Although no one has ever seen God in his full glory, over 2,700 years ago a man by the name of Isaiah received a glimpse of God’s splendor. In the year the king of Judah, Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the King that never dies. He saw God seated on a throne. Not just any throne, mind you, but a throne that was “high and exalted” soaring awesomely above Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1).
There was something else awesome about God’s heavenly throne room; it looked like a temple. If it was identical to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem, it would have been about 30 meters long, or approximately the third of the length of a football field. That might not sound so impressive for a divine throne room but the temple didn't house God himself, only the train from his royal robe. Isaiah says that the train was so big and long that it filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).
Like any king, God had attendants and they were awesome. Isaiah calls God’s attendants seraphs. We know them as angels. The Hebrew word “seraphim” means “burners.” That name must have described their appearance - bright and shiny as if they were on fire. Isaiah also tells us that the seraphs had six wings: two to cover their face, two to cover their feet, and two with which to fly. The song the seraphs sang might explain why they covered their face and their feet. “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3) the seraphs sang.
The basic meaning of the word “holy” is “separate.” God is separate from his creation. He’s not like us. He’s without beginning or end. He doesn't have mood swings. He’s absolutely fair in everything that he does. And most importantly he’s without sin. God is so holy and great that not even his angels dare to look directly at him or expose their feet to him. Therefore in an act of humility, they cover their face and feet with their wings.
Isaiah says that the seraphs were so loud that the doorposts, even the very foundation of the temple shook! The doors of Solomon’s temple were made of pine, overlaid with sheets of gold, and were 10 meters high. It would take a lot to get a doorpost holding a door like that to shake wouldn't it? And it wasn't just the doorposts but the very foundation of the temple that was shaking – a veritable earthquake! While all that was going on the temple filled with smoke. Isaiah didn't just see and hear what was going on, he could smell and perhaps even taste it!
Can you imagine standing in Isaiah’s shoes? You will be some day. Standing before God, Isaiah saw himself with awesome clarity. In the glare of God’s holiness Isaiah realized just how ugly his sins really were. For once there was no one else to compare himself with other than God and he knew that he was deserving of God’s eternal punishment for his sin. Isaiah’s preview of God allows us to see God for who he is. God is love, yes, but God is also just. He doesn't accept plea bargains to reduce sentences. He doesn't compare us to others – only to himself.
When we realize that, Isaiah’s confession becomes our own: “Woe to me!” Not, “Whoa, I’m glad I’m not like other sinners.” If we’re not convinced of our guilt, look at how Isaiah described his lips. He called them unclean. Could we also not admit the same thing about our lips? Think of the kinds of things our lips take in that aren’t God-pleasing. Maybe it’s an excessive amount of alcohol, or an addiction to prescription drugs.
How about the things that pour out of our lips that make them dirty? Things like half-truths, hurtful remarks, and proud boasts. Why, we don’t even have to open our lips to make them impure. Just by smiling at a dirty joke, or frowning when someone asks for a minute of our time we show ourselves to be sinners deserving of God’s wrath. And that’s just our lips! We haven’t even talked about how unclean our eyes, our hands, and our heart make us.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us standing with Isaiah before the throne of God just waiting to be punished. But that’s not what happened. Before Isaiah had the chance to say more than “Woe!” the awesome God said, “No! Your sins will not condemn you.” God made this clear by sending a seraph over with a live coal from the altar with which he touched Isaiah’s lips and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7).
How awesome! God gave Isaiah a pardon before he even had the chance to ask for one. Isaiah didn't even have to reach out to accept the forgiveness. God brought the pardon to Isaiah! But just how can a holy God, who must destroy sin like antiseptic must destroy bacteria, forgive sinners like Isaiah and us? The answer to that question lies in the coal the seraph held.
The seraph had taken that coal from the altar where animals were sacrificed. God had told his people that sin demands a payment of life. In his grace God allowed the Israelites to offer up animals instead of their own lives for their sins. Of course those animals couldn't really take away the sins of the people but they did point ahead to the Lamb of God, Jesus, who would take away the sins of the world. By dying on the cross Jesus took the blame for our sins allowing God the Father to give us a pardon.
Scripture: 1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:1; Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 9:13
Prayer: Dear Lord, I long to be true to Your Word, and pray that You will love me and come to make Your dwelling place within me. I promise to give You praise and glory in love and in service all the days of my life.
May God bless you always!
Monica
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