READING: Isaiah 5-6, Ephesians 1
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies.”
Isaiah 6:3
The prophet Isaiah entered the Temple, and there he saw the Lord “seated on a high and lofty throne” (Isa. 6:1). The Lord was the mighty one, elevated above all others and reigning over all. He was set apart, evidenced by the echoes of “holy, holy, holy” from the lips of the angels surrounding the throne (Isa. 6:3). His train filled the Temple, and His glory would fill the earth. He was the true God, perfect—worthy of worship. Even the angels could not look on His holiness. All Isaiah himself could do was cry out, “Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies” (Isa. 6:5).
Were that the end of the story, hope would be gone. Unholy people simply have no standing before a holy God. But, the story is not over there. Rather, an angel touched Isaiah’s lips with a hot coal taken from the altar, and he declared to the prophet, “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for” (Isa. 6:7). The angel’s use of the coal represented God’s cleansing and forgiving Isaiah, thus making him ready to be God’s spokesperson to His people. The “rest of the story” is about a perfectly holy God who forgives sinful people and then uses them for His glory.
The whole story is incredible to me, actually. Knowing myself as I do, that is, as so sinful that I probably don’t even recognize how unclean I am, I do not understand why God would establish a plan built around such people. We’re all filthy people among other filthy people – and still God forgives us and uses us as proclaimers of His Word. He cleanses us not because we’re worthy, but because He’s gracious. And, in the end, He alone gets the glory, for in no way are we deserving of His grace or qualified to do His work.
The words, “holy, holy, holy” belong only to Him.
ACTION STEPS:
- Meditate on the holiness of God today. Bow before Him.
- Thank God for His willingness to forgive and cleanse you.
PRAYER: “God, You are holy beyond compare, and I’m unclean. Thank You for loving me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Isaiah 7-8, Ephesians 2
