READ: Is. 6:5-7
And he touched my mouth with it, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.’ – Is. 6:7
When Isaiah sees God on His throne, he ponders, echoing Psalm 24: “Who shall stand in His holy place? Who has clean hands and a pure heart?” (Psalm 24:3-4). He comes to the realization: no one is like that, including himself.
In dismay, he exclaims: Woe is me, for I am undone! Isaiah sees himself guilty before the face of the LORD. The seraphim praise God with pure lips, but what are Isaiah’s words compared to theirs—sinful and inadequate! Even the people to whom he belongs are sinful. He is utterly unworthy to appear before God as a sinful human and see Him, for God is the almighty King, the LORD of hosts, who cannot tolerate sin.
Isaiah now beholds Him, and even the holy angels cover their eyes. How can he endure this sight?
One of the seraphim approaches Isaiah. He touches Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal from the altar of incense. Symbolically, this signifies that his sins in speech are burnt away, purified, and forgiven. God reconciles Isaiah’s sins, allowing him to stand before Him. Thus, he can become a prophet of the Most High and proclaim God’s Word faithfully.
The words the angel speaks on behalf of the LORD are of utmost significance here. Yet, what a glorious word for Isaiah: your iniquity is taken away! Your sin is purged! It’s not about specific sins, but all sins that hinder Isaiah from being God’s prophet. This reconciliation rests upon the sacrifice that the Son of God will eventually offer on the cross for all sins of His children and servants.
We, too, can continually plead the merits of that same sacrifice for fellowship with the Lord God and service in His name!
Is the church today also a “people with unclean lips”?
Singing: Ps. 51:3