Isaiah 8:13-9:7 - God is Holy!

But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary, and a stone of offense, and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."

Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their God, and turn their faces upward; and they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust into thick darkness.

But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

This is not what it means to FEAR THE LORD
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The Lord of Hosts is He Whom should be feared and it is He of Whom we should dread.  But what of this "dread?" Does it mean the Lord is not good and is Someone to be avoided at all costs or just appeased as a pagan god would be appeased?  No, but the Holiness of the Lord is so foreign to me in my present condition, I am like Isaiah who lamented that he was a man of unclean lips, dwelling in a land of unclean lips.  When I look at my own sin, how can I not feel dread when even contemplating being in the Presence of an all-holy God.

But the Lord promises to take away the gloom. In His love, He shines a light into the darkness of the Land.  In that Light, I shall walk and in that Light I shall take refuge. How happy is the man Who seeks the Lord in His favor.

O Lord, You are Holy indeed and I, in my imperfection, cannot stand in Your Presence.  Help me this day to remember Your holiness and walk in Your Goodness. I thank You, O Lord, that the Prince of Peace took Flesh upon Himself so we could look into the Holy Face of God. Amen.