Isaiah 6:1-5
“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!” Isaiah 6:1-5 ESV
When Isaiah was called to be a prophet, he saw a vision of the throne room in heaven and audibly heard the voice of the Lord (verse 8). His vision specifically revealed the holiness of God and how the holiness itself revealed the fallen, depraved, sinful state of man. The Lord was so holy, in fact, that the angels could not even look at Him. The seraphim used two of their wings to cover their faces, and as a sign of respect, used another two wings to cover their feet. In addition, the angels were flying, which may symbolize the holiness of the geographical location being too holy to even walk on.
Upon seeing this vision Isaiah immediately recognized his own depravity. He cried out in fear of the Lord and abhorrence of himself. In that moment he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was doomed, because he could not meet the standard of holiness that God demanded. His encounter with God completely transformed his life.
We, too, are totally depraved need to be transformed by the power of God. We have to recognize that we are sinners and cannot live up to God’s moral standard, but that we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sin. Only then will we be able to place our trust in Jesus and turn away from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Father, give us understanding and patience when we approach your word. Allow us to see our sinful desires so we may repent of them. Teach us so we may have wisdom and apply it for your glory. Use us to be an image of Christ, and pick us up when we fall short.