I have been involved with the Boy Scouts since I joined Cub Scouts in 1969. At the beginning of every Boy Scout meeting, we recited the Boy Scout Oath and Boy Scout Law. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the connection between the values of Scouting and the Bible.
This is the continuation of the series of blogs examining the connection between the values of Scouting and the Bible.
A Scout is…Reverent
A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.
The twelfth and final point of the Scout Law is, “A Scout is reverent.”
Reverence involves showing honor and respect toward God. Of the 10 Commandments, the first three all deal with reverence toward God:
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Many of the Psalms are songs of reverence toward God:
Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength.Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. |
Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. |
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises toYour name.” |
Praise the Lord!Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised. |
Reverence not only involves showing honor and respect toward God; it also involves faithful obedience. 1 John 2:3-6 says,
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
As a Christian, I should respect the beliefs of others, even though they are wrong. 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” Respect does not mean we agree with other belief systems, but that we show respect to those who hold them.
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, believed that reverence to God was the most important value in Scouting. He once said, “Scouting is nothing less than applied Christianity” – (Scouting & Christianity, 1917). When he was once asked where religion came into Scouting, Baden-Powell replied, “It does not come in at all. It is already there. It is a fundamental factor underlying Scouting…” (Religion and the Boy Scout and Girl Guides Movement–an address, 1926).
Filed under: Boy Scouts | Tagged: Bible, Boy Scout, Reverence, Robert Baden-Powell 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Scout Law | Leave a comment »