"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple." Isaiah 6:1
A little known fact behind King Uzziah was that he reigned for 52 years in Judah and the nation prospered under him. Imagine having the same king or president for over five decades (and the people actually liking him!). But alas, Uzziah died and with his death, the nation's sense of security and comfort did, too.
We could all spare to have a few (or all) Uzziah's die off the thrones of our heart. Those people, possessions, or productions which create a false shield and disillusion us into a state of complacency. They are no good to us, yet our knuckles turn white clenching them with our fists so not to let it slip away within our sweaty palms.
But I adore what Isaiah experiences in this single verse of Chapter 6. Let's give ourselves permission to pause for a few moments and break it down:
- "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord..."
- When those gods of our hearts die off, it is then that we truly see Him - high and exalted. He can be distinctly recognized because there is no shadow of falsity clouding our vision Him.
- "...seated on a throne..."
- He's seated, friends. He's not pacing the throne room floor with His fidget spinner in hand, anxiously wondering how this whole dramatic, eternal play will every come together. He's got this, and therefore He is seated and resting from the one work of salvation He will accomplish for all through the sacrificial blood. (Hebrews 9:25-27) We should take a lesson here: sit.
- "...and the train of his robe filled the temple."
- Some translations say hem instead of train. I like hem better because of Psalm 139:5 which reads, "You hem me in; behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me." In my mind's eye I can picture myself in the Temple of the Lord, tucked between the white linen hems of His robe. This is what stirs up within me when I meditate on this idea: regardless of what happens outside the hem, I am secure; I am accounted for; and, most of all, His hand rests upon me.
Lord Almighty, You alone are high and exalted. Help me to look up to You. Remove what is obscuring my vision of Your glory and may the false kings of my heart die. Teach me to sit and rest because You have hemmed me in -- behind and before -- and you lay your hand upon me. Amen.