I want you to open your Bibles
to a very familiar passage of Scripture found in the sixth
chapter of Isaiah. I imagine that everybody listening
to me is familiar with this particular verse of Scripture. It begins
this way, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. Isaiah writing here, In the year
that King Uzziah died, I saw Now, my subject today is the
throne of God, the throne of God. Now, Isaiah the prophet
lived and preached during the reign of four kings. He lived
and preached during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah. But I believe his favorite king
of all those kings was Uzziah. The Scripture says everything
that Isaiah did and said, Isaiah recorded. Because Isaiah was
a great king. He was popular with the people.
He feared God. And he served the people well.
During his reign, things were very prosperous in the land of
Judah. He took care of the people. But after years and years of
great success popularity and much fame, Uzziah became a proud
man. The scripture says his heart
was lifted up with pride. And he went down to the temple
on this particular day, and he told the priest that he intended
to offer a sacrifice. Now, the priest said to him,
it appertaineth not to thee, O king, to offer a sacrifice. Kings do not offer sacrifices. The priest does. God anointed
and appointed the priest to represent the people in things pertaining
to God. And a king never offered a sacrifice. You remember King Saul did that.
And Samuel, the prophet, rebuked him. He said, it's not your place
to offer a sacrifice. And Saul said, well, you weren't
here. And Samuel answered, well, it's
better to obey than to sacrifice. Well, Isaiah persisted. He persisted. He was going to
offer a sacrifice. He was going into the presence
of God and offer a sacrifice no matter what the priest had
to say. And that's what he did. And Almighty God turned this
man, this popular, famous, well-loved king, into a leper. He turned him into a leper and
he died. And that's when it was at this
particular solemn time that Isaiah wrote these words. That's the
reason this chapter begins. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord. I saw the holiness of God. Isaiah
wrote, I saw the justice and righteousness of God. I saw the
truth of God in the year that King, the popular, well-liked,
famous King Uzziah died because he violated the sacrifice. He did what God had forbidden
all men to do. Only the priest was to offer
a sacrifice. And Isaiah wrote, in the year
that he died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. High and
lifted up. And His glory, His glory filled
the temple. And His glory filled the earth.
Now, this is my subject. The throne of God. I saw the
Lord, Isaiah said, sitting on a throne. The throne of God. I want us to look at that. Now,
I haven't seen the Lord as Isaiah saw Him. I just know that I've
seen the Lord by faith in His Word. in his promises. But I've never seen the Lord
like Isaiah saw Him here. He said, I saw the Lord high
and lifted up, sitting on a throne. And he said the seraphims were
flying about the throne of God and they were crying, holy, holy,
holy is the Lord God of hosts. And Isaiah said, I I cried out,
oh, woe is me. I'm cut off. I'm a man of unclean
lips. I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips. He saw the Lord. Now, I haven't
seen the Lord as Isaiah saw the Lord, and neither have you. And
I realized that what I do see, I see through a glass dimly.
That's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13. We see through a glass dimly. And what I know, I know in part.
And I prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come,
then I'll know as I have been known. But I haven't seen the
Lord as Isaiah did. And I know in part, I see through
a glass dimly, but the Scriptures have much to say about the throne
of God, much to say about the throne of God. And that's what
I'm depending on for my message today, what the Scripture says
about the throne of God. What does the Scripture say?
about the throne of God. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord,
high and lifted up, sitting on a throne. Well, first of all,
the Scripture tells us that His throne is a throne of majesty
and glory. It's a glorious throne, a throne
of majesty. I saw the Lord sitting on a throne
high, Isaiah said, high and lifted up, and His glory filled the
universe. And Paul said in Timothy, I Timothy
6, He shall show, God will show who is the blessed and only potentate,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords, listen, who dwells,
who sits on a throne, who dwells in light, which no man can approach,
which no man has seen or can see. God dwells in a light, an
awesome light, which no man can see or has seen or can approach. Paul wrote of his experience
when he said, I knew a man, whether in the body or out of the body,
I can't tell, but I knew a man some time ago that went to the
third heaven, into paradise, and he said, I saw things. It's
not even possible for me to speak or to tell. So wonderful. God's throne is a throne of glory. He dwells in a light to which
no man can approach. I heard things he said I can't
put in words. And then the elders in the book
of Revelation before the throne broke forth into that sevenfold
praise of the glory of God and they said, As they stood before
the throne, they said, Blessings and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and forever. A throne of majesty and glory. That's the throne of God. But
also the scripture says His throne is a throne of holiness. Isaiah
said the seraphims were flying about the throne of God six wings
with two They covered their feet with two they covered their mouths
and with two they did fly and all of them in unison with one
song holy holy Holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth
is full of His glory. The seraphims were celebrating
the chief attribute of God, His holiness. My friends, if you
were going to describe the Lord God in one word, one word, if
you were given one word to define and describe the God, the living
God, the God of heaven and earth, what word would you use? Well,
the seraphim chose one word, holy. Holy, holy is the Lord
God of hosts. Holy is holiness. Holy and reverend
is His name. That's what David said. Holy
and reverend is His name. And in Psalm 47, David wrote,
God sits upon the throne of His holiness. God sits on the throne
of His holiness. My friends, when the great high
priest Went into the Holy of Holies with the blood atonement
once a year on the day of atonement. As he went into that Holy of
Holies, he had something written on the miter, on his hat. What did he have written there?
I'll tell you what it was. Holiness unto the Lord. Holiness. And when God speaks
of his dwelling place, he calls it his holy temple. God is in
his holy temple. When he speaks of his word, he
calls it his holy word. When he speaks of his angels,
they're called his holy angels. When he talks of his spirit,
it's his holy spirit. When he talks of his chosen nation,
he said, your chosen priesthood, a royal people and a holy nation. When he speaks of the calling
of his people, they're called with a holy calling. God sits
on the throne of holiness. His throne is a throne of majesty
and glory and a throne of holiness. Thirdly, listen, his throne is
a throne of judgment. Judgment. God hath prepared his
throne for judgment. That's what David wrote in Psalm
9. God has prepared his throne for judgment. Listen, he will
judge the world in righteousness. God will judge the world in righteousness. Psalm 97, righteousness and judgment
are the habitation of his throne. You know, judgment is not a pleasant
subject. I love that scripture says, there's
therefore now no judgment to them who in Christ David said
one time, Lord, don't bring me into judgment with thee. Judgment
and condemnation are not pleasant subjects, but I tell you this,
God will by no means clear the guilty. He must deal with sin. He must punish sin. The scripture
says the judge of the earth shall and must do right. You see, there
are no plea bargains before the throne of God. His is a throne
of judgment and justice and righteousness. There are no loopholes in God's
justice. If we're deliberate in any way,
it's either guilty or not guilty. If we're deliberate in any way,
it's going to have to be in a way in which His law is satisfied
and His justice is honored because He's a just God. When He says,
I'm a just God and a Savior, I'm a just God. And in order
to save us, He's got to do it in a way that is compatible and
consistent with His justice. His throne is the throne of justice.
And then, fourthly, the Scripture says His throne is the throne
of sovereignty. What does sovereignty mean? Well,
the word, it means, the word is in the word sovereignty. What
it means is in the word sovereignty, r-e-i-g-n, reign, God reigns. That's what the word means. He
reigns. Sovereignty. David wrote, the Lord reigns.
The Lord God reigneth. The Lord reigns over all. Isaiah
said in Isaiah 40, say to them, thy God reigneth. Daniel wrote,
listen, Daniel 4, God's dominion is an everlasting dominion. And
his kingdom from generation to generation, God doeth according
to his will. in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, What are you doing? He does not owe his creatures
any explanation of his deeds and his works and his acts. He
is Lord, he is sovereign in all things, in creation, in providence,
and in salvation. Paul said, He worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. Isaiah said, Our God declares
the end from the beginning. He declares the end from the
beginning. We talk about the beginning, we have to wait for
the results or the end, see how everything works out. But God
declares the end from the beginning, listen, and from ancient times,
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand
I will do all my pleasure. He asked one time, can I not
do with my own what I will? God's sovereign, absolutely,
immutably, unchangeably sovereign. The Lord thy God reigneth. The old leper, when our Lord
came down from the mountain, the old leper ran to him and
fell down before him and worshipped him and said to him, Lord, if
you will, You can make me clean. And that sums it up. If you will. If you will. He worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. If you will, you can. So
we have a throne of glory. God sits on a throne of holiness.
God sits on a throne of true judgment and justice. And God's
throne is a throne of sovereignty. But fifthly, His throne is a
throne of wisdom. Our God's too wise to make a
mistake. He's too good to do wrong. His
throne is a throne of wisdom. The psalmist said in Psalm 104,
O Lord, how manifold are thy works in wisdom thou hast made
them all. When I consider the heavens,
the sun, the moon, the stars, the things thou hast made, David
said, what is man that thou art mindful of him? And then he said,
I realize how manifold thy works in wisdom thou hast made them
all. Psalm 136, give thanks unto the
Lord to him that by wisdom made the heavens and the earth. The
wisdom of God. His throne is a throne of infinite
wisdom. The hymn writer put it this way,
great God, great God how infinite thou art. What worthless worms
are we Let the whole race of creatures bow down and worship
Thee. Thy throne eternal ages stood. Ere seas and stars were made,
Thou art the everlasting God where all the nations dead. Listen,
eternity with all its years stands present in Thy view. To Thee
nothing old appears, and, great God, there's nothing new. Our God is a God of wisdom, immaculate,
infinite, eternal wisdom. And then His throne is an eternal
throne. It's not only a throne of wisdom,
but it's an eternal throne. Psalm 45 says, Thy throne, O
God, is forever and forever and forever. Psalm 93 too says, Thy
throne, O God, is established of old. everlasting to everlasting. And Paul said in Hebrews, the
same yesterday, today, and forever. I saw the Lord, Isaiah said.
I saw the Lord. In the year that King Uzziah
died, when God dealt with this man, this special man, yet God
dealt with him in justice and judgment and holiness and righteousness,
I saw the Lord. I saw Him sitting on a throne,
a throne of majesty, a throne of glory, a throne of holiness,
a throne of righteousness, a throne of sovereignty, a throne of wisdom,
and an eternal throne. I saw the Lord, ageless and forever."
Well, is this all we know about the throne of God? Must I stop
here? If I must stop here and talk
only about a throne of judgment, and justice, and holiness, and
righteousness, and sovereignty, and majesty. If I must stop here,
then every one of us, you and I, everyone, we're going to have
to just bow down and perish. There'd be no hope for sinners
like you and me. There'd be no hope for sinners like you and
me before a throne of righteousness, wouldn't there, before a throne
of holiness. But there's good news. Over here in the book of
Hebrews, chapter 4, it says God's throne is a throne of grace. A throne of grace. Listen to
it. Paul calls the throne of God the throne of grace. He said, let us, let us, us,
therefore, come boldly. Where? Before the throne of God,
the throne of grace. Let us, us, what is man that
thou art mindful of him? Worthless worms. Let us come
before the throne of grace. I tell you, we dare not approach
a throne of glory. God dwells in a light, He said,
which no man can approach. We dare not approach the throne
of glory and majesty, which no man has seen or can see. That's
what the Scripture says. And you and I want nothing to
do with God on a throne of holiness, do you? I don't. Martin Luther
once said, I want nothing to do with an absolute God. Paul
said, let every mouth be stopped and all the world become guilty,
subject to the judgment of God. I want nothing to do with a throne
of majesty and glory and holiness, and I tremble to stand before
a throne of judgment. If God's... David said in Psalm
130, listen to it, Lord, out of the depths have I cried to
Thee. Lord, hear my voice. Lord, if
you should mark iniquity, and He will, if you should judge
iniquity, and He will, if you should hold the guilty responsible,
and He will, who shall stand? Who can stand? But, listen, But
there's forgiveness with thee. We're talking here not about
a throne of glory and majesty and holiness and righteousness
and judgment. We're talking about a throne
of grace, amazing grace, redeeming grace, forgiving grace, grace
and mercy is the word, mercy, mercy. I'll tell you what grace
is. Grace is God giving us what we
don't deserve. giving us a hearing, giving us
an ear, giving us time, giving us a counsel. Come, he said, let's reason together.
God reasoning with sinners? Yeah. Though your sins be as
scarlet, I'll make them white as snow. Though they be red like
crimson, I'll make them like wool. Grace is God giving us
what we don't deserve. Mercy is God not giving us what
we do deserve. And so Paul says here, let us,
come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy,
mercy, mercy, free mercy, sovereign mercy, saving mercy, and grace
to help us in our time of need. Oh, somebody said, but preacher,
wait a minute, you've just been talking about God sits like Isaiah
when King Uzziah died. under the judgment of God for
violating the atonement and violating the priesthood and violating
the sacrifice and God dealt with him in wrath and judgment and
killed him. You just talked about a throne
of glory and a throne of majesty and a throne of holiness and
a throne of judgment and a throne of righteousness. Where do you
get this throne of grace? How can God's throne of justice
and righteousness and holiness become to the guilty a throne
of mercy? How can the same God be just
and justifier? How can the same God show holiness
and righteousness and at the same time show mercy, love and
forgiveness? How can He punish a man and set
him free? How can He hold him accountable
and yet declare him not guilty? One word, Christ. Jesus Christ. Substitute, sacrifice. sent offering,
satisfaction, sufficient redeeming. One word, seeing. Look back at
verse 14 of Hebrews 4. Seeing we have a great high priest
that is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God, let's
hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points like as we are, tempted like as we are,
yet without sin. Seeing then, we have a high priest. God has appointed us an advocate.
God has appointed us, that's a court-appointed advocate, lawyer. God has appointed us a mediator. God has appointed us a high priest
who came to this earth in our flesh bone of our bone, who met
God's law, satisfied it, who met God's justice and died under
his condemnation, his judgment, and his wrath, who was buried
and rose again. And he said, he is none other
than the Son of God, co-equal with God. He is Jesus Christ
who became a man, but yet he's the Son of God. And where is
he now? He's gone into the heavens. You see, In the days of Isaiah,
these priests, Uzziah shouldn't have gone to the holy place and
offered a sacrifice. He should have stood outside
and let the priest go in and offer a sacrifice. You see, God
anointed the priest and God gave the priest the sacrifice and
the blood. And the priest went into the
holy place and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat and made
an atonement for the waiting sinners. And you and I have a
priest. He's not Aaron, and he's not
one officiating on this earth. He's the Son of God. We have
a high priest. He is Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. And he ministers not in a tabernacle
made with hands, but he's ascended into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for you and me. And the blood which he
offers is not the blood of an animal. It's his own blood. His
own blood. The Son of God became a man and
died for sinners. And he is our high priest. And
he's gone into the presence of the Father with his own blood.
And Paul said in Hebrews, by one offering, by one sacrifice,
he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now, where
remission of sins is, there's no more sacrifice. So let us
come boldly. Oh, God's throne's a throne of
glory, and I'm glad, a throne of holiness, and I rejoice, a
throne of sovereignty, and I'm grateful, and a throne of justice
and righteousness. But in Christ, it's a throne
of grace. And we're told, believers, Let
us come boldly, boldly, confidently before the throne of God, the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need. I hope this has been a blessing,
the throne of God. If you want this message on tape,
write for it. Here's the address. Until next
week, may God bless you, everyone.