Behaving for the Glory of God

As we continue our series "Beholding God to Behave Godly for God's Glory," Isaiah 66:1-2 reveals three things to behold that will encourage us to behave godly for God's glory.

Behold the Immensity of God

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.”

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

— Isaiah 66:1-2

God is immense—beyond containment by any location, yet present everywhere. He declares that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. He did not say His throne is in heaven or that He occasionally rests His feet on earth. The entirety of heaven is His throne, and the entirety of the earth is His footstool.

Consider the vastness: no human has explored every corner of the earth, let alone heaven. Yet God, without a physical body, condescends to describe Himself in terms we can grasp. All of heaven supports His throne; all of earth is merely where He rests His feet.

The tragedy is reading this without response—being unmoved by the God who saved you, pictured in such magnitude. This revelation should stir awe, a mix of terror and ecstasy, like my daughter frozen before a massive polar bear: terrifying yet magnificently beautiful.

The footstool evokes worship. Psalms call it the place to exalt and worship God. In the Old Testament, the temple symbolized this, but here the entire earth is His footstool. Jesus echoes this in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool...”

— Matthew 5:33-35

Jesus warns against oaths by heaven or earth, for only God declares and fulfills the future. The temple was not for God's need but His condescension to meet His people. His immensity humbles us: what can we build worthy of Him?

Behold the Intellectual Property of God

God reveals not only our insufficiency but His creative ownership: “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be.” He created His own throne and footstool without exertion—by speaking existence into non-existence.

God rested not from fatigue but because He completed His work perfectly. Isaiah emphasizes:

“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

— Isaiah 43:7

We exist for His glory. Creation declares His sovereignty; we owe Him worship as creatures. Humanity did not earn existence—God created us freely for relationship and glory.

Behold the Intention of God

God's purpose in revealing His immensity and creatorship? Verse 2: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” God gazes favorably on the humble, contrite, and trembling—not because He needs us, but because these reflect Him without rivalry.

Humility means low like dust; contrite is brokenness from sin. These are unattractive to the world but irresistible to God. True humility honestly acknowledges our creatureliness and sinfulness before our massive Creator.

Trembling at His word means physical reverence, like Paul preaching in fear and trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3). Beholding God's glory produces this: humility, contrition, and awe.

Possible responses to this series: dread the exposure of sin and idols, or embrace the privilege of beholding God for transformation. It's not automatic—it requires intention. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, beholding His glory transforms us into His image.

Beholding God produces the attitude He seeks, enabling godly behavior for His glory—our created purpose.