Isaiah 33:17 (ESV)
“Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty…”
DEVOTIONAL
There are few things in life that truly captivate the soul. Beauty fades. Thrones crumble. Even our highest joys often leave us longing for more. But here in Isaiah, a breathtaking promise is held out to the people of God: “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty.”
Who is this King? It is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ—our Savior, our Shepherd, our Sovereign. Isaiah speaks in a time of fear and judgment, when earthly kings had failed, and Jerusalem trembled. But in the midst of such trembling, God gives His people a vision of lasting hope: a King not like the others. A King full of majesty, purity, mercy, and peace.
To behold the King in His beauty is the heart’s truest longing. It is the day when faith will give way to sight. When every eye, especially those redeemed by His blood, will gaze upon Christ—not merely as the suffering servant, but as the risen, glorified King. Beautiful in holiness, beautiful in love, beautiful in power.
This is not merely a promise for the distant future. Even now, by faith, the Spirit lifts the veil. In the Word, in the sacraments, in our quiet communion with Him, we begin to taste this beauty. We are changed by it. As Paul says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed…” (2 Cor. 3:18).
But one day, the veil shall fall entirely. The clouds will roll back, the trumpet will sound, and we shall see Him as He is. Our faith will be sight, and our sight will be filled with the beauty of the King.
So take heart. Whatever wilderness you walk through now, a land lies ahead—a Kingdom where righteousness dwells, where the Lamb is the light, and where we will behold the King in His beauty forever.
Prayer
O Lord our God,
We praise You for the beauty of Christ, our King.
In a world of shadows and sorrows, lift our eyes to see His splendor.
Forgive us for being too easily captivated by lesser things.
Renew our hearts with a longing for Your presence.
Though we see dimly now, let us behold Christ by faith—
in His Word, in His grace, in His promises.
Transform us as we gaze upon His glory.
And hasten the day when our eyes shall truly behold Him,
face to face, clothed in majesty and mercy.
Until that day, keep us faithful.
Keep us hopeful.
And keep us near the cross,
where His beauty was most clearly revealed through love that bled for us.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.