The Heavens and the Earth

God created the heavens and the earth. That is what the very first verse of the Bible tells us: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That is, He created all that we know, and beyond - the heavens, the skies, the stars and planets and atmosphere; the structure of the earth, in all its geology and variety; the seas and all that is in the depth of the seas; the land with its fruitfulness, and then swarms and varieties of creatures.

The theme shows up again and again throughout Scripture. Here we have Hezekiah’s prayer. 

Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 2Kings 19:15

Hezekiah was a king of the southern kingdom of Israel, Judah, toward the end of their independent existence before the Babylonian captivity. This was years, centuries after creation - but it is still a key feature of Hezekiah’s prayer.

If God created the heavens and the earth, it is a necessary fact that He is before all, above all, and under all. He is God of all, whether He is acknowledged as such or not. “You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.” While we strive to honor religious pluralism in our nation as a feature of religious liberty, we must admit that there will be no pluralism in the kingdom of God.

But Hezekiah also describes God as the One “who are enthroned above the cherubim.” The image is of God reigning in the heavens, and “the earth is My footstool.” He is present, but above us. The location of this footstool is in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the Tabernacle, where the offering was presented for the sins of the people once a year (this year, Sat evening through Sun evening, Sept 27-28). At the time of the text, it was housed in Solomon’s Temple, which would soon be destroyed.

It is merciful of God to extend His feet in our direction. But as the story of the Bible unfolds, we find that He comes much closer. He does not merely extend His feet, but He stoops to come close, so much so that He actually sends His Son, Jesus, to take on human flesh and dwell among us, right at our level. The earth is no longer just His footstool; it is His home.

But one more step. As Jesus shares with His disciples just before His temple, His body, is destroyed, He stoops even further. He washes the disciples feet. He makes His disciples to be, not His footstool, but He becomes theirs. “Mercy seat” indeed! And acknowledging that, Hezekiah, and you, can continue your prayer.