When a judge walks into his courtroom, the Bailiff tells everyone to rise. When a high ranking officer in the military enters, everyone ranked underneath him stand up, come to attention, and salute. Why is it we don’t have the same reverence for God’s Word? It deserves the same respect of any judge or general.
Nehemiah 8:5
“Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.”
Moved to Tears
The Israelites had a reverence for God’s Word. Even after seventy years of exile for forsaking God, the remnant that came back stood when Ezra opened the Law’s book. While it was being read, they stood, and the scribes read it for several hours. I encourage you to read the whole story in Nehemiah 8. By the time that Ezra was done reading, people were weeping. This shows you that there is power in the written Word of God, and it can change our lives.
From the Beginning
Something we have done as a church since the very first Sunday is to have people stand when we read God’s word. I read a section of the scripture and then pray over the teaching and then have people sit down. Reverence is vital for each believer because it reminds us that God is Holy, and we need to treat Him accordingly. Standing denotes a respect for authority. If we don’t have that reverence for God, then we will have a hard time treating Him like He is God.
Reverence for God’s Word
Reverence is more than standing when God’s Word is read. It also includes not taking God’s name in vain, it’s obeying what it says inside, and it’s having respect for those who teach the Bible. If we treat the things of God as we do the everyday things in our life, then we will lack the reverence for God’s Word.