Passage: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory."
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
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!"
He said, "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And He answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Journal: What can we learn from these winged creatures called seraphs? First, they covered their faces with two wings, and this suggests that they could not, or should not, gaze directly at God's glory. Our own heart's regeneration allows us to move from knowing about God to actually knowing God. However, even as God removes mere knowledge and replaces it with saving knowledge, our understanding of God will always be incomplete. Simply, He is larger than our ability to ever fully comprehend or appreciate. Thus, there comes a time to stop pondering the unknown and hidden and to begin worshipping the known and revealed.
They also covered their feet with two wings, and this suggests that they were not to approach God absent His bidding. Perhaps it also suggests that their steps were never to be their own doing, but each movement was preserved for God's glory. We must stand still when we worship God, for we cannot trust our steps to be in unison with His steps. If we cover our feet and worship, will He not draw near to us? This suggests all the more reason that our worship should not cater to men and emotion, but rather should focus on God and His glory.
Finally, with two wings they were flying. Thus, though their eyes were covered in reverence and their feet were covered in submission, they were ready to do God's bidding. I love to watch the humming birds around our house, and how they are almost quicker than the eye can follow. This should be the picture of our abandonment of self and of our engrossment with God. Our quest should be to gather where He gathers and to store where He stores.
Heard 'Round the House:
I offer the latest approach (last night) by Vera (age 8, down syndrome) to sleep on a pallet in our room on a non-pallet night.
Vera, to Mommy: I'm sick.
Mommy, rather use to Vera's dramatic health turns, and feeling her forehead: I'm sorry, Vera. I think you should go to sleep if you're sick.
Vera nodding in agreement and patting Mommy on the arm: Pallet!
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory."
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
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!"
He said, "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And He answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Journal: What can we learn from these winged creatures called seraphs? First, they covered their faces with two wings, and this suggests that they could not, or should not, gaze directly at God's glory. Our own heart's regeneration allows us to move from knowing about God to actually knowing God. However, even as God removes mere knowledge and replaces it with saving knowledge, our understanding of God will always be incomplete. Simply, He is larger than our ability to ever fully comprehend or appreciate. Thus, there comes a time to stop pondering the unknown and hidden and to begin worshipping the known and revealed.
They also covered their feet with two wings, and this suggests that they were not to approach God absent His bidding. Perhaps it also suggests that their steps were never to be their own doing, but each movement was preserved for God's glory. We must stand still when we worship God, for we cannot trust our steps to be in unison with His steps. If we cover our feet and worship, will He not draw near to us? This suggests all the more reason that our worship should not cater to men and emotion, but rather should focus on God and His glory.
Finally, with two wings they were flying. Thus, though their eyes were covered in reverence and their feet were covered in submission, they were ready to do God's bidding. I love to watch the humming birds around our house, and how they are almost quicker than the eye can follow. This should be the picture of our abandonment of self and of our engrossment with God. Our quest should be to gather where He gathers and to store where He stores.
Heard 'Round the House:
I offer the latest approach (last night) by Vera (age 8, down syndrome) to sleep on a pallet in our room on a non-pallet night.
Vera, to Mommy: I'm sick.
Mommy, rather use to Vera's dramatic health turns, and feeling her forehead: I'm sorry, Vera. I think you should go to sleep if you're sick.
Vera nodding in agreement and patting Mommy on the arm: Pallet!
