Isaiah 33 Devotional

At Home with a Holy Fire

“For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.”Isaiah 33:22 (BSB)

After a woe on a destroyer never yet destroyed, worn-down people pray for grace and strength every morning (33:1-2). The LORD answers that now he will rise (33:10). His holiness is so intense that sinners in Zion tremble and ask how anyone could live near such burning holiness (33:14).

The answer describes a person who walks rightly, speaks honestly, refuses bribes and extortion, and shuts his eyes to evil (33:15-16). The chapter does not lower that standard, but it does not end there. God's people will behold the King in his splendor (33:17). The LORD alone is their judge, lawgiver, and king, and their rescue comes from him (33:22). In the final verse, Zion's people are forgiven (33:24). Hebrews still describes God as a consuming fire and calls those receiving an unshakable kingdom to worship him with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28-29). The holy God who could consume sinners is the King who saves and forgives, so you can come near him with both awe and confidence.

To think about: How do both awe at God's holiness and confidence in his forgiveness shape the way you come to him today?