God's Terribleness Is Love to the Penitent Heart

O Jehovah, Thou art my God.—Isaiah 25:1 presents the Church in calm after storm. To grasp its sweetest meaning, we must enter the spirit of Isaiah 24, which thunders with clouds, darkness, and judgment. Yet the terribleness of God himself becomes reason for trust.

This paradox has often escaped our spiritual consciousness. We fear God in abstraction; but observe what His hand actually strikes. Not the little child, not the patient woman, not the broken heart steeped in tears of contrition. His fist falls upon arrogance, haughtiness, self-conceit, self-completeness. He turns the proud away with scorn when they offer patronage dressed as prayer.

God is terrible only to evil. Therefore His terribleness must encourage—not terrify—souls that know their sin and plead for pardon at the Cross. When we hear Him thundering, scattering His arrows of lightning, pouring contempt upon the mighty who defy Him, we should cry: See! God is love.

The affinity Isaiah claims—"O Jehovah, Thou art my God"—was predetermined by God the Father, exhibited conspicuously in God the Son, and revealed beyond doubt to the elect by God the Holy Ghost. His wonders acknowledged include His vicarious work, the Redeemer's kingdom extended, and precious souls delivered individually by conversion. His counsels of old prove His faithfulness: the covenant with Abraham that in his seed all nations shall be blessed, confirmed by prophets, fulfilled when in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son.