I See The Lord

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; 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 cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah 6:1-3 NKJV.

In Isaiah 6, we have Isaiah’s call to be a prophet and his response to that call.

He gives us a time when it happened, which was when the King of Judah died. To say In the year that King Uzziah died is to say a lot. It is to say, “In the year a great and wise king died.” But it is also to say, “In the year a great and wise king who had a tragic end died.” Isaiah had great reason to be discouraged and disillusioned at the death of King Uzziah, because a great king had passed away, and because his life ended tragically. Where was the Lord in all this?

We often ponder the same question.

When things are going well, how do we see God? When things are not going well, how do we see God? Because our perspective of God matters a great deal. How do you and I see God? What is He like in our view? These are massive questions.

Here’s an important verse on this subject.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 NKJV.

Here it is again; I’m finding this truth all over the Bible. Before we have received anything, before God does anything in our lives, before He’s answered any prayers, before He’s provided and guided us, we need to know that He is God. First His identity. Then His activity. It is everywhere! This revelation is all through Scripture. We are so keen for God to do stuff, and the needs are nearly always desperate, but the greatest need, really, is to stop, and know that God is God. That He is the Lord of Lords, that He is God.

In our busyness we come to God rushed, but with our shopping list. It’s all we have time for. But wouldn’t things change in every part of our life, if we just slowed down enough, pushed the pause button of the needs and pressures of life, long enough for the revelation, the unveiling, the unearthing of God and who He is to break through to us? That revelation changes everything!

Be still, and know that I am God. Is there a knowing of God in our busyness? Yes there can be for sure. But maybe, just maybe, there’s something here that we need to grasp, which for our humanity is very difficult. To stop the activity for a moment, to slow the pace for a bit, so that we can come to a greater understanding of who God really is. So that we can see, hear and really know, that He is God. That revelation and its repercussions, when taken into our busyness, and the activities of our life, will be immeasurable.

O yes; in rest there’s revelation.

Back to our text in Isaiah 6. This verse is a song we sing at church. I see the Lord, seated on the throne, exalted. This is interesting. Do we see the Lord like that? Is the Lord, seated, on the throne, exalted? I’m moved every time we sing that.

I see; is a personal revelation. Our vision, or our perspective of God is how we relate to God, receive things from God, and run through life. Perception is reality. How we see things is often how they will be for us.

How we see God is often the measure of His ministry to us.

But what did Isaiah see? Here’s four things.

1)   The Lord.

Is God, the Lord in our view? Does He fill our vision with His Lordship? Is His God-ness, His Divinity, His everything-about-Him-ness, filling our view?

Do we see Him first as God, then as giver? Do we see Him first as Master of the Universe before He is the mover of our mountains?

God is Jehovah – the Lord. He is Elshadai – God Almighty. He is Adonai – Lord, Master. He is Elohim – God!

2)  Seated.

If He is seated that means something. It means He is in control, He is Lord, He is the teacher, He is the One we should look to, He is the One who is not worried by any circumstances anywhere at any time.

In Bible times, a teacher would sit to speak and teach his students. That’s the position they would take. Isaiah sees God seated. It’s a position of authority.

3)  On the throne.

A throne speaks of rank, royalty, and ruling, of grace, grandeur and greatness, and of sovereignty, supremacy and subjection. A throne is where ruling and authority and justice comes from. The throne of God is where all ruling, all authority and all justice for the entire universe comes from. The throne of God is unchallenged, unchallengeable, unequalled, and unmeasurable. The throne of God is forever, for keeps, for life, for always. The throne of God is where every authority, every principality and every kingdom will eventually bow to. We do well to bow there now. Bow now.

Isaiah was not alone in seeing God’s throne. Almost everyone in the Bible who had a vision of heaven, was taken to heaven, or wrote about heaven spoke of God’s throne. Micaiah, Job, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Apostle John all saw God’s throne.

What did they see? The Lord, sitting on a throne. We need that same vision, which will change just about everything in our life. He’s the Lord, sitting, on His throne. His rule is not under threat, His majesty is unequalled, His authority not limited. He is the Lord.

4)  Exalted.

There is no one who deserves the exaltation, the glory, the majesty, the honour, the worship, as does our God. There are those who have, and do, deserve a measure of honour because of their position or their performance, but it pales into insignificance at the deserved status of the exaltation of our God.

How do you see God? Maybe we need a fresh revelation of who God is.

So where is the Lord in all the pressures and disappointments, the ups and downs of life? He is on His throne!

Isaiah may have been depressed or discouraged because a great leader of Judah was no longer on the throne. God in heaven now shows Isaiah, “Don’t worry about it, Isaiah. Uzziah may not be on his throne, but I am on My throne”.

My friend, God is on the throne. Allow the Holy Spirit to give you a vision, a fresh perspective, of God, seated, on His throne, and exalted high above all things, with all your affairs under His sovereign rule.

Reference: David Guzik www.blueletterbible.org