In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:1-3
As November dawns upon us, a special event will occur this month: Election Day. On November 4, tens of millions of people will cast their votes to determine who will lead and represent them at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Millions will wear the iconic “I Voted” sticker, and many more will follow the vote tallies throughout the day and into the wee hours of the night. Some will be happy their candidates won. Others will be disappointed and distressed.
In the midst of it all, though, notice what Isaiah says. It is a small, but important detail. “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne….” King Uzziah was one of the good kings of Judah, although he certainly made his mistakes. He reigned for 52 years and 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 says, “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” For all accounts and purposes, Uzziah was a good king, and a good king is a hard thing to lose!
But, notice where God is in the midst of all of this. Where is He? “Sitting upon a throne….” When the king dies, God is sitting on the throne, still ruling and reigning for His people. He is still watching over them, protecting them, guiding them, blessing them, loving them, and forgiving them as He had done before. Although good king Uzziah is gone, God is still on the throne! That will never change, even though the king who rules does.
As another election season dawns upon us, where is God in the midst of all of it? On the throne, ruling and reigning for you and me! Where is God when your candidates lose? Sitting upon the throne! Where is God when your candidate wins? Still sitting on the throne. Where is God when tragedy strikes, heartbreak occurs, and problems arise? On the throne, ready and willing to help.
No matter what happens in life, or in this world, Isaiah reminds us where God is: “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” No matter what happens, it is okay, because God still rules and reigns for you and me. The King is on His throne.
In Christ,
Pastor Nick Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XXVI No. 4 – November 2024.)