Can I Fix What’s Broken? Part 2: Holiness Recognized

Background Passage: Isaiah 5:8-6:7; Romans 3:9-26
Today’s Focal Passage: Isaiah 6:1-5

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.

How Big is God?

According to 1 Kings 6:2, Solomon’s Temple was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide. That is 2700 square feet…not that big when you consider the size of most houses in suburban America. However, 1 Kings 6:2 also tells us that the Temple was 45 feet high. When you think about your own 9 to 12 foot ceilings, 45 feet becomes the grandeur we imagine when reading about the temple of the Lord. Isaiah said that the Lord’s robe filled the temple. If just his garment filled a room 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high, how big must the God who wears that robe be!

As we encounter the God of this universe and the Lord of our very lives, the only proper response is utter awe. He is so big and so holy; so worthy of worship and adoration and “awe” the attention we can give Him. Our first response to the recognition of a holy God is worship. Our second is all together related but also very different. It is very simply to see ourselves in light of who He is. When we think about who we are against the holiness of God, the only fitting response is that of Isaiah in verse 5. “Woe is me!”

Today, I invite you to do something a little different. Grab a sheet of paper sometime today and a pen or marker. Sketch your interpretation of Isaiah 6:1-4. Beside your representation of God and His winged creatures, write words to describe the holiness of God. Close your artistic endeavor by praying a prayer of adoration to God for being the Holy creator that He is. Close your prayer by thanking God for loving you even though you are who you are. Recognize your imperfection in light of His perfection and thank Him for loving you anyway!