Fear God
Seeing the King – Part 1

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

Key Verse: Isaiah 6:5

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

God’s Prophet Isaiah received a glorious glimpse of Jesus:  Jesus, King of the saints, Lord of the heavenly armies, the glory and beauty of His person and the fullness of His love.  Yes, what a sight to behold!  What did this do for the prophet?  What would it do for you?  Possibly we would think such a sight would produce a reaction of total happiness.  Would we dance in His presence?

            For the Prophet Isaiah this glorious glimpse of Jesus produced a spotlight on his own “lack of glory.”  Isaiah understood how unworthy and how sinful he was in the presence of this Holy One!  He cried out: “Woe to me, I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips…” (vs. 5).

            A proper fear of God produces this kind of reaction.  It is an authentic look at ourselves.  We fall before God and fully understand how unworthy and sinful we are.  Isaiah wrote, much later in Isaiah 64: …all our righteous acts are like filthy rags… (Isaiah 64:6). Even on our best days, walking with the Lord adds up to nothing in His presence!  Anyone who feels worthy of our Almighty God’s grace has developed a pride which God hates (James 4:6).  If we could get a glimpse of His glory as Isaiah did, we would fall face down and cry out: Worthy is the Lord!

Father, forgive my pride when I think I’ve earned your favors.  I humble myself in your presence and cry “Holy!”  In Jesus’ name, amen.