May 26: WORSHIP THE CREATOR
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying… Revelation 4:9-10
The use of the word creatures explicitly points to a Creator. The living creatures are continuously described by a very important word: living! We can safely assume that they love God by what they do: give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne. We humans are creatures, fearfully and wonderfully designed to bring glory to the Creator. We possess a God-given ability to choose to honor Him. Do I love Him enough to honor the precepts provided in His word? Do I give Him thanks for them, or do I look for ways to dodge them?
Revelation, the only apocalyptic book of the New Testament, has a central theme: worship. The desire to worship is woven into the fabric of our being. The full title of the book that we are studying is The Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1). If we are not diligent to learn of the One to whom our worship is due, then we unwittingly place ourselves in danger of wrongly directing our worship.
Another descriptive phrase immediately follows Him who sits on the throne. It further identifies the object of our worship: Him…who lives forever and ever. Paul reminds us: He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality… (1 Timothy 6:15b-16a).
Do not miss the influence contained in our opening passage. The twenty-four elders follow the leadership of the living creatures. These unfallen, living creatures have lived in a worshipful state since their creation. But the story of redemption is of great interest to them. We can surmise that it is of great interest to the unfallen worlds of the universe (1 Corinthians 4:9). Those redeemed ones who fall down before Him (worship!) are filled with undying gratitude for having been lifted out of the mire of sin (Revelation 5:9).
In the “here and now”, each of us can give glory, honor, and thanks to Jesus for His tender mercies toward us. How? By living new, changed lives empowered by His grace. Each victory, big or small, is rewarded by a spiritual “crown” to cast at His feet in gratitude for the mercy and grace that leads toward salvation. “Hold fast…that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:11) “the crown of life” (2:10).
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17,23