Touch the Coal to My Lips
We sing a song in church called “I See the Lord,” and it literally comes out of Isaiah, chapter six. Verse one tells us that Isaiah is in the temple, which tells us he’s in a revered and holy place. He says that He sees the Lord with His robe that filled the temple, and angels are surrounding Him. The angels begin to sing, saying “Holy is the Lord! The earth is filled with His glory!” At that, the walls began to shake, and Isaiah suddenly felt the magnitude of his encounter. I like how The Message Bible describes what he says. “Doom! It’s Doomsday! I’m as good as dead! Every word I’ve ever spoken is tainted, blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!” I don’t know about you, but I can’t even fathom coming face to face with God (before going to heaven). Isaiah was a good man, but at that moment, he felt guilty and ashamed, because he was in the presence of perfect royalty. The angels took hot coal from the fire and touched it to his lips, saying that his guilt was gone and that his sins were forgiven.
In the song, we sing “the angel came and touched the coal to my lips.” Sometimes, especially as a new believer, you might hear something like this and think that’s a little intense, painful even. I know I did…I didn’t understand it. But digging into this scripture I think gives me a better understanding. This wasn’t a punishment, but a preparatory cleansing. Think of a bonfire–it starts as a lot of logs, but in the end, it is reduced to ash. What it was is no longer and the slate is clean to start again. The angel touched the coal to Isaiah’s lip to remove what was there and prepare his lips to speak the word of the Lord.
Whether Isaiah had legitimate guilt or whether he felt “guilty by association,” as referenced above when he talks about the people he lives with, to be in the presence of the King would evoke a sense of humbling meekness and surrender. We like to think of ourselves as good people, don’t we? We “get by” in our day to day, believing that for the most part, we are good…doing right. But just as Isaiah responded, I feel like seeing God in all His brilliance would shine light on even the smallest of our iniquities, giving us a most precious moment to repent.
Isaiah then heard God ask the angels, “Whom shall I send?” Not wasting anytime, with a child-like eagerness, Isaiah shouts, “Send me!” before he even hears what the mission is. He didn’t hesitate or make excuses why he couldn’t do the Lord’s work, unlike Moses when he tried several times to question God’s plans and directives. Again, I can’t imagine being face to face with God, Him telling me what to do and I’d have the audacity to say “No.” I’d like to hope, like Isaiah, I’d want to please my Father, with an enthusiasm that would be contagious, inspiring others to want to follow my lead.