Hot Coals

 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:1-6 ESV).

 

You may remember my writing how much I like to grill outdoors. Not long ago I was given a Weber Kettle Grill. It’s not fancy, but it may be the best little grill I’ve ever used to cook for just Mary and I. It’s not nearly as big or fancy as my propane six burner grill, but it gets hot and smoky very quickly. It gets hot enough that sometimes I forget how hot the top is and burn my fingers on the lid. It’s usually not serious, but it definitely stings. Now go back to our reading today. Can you imagine the sting of a burning coal touching your lips? That’s what happens to Isaiah in his vision of heaven.

 

In the same year that Uzziah the king died, the prophet had a vision: he saw the King, the Lord Almighty, high on a throne, and his robe filled the temple. Hebrew tradition taught that no one could see God and live. Isaiah lamented his own uncleanness and that of the people of Israel. Then a seraph, an angel who ­attended God’s throne, used tongs to take a live coal from the temple altar. Touching it to the prophet’s lips, he cleansed Isaiah for service.

 

Purified, Isaiah could now answer God’s call. “Here am I. Send me!” His passion inspires us. But the rest of the passage is bleak. The people, still impure, hear God’s call, but their hearts remain callous and closed. Still, there is hope for repentance; there is hope for the people to “turn and be healed.” And the holy seed of God’s faithfulness remains, and from that “stump in the land” a shoot will grow. Jesus, coming from the stump of Jesse (cf. Isaiah 11:1), will restore God’s people. [For more on that passage see yesterday’s devotional]

 

He still calls us today just as He did Isaiah. By the purifying fire of Christ and his Spirit, we can serve and glorify God wherever he calls and sends us. This is the perfect time to be telling the Gospel to others. Welcome the coals!