#DailyDevotion Like Seraphim From The Throne Of God, Jesus Has Sent Pastors
Tuesday after Trinity
Isaiah 6:5 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.”
It is an awesome thing to stand in the presence of the Lord of Hosts. Isaiah, a priest and prophet of God found himself there and recognized his own uncleaness. So we too, though we are Christians, and though we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we still dwell in sinful flesh. We too when we gather in the name of Jesus stand in the presence of God’s Holy One.
Yet we should always note the mercy and kindness of the Almighty. Isaiah in his panic is sent a seraph. The seraph has taken a coal from the altar of God in the heavens above, in the Lord’s throne room and touches Isaiah’s lips with it. As the altar of the Lord on earth had sacrifices performed upon it and the blood from it cleansed their outward bodies, this is the altar of the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the earth. This coal touches his lips and takes away Isaiah’s guilt. His sin is atone for.
Now we too come into the presence of the Triune God when we gather in his name and invoke his name we too should recognize our sinfulness. As we confess our sins, Jesus sends not a seraph but a pastor, a man he has chosen, to pronounce forgiveness by Jesus’ command and stead. When we hear his word, we should not take it as any ordinary man’s word but as the word of Jesus Christ himself.
Not only that, but the Sanctus, the Holy, Holy, Holy during the service reminds us we are worshipping with angels and archangels and all the angels and saints in heaven. Again, the Lord Jesus doesn’t send a seraph to us, but a man, a man of his own choosing. He does not come to us with a burning coal from the altar, but with the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed on the altar for us, taking away our guilt and atoning for our sins. Like the seraph, the pastor puts the body and blood of Christ Jesus upon our lips. Now the forgiveness proclaimed to us earlier is sealed to us. We know for certain that forgiveness proclaimed is applied to us individually. His body and blood are the seals and tokens of his great love for us. Like a king or ruler who puts his seal to any declaration, showing it to be valid and true, so Jesus’ supper shows us and seals to us our guilt is taken away and our sins have been atoned for. On the last day we can show our Lord these token and seals of his testimony like Tamar before Judah and be declared righteous in his sight. They are ours now to remember his death for us and to comfort us when our sins alarm us, his body and blood has touched our lips. Our guilt has been removed from us. Our sins have been atoned for.
Heavenly Father, you have given us such great and awesome testimonies of your good will toward us in the proclamation of forgiveness and the seals and tokens of that forgiveness won by Christ Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. Grant us faith always to believe these things and have faith in your great mercy and kindness toward us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.