”THEN 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. Then 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: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips: and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also 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," (Isa. 6:5-85Then 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. (Isaiah 6:5‑8)).
The remarkable chapter before us begins very abruptly. It tells us that the prophet had this vision of glory "in the year that king Uzziah died.”
But why is Uzziah thus introduced?
May it not be, among other things, to remind us that the very best man on earth, the potentate of Judah's kingdom, the most honored man in the world, stands in widest contrast with THE KING, 'I HE LORD OF HOSTS? For we learn in 2 Chron, 26., that "Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.”
Thus, on the very threshold of our subject, we find the humbling intimation of man's real character of uncleanness and distance from God.
Though he stand in the highest position of society, and hold the most exalted office, and that even among the most highly favored people on earth, man has no resources at all for cleansing the leprosy of sin, and except God undertake to meet him with healing mercy, he must still remain unclean, and unfit for association with the God of holiness.
In considering this very instructive portion of the Holy Scripture, we shall notice: 1. The prophet's vision of glory. 2. The effect of it upon himself. 3. The assurance of forgiveness he obtained 4. His willing obedience.
1. THE PROPHET'S VISION OF GLORY. "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple." There, in spirit, before God, the prophet took his place. There he saw the seraphim, the servants of the most High God, His ministers that do His pleasure. He beheld them taking the place of profoundest reverence, covering their faces with two of their wings. He saw also that each of them covered his feet, to show that, while they had always walked obediently, they did not glory in their service, but with greatest humility gloried only in the Lord. He saw them also with outstretched wings, to signify their delight in doing God's will, and that they held themselves in readiness to fly swiftly at His bidding. He heard also the words uttered before the throne; he listened to the converse of creatures there, and found it was "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts"; and "at the voice of him that cried, the posts of the door moved, and the house was filled with smoke.”
These things the prophet saw and heard. It was indeed an infinitely holy place. No unclean word was heard there; nothing impure escaped the lips of any; no irreverent action was seen; no presumptuous ways, no angry passions, no foolish actions, no indolent habits, no self-willed manners, were found there; for God is holy, and nothing unclean can abide His presence. The prophet was in the light, for "God is light." He was beside the balance of the sanctuary, and all was love, and holiness, and truth.
2. THE EFFECT OF THE VISION. Deeply serious and personal reflections occupied the prophet's mind. Man never rightly learns what he is, except in God's presence. It is a well-known fact among men, that if we would understand the true qualities of anything, we must bring it to the light. So it is as regards things spiritual. We may compare ourselves with our fellow men, and arrive at most erroneous conclusions. Thus, the temperate man, measuring himself with a drunkard, believes himself righteous: and the chaste flatter themselves with thoughts of superiority over the licentious; while all may be equally guilty of covetousness, and other uncleanness, in the sight of God. It is therefore not wise to compare ourselves with our neighbors, but, coming into the light of God's holy presence, we shall be truly made manifest.
When Isaiah considered the peace, love, humility, holiness, purity, and truth that characterized all those who dwelt in Jehovah's glorious presence, what could the prophet's reflections be? How could he fail to ask himself such questions as, "Am I truly humble before God? Do I serve Him with reverence? Do I delight to do the will of God? Has my conversation been holiness to the Lord?”
Surely the prophet felt the light of God's presence to be a heart-searching region. It was enough to show him that he was "unclean, unclean," and that he had come short of God's standard. It was enough to make him feel that he stood "justly condemned" before God, and righteously exposed to His judgment and wrath. Hence he cried out, "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.”
Notice that the prophet's intense distress was concerning himself: “Woe is ME! for I am undone; because I am unclean." He did not say, Woe are we! for we are undone. No; true confession is a personal thing. Many a sentimental professor in our day may be found ready to say, We are all sinners; we are not what we should be. Such talk about our Saviour, our religion, our society, etc., thus casting themselves in with others in a lump. But this will not do for God. This is not as the Spirit teaches. He convinces each one of his own sin. He so makes the conscience sensible of its guilt as to cause it to cry out, "What must I do to be saved?" "God be merciful to ME a sinner." "If I may but touch His garment, T shall be whole." "Woe is ME! for I am undone.”
But more than this, he felt he was unclean before God, a man of unclean lips. Those lips which ought to be, like the seraphim's, consecrated to His praises, had given utterance to the unclean thoughts and feelings of the heart; for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Like another Job, he could say, "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor MYSELF, and repent in dust and ashes." The light of God's holy presence made his uncleanness manifest; he felt its depths so great, its blackness so foul, its wounds so incurable, that he condemned himself as undone, hopelessly and helplessly unclean before God; ungodly, unholy, without strength, without any hope of recovery in himself. Having thus learned himself in God's presence, he was then able to discern that the people by whom he was surrounded were unclean also.
Such were the lessons that the prophet was effectually taught in God's presence. And so, in measure, all learn now who are under divine teaching; for though we may not be favored with such a vision of glory as the prophet had, yet the Holy Spirit makes us feel that we have to do with God, and that every creature is manifest in His sight. When men begin to fear God, they consider that it is to Him they are responsible, as His creatures; that to Him they must give account; that He is the Judge of all; and that the holiness of heaven is the only true standard. Then they feel that they are sinners, rebels, unworthy, and have justly merited banishment from His glorious presence. Then they are awakened to their real danger; they become deeply anxious about their eternal state; and feeling despair in self, they come to the throne of God, exclaiming, "Woe is me! for I am undone.”
3. Now let us consider THE ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS THE PROPHET OBTAINED. God in Christ is a blessed refuge for a sin-troubled soul; for He will be merciful to our unrighteousness, as was beautifully expressed by Elihu to Job: " God looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which is right, and it profited me not, He will deliver his soul from going down to the pit, and his life shall see the light." He will say," Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.”
This seems to be the rule of the throne of grace, and was just what the prophet experienced; for while he stood thus consciously before the King, the Lord of Hosts, in a repentant mind, confessing his uncleanness, groaning over his sin, condemning himself, acknowledging his undone state, we are immediately told, "Then [mark, then I 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; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”
This is very blessed. It shows us that God waits to be gracious. It is a striking instance of the mercy of God to sinful man, and manifests His readiness to pardon and accept those who take a right place before Him. The prophet had an unmistakable warrant for the fullest assurance of his sins being put away, and of standing in the favor and blessing of God.
This assurance was based on two things, namely, the application of the live coal from off the altar, and the word of the Lord. By the altar we are to understand a place where the sacrifice was burnt, and presented to God. The cross of Christ is the only altar of New Testament days, and the various altars of the Old Testament were only types of it; and the coals of fire which consumed the sacrifices, and caused their savor to ascend to God, were figurative of that condemnation of sin which fell on Jesus, when He was made sin and a curse for us upon the cross of Calvary.
The application, therefore, of the "live coal" to the prophet's "unclean lips" teaches us that God has, in His grace, provided an all-cleansing remedy for sin; that that remedy is found only in the sufferings, blood-shedding, and death of the Son of God; and that the moment the sin-burdened conscience realizes the virtue of that blood, the soul is at once at peace with God. It is the blood of Christ which maketh atonement. It is the blood of Christ which has made peace between the sinner and God. It is "in Christ Jesus" and "through His blood" that the far-off sinner is brought nigh to God. It is the blood of Christ alone which cleanseth from all sin. It is only by the blood of Christ that any person has peace and confidence in God's presence.
The prophet knew that his uncleanness was purged by the application of the live coal from off the altar; and the sinner that believes in Christ Jesus for salvation knows also that he has peace through the blood of the cross. The prophet had also the word of the Lord to assure him of his pardon and acceptance; and, blessed be God, so have we. Some will try to persuade us that no one can know his sins forgiven till after death, and therefore it is great presumption for any one to say so. I reply, Who says I am forgiven?
God says so; and if God says, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," why need I fear, even if the whole world says it is not so? He tells us that Christ hath put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and that my sins are forgiven if I believe on the Lord Jesus; for “to Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)).
Let God then be true; for He who said to the prophet, "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged," says also now to me, and to all that believe on the Lord Jesus, "Be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee." We wait not for dreams, or visions, or some miraculous actings upon the senses; but we rest on the precious blood of Christ, and are assured by the unalterable word of God that our sins are forgiven. (See Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7); 1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12); 1 John 3:55And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)). H. H. S.