Here’s an article written by a friend, Shannon Hollis. It’s long but worth the read. It was so good I had to share it. Enjoy!
A View of Gods Throne
by: Shannon Hollis
Isaiah Chapter six
There are times when we desperately need a new vision from God. There are times of desperation when we need a God intervention. There are times in this world and in our lives when we need a view of Gods throne. These times come upon us when God brings us to a place of dismantling. God bankrupts our confidence in self and men. God cripples and disables our systems of hope. He spoils our plans and strips us from all our reliance upon men. You and I must understand that this is the pathway to Gods Throne. This is the only place we can stand, see and clearly hear the voice of God.
I believe that we are rapidly approaching a moment in time when the only sustainable anchor will be a view of Gods Throne. God is doing a New Thing in our midst. God is paving a pathway to a place that you and I can see the Lord high and exalted above this world and its desperate condition. Though it is a painful path of ripping, tearing and uprooting, it is the place God chooses to speak, strengthens and empowers his children.
Isaiah traveled down this pathway. He stood bankrupt before God; dismantled and stripped of all self confidence and reliance upon men. He saw the Lord seated upon his throne; heeded the voice of God and was empowered to stand firm in Gods will despite the dark and desperate times he faced.
Isaiah’s times were much like our own today.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Whatever you do, don’t over look King Uzziah’s death.
Uzziah had been a great leader. He paved the way of peace and prosperity. His leadership gave birth to growth and success. His achievements brought him fame and he became very powerful. For a season he did what was pleasing in the Lords sight, but when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the altar. God struck him down with leprosy. (2 Chron. 26)
God bankrupt and dismantled the confidence Isaiah and his people had placed in their leader and his success. God himself struck King Uzziah down with leprosy.
KING UZZIAH’S LEPROSY WAS A WARNING TO GODS PEOPLE.
KING UZZIAH’S DEATH WAS A DERCREE OF JUDGMENT UPON GODS PEOPLE.
King Uzziah’s leprosy signifies contamination or apostasy:
Apostasy often begins with the prideful drive of good and godly men to push beyond the bounds of what has been revealed by God as the basis for His way of life and worship. They start to take matters into their own hands and come up with their own plans.
In his mercy, God will often give us warning signs before he decrees a death sentence of judgment upon a Nation, His Church, and even His individual children. Sometimes we refuse to acknowledge our condition and allow pride to keep us from repenting and turning back. Like King Uzziah, we press on and refuse to set down the incense burner. Pride blurs our vision and the deadly disease of apostasy begins to take root.
King Uzziah’s death signifies a significant event:
It marks the end of an era of God’s blessing and identifies the beginning of a new period marked by judgment. God cripples and dismantles our idols of hope and systems of security. As complicated as it is to understand, it is here, in this place, where we can clearly view Gods throne; if we are willing to open our eyes and in humility, look up unto our God.
Application:
NUMBER ONE
Just like in Isaiah’s day, God has struck our leadership with leprosy. From the White house to the Church house, the leadership is contaminated with apostasy and adultery.
Our success, prosperity and power have given birth to pride and we have pressed on and refused to lay down the incense burner. The warning signs have been obvious for “years” but we have been blinded by pride. We see the sinful acts of adultery and apostasy but we refuse to turn back and be healed. We press on in pride.
NUMBER TWO:
Just like in Isaiah’s day, God will decree a sentence of judgment if his people refuse to repent and turn back.
A prideful fool stubbornly presses on into destruction. All pride must be crucified. The only thing God will receive from us is a humble, broken and contrite heart. I am sorry God for what I have made it. I live among a people of unclean lips and I am a man of unclean lips.
I don’t believe that today is a day of sacrifice. In pride we continue to present our religious activity, achievement, prosperity and plans to him as a pleasing aroma of worship from a contaminated sanctuary of leprosy. Today is a day of fasting and repentance for “ALL “Gods people.
Joel 2:12-13 [12] That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time! Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. [13] Don’t tear your clothing in your grief; instead, tear your hearts.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you.
Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty
NUMBER THREE:
God will empower the broken with a new view of his throne and a new vision for his people.
King Uzziah was never the answer for His people. When Gods people put their hope in the leadership of men, they are doomed for disappointment. When Gods people put their hope in prosperity, and success, they are destined for destruction. When Gods people put their hope in the power and ability of men, they are delivered up to be dismantled.
Two of the greatest sins we commit as Christians are the sins of self confidence and reliance upon men. As baffling as it may be, God will often allow us to embrace and fulfill our plans for a season in order to bring us to a place of dismantling. This is the place where self falls short. This is the place where men fail us. This is the place where our good and godly intentions are found to be contaminated by a hidden root of pride. This is the place where the only thing we can do is look up in humility and brokenness. This is the place where Gods people must learn to live. This is the place where we can stand, see, and clearly hear the voice of God. This is the place we are called and anointed by God to deliver a hard message to a hard hearted people.
I believe God is rapidly bringing his people in this country to that place. Are we willing to stand in the place of dismantling? Are you and I willing to humble ourselves before God, look up and fix our eyes upon his Throne.
Will our hearts be shaken by his holiness or hardened by our pride. Will we crumble in anger at the dismantling of our idols and systems of security, or will cry out Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty?
Will we stand firm in our faith and be purified by his Holy fire or will we collapse when he cripples our reliance upon men and strips us from all self confidence? Will be blinded by prosperity, and success, or will we be enlightened by humility and brokenness?
It was the year that King Uzziah died. Whatever you do, don’t overlook that.
What are we putting our hope in?
In his mercy, God will expose our King Uzziah’s. When he does, will we stand with the people or will we stand with Isaiah? Will Jesus seated high and exalted above “our” world be enough?