Isaiah 6.1-8
Delivered on Sunday 04 February 2007 in St John, Hailey
© Ben Green 2007
Isaiah 6.1-8
I wonder if any of you have ever heard of phantom limb pain? It's the pain that people sometimes continue to feel after they've had a limb amputated. Doctors aren't sure why this happens, but they think it's because nerves get damaged, or the brain itself, which can continue to feel the pain even though the limb is no longer there.
Perhaps more of you have experienced guilt, or are feeling guilty today, even despite being forgiven. Maybe you were unable to apologise to someone, and you can't any more. Or maybe you were able to say sorry, and be forgiven, but you still feel terribly guilty about what you did.
We're going to look at Isaiah 6 this evening, at Isaiah's vision, and what it might mean for us, today.
King Uzziah started his reign really well. The Bible says, 'He did what was right in the sight of the LORD... as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.' (2 Chron. 26.4-5) He stabilised Judah, winning battles, building cities and towers and encouraging agriculture and commerce. Under him, Judah was politically a strong country.
However, he died a leper, his punishment for forcing his way into the temple to make an offering to God himself, instead of through the priests, as the law commanded. At the last, he failed to honour God, who was the power behind his throne.
And so, in the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord-that is, 'King', or 'Sovereign'. He saw the real king of Israel, sitting high and lofty on a throne. Isaiah struggles to find the words to describe what he saw, so he settles with: 'the hem of his robe filled the temple.'
Now, my trousers have a hem, about an inch high. God is so great, so high and lofty, that the temple-which was huge, bigger than most cathedrals-can only just contain the hem of his robe.
Around him were flying seraphs-angels-who were singing what is now a famous refrain:
'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of his glory.'
In English, we use the words like 'most' or 'pure' for a superlative. We say, 'most beautiful', or 'pure gold'. In Hebrew, double repetition is used, so to say, 'most beautiful' in Hebrew, you say, 'beautiful beautiful', and to say, 'pure gold', you say, 'gold gold'. Here we have the only instance of triple repetition in the Bible.
If you think that young people play music too loudly, here it is in the Bible-the seraphs are singing so loudly, that the temple itself is shaking at the sound of their voices!
Angels are obviously excellent at multitasking, because not only are the seraphs are flying around, they're also singing at the top of their voice, and they're keeping their feet and their eyes covered!
Not even angels dare to gaze on God, he is so holy, so majestic, so mighty. And yet Isaiah has been granted this vision: 'In the year that King Uzziah died,' he says, 'I saw the Lord'.
'Woe is me!' Isaiah cried, 'I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!' Isaiah expected to die, because he was in the presence of the most most most holy God, and he was all too aware of his own sinfulness, and that of his fellow Israelites.
So what does God do when confronted with this sinner? Does he punish him like a consuming fire?
No. Instead, one of the seraphs-literally, 'flaming ones'-takes a piece of burning coal from the altar, touches Isaiah's lips with it, and announces, 'Your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.' Now I don't know exactly what the coal means. That doesn't matter.
Because, suddenly, Isaiah can hear the voice of God, asking, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' As a forgiven and guilt-free person, Isaiah offers himself to God's service, without knowing where, or even to whom, God will send him: 'Here am I; send me!' he said.
Now, what does all that have to do with us today? Not much, you might think. After all, when was the last time you had a vision of God, with burning (and multitasking) angels flying around, singing so loudly that the building shook?
When was the last time you felt so guilty you didn't know what to do with yourself? When was the last time you couldn't let go of something wrong that you'd done? When was the last time you listened to the accusing voice inside your head, telling you what a sinner you are? When was the last time you gave in to temptation, and sinned some more?
Confronted with God's holiness, we can't help but recognise our sinfulness, like Isaiah did. When we meet such a holy, majestic, glorious God, we are all too aware that we are not. We have fallen far far far short. Our response is, rightly to ask-and receive-forgiveness for our sins from God. Our response is to repent, and be forgiven by God through Jesus.
But sometimes we don't forgive ourselves. We allow the feelings of guilt to continue on, even though there is no need. Like the phantom limb pain, causing agony when there is nothing there, our needless guilt can paralyse us into inaction.
As the seraph said to Isaiah, God forgives both our sin, and casts away our guilt. There is no need to feel guilty, because God has forgiven you. It is as if it never happened.
We are now going to have a time of prayer. If you suffer from spiritual phantom limb pain, if you feel guilty for any reason, and especially if you feel guilty despite being forgiven, there will be an opportunity for you to tell God quietly. Once we have done that, I will read out some words from 1 John, and the words that the seraph spoke to Isaiah.
Isaiah saw the awesome holiness of God, and recognised that he deserved to die, a sinner in the presence of sheer holiness. But he didn't, he was forgiven. And as a forgiven person, Isaiah offered himself to God's service, not knowing anything else, other than that he wanted to serve his most holy God. I will also pray a prayer, rededicating our lives to God's service. If you agree, please say with me at the end, 'Amen. So be it.'
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, you are holy, holy, holy. You are our Almighty God, world without end.
When we worship you, we realise just how unholy we are. Every day we fall short of you. Please forgive us our sin, and cast away our guilt.
In silence now, please tell God what you have done, what you feel guilty about.
1 John 1.9: 'If we confess sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'
Isaiah 6.7: 'The seraph touched my mouth with the burning coal and said: "Your guilt has departed, and your sin is blotted out." '
Father we pledge to follow your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Please help us to remember always that you have forgiven us from our sin, and freed us from our guilt, that we may stay close, and follow him wherever he leads us.
Amen. So be it.
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