December 11, 2018: Day 10 – Isaiah 6

So this chapter has this song as a tribute to it.  It is a hymn that brings a tear to all of our eyes.  But why is that?  This chapter is the calling of Isaiah.  Isaiah finds himself in a vision where seraphs (read winged creatures but not angels) are around the Lord who is sitting on a throne and his presence, the hem of his robe, fills the entire temple, which would be his home.  

Isaiah states that he is not worthy to be in the presence of the Lord because his lips are unclean.  Now, as a prophet having unclean lips must lead inevitably to unclean statements.  So having unclean lips as a prophet, or as a pastor, is a terrible situation in which to find oneself.   But God has an answer for that: a hot coal.  This hot coal will clean his lips.  The lips are cleansed and now God has a question for the general public: Who will go for us?  Whom shall I send?

Isaiah realizes that his sin has been blotted out and that he is now prepared to do the work of the Lord, not because he was worthy, but  because he was made worthy by the work of the Lord.  Here I am, send me.  Whenever we hear a song that commands us to go serve the Lord without pretense and without our ability being what dictates our actions, it moves us.  It is a song about the love of God who makes us  ready to go out to let people know about the love of God.  Now, the whole vss.9-13 aren’t so endearing, but they aren’t in the hymn anyway, so I guess it doesn’t matter.