Adorned with victory

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. (Isaiah 6:1)

In the times King Uzziah reigned, Isaiah is given a vision of the heavenly realm -imagine it - heavens open and you have full view of the most awesome things you have ever experienced. He is escorted into the "throne room" of the Most High - the very place of God's presence. What catches his attention first? It is the "robe" of the King of Kings - God's 'clothes'. This robe is so long it fills the Temple! That is quite some robe - it fills the very space God's presence is felt and experienced! Even the longest wedding veil I have ever seen did not fill more than the aisle of the church! I have admired some of the most beautiful quilts over the years. Depending on the occasion for which the quilt was created, there have been the traditional patchwork types with pieces of varying colors and fabrics stitched close together in no particular order. Then there are the others which show a beautifully pieced pattern, with great care taken in placing each piece so as to continue the pattern with each new row of material pieces. The traditional wedding ring patterned quilts show the concentric rings intertwined, symbolizing the joining to two into one. Regardless of the "pattern", they are a thing of beauty. Even the most beautiful of quilts I have seen must have paled compared to what Isaiah experienced that day.

I think we may not understand the significance of the kingly robes, so I think it may help us to understand just a few things about the robes of old. Each king had a robe. Often, these robes would be very unique - not like the mass-produced clothing of today. They were made of only the best of materials, such as twisted linen. This is a quite dense and enduring material - considered to be one of the finest materials for the base of the robe. They were dyed with the dyes of the region - deep blues, purples, crimsons, and even golden hues. They were decorated in all types of fashion - embroidered, or possibly emblazoned with emblems of gold and silver. They were quite the 'fashion statement', but they usually had a much deeper meaning. The robes "defined" the King. In other words, he could be quickly recognized by the robe he wore. This is much like the current military uniforms we see today. The highest ranking officer has the greatest amount of braiding, color, adornment, and often even 'medals' of honor or distinction. It is easier to recognize the "rank" by the "markings" on the uniform. These robes helped to mark the 'rank' of the one wearing them.

What we may fail to realize is the 'incorporation' of what might see as nothing more than a 'patchwork quilt' of sorts. Each robe had an "original" form which was "transformed" after each battle. The robe started out as one form, but after each victorious battle, a new piece was added. In keeping with the customs of the day, the victorious king would go over to the defeated king, remove a section of his robe, and in turn, this section would be sewn onto the train of the victorious king's robe. In time, the more victories a king won, the longer (and more colorful) his robe became! His 'patchwork quilt' became a symbol of his military might and his ability to rule. Isaiah sees the Most High God seated in the throne room. He is adorned in a great robe - so great that its train fills the Temple. I think Isaiah was being given the opportunity to see just how many "battles" our God has been victorious in! Did you ever stop to think of each new battle you face as being an opportunity for another "patch" to be sewn onto the Most High's robe? He marches right up to each of our "enemies", places his foot squarely on their necks, declares us victorious, then carefully takes a piece of each "victory" robe and weaves it into the train of his heavenly robe!

When I think of the "beauty" of the patchwork he has added just by the battles which have been fought in my own life, I know there are MANY patches which have been added on my behalf! Battles I didn't even know were fought on my behalf have been incorporated into that robe - battles you didn't even realize were being fought on your behalf, as well. Each victory is an "adorning" addition to his robe! As he admires each of these "patches", he can recount each "battle" - the start, the enduring middle portions, and the final victorious outcome. I find pleasure in imagining him running his fingers over each "patch" - taking in the "feel" of each victory taken on our behalf. I see his face, as his fingers pass over the patchwork, eyes filled with excitement, heartbeat picking up with each remembered victory. Imagine the patches added with each new victory in your life. It should give your heart a thrill! Just sayin!