Isaiah 6:1-6
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”…
Isaiah, taken up in the spirit, beheld the LORD. So splendid was His majesty that the best description Isaiah could give was, “The train of His robe covered the entire temple.” Moreover, the creatures before God’s throne, the Seraphim, are unique creatures – with six wings. They cover their eyes because of the brilliance of God’s glory. They cover their feet as a sign of their creatureliness. The seraphim give us a glimpse of who God is and how He should be approached – with reverence and awe. Also, they call to each other declaring, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts…” They constantly declare the holiness of God.
In the Hebrew language, unlike English, there are no comparative and superlative adjectives. Therefore, to emphasise something, one repeats the word or phrase. Here, the word “holy” is repeated thrice, three being the superlative form, so to speak. In other words, God is holy to the highest degree. But also, the repetition of the term “holy” signifies that the seraphim so shouted it that it could only be captured in writing by repeating the word. This is probably why the foundations of the thresholds shook at the sound (Isaiah 6:4).
Holiness connotes two things – God’s ‘otherness’ and His moral purity. This reveals that God is a being like no other (to whom will you compare me? – Isaiah 40:25). It also reveals that God is sinlessly perfect and has not even a speck of evil in Him. The only response then to beholding God, as Isaiah did, is to realise how sinful we are. We are fond of comparing ourselves to others so as to feel good about our supposed holiness. But the standard of holiness is God, and all of us fall short of His glory. Praise God, though, that just as Isaiah’s sins were atoned for, so ours also have been atoned for through the sacrifice of Christ at the cross. As a result, we have now become the righteousness of God and can therefore approach this same glorious God that Isaiah saw:
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Reflections
1. Do you feel convicted of your sin when you think about the holiness of God?
2. Now that we have been granted access into the Holies of Holies, what should be your attitude and action?
