When Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord in His temple, "high and lifted up," he cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone." (Isaiah 6:5)
He saw his own poverty and nakedness as never before. The Lord wanted someone to go with the message to sinners; but he was "a man of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6:5)
Then flew a seraph to him, with a live coal from off the altar of the Lord, and touched his mouth, saying, "Lo, this has touched your lips and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged." (Isaiah 6:7)
Isaiah believed the words, and when he heard the call, "Who will go?" (Isaiah 6:8) he answered, "Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)
And the commission came, "Go." (Isaiah 6:9) "Is not my word like as a fire? says the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:29) "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3)
It was with the living word of God that the prophet's lips were touched. As he believed the word it was his cleansing, and he was ready to go to sinners with it. The very word which the Spirit uses to convict of sin has power in it to burn away the sin. Thank God for it, and believe it, and hold the life to the Word for constant correction and cleansing. When it is a burning coal direct from God's altar to your lips, you may daily say, "Here Lord, send me," and the Lord's answer will be, "Go."
But He sends us to speak only His words. "He that has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? says the Lord. Is not my word like as a fire?" (Jeremiah 23:28-29)--Present Truth, June 3, 1897--Isaiah 6:5-9
E.J. Waggoner