Isaiah 6:1
God Isaiah 6:1 (NKJV) 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. Song Of The Day
Bible Commentary
Isaiah 6:1 is a Bible verse from a vision of the Prophet Isaiah that speaks of the glory of the Lord filling the temple.
Just as we in modern day mark time periods in history by who our nation’s President was, so Isaiah was marking the time period of this vision by denoting the time of King Uzziah’s death, or the end of his reign.
We name time periods in this way because our nation’s rulers have an important and direct impact on our quality of life, namely protection from our enemies and unhindered provision of food and other goods we use and enjoy.
After the end of a particular ruler’s reign, there is an uncertainty among people about how things might change. What will happen under the next ruler? Will things get better or worse?
The leaders of our nations have a tremendous influence over a great number of people. Because of this, they have an enormous responsibility toward God.
There is a reason God blessed King Solomon with more wisdom than any other man in history. Solomon sought God first because he knew it was a huge responsibility to lead His people. He humbled himself before God, and God blessed him and his leadership. He honored God first.
King Uzziah also sought God and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. (2 Chronicles 26:5).
But something happened later in King Uzziah’s reign. He had prospered greatly because God blessed him, but he let pride rule in his heart and he entered into the temple of the Lord. (During the Old Testament times, no one was permitted in the temple of the Lord except the priests, according to the commandments of God.)
When the priests confronted him and insisted he immediately leave the temple, the king became furious. While he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead. Then he hurried to get out because the Lord had struck him. (2 Chronicles 26:19-20)
King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death, and he dwelt in an isolated house because he was cut off from the house of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 26:21)
Pride was the downfall of his authority and honor. And so it has been with many leaders through the ages.
I don’t believe it is any coincidence that immediately after King Uzziah’s rule, and many others that end with dishonor, it is the Lord Who is lifted up.
Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up.
Isaiah 6:1 can serve as a reminder to us all that no matter how much power a king or president has, it is the Lord Who put them in that position.
He has the power to place them in authority, and He has the power to remove them at His will. Though we are to give heed to those He puts in authority over us, we must remember that He alone is God, the Lord Almighty.
It is God’s authority that reigns in and over a nation. He created the heavens and the earth, and the rulers of the earth are under His sovereign authority, whether they recognize that authority, or not.
Can you just picture the Lord sitting upon a throne, as Isaiah 6:1 describes?
Unlocking the Truth – High and Lifted Up
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