A Holy God

Hebrews 12:29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Exodus 33:20 But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"

Exodus 19:18:  Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.

Fire Lion

Revelation 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Psalm 97:2 Dark clouds surround him.  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes.

4 His lightning flashes out across the world.  The earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.

Below is a clip of my church singing Psalm 97, the Lord reigns (I will look for a more truncated video of the song but for now, it's the first song).

Many years ago, we were flying high after a rousing version of the Lord Reigns and Pastor Livingston gave a sermon about God's holiness.  We'd "get happy" singing this but had we ever stopped to consider the words?  Had we ever considered what the mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord means?  I must confess, I was convicted into my seat, convicted to the soles of my feet.

We do not understand a Holy God, a God of Fire and Wrath, the Living God.  We have been fed such a diet of God's love and grace that we do not recognize the Holiness.  We call God our buddy, our friend, our Papa... we have no reverence, no fear, and no concept of who He is.  

If we dare to assert that God will judge - it is WE who are accused of being judgmental.  If we insist on decorum and reverence in worship - it is WE who are uptight and stiff.  If we repeat what the Lord says about sin, death, and hell - WE are accused of being hateful.  All these things are from the church, not the lost.

I am guilty.  I try to put God in my pocket.  I am comfortable with a tame God that I think I can understand but He reminded me today, that He is Holy, He is Righteous, and His ways are higher than our ways.