Holy, Holy, Holy

“I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims … And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts.”—Isaiah 6:1–3 KJV

In 1823, Oxford scholar Reginald Heber was sent to India to serve as Bishop of Calcutta. His time in India proved to be productive. While there, he was the first person to create a book that organized hymns according to the church calendar.

He found himself focusing on hymns that underscored church theology. His hymns made an impact in India and around the world. One hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” expressed Heber’s sense of the holiness of God and the importance of the trinity. He wrote, “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee.” God is “merciful and mighty!”

Basing his text on this passage from Isaiah, he wrote of saints who adore God, “casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea,” and cherubim and seraphim falling before Him. God is eternal; He “was, and is, and evermore shall be.”

Holiness is important; no sinful person can see God’s glory. Only He is holy. “There is none beside Thee, perfect in power, in love, and purity.” And he wrote that all God’s works shall praise His Name, “in earth, and sky, and sea.”

Today, allow the Spirit of God to fill your heart with wonder and awe. Worship and adore God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. “Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!”

Reflection Question: Compose a reaction to God’s holiness.