The Majesty Of The Lord

The Majesty of the Lord Isa 6

Presidential scandals, terrorists, Iraq, and mostly bad news every day can keep you torn up inside and confused. You believe in God and that Jesus is coming, but you wonder how you will make it through the nasty now and now while waiting for the sweet by and by.

Brother Isaiah may have had some of the same feelings as he was serving in the temple after King Uzziah’s death. If you notice anything about the history of Israel, you see that the northern kingdom/Israel had quite a hodgepodge of having a good king and then a bad king, but for the most part they had bad ones. The southern kingdom/Judah for the most part had good kings, but they all had some flaws.

Uzziah was a very great king. He had one of the longest reigns of any king and the nation had known prosperity and peace. Unfortunately, near the end of his reign, he felt that he was great enough that he could be a priest also. He decided to offer incense and this incensed the Lord and Uzziah was struck with leprosy. God believed in separation of temple and state, in that the state had no right to be in the temple. However, the temple had much influence on the state. God sent many prophets to straighten out corrupt kings.

Isaiah was most likely pondering the future of the kingdom. Would Uzziah’s son be as strong militarily? Jotham was co-reagent with his father and Judah’s enemies might take this opportunity to attack while the government was in transition and the people in sorrow. Would Jotham follow the ways of the Lord or lead the people into sin? Would the people follow Jotham if he were a good and righteous king? Where was the Lord?

Isaiah was about to find out and to learn that he must submit to the sovereignty of God in all things. We also must learn to submit to that sovereignty. When we submit to His sovereignty, we will be provoked to worship! (Vs 1-4) His glory will require it! (Vs 1,4)

When God shows up in the temple/church or us, He does not lightly tap on the door. The announcement of His arrival shakes the doorposts and our cages!! There was no need for incense for the Lord brought His own and filled the place up with it! Do you think He got Isaiah’s attention?

Where was he seated, at a coffee table with Isaiah, sharing the same concerns with apprehension? No way! He was on THE throne. Uzziah had a small throne with limited authority and power. God has the big throne high and lifted up above the world and all its puny rulers.

Ladies, you all know what a train is on a wedding dress. The inside of the temple was approximately 90 ft. long, 30 ft. broad, and 45 ft. high and the train on the Lord’s robe filled the temple. Remember that is after it fell from however far up in the sky His throne was located. I would have had liked to seen Di or Fergie pull one like that down the aisle. Everyone oooed and aaahed over their trains. Their royal robes were nothing compared to the real King’s!

How fast do you think it took Isaiah to hit the floor face down? It could have possibly have come close to nanoseconds! Our word worship comes from the Hebrew word that literally means kissing the earth. Isaiah was in a worship mode for sure!

Not only will you be provoked to worship by God’s glory, but also His Holiness will demand it! (Vs 2,3) The temple may have been full with His train and smoke, but the earth is full of His glory. His holiness we cannot begin to comprehend.

We have lost all concepts of the sacred. I can remember as a lost teenager in the sixties that I would not tolerate Jesus jokes though I would use His name in vain. When I drove past the church of my youth, I would turn down my eight-track that was loudly playing the rock opera, Hair. Gasp! I’m old! I respected the Bible though I seldom read it. When the man that was used to bring me to Christ asked me how I would know something was in the Bible, I replied that if it had thees, thous, and hasts in it I would believe it was biblical.

All that is gone. I can remember backing away from my civilian boss shortly after I was saved in the Air Force when he said that Christ might be gay. I thoroughly expected a lightning bolt to land smack dab in the middle of his head and I wanted nowhere near him. I was learning and I am still learning about God’s marvelous grace that did not fry him or me.