Bible Devotions for Living

“For I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Hosts … (Mal 1:14)

God is a Great King. He is high and exalted, holy and pure, He is not common and is incomparable to anybody. He is unapproachable in His greatness and holiness by unsaved man.

I will invite him to Me, and he will approach Me, for who would otherwise risk his life to approach Me? (Jer 30:21)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. ² Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. ⁴ The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵ Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts. (Isa 6:1-5)

God is not common and we are wrong if we think we can approach Him in our own flesh unless we are invited. 

Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him, who is set apart, and the one He will let come near Him. He will let the one He chooses come near Him.” (Num 16:5)

Then He said to Moses, “Go up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. ² Moses alone is to approach the LORD, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.” (Ex 24:1-2)

Even earthly kings are unapproachable unless invited!

Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live.” (Esther 4:10-11)

The good news for we believers in Christ is that through the righteousness of Christ we can approach the Father. Think closely about this familiar verse from John:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn 14:6) What does God’s greatness and holiness mean to your life personally?