Holy and Sinful

God is incomprehensible to us in another way. God is holy!

In Isaiah 6, where we read of the prophet's encounter with the Lord in his heavenly court, there are seraphim, or angels, that announce, "And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth."

That's emphatic! But there's one detail we often pass over: even these angelic beings cannot look upon God! They use two of their wings to cover their face in the presence of the Lord, who is high and lifted up! What's the proper response to a vision of God's holiness?

It is what Isaiah says in verse 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 Armies."

This creates a tension. If God is holy and we are unrighteous, then how can we know God? Paul, in Romans 1, speaks directly to this. He says in verse 18, "For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,"

God is holy. We are unrighteous. That contrast is too uncomfortable for us. So we suppress the truth. Again, God is incomprehensibly greater than us.

Read the story of Sarah in the lesson and reflect on whether you relate to her experience. Consider whether you have been treating God casually, and spend time in prayer asking God to give you a renewed vision of His holiness.