Sunday, April 7, 2013

Isaiah 6:1-7

Just turned in a 12 page exegesis on Isaiah 6:1-7. Maybe it will be good enough to let you read it some day. Maybe it won't. Either way, it was a useful exercise. I would rather write 10 exegesis papers in a semester than 1 research paper. I just like digging through the Scripture and picking things apart to find nuggets. I will share one with you.

         "God sent one of the Seraphim to take a burning coal from the altar. These coals were used to burn sacrifices for sin offerings. What happened next is so profound as to be a microcosm of the entire canon of Scripture. The angelic being placed the burning ember on Isaiah’s mouth and said “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin is atoned for”.
         The original audience obviously did not understand the full significance of this strange ceremony. However, through the eyes of the New Testament, we can see exactly what was happening. God was showing Isaiah that he absolutely could not save himself. His only hope was for God to go to the altar and apply the cleansing power to his life. Through the Seraphim, God transformed the instrument of death – a burning coal – into the instrument of life. Animals were bound and placed upon the fiery altar. By the altar’s fire, Isaiah’s bonds were loosed. These are all parallels to what Christ did for me at Golgotha. I was completely unable to save myself. My only hope was for God to go to the cross and apply its cleansing power to my life. Through His son, God transformed the instrument of death – a Roman crucifix – into the instrument of life. Jesus was bound and hung upon a cruel cross. By His death upon that cross, my bonds were loosed."

Anyway...good night.