Read: Isaiah 6:1-10
Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips. (v. 5)
When I was growing up, my family attended an annual Christmas St. Nicholas party with a group of friends. It was a much-anticipated event, complete with an appearance from St. Nick, the Dutch Santa Claus. However, every year there were younger children who, when St. Nick appeared in all his glory, screamed in fear. The desired gift-giver was a terrifying stranger.
The human race was created for communion with heaven. Humans should want nothing more than to meet God face-to-face. And yet, since the fall, human beings have experienced God as a terrifying stranger. This tragic tension is on display in the account of Isaiah’s call. Heaven opens and Isaiah faces God’s unadulterated glory. His response? “Woe is me! . . . I am a man of unclean lips” (v. 5).
Our spirits long for readmission into heaven. Yet our fallen flesh recoils from God’s glorious presence. Even the best of us are unworthy to be welcomed back into our original home. Only God can make a way. To deal with Isaiah’s unworthiness, God subjected him to purifying fire. When it comes to our unworthiness, God subjected himself in our place. The atonement that came to Isaiah through the seraphim’s burning coal comes to us through the cross of Jesus Christ. At the cross, God exchanged our sin for Christ’s righteousness. In Christ, the radiance of God’s glory becomes personal; and heaven becomes fully accessible. Through Christ, God goes from terrifying stranger to beloved friend.
As you pray, anticipate an encounter with the God who is your friend.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
