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THE CROWN

I'M NOT MUCH INTO THE BRITISH CROWN - QUEEN ELIZABETH, KING CHARLES - AND THE DRAMA THAT ENDLESSLY SURROUNDS THAT SPACE.

HOWEVER, IT'S ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING RELICS OF ROYALTY AND THAT WHICH COMES WITH IT:

  • THE VISUAL APPAREL
  • THE SOCIETAL RESPECT
  • THE AUTHORITY VESTED (ALTHOUGH NOT ANYMORE)

SOMETIMES WHEN MULTIPLE ATTRIBUTES CONVERGE IN A PLACE, A STATION, A PERSON - PEOPLE WILL USE THE WORD "MAJESTIC" TO DESCRIBE THE SPACE.

THIS IS WHAT THE PSALMIST DOES IN PSALM 8:1

PSALM 8:1

LORD, OUR LORD, HOW MAJESTIC (STATELY, NOBLE, IMPOSING DIGNITY) IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH! YOU HAVE SET YOUR GLORY (AUTHORITY, WEIGHTINESS, ROYAL ATTRIBUTES) ABOVE THE HEAVENS.

WHEN THE PSALMIST USES LANGUAGES LIKE: LORD, MAJESTIC, GLORY - HE'S USING ROYAL LANGUAGE WHICH COMES EMBEDDED WITH ALL THE ROYAL ATTRIBUTES.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE PSALMIST MAKES TWO CLAIMS HERE:

  1. GOD IS ROYAL AND
  2. GOD HAS PLACES ALL OF HIS ROYALNESS IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE ANY OTHER CLAIMS OF ROYALTY

HE ALONE IS GOD, KING, AND HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE EARTH.

OUR CROWNS

THERE IS THIS IDEA HERE IN WHICH IT HUMBLES THE INDIVIDUAL TO RECOGNIZE ONE AS ROYAL OVER EVERYTHING.

WE OFTEN TIMES ARE COMFORTABLE WITH GIVING GOD PARCELS OF OUR LIFE TO HAVE AUTHORITY OVER:

  • THE WAY WE PRAY,
  • OUR SUNDAY MORNINGS, AND
  • MAYBE SOME OF OUR CULTURAL VALUES

HOWEVER, THE PSALMIST WANTS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD IS SET IN THE HEAVENS AND GOVERNS OVER EVERY OTHER AUTHORITY.

THAT MEANS GOD HAS AUTHORITY OVER OTHER MACRO-CLAIMS TO AUTHORITY:

  • CLAIMS BY OTHER RELIGIONS
  • CLAIMS BY OTHER GOVERNMENTS
  • CLAIMS BY OTHER LARGE-SCALE INSTITUTIONS

AND HE ALSO HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL OF OUR MICRO-CLAIMS TO AUTHORITY:

  • OUR NON-SUNDAY MORNING TIME
  • OUR MONEY
  • OUR WISDOM WORLDVIEW

WHEN WE COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE ONE THAT WEARS THE CROWN IN THE HEAVENS IT'S OUR ONLY PROPER RESPONSE IS TO:

"FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM WHO IS SEATED ON THE THRONE AND WORSHIP HIM WHO LIVES FOREVER AND EVER...[AND CAST DOWN OUR] CROWNS." (REVELATION 4:10)