Falling Down

08.30.13

Revelation 4.9-10 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying... (ESV)

The puny little sophomore in me has always had trouble with the mental image of these elders falling down in worship and casting their crowns at the feet of Him who lives forever and ever; I’ve always thought it it looked kinda silly; why would grown men in the throne room of God, act so weirdly? I’ve always stumbled a bit at this image – until today.

In John 18 it is recorded that a mob of men went into the garden of Gethsemane to find Jesus and arrest Him; and when the Lord inquired as to Whom they were looking for, they said, Jesus, the Nazarene. When He responded I am He, they all drew back and fell on the ground. Why would grown men fall all over themselves, armed with swords and clubs in the presence of this Person – after all, in their eyes, He was only a criminal and a troublemaker? When God says, I am He, He means, I am He. Had we been there, you and I would’ve fallen down as well.

I think you could say at this point: overcome. The men in the mob were overcome by the presence of God. They couldn’t stand it – literally. The elders in Heaven, too, are overcome when they witness the glory and honor and thanks given to Him who is seated on the throne who lives forever and ever. Overcome.

Falling down in the presence of God is somewhat of a lost art today, but I think we need to get more used to it because in Heaven, it’ll happen all the time. We’ll be overcome with the enormity of the place and the price that was paid through grace. Overcome.

Father in Heaven and Father of my heart, I don’t fall down as much as I need to; as much as I should. It’s because I don’t spend as much time thinking about the place and the grace You’ve given to me. I’m too busy doing what I think I’m supposed to be doing and when I stop and realize that what I’m doing doesn’t very often include falling down and casting my crown, then I conclude maybe what I’m so busy doing isn’t all that important. I ask for deeper revelations of Your presence and majesty and that when I do, I appropriately respond by doing what I ought: fall down in worship and thanksgiving. So, I ask for Your help, and I ask for more sight.

And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete,

I’ll (fall and) lay my trophies down

All down at Jesus’ feet.* Amen.

*Jesus Paid it All - Elvina M. Hall, 1865