June 2: The Top Priority
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Revelation 14:6-7
The plan to save mankind preceded the creation of our world. It is the everlasting gospel that was preached by Noah to the people as he constructed the ark. The hour of [Yahweh’s] judgement began, in Noah’s day, one hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:3) before the flood. But the group mentality of the crowds negatively influenced even those who might have surrendered to the LORD. Instead of surrendering to Him, as the Holy Spirit was leading, they grieved the Holy Spirit and overrode their best inclinations in favor of being “in” with the crowd. Valuing the opinions of people above God is the form of idolatry most prevalent today.
Worship of the only true God was the main issue in connection with salvation in Noah’s day (actually, it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden), and the situation has not changed to this day. This commandment to worship Him, placed strategically near the end of Yahweh’s love letter to the world, is a healthy and loving reminder regarding what is best for His people. Worship of God in the manner that He prescribed has the powerful effect of setting all other life priorities in their proper place. Conversely, the other priorities of life fall into disarray and become laced with sinful habits when the LORD is not given the honor due Him as the absolute top priority.
The last phrase of our opening passage, worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water, echoes word-for-word a phrase from the fourth commandment (see Exodus 20:11) regarding the identity of our God as the Creator. To remember the Sabbath day (v.8) is to rest with Him in total trust, and to honor Him as the Creator and Sanctifier: the only one able to create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). It also uniquely identifies His followers to the rest of the world as they (we) invite and encourage others to demonstrate their trust in Him by resting in Him on His special day.
That last phrase also has a very interesting coda: springs of water. This brings to mind the fountains of the great deep (Genesis 7:11) that were broken up on the day that the flood came. The world is once again in the hour of His judgement. It is essential that we know exactly who it is that we worship and to give glory only to Him!
“Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgements, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.” Ezekiel 20:12,20