God is called the Great King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Judge of all the earth (Gen.18:25, Hebs. 12:23). He is incomparable (Isaiah 4:18, 21– 22, 25 -26, 28). He is the great God (Psalm 48:1, Psalm. 95:3, 6), who inhabits eternity, who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22;57: 15).
The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. (Psalms 93:1NKJV).
As we usually eulogize Him in our country: the King who enthrones kings, who is enthroned by no one and who can never be dethroned, the supreme and eternal monarch of the universe.
When God’s majesty is referred to in the Bible, it speaks of His greatness, dignity, royalty, sovereignty, authority, supremacy, almightiness, magnificence, glory. It is beyond human description!
God says of Himself,
For I am a great King,” Says the LORD of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations (Mal 1:14b NKJV).
“Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hands. For I raise My hands to heaven, and say, “As I live forever, If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold of judgement, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me” Deut 32:39-41NKJV).
When I read the Scriptures I find that the holiness and majesty of God are inseparable. You cannot talk about one and not refer to the other.
“For this saith the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:I dwell in the high and holy place…”( Isaiah 57:15a).
“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. 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. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:1-3NKJV).
God is splendidly and gloriously magnificent in holiness and Majesty (Exod. 15:11). He dwells in a light no man can approach, a light brighter than the sun in all its brightness (1Timothy 6: 16). He wraps Himself with light as with a garment (Psalm 104: 2). The colours of the rainbow envelopes His throne (Rev.3:3, Ezek. 1:28.)
God’s majesty causes us to bow down in outburst of praise and adoration.
God’s holiness causes us to bow down before Him in awesome worship. His holiness causes us to fall down on our faces with holy reverential fear and in silent worship.
Holiness is not just one of God’s attributes but who He is, His person. Everything God is and does is holy, even His justice, wrath and vengeance are holy.
“And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” (Ezek 1:26-28 NKJV).
Our God is an awesome God. The Apostle John said:
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead”. (Rev 1:17 NKJV).
His holiness causes us like prophet Isaiah to see and become aware of our own corruption and vileness.
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”(Isaiah 6:5 NKJV).
All our righteousness become like filthy rags in the light of His holiness. Like the hymn writer we are compelled to exclaim:
“Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling,
Naked come to Thee for dress,
Helpless come to Thee for grace,
Foul I to the fountain fly,
Wash me savior or I die.”
(Augustus M. Toplady).
Even the Seraphim that dwell around His throne cover their faces with two wings in worship ( Isaiah 6:2).
God’s holiness is the very essence and beauty of heaven.
“Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever “(Psalm 93:5).
We all want to go to heaven, which is the holy dwelling of our Holy God but many don’t want to live holy lives. How can that be? The Bible tells us that we have been called to holiness (1Thess. 4:7), and without holiness no man shall see the Lord (1 Peter 1:15 -16).
One of the main reasons there is so much irreverence in the Church today is because we lack the sense and revelation of God’s holiness and majesty. We cannot have the revelation of God’s Majesty and holiness and not walk in the fear of God. The revelation and awareness of His holiness and Majesty will instill a holy reverential fear in us.
To have the revelation of God’s holiness and Majesty:
*Search and meditate on the Scriptures for they speak of God’s majesty and holiness.
*Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to behold His holiness and majesty and to stamp it upon the tablet of your heart.
*Become a worshipper. God reveals His majesty and holiness in times of adoration, worship and prayer.
*See God in creation Isaiah 40:26.
*Consider the works of His hands Psalm 8:1, 3.
*Meditate on His wonderful works Psalm 145:5.
I have been fascinated with astronomy since childhood. I love to goggle and read books on space. I love to look at NASA’s pictures on my Instagram page. Consider the planet earth: one of the masterpieces of God’s creation, with the blue haze that surrounds its atmosphere hanging out there in space, below the space craft or the International space station.
Sometimes I go out into the backyard , look up into the expanse of the clear night sky, the stars billions of light years away, and I can’t help but whisper to God, “Lord Your world is so beautiful, so magnificent, just like the hands that crafted it. How great you are Lord. How great the sight of You must be!” Then sometimes with a sigh I add, “and here we are, destroying Your beautiful world”
The Bible says God’s glory, majesty fills the earth (Isaiah 6:3). Look at nature. Look at the mighty ocean waves rolling in, the huge mountains, the waterfalls, the forests etc. They all speak of God’s majesty. They are not accidental, not the product of a big bang theory. The mighty hands of the Almighty God have made them all!
Yet, as holy and majestic as God is He bids us come to Him. He invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb.4:16), and to partake of His holiness and glory (Heb.12:10, 1Pet.5:1, 2Pet. 1:4).
Our God, Father, Redeemer and Friend is the great King of the universe, worthy alone of all adoration and worship.
Are you a worshiper, frequently, bowing down, laying on your face before our Almighty God, in holy adoration and worship in your closet, not only in church on Sundays? And above all is your whole life a fragrance of worship continually to God?
Worship Hymns
1. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
Bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
With gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
Kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.
2 Low at his feet lay your burden of carefulness,
High on his heart he will bear it for you,
Comfort your sorrows and answer your prayerfulness,
Guiding your steps in the way that is true.
3 Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
Of the poor wealth you would count as your own;
Truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness
These are the offerings to bring to his throne.
4 These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
He will accept for the name that is dear;
Mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
Trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.
5 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
Bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
With gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
Kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.
(John S. B Monsell – 1811 – 1875).
* * * *
1.Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might,
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
3. To all, life thou givest, to both great and small.
In all life thou livest, the true life of all.
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but naught changeth thee.
4. Great God of all glory, great God of all light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sights
All praise we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
(Walter C. Smith -1824 – 1908).
