#DailyDevotion Holy, Holy, Holy Is The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Isa 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (2) Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. (3) And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (5) And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (8) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
I imagine it must have been a terrible sight. You’re kneeling, sitting praying or minding your own business then bam! you have this vision come upon you. Isaiah has a vision of the Lord. We don’t have much a description other high and lifted up and his train filled the temple. It is a scene of sheer glory. Now most likely this is the temple that is above that Isaiah is seeing. It is also highly likely he was in the temple in Jerusalem when he had this vision, Isaiah being a priest. If you remember from Exodus, the tabernacle/temple was a model of what Moses saw on the mountain of the temple above. But instead of cherubim we get a picture of seraphim. Now seraphim were fiery serpents, dragons if you will. Now there are only two but they are singing thricely, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
Now on the one had this is a great example of the Trinity in the Old Testament. The Father is holy. The Son is Holy. The Holy Spirit is holy. But there are not three holies but one holy, each person of the Trinity holy and Lord. The singing of the three magnifies their holiness. The whole earth is full of their glory of they created everything that is seen and unseen and it testifies to the glory of God. It was an awesome sight to behold and to hear. So much so, Isaiah falls to the ground confessing the sin of the people and his own sin. Not many people get to see God in his glory and live. But the Lord God is gracious and merciful. He sends a seraph to take a coal from the altar to touch the lips of Isaiah. The burning coal atones for Isaiah’s sin. Now Isaiah is prepared for the Lord’s mission. He will go forth and proclaim the testimony of the Lord to the people of Judah and Israel.
Now we sing the song of the seraphim in our church service just before communion. Indeed, the very Lord who was high and lifted up, who train filled the temple is present with us in the service. We have invoked his name, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He have heard the word of the Lord from the pastor’s lips as from the Lord himself. The Lord has been high and lifted up in the temple of our hearts and now he is present upon the altar. It is right to sing him praise.
And as the seraph took tongs and put a coal upon the lips of Isaiah, atoning for his sins, the pastor takes the bread and wine, which has been blessed by the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is now the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and places it upon our lips. Take and eat, take and drink, the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Our sins are atoned for. Our guilt is taken away.
The Lord then sends us into the world as a witness and a testimony of the great love the God of Heaven and of Earth has for us and for all people. We serve him in the various callings he has called us to, to bear witness in word and deed of the great mercy and kindness of our God in Christ Jesus.
Holy, Holy, Holy are you O Lord of Hosts! Give unto us the same mercy you shown your servant Isaiah and ever give us from the altar Christ’ body and blood that our sins may be atoned for and our guilt removed. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.