Isaiah 6
1-8 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. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,
Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
His bright glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,
“Doom! It’s Doomsday! I’m as good as dead!
Every word I’ve ever spoken is tainted — blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!”
Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,
“Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out.”
And then I heard the voice of the Master:
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
I spoke up, “I’ll go. Send me!”
Today I was discussing bad breath with some lovely friends, who told me that they scrubbed their tongues and cheeks in order to freshen up! But what Isaiah is talking about has nothing to do with halitosis!
When he comes face to face with God, he realises how bad his language has been, the things he has said and the degrading conversations of his fellow countrymen too.
Getting a glimpse of God, even just a tiny peek, is so profound and world changing. It's like a bright spotlight showing up all the stains on a well worn white t-shirt.
In God's Presence we realise how rubbish we are and how our own words are contaminated with the ugliness of selfishness!
It's what happened to Isaiah here.
It was an eye opening, world shattering event, turning his whole life around.
A godly king had died and the government was in tatters.
Humanly speaking, there was no one at the helm to steer the ship of Isaiah's nation.
There was a drift of morality and an "anything goes" attitude. Long held values were being ripped up!
What did Isaiah see in the midst of all this chaos?
He saw the Lord seated on THE Throne. No panic on God's face, no confusion, no worry!
In the middle of a broken, uncertain and polluted world, there is ALWAYS the certainty of God's sovereignty.
He's looking for followers who will carry His message unwaveringly whether people choose to listen or won't hear.
Firstly, we need a revelation of our own foul mouth, dirty with things we have spoken. We have to let God cleanse and disinfect us.
With Isaiah it was a burning coal, with us it's the covenant blood of Jesus that cleanses our foul words.
Have I had my own dirty mouth cleansed? It's vital, so I can speak plainly and powerfully.
Am I prepared to speak up for Jesus and His values even though no one listens? That's what happened with Isaiah. Even after such an encounter with the Living God, he lived out his life speaking "God words" that were largely ignored by the majority.
Holy Spirit please come and put the spotlight on our hearts and our words and show up where we need to change and be cleansed in Jesus' name we ask it.
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