Undone! "Put A Sock In It"

Isa 6:5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because 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 has been brought into the presence of the Lord through a vivid vision. Smoke everywhere, and a booming voice declaring the holiness of God. His eyes have caught a glimpse of the King of the Universe, the Lord of hosts! In this environment, Isaiah has no other response than to be silent. Sinner that he is, he can do nothing but “put a sock in it.” The essence of the Hebrew word here for “undone,” is to be utterly silent.

His personal confession of sin and his confession for the sins of his nation is summed up in the statement that he and his people have unclean lips. These unclean lips are to be silenced in the presence of a holy God!

But what does this confession mean? How does it tie into the sin of men? Is Isaiah admitting that he and his people are a bunch of “potty mouths?” Well, I’m afraid it goes much deeper than that.

These “unclean lips,” are meant to be a picture for us of the totality of sin that starts in our hearts and inevitably spills out in our daily living. Jesus put it this way in Mt 15:18-20, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 "These are the things which defile a man”

 

If your Bible doesn’t have these verses listed as a cross-reference to Isaiah 6:4, I would write it in the margin. It will go a long way in helping you understand the dilemma of Isaiah and the dilemma of you and I!

All these sins are what defile us and they start in the heart of man and spill out into all of creation, all of what God has deemed to be holy and full of His glory. None of us can deny our sinful state. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom 3:23)

Therefore when it comes to your self-perceived righteousness…..”put a sock in it,” and humbly come to the only one who can forgive sins! God!

Mr 2:7b "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 

The Permeating Glory of God

 

 

Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Whoever this particular Seraphim is, he certainly had a booming voice, as we read that it shakes the very doorposts of the temple! Imagine if you will a threefold sonic boom fly by, or a thrice repeated 4^th of July booming fireworks, and then note the emphasis here on the holiness of God! The voice so loud that the inanimate door posts tremble at the word, how much more then should we tremble at His holiness?

 

Then we are told that the house was “filled with smoke.”  Here’s the thing about smoke, it permeates everything. It hangs in the air after the fireworks are finished. It causes your clothing to testify that you have been near a campfire. And anyone who has experienced a housefire can tell you of the lingering effect of the smoke that permeates!

This smoke described for us in Isaiah is meant to be a picture of the glory of God! Ex 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

 Moses couldn’t handle the glory of the Lord!

Neither could the priests found in 1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. 12 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

Truth is, no one is able to handle the presence of the Lord!

Re 15:8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

And you and I have the audacity to think we are “good enough” to earn our way to heaven? Give me a break! We need help just as Isaiah will need help and we’ll look at that help next time.

Full of His Glory

 

Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

The fullness of the glory of God is something well worth considering! It’s something that God has promised:

Nu 14:21 “but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD-

It’s something the Psalmist prayed for:  Ps 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

It’s something the prophets have foretold: Hab 2:14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

Hab 3:3 His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

 And here in Isaiah, the Seraphim fully aware of the glory of God assert: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

No wonder our hearts are so stirred when we break out in this anthem of holiness: May I suggest that you sing this as part of your devotion today?

 

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!
Though the darkness hide thee
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
Oh thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity
Oh God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!

This Ain't Clarence Odbody Part 4

 

Isa 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

The final pair of wings on the Seraphim are for flight. And God’s angels are fully equipped to show up in any part of God’s creation at a moment’s notice, and they are always on time! Hence, Gabriel for example, shows up in Babylon with a message for Daniel. It was Gabriel who, at just the right time, brought the message of the birth of Jesus to Mary, and then there’s those unnamed angels who came to Abraham as part of the Sodom judgment team!

By the way note that these angels appeared as mere wingless men to Abraham and he immediately exercised his gift of hospitality to them, something we should be aware of as we are reminded in Heb 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

The angels of God are always on time! Remember the time Peter was arrested and about to join James the brother  of John as another martyr, but look what happened:

Ac 12:6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, (for martyrdom) that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.  7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

Let this sink in! God would determine the timing of Peter’s martyrdom, not Herod. Peter rightly thought he was dreaming. I mean how else could you explain what was actually happening! Once safely outside the prison Peter realized what had just happened! Ac 12:11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

Angels, always on time strangers who provide what is needed for your situation. You and I have likely bumped into a lot more of them than we think! Maybe Clarence Odbody isn’t that far off from the real deal!

This Ain't Clarence Odbody Part 3

 

Isa 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

 

So what are we to make of the six wings? Let’s start with the two covering the eyes. Simply put, the eyes are covered because even the angels are blinded by the glory of God! That’s the easy one!

The significance of the covered lower part of the body is a little more difficult for us because we are so far removed from the mores of the society in the days of Isaiah.

In Isaiah’s day this covering of the body was an acknowledgement of submission. It was a sign of respect for the authority of one person or office over another. These wings then were a sign of the angel’s complete submission to God. It is as Ps 89:7 says, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him”

 

This same principle comes into play later on in the New Testament church at Corinth, where we read in 1 Cor 11:10. “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”

Whoa preacher! What’s that got to do with these Seraphim being covered? Again, it is a cultural thing, difficult for us to grasp because we are so far removed from it today. But in the day this was written women typically covered their heads to demonstrate submission to their husband. It was a cultural thing!

Paul was dealing with a little rebellion in the church where some women were refusing to wear the covering. This was not a fashion statement by the women but an outward sign of rebellion against God’s created order. It wasn’t so much the clothing, but rather the attitude!

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul emphasized the created order in 1Co 11:3, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

 

Putting it as simple as possible, in heaven, covered angels are an acknowledgement of  their submission to the authority of God,  and (please note the emphasis here) on earth, women likewise should acknowledge their submission to the authority of man in  accordance with God’s created order.

 

That’s why Paul adds the phrase, “because of the angels.” They set the standard for submission!  Because these angels exhibit submission in heaven, women are to do likewise on earth.

Now, having said that, this head covering thing is no longer a statement of rebellion in our culture. Women do not need to wear hats in church! We have other ways in our culture to show disdain for God’s created order and unfortunately, we do.

Please note too, that this created order does not allow for maltreatment of women, or in your face rebellion by women. Both sides of the coin come into play in this relationship.   

 

Read the rest of this portion of Corinthians and you will see that Paul was not lessening the importance of women, he was merely making sure that the created order is never thrown under the bus.

Indeed, he pointed out how much we need each other! 1Co 11:11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.  12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

 

And then there’s the great portion of Ephesians dealing with the relationship between husband and wife, where the wife is called to submission and the husband is called to sacrificial love for his wife, loving her as Christ loved the church! (Eph 5:25)

 

Let’s be honest both men and women have work to do in this area. The angels have set the standard for us way back in Isa 6:2, and we need to get back to it. Quite frankly I believe that the whole transgender issue that we are currently dealing with is God just showing us what happens when His created order is confused.

 

The remedy starts with each one of us, repenting of our abuses in this area and then seeking to take on our God-appointed roles as male and female.

This abuse of God’s created order is spoken of in  Jude 1:6-8, when angels led by Satan decided to step out of their role of submission to God. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

 

Food for thought from the Word of God.

This Ain't Clarence Odbody Part 2

 

 

Isa 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

 

Seraphim: Fiery, (holy and zealous) unfallen angels. But what’s this? Six wings? I thought angels only had two of those!

Again, this is a vision, and what Isaiah sees with his eyes is a message in itself. It doesn’t tell us what angels look like, but rather more about their station in creation and what they do.

 

Six-winged creatures show up in one other area of Scripture and they are found in Re 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

Note the similarities: Six wings, and the same unending song: “Holy! Holy! Holy! The wings are an indication of the swiftness in which angels carry out the will of God’s providence.

The plethora of eyes an indication of loyal agents of God (angels) always looking to the throne and seeking the dispatch of God to carry out his will, and as they carry it out, no detail escapes them. No mistakes are made, mission is always accomplished. (Note, there may be delays as evidenced in the Book of Daniel when an angel sent by God was delayed due to some opposition from the enemy.)

Da 10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 "Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."

What a comforting piece of Scripture. God heard the humble plea of Daniel and responded. There was a delay due to the opposition from Satan, but God took care of it and once again His providence and good and gracious will prevailed.

 

Take heart from this passage, you who have been wondering where God is in your situation. He knows the humble and He hears their cry. But God’s will is much more complicated than your own situation. That’s why these angels have all these eyes. They see every possible angle as they carry out the good and perfect will of God.

These angels aren’t just for the Daniel’s of this world either, they are for all who have put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Know this! Believe this! Then wait and trust in the Lord. It will all ultimately work out for His good, for just as the seraphim said, “The whole easrth is full of His glory!

 

This Ain't Clarence Odbody

 

Isa 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

 

Isaiah’s heavenly vision continues, and God gives him a look at seraphim. Seraphim? What’s a seraphim? The word literally means, “burning.” These angels appear to Isaiah as “fiery creatures.”

Remember, this is a vision, and as a vision it contains much symbolism. Symbolism is used to help us grasp heavenly realities and their connection to what’s going on in the rest of God’s creation.

These seraphim are not a flaming mass of feathered wings but they, first of all, as fiery angels, they are portrayed as holy, and secondly, they are portrayed as being on fire for their Master, God Almighty. They are holy agents of God with fervent zeal for His service and for His glory.  

 

Incidentally the word “seraphim,” can also be used figuratively for a “fiery serpent.” Isn’t that interesting? Who does that make you think of?

 

Obviously, these seraphim, in Isaiah are not meant to portray Lucifer, but it makes you wonder if the devil didn’t start out as a seraphim, but then decided to rebel against God. He took a third of the angels with him in the rebellion (Rev 12:4) and certainly, he is oft likened to a snake. But he and his fiery snake demons are always ultimately subject to God. Never forget that biblical truth! He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 Jn 4:4)

 

God may allow the devil and his demons to operate in rebellion against God and His creation, but only within God’s limits, and only for His ultimate will and glory.

 Job is the classic example of course, Job 1:12 reads: And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person."

Perhaps, even more to the point is the time that God allowed “fiery serpents’ into the camp of the complaining Israelites in  Nu 21:6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents  among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

It’s like God was saying, you want to complain against Me? Let me show you what happens when I set the master complainer loose against you.” And the deadly bite of rebellion against God (sin) led to the death of many.

 

But God in His mercy provides a solution to the rebellion problem. Num 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."

 

I always thought that a lamb upon a pole would’ve been more appropriate here, but that all changed when I realized the fiery serpent on the pole was meant to be a representation of sin and a picture of Jesus in the sense that when He went to the cross on Calvary, He, who knew no sin but became sin for us that we might live. 2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

I know this is a bit of a sidetrack from the text, but its also an opportunity to remind us that there is a cure for the deadly bite of sin and it is found in Jesus Christ. Look to Him and live.