“An Attitude of Unworthiness” (Ready to Worship S10E2)

August 16, 2019

Ready to Worship Season 10, Episode 2 for Friday, August 16, 2019

This season on Ready to Worship, we are examining the attitude that we are to have in worship. In all likelihood we struggle more with attitude than with action. In this week’s study, we are examining the attitude of unworthiness. None of us are worthy of the privilege of coming into the presence of a holy God. Yet, in worship, that is what we do. You may recall that the Messianic prophet Isaiah found himself in this position. The way that Isaiah responded offers some insight into how we should respond. We read, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (Isa. 6:1-7). When a word appears three times in the Hebrew, it is done to give strength to something or to stress something. Therefore, the threefold cry of holy was done to emphasize the perfection of God’s holiness. In the perfect light of God’s holiness, the great prophet felt unworthy, undone, and unclean. He felt as unholy as God was holy. Was Isaiah correct in his assessment? Evidently, he was. After all, one of the seraphim flew with a live coal and touched his lips to remove the uncleanness. Isaiah had unclean lips and he dwelt among people of unclean lips. His lips did not constantly cry holiness as those of the seraphim.
If Isaiah felt unworthy, undone, and unclean in the presence of God, and he did, then how should we feel? Is God any less holy today? Absolutely, not! Are we more holy than Isaiah? I would argue that we are not. Therefore, his reaction should be our reaction. As we get ready to worship this week, let’s remember how Isaiah felt when he came into the presence of God.
None of us are worthy of drawing near to the holy God.