When I was a child, I loved to read comic books. Marvel, DC, it didn’t matter, I read them all. Of course, I had my favorites, but one superhero that almost everyone liked was Superman. He had super-strength, super-speed, x-ray vision, and he was invincible. But sometimes I would think, what if Superman, with all that power, was a bad guy? He could have all those abilities and be evil. Just because Superman was great didn’t guarantee that he would be good.
In the previous few posts, we’ve been looking at God and who he is. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and he’s in all places at all times. God is great. But is he good?
One of the words the Bible uses to describe God is holy, which means “set apart” or “separate.”
In the year 740 BC, in the nation of Judah, there was a king named Uzziah. He had reigned for a long time, over fifty years. He had built up a great army, fortified Jerusalem, and followed God. But then King Uzziah died. The great king was gone.
In that very same year, there was a man named Isaiah who had quite an experience.
It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. (Isaiah 6:1-2)
Isaiah is given a vision of the true King, the ultimate King. He sees God sitting on the throne of heaven surrounded by angelic beings. These angels covered their feet, which was a sign of respect. And they covered their eyes because God was so holy that they couldn’t even look at him.
Then Isaiah hears the angels speak.
They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)
Holy. Holy. Holy. It’s important to note here that this word is repeated three times. Why? In English, we can underline words, italicize words, put words in all caps, all to show emphasis. You can’t do that in Hebrew, so to emphasize the importance of a word, writers would repeat it. Repeating the word “holy” three times means we should pay close attention, that this is important.
What does “holy” mean? It means “set apart” or “separate.” God is separate from everything else in all of creation. He is completely other. There is no one like him in existence. He’s the eternally existing, perfect Creator. He’s supreme in greatness and beyond the confines of time and space. There is nothing in all of creation that is anything like God.
As part of his “otherness,” God is also free from anything evil or wicked. He is perfectly pure in his morals. God is not only great, but he’s also good. And his goodness isn’t something he has to work at; it’s who he is. God’s goodness is so beyond anything else in creation that, compared to everything else, God is the only one who is good. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18).
God is always true to his word. He always keeps every promise without fail (1 Thessalonians 5:24). He never lies (Numbers 23:19). He is always faithful:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Because God is holy, he demands that we should be holy as well.
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44)
God’s righteousness demands righteousness in mankind. Because he’s righteous, God must condemn sin. He wouldn’t be righteous if he didn’t condemn sin. He can’t ignore sin. God is not just free of evil; he’s actively opposed to evil. Anything evil is an enemy of God. That includes mankind.
At the same time, God is full of mercy and grace. He has loving compassion for all.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3)
In his grace, he is constantly giving us that which is undeserved.
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)
For all of God’s greatness, there is as much to say about God’s goodness. He is not only powerful, but he’s also faithful. He’s trustworthy. He’s gracious, and he’s merciful.
No wonder the seraphim called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!” Their reaction to God’s greatness and goodness should be the same as ours — they worshipped!
What if every time we attended a “worship” service, we looked at God seated on his throne in all of his might and all of his goodness? What if your thoughts were on the King every time you sang in worship, every time you listened to a message, every time you opened and read the Bible? Would your worship be different?
Would you be willing to stop and spend a few minutes right now worshipping God? Stop and see God seated on his throne in heaven. Come before God in awe, and respond to him in a way that’s worthy of him. Soak in the incredible mightiness and the wonderful goodness of your God.
God is great. And God is good.