The prophet Isaiah shares this experience: “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. . . . They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. 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’ ” (Isaiah 6:1-7).
Isaiah’s experience took the form of a supernatural vision. At just a glimpse of God’s holiness, he became acutely aware of his own deep need for cleansing. We may never see God as Isaiah did, but we can experience God’s presence in a place of worship. As we develop the habit of worshiping God, we will find growing humility in our lives and a growing desire to have him purify us fully.
In the Word
George Bearden
