Holy, holy, holy
Today's focusIsaiah sees the Lord on his throne as seraphim cry 'Holy, holy, holy'; he feels undone by his sin, is cleansed by a coal from the altar, and answers God's call, 'Here am I; send me.'
Read
1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Reflection
Isaiah’s vision begins with the overwhelming majesty of the Lord, "high and lifted up," seated upon a throne. The scene is filled with awe as heavenly beings cry out, "Holy, holy, holy," a declaration that God is set apart in perfect purity. Witnessing this glory, you might feel as Isaiah did when he cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone." When you stand before the holiness of God, it is natural to become deeply aware of your own "unclean lips" and your need for his mercy.
However, the passage shows that God does not leave you in your distress. He provides the means for your restoration. A coal from the altar is brought to touch Isaiah’s mouth, with the comforting promise: "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." This cleansing is what enables Isaiah to listen. Once he is made clean, he can hear the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send?" Because of God’s grace, Isaiah is empowered to move from fear to a bold, willing response: "Here am I; send me."
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
How does a glimpse of God's holiness make you see both your own need and his cleansing grace?
Pray
Holy, holy, holy Lord, the whole earth is full of your glory. I confess my sin before you. Thank you for taking away my guilt; here I am — send me.