HOLY, HOLY, HOLY!

SCRIPTURE

Isaiah 6:1-5 (NRSV)
The Lord high and lofty

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"

DEVOTION

Hallelujah!

This has long been one of my most favorite scriptures in the Holy Bible! Don’t you just love this vision of God as shared by Isaiah?

As I read the melodic words I hear “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,” reverberating and repeating in my head and spirit again and again.

When Spirit allows us to catch a glimpse of God, we always immediately realize two things. 1) God is holy and 2) We are unclean in God’s holy presence.

It is a humbling moment to realize that our sin makes us unclean in God’s sight. It is a shocking realization to recognize that we have come into the presence of the King of Kings with “dirt on our faces.”

In Isaiah’s day, he very likely believed that because he saw God face to face he would die. In Paul’s day, Paul wrote, “The wages of sin are death…” It is clear that there has been an understanding for some time that spiritual uncleanliness=sin=death.

But, this side of the cross the equation has been expanded! God’s love revealed to us in Christ Jesus gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life! Furthermore, Jesus did not stay dead, but was resurrected on the third day with all power over sin, death, and the grave in his hands!

Now, although we are sinners, we are saved by God’s grace when we put all of our hope in Jesus! As we say and believe with all our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we are saved from the spiritual death that accompanies our sinfulness.

Now, there is a new equation: spiritual uncleanliness=sin=death + JESUS = eternal life!

I don’t know about you, but I praise God every single day for the gift of JESUS! No longer do I only cry, “Woe is me!,” but I also cry, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of Lord!”

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Amen.


THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html