Advent 2010. Praising God.

In Luke 2 we meet a "great company" of angels. "Suddenly," says Luke, "a great company of the heavenly host appeared... praising God" (Luke 2:13).

The angels sang their song of praise to the Lord, because of the "good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). And the "good news"is that "in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (vs 11). This is the best news ever proclaimed. To a mankind lost in sin, God has sent a Saviour, the promised Messiah. He will lead his people to victory over sin, death, evil and judgement.

This Messiah is our Saviour. He was born to save us, not the angels. Yet, the angels sing their song of praise to God. Even more than the angels we, during this Season should be singing "Glory to God," because of our Saviour's birth. The angels show us how to sing the praises of God.

Before the beginning of time, since their creation, the angels sang of God's glory. According to the Book of Revelation, John saw angels singing these same words before the throne of God. "Then I looked," says John, "and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne ... In a loud voice they sang: :
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise ... Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen! (Revelation 5:11,12; 7:12)

"Glory to God in the highest" means that only to God in heaven belongs honour, praise, and majesty. Men and angels do not give this "glory" to God. It is already his and will always be his from eternity to eternity. What the angels on Christmas eve did, and the angels before the throne are always doing, is recognising and acknowledging the glory that has always been God's.

We must learn from them. God's first commandment for our lives is, "You shall have no other gods before me." This simply mans: “Glory to God in the highest."
The first thing Jesus taught us to pray is, "Hallowed be Thy name."
This simply means: “Glory to God in the highest." All of our lives, must be directed towards the glory of God. God must always be first and always be praised.

When Christ's work in heaven and on earth is done, God will be "all in all" and "everything to everyone." Then all of God's creatures, all of creation will unite in one incredible choir; and, there will rise up to the throne of God one mighty refrain from all of creation: “Glory to God in the highest ... (because) in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you, and he is Christ the Lord."