“But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20
There is a great hymn written by W. Chalmers Smith, one stanza of which reads like this: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.” It was the Apostle Paul who wrote in his letter to the Romans: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (11:33) It is in reference to this God, Creator and Redeemer, Almighty to save and who will glorify His name, that Paul also writes: “Now the God of hope FILL YOU with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may ABOUND in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) This God of Paul, the believers in Rome, Habakkuk and all the prophets who caught a glimpse of the glory of God, by the revelation of the Spirit, is the God of this present day, and of the church. The living Christ of Revelation is the absolute Holy God, the Son, who knew the glory of the Father before the world began. It is this One who declares Himself to be the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, even the One who “…has the keys of death and hell.” (Rev. 1:18) The discovery of who Christ truly is, all things having been created by Him, (Col. 1:16-18), and Him being the Head of the church, by whom all things consist, calls for a falling down before Him to worship, or as Habakkuk called the earth to do, to “…keep silence.” What can mortal man conceivably say to God? How does one have words, regardless of the languages on earth, to rise in quantity, depth of meaning, and profoundness of worth, to praise and exalt this God?
There is another hymn, written by T. Bimney that not only captures somewhat the glory and majesty of God, but also, the provision by this Holy God for every man, woman, and child, to approach Him in peace and assurance. Bimney writes: “Eternal Light! Eternal Light! How pure the soul must be, When, placed within Thy searching sight, It shrinks not, but with calm delight, Can live, and look on Thee.” In another stanza Bimney continues: “There is a way for man to rise to that sublime abode; An Offering and a Sacrifice, A Holy Spirit’s energies, An Advocate with God.” Bimney brings us by his hymn face to face with the eternity of God, His unchangeableness, and sovereignty, His purety and holiness…His unapproachableness, unless provision is made. He then addresses this singular provision in speaking of Christ’s Offering of Himself for all the sins of men, and everything that pertains to the action and effects of sin and the sinner. But he does not stop there. He writes of the Sacrifice, the cost, the loss, and suffering of the Lamb of God. The only, and yet all-powerful provision of God in dealing with sin, is the worth of the precious blood of His Son shed on Calvary. It’s power to cleanse, to wash, to forgive and to forget forever resides in the worth of Christ’s blood, nothing else. But how is the weak and helpless sinner to rise, and enter those “fair courts above,” entering into God’s presence with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise? It is only by “…the Holy Spirit’s energies,” relying wholly upon Him, believing in his wondrous, perfect Advocate with God
The true revelation of the Holy, Eternal God is enough to overwhelm any and ever believer who truly seeks God. But there is in the revelation of this God of mercy and grace, a fixed and certain “way to God,” and the unveiling of the overwhelming love of God to inspire, encourage, and strengthen any believer to come in faith, believing and receiving, giving Glory to God with thanksgiving.
Dear Father, Open our eyes today to behold Thy glory. We thank Thee in Jesus’ name, Amen.