Treasures in Jars of Clay: Isaiah Saw the LORD

I have often wondered exactly how Isaiah felt when he "saw the Lord" in the year King Uzziah died. Please read this short chapter to better get an idea of where I am going with this:

Isaiah 6 NIV

Isaiah's Commission

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

There is a part of me that wants to do the Matthew Henry Study on this verse, but the other part wants to just speculate on the wonder of what went through Isaiah's mind and spirit.

So bear with me for just a moment as I imagine:

Isaiah is praying and seeking the face of Yahweh. His heart is being stirred to do something more, to say something more, to be something more.

As he follows after his God with his whole heart, he suddenly is keenly aware that God is with him.

His heart beats a little faster. There is a holiness in the place.

Where is this place?

In the very throne room of heaven!

For some reason he feels nothing with his physical senses, but his spirit man is on high alert.

He opens the eyes of his heart.

And there~

right before him~

is his Creator!

His only response is repentance.

Remorse.

Suddenly every good and righteous thing he has ever attempted is nothing but filth.

For here, he stands in the very presence of God Almighty,

Yahweh Himself!

His Holiness is encompassing.

Were it not for the ever present Mercy and Compassion of The Most Holy God,

the spirit of Isaiah would have crumbled under the realization of his sinfulness.

God Himself, on His Throne, high and lifted up.

The Glory of His presence was more than the human body can stand, but Isaiah was allowed a small insight to His Majesty.

Isaiah is afraid, yet at peace.

Repentant, yet joyful.

The moment was not one of just sights, for being in the presence of the Almighty was something the whole man~body, soul, and spirit~ absorbed, not just experienced.

He almost missed the seraphim. He couldn't take his eyes off of the LORD.

But he heard the seraphim.

"Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Their voice was as one voice.

Their voices were a chorus of infinity.

They circled the throne.

Each time they circled the very throne of the LORD, they, the seraphim, received another glimpse of His Eternal Holiness.

They had been singing from the moment of their existence.

They would sing of His Holiness forever.

When they spoke, the temple was filled with smoke.

All Isaiah could do was realize his feeble existence and his utter uncleanness, his wretchedness.

"Woe is me!", he cried, "For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the KING, the LORD ALMIGHTY."

His lips tried to form the words, "Forgive me!", but his heart almost failed from fear. His body quivered in terror.

The realization of the Holiness of God and the sinfulness of man was greater than he ever imagined.

In the moment he knew the wrath of God must have justice and he would die, a seraph flew to him and extended the redemption of his HOLY GOD.

The seraph took a live coal from the altar and touched his lips. The heat, the scorching, and the burning were a relief to his sin sick soul.

What happened next, Isaiah never expected.

Yahweh spoke.

"Whom shall I send" And who will go for Us?"

Isaiah's immediate response after experiencing the atonement was, "Here am I. Send me!"

God Almighty answered, "Go!".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't begin to imagine experiencing an encounter such as that!

I would hope that we embrace His Presence in our everyday prayer lives, and that we encounter His Holiness and are repulsed by our own sin.