into trouble (evil, distress, misery, calamity, etc.).

Prayer: Lord, You are holy, upon holy, upon holy! You, and You are alone are worthy to receive all honor, glory and power. What an incredible honor and gracious privilege You have given me to share in Your honor, glory and power. I know that the honor is not mine. I know that the power is not mine. It is all Your’s. Grace me to walk in worshipful humility before you as I make a habit and practice of casting my crown before You in worship every day. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.