Let’s begin by reading Isaiah 6:1-7, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

What an honor was given to Isaiah, that he was able to see the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. Isaiah saw the Lord’s attendants, the seraphims. I dare say that Isaiah did not see God in His essential being, for God is a spirit. (John 4:24). We have this testimony in John 1:18, “NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Who exactly did Isaiah see? He saw the Lord Jesus Christ. Speaking of the Lord Jesus, we read in John 12:41, “These things said Esaias, WHEN HE SAW HIS GLORY, and spake of him.”

In the presence of the thrice-holy God, Isaiah immediately began to judge Himself. Surely, in the presence of the Sinless One, our sins become obvious to us. We hear Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 6:5, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Upon his confession, we then read in verses 6-7, “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

The seraphim was in the Temple. Isaiah was outside. Taking a coal from the off the alter, the seraphim touches Isaiah’s lips with the coal and declares that his iniquity was taken away and his sin purged. Fire, in the Word often speaks of judgment and purification. Let’s look at Malachi 3:2-3, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” The hot coals of the refiner’s fire was used to purify precious metal, by causing the dross to float to the top of the melted silver to be scooped off. With Isaiah’s confession of his sin, there was immediate purification given through the fire. The lesson here is obvious to most of us. When we repent of our sins, and put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he purifies us from all sin. What is the basis of His forgiveness and purification? He bore our sins in His own body. He endured God’s judgment in our stead. He suffered for our sins.

We read in Romans 8:32-33, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” God did not spare, or take it easy on His Son as He hung on the cross of Calvary. Indeed God exhausted His wrath on His Son for those who believe in Him. God has JUSTIFIED us. We have been purified through faith in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 1:22 tells us, “Seeing YE HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING THE TRUTH through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Have you accepted Christ as your savior? Are you justified? Are you purified? (295.6)