Why Jehovah's Holiness Draws Us To HIm

It is not hard to see, then, why the Bible makes a connection between the holiness of God and godly fear on the part of man. For example, Psalm 99:3 reads: "Let them laud your name. Great and fear-inspiring, holy it is." This fear, though, is not a morbid dread. Rather, it is a profound sense of reverential awe, respect in its most ennobling form. It is fitting to feel that way, since God's holiness is so far above us. It is brilliantly clean, glorious. Still, it should not repel us. On the contrary, a proper view of God's holiness will draw us closer to him. Why?

For one thing, the Bible associates holiness with beauty. At Isaiah 63:15, heaven is described as God's "lofty abode of holiness and beauty." Beauty attracts us. For example, look at the picture on page 33. Are you not drawn to that scene? What makes it so appealing? Note how pure the water looks. Even the air must be clean, for the sky is blue and the light seems to sparkle. Now, if that same scene was altered-the stream clogged with garbage, the trees and rocks defaced with graffiti, the air befouled with smog-we would no longer be attracted to it; we would be repelled. We naturally associate beauty with cleanness, purity and light. These same words can be used to describe Jehovah's holiness. No wonder that visionary, descriptions of Jehovah enthrall us! Beaming with light, dazzling as gemstones, glowing like fire or the purest and brightest precious metals-such is the beauty of our Holy God. -Ezekiel 1:25-28; Revelation 4:2, 3.

However, should God's holiness make us feel inferior by comparison? The answer, of course, is yes. After all we are inferior to Jehovah- and that is an understatement of epic proportions. Should knowing that alienate us from him? Consider Isaiah's reaction upon hearing the seraphs proclaim Jehovah's holiness. "I proceeded to say: 'Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies himself!' " (Isaiah 6:5) Yes, Jehovah's infinite holiness reminded Isaiah of how sinful and imperfect he was. initially,that faithful man was devastated. But Jehovah did not leave him in that state.

Next time: Conclusion of Why Jehovah's Holiness Draws Us To Him

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002