Isaiah 6:1-10
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! 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!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” And he said, “Go and say to this people:
‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.’
Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.”
Reflection – Dee Dee Lyon
As a lover of music, I would tell you that “Holy, Holy, Holy” would be the first song that would come to mind when reading the scripture. But NO! Although Isaiah saw God in His Majesty, surrounded by his angels on His throne, Isaiah himself was full of guilt and felt unclean and sinful. But the Lord forgave him of his sins and guilt and called him to speak to His people. Isaiah accepted the commission, not really knowing exactly what he what he was supposed to tell them or what it meant at the time. Hopefully, the Lenten season will reveal to us more as we move through this mysterious passage of time. As powerful as “Holy, Holy, Holy” is, maybe the words from another song can provide us a sense of direction as we, too, explore the calls that God places on our lives.
God Moves in a Mysterious Way,
His Wonders to perform,
He plants his footsteps on the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace,
Behind a frowning providence,
he hides a smiling face.
“God Moves in a Mysterious Way” verses 1 and 3