This is Part 2 of 3 of Lesson 13: Here Am I; Send Me: The Prophet Isaiah. Click here to go to the introduction to this study.
After being given an extraordinary vision of God on His throne in all His glory, the prophet Isaiah had this to say…
Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isa 6. (NLT)
Just to give some context, the seraphim is an angel who takes a burning coal from the altar. What does this burning coal represent?
Ellen White states that the coal
“…is symbolical of purification. If it touches the lips, no impure word will fall from them.” {CC 234.5}
But this isn’t just about the lips. We know from Jesus’ teachings that there is a relationship between the words we speak, and the condition of our heart:
A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. Matt. 12:35 (NLT).
2 Comments
September 26, 2008 at 8:43 pm
1. What did Isaiah have to do in order to be purified?
2. What do you think of the study guide commentary
that says Isaiah ‘…had to be made right with God first; only then could the Lord use him.’?
September 26, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I’ll give #2 a go…I agree with the concept that we need to be right with God to be fully effective in his service. However I’m grateful that God is also patient with His imperfect servants as well…