Isaiah had an experience with God which must have been terrifying.
He discerned God sitting on a throne in the temple. The presence of God was impressive, as the hem of His robe filled the temple.
Above the throne, were two seraphim. These are not cute and cuddly angels with harps. These are described as fiery serpents. When these angles show up on the scene, they were sent by God as His instruments to inflict the righteous penalty of sin. This must have been terrifying. These seraphim flew and cried out, Sacred (Holy), Sacred (Holy), Sacred (Holy) is Yhvh Ysaba (Lord of Warfare [or Lord Almighty]); the world is full of God’s glory and honor. And as these fiery serpents flew and cried out to each other, the walls of the temple trembled and the temple filled with smoke.
I am sure Isaiah thought he was going to be destroyed on the spot, because he reflected on his own unworthiness and sin and when God and the seraphim looked into his eyes, they saw it too. He udders, woe as me (I am grieving) because I am going to be destroyed, because I am a man of unclean lips (or speech) and I hang around people with unclean lips.
Then it appeared his fear was coming true as one of seraphim flew to him, but instead of destroying him, it picked a flaming ember from the alter and got right up in his face. As he touched the ember to Isaiah’s lips it said, your guilt and punishment has been put aside and this sinful thing has been blotted away.
Isaiah had a very unique experience with God which was terrifying at the least. Through this, he was spared the penalty of his sin. God had a plan for Isaiah, and he has a plan for us.
It would be terrible for us to endure something like this to be reconciled with God. There is good news. We don’t have to. God has provided a better way. He sacrificed His son, Jesus Christ for our sins, instead of declaring destruction on us. Jesus lived a life without sin and was worthy to stand before God Almighty without fear of destruction. Yet, God allowed Jesus to take our punishment, to die, and rise again for us, so that through His blood sacrifice, our guilt and punishment would be thrown out, and our sins would be blotted away as if they never happened. Not just once, but FOREVER.
God wants to have a relationship with us so bad, that He sacrificed His best so that we could walk boldly to the throne room and know that we are worthy through His Son. We will not fear the fiery serpents but will open our arms and cry ‘Father, I love you’.
God made this very simple for us. He says, if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He died for our sins, and rose from the dead, that we will be saved. Rom 10:9
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