Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!’”
On the third Tuesday of Advent, we remember Isaiah.
The ornament for today should represent Isaiah and the Call to Holiness (fire tongs with hot coals).
The story of Isaiah and the burning coals is found in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. It is a vision that Isaiah had of God's holiness and his own unworthiness.
In the vision, Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with angels surrounding Him. Isaiah was overwhelmed by the sight and cried out, "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!"
One of the angels then took a burning coal from the altar with tongs and touched Isaiah's lips with it, saying, "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
The burning coal symbolized God's purifying power and forgiveness. It cleansed Isaiah of his sin and made him worthy to serve as a prophet for God.
Overall, the story of Isaiah and the burning coals teaches us about the holiness of God, our own unworthiness, the significance of repentance and forgiveness, the power of God's purifying love, and the importance of answering God's call to serve Him. It encourages us to seek forgiveness when we fall short, recognize our need for God's cleansing power, and be willing to serve Him with humility and obedience.
For further reading, check out: Isaiah’s Vision in Isaiah 6, Isaiah’s Message in Isaiah 1-2, and A Savior Will Come in Isaiah 9; 11.