The Triune God Is Holy – May 31, 2021

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, 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.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Isaiah 6:1-4

The Triune God Is Holy

Entering a church is meant to be a comforting experience. But imagine that one Sunday, you approach a church and see that the entire building seems to be shaking as if it were experiencing an earthquake. Hesitantly you open the front door and are immediately enveloped in clouds of smoke. At the front of the church, you see God himself seated on a lofty throne. The train of his robe fills the entire sanctuary. Around him fly six-winged angels, who themselves are so overcome by God’s greatness that they’re using one pair of wings to cover their faces and another to cover their feet. And in your ears resounds this chorus from the angels: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

How would you feel if you experienced something like this? When the prophet Isaiah had this experience, he felt completely overwhelmed. He was overwhelmed by God’s holiness.

To be holy means to be completely set apart. It means to be transcendent. As we witness God’s revelation of himself to Isaiah, we can’t help but see his holiness. God is on a level all his own in every possible way. No one comes close to matching his power. No one can ever begin to approach his glory. Everything about him is perfect. Even the angels, as glorious as they are, reverently avert their eyes when confronted with the holy God.

All this leads us to approach our holy God with similar reverence. We may not see our holy God with our physical eyes each time we enter a church. But he still is seated on his high and lofty throne. He still is transcendent and set apart. The angels in heaven still are shouting his praises. And we join our voices to theirs, exalting our holy God.

Prayer:
O holy triune God, I praise you for your greatness. Amen.