Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Encountering the Glory of God

This Biblical account lets us in on an encounter with the most high God by a man who was already serving God. We see personal accounts written about and hear people pray for a divine encounter with our creator, and spiritual father but few would measure up to this one.

Encountering the God of Glory should do more than give us a spiritual buzz! When you read this passage you will see there are several elements that bring the prophet to a new place of humility and availability to God.

Isa 6:1-96: 1 Isaiah's Vision In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said," Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said," Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" NASU

The Elements of this encounter are:
1. Isaiah seeking God and crying out to him in a time of great need for himself and God's people.
2. The encounter with God and His heavenly angels which seems to occur in the temple.
3. Isaiah's awareness of God, God's majesty and holiness.
4. Isaiah's honest appraisal of His condition and the people’s condition compared to God's
majesty and holiness.
5. God's mercy toward Isaiah demonstrated by the angels’ act which caused Isaiah to be
cleansed.
6. Once cleansed Isaiah is allowed to hear the heavenly conversation between the members of
the God head (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
7. Isaiah responds to God's question, which he would not have felt qualified to do before this
encounter.

Today we live in the age of God's grace.
Rom 5:1717 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. NIV

We can come to Him freely and cry out abba father or my daddy. Because of the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we now are joint heirs with Christ and thus, His father is our father.

Gal 4:4-7 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father ." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. NIV
Rom 8:16-17 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. NIV

Scripture also says we have been grafted into the Vine (Israel) and thereby receive God's promises for those who serve Him by faith.

Rom 11:17-18 17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, NIV

The completed work of Jesus Christ and these resulting truths change how we interact with God today, and yet we would be wise to understand that He is still a holy and awesome God in whose presence we should not only rejoice in our freedom and His goodness toward us but also contemplate and be in awe struck wonder of His might and majesty!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you believe in miracles?

Andre said...

that and He gives a a buzz to boot lol...