Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, Holy, Holy
By: Reginald Heber 1783–1826
Listen to this simple piano version as you read. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.
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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.
Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
We began our journey through another great hymn this week. In the first half of this stanza, we considered how to use today to prepare ourselves for eternity by considering the worship there now. In the second half, we continue the consideration particularly in light of God’s eternal quality. Let’s think about this.
Falling Down
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
From guarding the entrance to the paradise of Genesis to ever-circling His worship-evoking throne, angelic beings have been, are, and always will be a part of the fabric of the reality created by our God. They were there when the morning stars sang their first song, and voiced their own praise at the birth of His Son. In John’s vision in Revelation, they are central figures, and Isaiah also esteemed their work around the throne describing them this way:
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Isaiah 6:2 ESV
Even though one might say their close proximity to God and the length of their tenure could possibly have the impact of their becoming a little casual in their service, nothing could be further from the truth. Though they could use all six wings to fly, they only use two, the other four covering their face and feet, perspective and life. Even they humble themselves.
I do find it odd that though Scripture clearly states they have six wings, most of our images of them depict only two. I wonder if the reason for that is we are comfortable with two because they would obviously use those to fly, but we are uncomfortable with the other four because they might force us to rethink our approach to God. My point is that I think we are often too casual when we come before the Lord God Almighty.
The other interesting thing is that often our images of angels make them out to be very docile, whereas, I think Scripture portrays them to be more powerful. Cherubs are often chubby little winged cupid-like creatures shooting people in the heart with their arrows, whereas the Bible seems to portray a much more focused and determined image. Let us be faithful to allow the Scriptures to teach us truth and not just a plethora of images.
Having said all that, the more important thing may be honestly considering their activity and responding to it in faith. There are 282 occurrences of the word angel in the ESV and not one with the word fall as it is used in this stanza. I do believe that the image created in the hymn is still an accurate one because those same angels are ever the servants and messengers of God.
When given the opportunity, the cherubim and seraphim humble themselves before God. And we must do the same. They dwell in His presence, and one day, so shall we. Until then, we must find ways to humble ourselves before our Lord, and we must do so routinely. How will you do that today? Maybe you will not fall prostrate before God in worship, but you must find expressions that mirror that humble heart.
When given the opportunity to esteem yourself in a conversation, choose instead to esteem God. When confronted with a choice of how to handle a circumstance your own way, pray and ask for God’s direction. When afforded the chance to serve yourself, ask God how you may serve His purposes instead. When you have the option to share your message or God’s, choose to be His messenger. Use one of these or find your own way to humble yourself before God today.
For Good Reason
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
When given the alternative to honor God instead of yourself, you are going to be most effective if you have a clear sense of why you would make such a choice. Though I think the most obvious is in response to the eternal life that trusting in Christ offers us, for this context, I will offer another more objective one. I can choose to honor God based on the self-proclaimed reality of Who He is, not my personal feelings or opinions.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 ESV
Well, there you have it. The Lord God declares Himself to be the beginning and the end, and everything in between. This provides us with a solid reason to choose to honor Him.
Because He is the first and the last, we can trust the Eternal, Almighty God, for there is nothing we face which surprises Him. Whatever decisions you have to make today to honor Him, He already knows about them all and wants to help you. So what is your choice?
You may already know a few choices that will be a part of your day, but there is no way you can know them all. You can still make the choice to honor Him now. That way, when those moments come, honoring Him will be much easier because your decision has already been made. Will you commit to honor Him today, no matter what? It is a decision you will never regret. After all, the cherubim and seraphim haven’t.
Jesus, thank You for being the Alpha and the Omega. It makes choosing to honor You much easier, but still sometimes it is difficult. Thank You for the picture of the angelic beings who fall down before You, and the inspiration that provides me to do the same. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Awe-filled Thinking!
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Podcast 14.2 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered…standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. Revelation 15:2 ESV
The saints referenced here are all those who have conquered, overcomers by the blood of the Lamb. Though I believe we will engage in other pursuits, it is clear here that we will indeed play harps of God around the glassy sea. Take a moment and imagine what that will be like.
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
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…Revelation 4:10 ESV
Even those who are worthy of some honor, here symbolized by the wearing of crowns, will cast those symbols down when in the presence of the real royalty of the King of Kings. What honor are you willing to lay down today if doing so will bring greater honor to God?
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Isaiah 6:2 ESV
Even the angelic beings will humble themselves before Almighty God. If they who were created as servants and messengers for God, existing forever in His presence, fall down before Him, so should we. How will you humble yourself before Him today?
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 ESV
He is the beginning and the end, and everything in between. We can trust the Eternal, Almighty God for there is nothing we face which surprises Him. What are you facing today that has surprised you? Will you trust Him to get you through it? Tell Him now.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
The post Want To Be Like Angels? Choose to Fall Down! appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
Angelic Wings – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/angel-wings-angelic-bird-2479771/
Cherub – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/angel-wings-angelic-bird-2479771/
Angel Warrior – https://pixabay.com/photos/angel-warrior-the-archangel-justice-4361856/
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