Isaiah was probably the most righteous man of his generation. God called him to the distinguished prophetic office. At the time of his calling, God revealed Himself to Isaiah seated on a throne in the temple. Angels surrounded the throne of His glory and cried out "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!" To the Hebrew mind the use of three adjectives lifted the meaning to its ultimate degree. We would say "holiest," or "most holy." IsaiahÌs reaction when he stood in the presence of the Holy was to fall down and cry out for mercy, confessing the sin of his unclean mouth (See Isa. 6).

Do we really understand holiness? Do we understand why God told Moses at the burning bush to remove his sandals, for the very ground on which he was standing was made holy by the presence of the Holy One, and why Moses was afraid to look upon God (Ex. 3:1-6)? Do we understand why Peter, when he realized who Jesus really was, told him to get away from him for he was a sinful man (Luke 5:8)? Do we understand why in the tabernacle, and later the temple, the inner sanctum, the holy of holies, was so sacred a place, representing the dwelling of God, that only the high priest could enter, once a year on the day of atonement, and only after offering sacrifices of purification for himself (Lev. 16, Heb. 9:7)?

The idea of "holy" suggests separateness from the ordinary. In the case of God a separateness in power and character. God is not man, but so far above man that there exists a necessary separateness. God is holy in power, for He is all powerful (Gen. 17:1), and man is certainly not. God is holy in knowledge, for He is all-knowing (Ps. 139). God is holy in presence, for He can be anywhere (Ps. 139). God is holy in existence, for He is eternal (Ex. 3:14, Ps. 90:2). God is holy in purity, for there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). Holiness characterizes all that God is and does.

Our world today has lost sight of the holiness of God. We have become altogether too familiar with God. We think of Him as "the man upstairs," or a benevolent grandfather with a long beard who exists to supply our wishes and fulfill our dreams. We think of a God who simply reacts to our behavior, hopes we will do good, but lacks either the resolve or the ability to enforce his will in the world. He exists to ratify our agenda and waits for us to make Him a part of our plans. Some have even suggested that God is out of control of the world, having created it but allowing it to go its own way. Others say that God is really learning from us. Such ideas are not only unbiblical but blasphemous to the character of the Holy One.

Only when we have a proper understanding and respect for the transcendent holiness of God will we be brought to true repentance and genuine faith. Only then will the mysteries of the gospel and of Scripture as a whole be meaningful to us.