The crowns we wear
What makes you feel important?
In the Bible, a crown often symbolizes the things that make us feel important, honor us, or grant us significance.
For example, in Isaiah 28, we see a portion of humanity wearing “the proud crown of the drunkards.”
“Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!”
These people are proud of their wealth, proud that they can fill themselves with as much as they want, and proud that they can indulge in moments of carefree merriment. Their drunkenness symbolizes their power and lofty status. They feel untouchable, unshakeable.
And yet, their glory and beauty is a “fading flower.” Here today, gone tomorrow.
“The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot; and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it he stalls it as soon as it is in his hand”
We see another example of a crown used in Proverbs 12.
“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness to his bones. ”
An excellent person is like a crown to their spouse because, through their close association, they grant their partner a higher sense of honor and importance.
We all want “crowns.” We all want to feel important and significant, so we seek out various kinds of crowns.
Creative people tend to long for the crowns of virality, lots of social followers, tons of Spotify streams, radio play, book sales, or awards and accolades.
But a few verses down in Isaiah 28, we see a day coming when we will fully appreciate that the Lord Himself is our greatest crown.
“In that day the Lord of host will be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people”
Being known by the Lord, being loved by Him, and being His - this is what makes us beautiful, important, and significant.
Revelation 4:10 shows us that there is a coming day when we will throw our crowns at His feet. I wonder if we will do this because we’ll no longer be that proud or impressed by our cheap crowns. I wonder if we will do this because we’ll recognize with greater clarity that to belong to God is to be adorned with the most beautiful crown. I wonder if we will do this because being identified as one who God loves will become our most potent desire.
If we’re longing for importance and significance, what we need most isn’t the love of a spouse, accolades, applause, wealth, or a growing status.
What we need most is for the Lord to give us a greater sense today of what it means for Him to be our “crown of glory” and our “diadem of beauty.”
