We are commonly interested in the extraordinary, the unusual, or the uncommon. The bible teaches us that we must be able to recognize the common from what is not.
“You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean” (Leviticus 10:10).
We serve an uncommon God, but because of religiosity, we have reduced Him to stone idols and other misrepresentations of who He is. The 20th century Christians treat God with utmost lack of reverence, lack of awe and with disrespect, referring to Him as the “Man upstairs” or “My bro, Jess!” We fail to recognize the holiness of God. To serve a holy God, we must first understand His holiness.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isaiah 6: 1-3).
GOD IS SOVEREIGN.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).
The vision given by God to Isaiah in the temple came in a time of grief for Isaiah and the land of Judah. King Uzziah, their king for 52 years, died, and Judah was in distress at the loss of their ruler.
Isaiah, as he shared the vision, referred to God as Lord, which means Adonai (Hebrew) or sovereign ruler. In a time of crisis, God showed Himself sovereign.
GOD IS A HOLY GOD.
“Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isaiah 6:2-3).
God was gracious to give the seraphs 6 wings, with two that will cover their feet, for these are reminders that they are merely creations of God and are unworthy to stand in His holy presence.
In Exodus 33:20-23, Moses was so consumed of who God is that he asked that he see His face. God said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” He put Moses in a cleft of a rock and passed by him, covering Moses’ face with His hand until he has passed him by. He then removed his hand and allowed Moses to see his back. Even upon just seeing the back of God, Moses’ face shone, causing fear and trembling among the Israelites.
Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered unauthorized fire before the LORD contrary to His command and they died before God. God spoke to Aaron through Moses, “Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored”(Leviticus 10:1-3).
God finds it irreverent when we go to him in our own strength. He wants us to depend on Him. God struck Uzzah down when he tried to save the ark from falling when the oxen stumbled (2 Samuel 6:6-7). In the new testament, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira fell down and died upon lying in the presence of God (Acts 5:1-10).
GOD IS LORD.
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isaiah 6:3b).
While in the first verse, Isaiah referred to God as Lord, or sovereign Ruler, in verse 3, He referred to God as LORD. LORD in Hebrew means YHWH (YAHWEH), the name of God. LORD speaks of God’s essence and nature that is transcendent— one that goes beyond what is rational; exceeding usual limits.
In Hebrew times, scribes use special pens to write the name YHWH; after which, these pens are discarded and can no longer be used for it has been used to write the HOLY name of God. No other word is worthy to be penned by the ones used to inscribe the name of God.
In the days of the bible, something is given emphasis through repetition. (e.g. John 1:51; John 5:25; John 16:23, etc.). This can be likened to the current times when we use markers to highlight words that we feel are important to be remembered. The word HOLY is only attribute of God that has been given the emphasis of being repeated three times: God is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.
God is holy but He is never distant. In Matthew 27: 50-51, the curtain at the temple was torn when Jesus gave up his spirit, allowing us to come before God in all His holiness, and in all our unworthiness. The only thing we can offer God is a pure heart and our unadulterated worship (Malachi 1:14).**
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