イザヤ書6:1-8 Isaiah 6:1-8,

We hear God’s word through the Bible. In Old Testament times, there were prophets who received the Holy Spirit and could hear the word of God directly. The prophets preached the word they heard to the people. About 730 years before Jesus was born into the world, Isaiah was called by God to be such a prophet.

The Kingdom of Israel was divided into two parts, the north and the south after the death of King Solomon. Isaiah was in the southern kingdom. This southern kingdom was called the Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah was worshipping God in the temple in Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Then he saw the glory of God in heaven spreading out and shining all over the temple. Then God’s messenger seraphim said, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” At this moment, Isaiah felt that the holy God was very near and realised that he and the people of his country were unclean sinners. He also realised that he and the people of the Kingdom of Judah were the ones who had to be destroyed and die by God’s judgement. Then, Isaiah 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!” “Unclean lips” would be the lips that give utterance to the evil thoughts in their hearts by lying and teasing. Isaiah met the holy God and confessed that he and the people of the Kingdom of Judah had unclean hearts and lips.

Then a very strange thing happened. Seraphim, a messenger of God took a burning coal from the altar in the temple and touched Isaiah’s lips. Ordinarily, this would have resulted in severe burns. But then a miracle happened. Isaiah was not burned and felt his sin forgiven. The altar in the temple was where sacrifices of cattle and sheep were burnt and offered to God for the atonement of people’s sins. The coal taken from that altar had the power to forgive sins. And because Isaiah himself had confessed his sin to God and humbled himself before God, he was able to receive forgiveness for his sin. God’s messenger said. Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

When Isaiah was forgiven, God said to him. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The question means: Who should I send to the people to carry my word to them? In other words, who will deliver God’s message to the people instead of God or God’s angels? When Isaiah heard this, he immediately said, “Here I am! Send me.” Thus, Isaiah, who was forgiven of his sin, was sent by God to deliver God’s message to the people. He became a prophet who told people of God’s judgement and salvation and called them to return to God.

We hear God’s word through the Bible on Sundays in worship. How do you feel when you hear God’s word? Do you feel that you will be told of your sin and that you will perish like Isaiah? Yes, that’s right! But that’s not all. By hearing God’s word, you also become to know that by believing in Jesus, your sin is forgiven! Then you are sent by God to go out to the people around you to tell them about Jesus. This is how we begin our new week.