A royal encounter

This week’s royal wedding was a spectacle that many will never forget. It seemed a perfect day, sun shining, brass polished, wedding party and guests dressed for the occasion. I’m not a royal-watcher but enjoyed seeing bits and pieces on the news the next day and tuned into the message brought by an American preacher who added the power of God and God’s love to the mix.

This morning as I read this familiar passage, I tried to imagine the difference between a glorious royal wedding and this solemn encounter between a man of God and the King of kings . . .

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:1–7)

Those in the presence of royalty at the wedding felt honored to be there and important. This man in the presence of God felt deeply convicted as he faced the King, the Lord of hosts. He didn’t feel as if he belong there and was ashamed of his own sin and the sin of his people.

Those at the wedding saw glory and beauty. The man in the temple saw angels, a shaking foundation, smoke and burning coals of fire. The scene made him cry out in deep sorrow for his lost condition and the realization of seeing God Almighty.

Isaiah’s response would have been highly inappropriate for those attending the wedding of a royal person. As prominent and significant as they are, the royal family has nothing on the King of glory. The wedding party are all sinners as are the guests. Compared to the One Isaiah gave honor to, we have no reason to bow before them. The Bible tells us to respect them, pray for them, but not worship them.

Tozer makes note that Isaiah’s encounter with God happened to him while he was alone, pointing out that even if he had been in a crowd, God must “cut every maverick out of the herd and brand him all alone.” Being struck by the glory and presence of God is not anything like a mob mentality where emotions become contagious. As Tozer says, crowd conversion or being filled with the Holy Spirit rarely happens in a large group setting. God speaks to me alone, even in a crowd when all are listening for Him. We may want to help someone hear, but no human effort can control someone else’s encounters with the Lord.

Another thing I notice in this passage is that a personal encounter with God can be both deeply convicting and deeply reassuring. Isaiah was undone by this experience, but he was also assured that God had taken away his guilt and atoned for his sin.

When God confronts and sin convicts, the love of God makes certain that I hear the entire message. He does not want me to be so awed by His presence that I stop at that and go out to tell everyone. His light is intended to expose my darkness. However, He will not stop there either. He does not want me to wallow in self-pity and regret over all the junk exposed in my life. Instead, He wants me to know that I am forgiven. Because of Jesus Christ, my sin is atoned for and removed from me, as far as the east is from the west.

^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, You give me glimpses of Yourself each day. I’m honored, but more than that, seeing You as You are puts my ideas about myself into perspective. I’m nothing, yet You don’t leave me undone just as You didn’t leave Isaiah wallowing in his total sense of sinfulness. You touch and heal where healing is needed because Your death on the cross atoned for all our sin. Meeting with You can be painful at times, yet always ends well — a ‘happily ever after’ story that You bless me with every day!

His compassion never fails

Mercy, according to my Oxford dictionary, means compassion or forgiveness shown towards an enemy or offender in one's power. This morning, I realize once again the preciousness of God’s mercy.

Yesterday was one of those days when everything seemed to irritate me. Instead of being thankful and happy, I felt whiny and crabby. It wasn’t that I didn’t try, but joy seemed far away. Worse yet, I had no reason or excuse for it. The only thing that was different is that I didn’t take my normal time to pray. Duh!

This morning’s verse is Exodus 25:22. In the verses prior, God gives precise instructions concerning the ark of the testimony. Its cover was called the “mercy seat” or the place where atonement and forgiveness took place. This “mercy seat” was between the glory of God that shone as a cloud above the ark and the tablets representing the broken Law of God inside the ark. It was sprinkled with blood from the sacrifices.

The ark and the mercy seat with its blood picture God’s covenant. Between God and the broken law of God is the sacrificial blood of His mercy. His people sinned and God offered forgiveness, but “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.”

In those days, it was the blood of animals that covered the sins of God’s people. Those lambs represented that which was to come, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the sins of every person.

Forgiveness and mercy was not automatic, then or now. Verse 22 says, “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat . . . about everything I will give you . . . .”

It is never effort that overcomes acts of sin or even a sinful attitude; it is mercy. God gives me all I need, including a cheerful heart, but I have to meet with Him. His joy, His peace, His forgiveness, or anything else that God gives, cannot be taken for granted or assumed.

He offers forgiveness for my self-centered griping, not because I try harder, but because Jesus died for me, shed His blood for me. Furthermore, His mercy and compassion never fail. That is a good thing. I fail, often.

He is always there, above the mercy seat, waiting for me. I won’t neglect meeting with Him today.