"Then said I: Wo is unto 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
2 Nephi 16:5-7
The symbolism of repenting is often pretty extreme. For instance, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43). Similarly, today's verses seems like a really good way to burn our lips off. I think though, that the drama has value, and represents a truth that we might not always face.
First I think we have to consider the situation that Isaiah is in in these verses (which can also be found in Isaiah 6). He is actually seeing the Lord. I mean, can you imagine? I'm thinking this is already a super dramatic situation, even before we get to the live coal part. :) Isaiah is super worried about his worthiness to be in the presence of the Lord, so in the symbolism we have this painful thing also tied up with a strong sense of mercy and comfort... helping Isaiah to not only *be* clean, but to feel comfortable enough in God's presence to speak up, which he does a couple of verses later.
1 Peter 1:7 is one of the places that God mentions that our faith is to be tried in the fire, like precious metals, thus purging our impurities and making us more precious and pure. I think we need dramatic symbolism like this because first of all, the kind of clean we need to be isn't just a rinse-off-your-hands type of clean. Malachi 3:2 talks not only about "refiner's fire" but also about "fullers’ soap," which is highly abrasive, and takes a lot of scrubbing. In other words, the kind of clean we are talking about isn't an easy clean, but a deep, intense clean that washes the soul, not just the skin.
It's important to know this, not to scare us about the process, but because we are all going to feel like Isaiah--unworthy to stand before the Lord. But he tells each of us, it is okay. I can *make* you clean. It might be really uncomfortable and painful temporarily, but it will work... you don't have to stand guilty before me. You can feel cleansed and comfortable, and overwhelmingly loved, in my presence.
It's also important I think because we sometimes need something dramatic in our lives to commit to as we repent. It's kind of a Flannery O'Connor type of idea... that faith and repentance and commitment to God are just words until we are faced with our worst fears... then we know what we really believe, because it is tested. And when we come through that "fiery trial" (1 Peter 4:12), We see more clearly who we are, and our distance from who we want to be.
Today, let's endure the pain of trials and repentance, knowing that the Lord is helping us to feel comfortable in his presence, so that we someday can be. Let's remember our faith when we are faced with hard things, and trust God above all else, and we'll come through all of this, not only alive, but truly, deeply *clean.*
Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
2 Nephi 16:5-7
The symbolism of repenting is often pretty extreme. For instance, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43). Similarly, today's verses seems like a really good way to burn our lips off. I think though, that the drama has value, and represents a truth that we might not always face.
First I think we have to consider the situation that Isaiah is in in these verses (which can also be found in Isaiah 6). He is actually seeing the Lord. I mean, can you imagine? I'm thinking this is already a super dramatic situation, even before we get to the live coal part. :) Isaiah is super worried about his worthiness to be in the presence of the Lord, so in the symbolism we have this painful thing also tied up with a strong sense of mercy and comfort... helping Isaiah to not only *be* clean, but to feel comfortable enough in God's presence to speak up, which he does a couple of verses later.
1 Peter 1:7 is one of the places that God mentions that our faith is to be tried in the fire, like precious metals, thus purging our impurities and making us more precious and pure. I think we need dramatic symbolism like this because first of all, the kind of clean we need to be isn't just a rinse-off-your-hands type of clean. Malachi 3:2 talks not only about "refiner's fire" but also about "fullers’ soap," which is highly abrasive, and takes a lot of scrubbing. In other words, the kind of clean we are talking about isn't an easy clean, but a deep, intense clean that washes the soul, not just the skin.
It's important to know this, not to scare us about the process, but because we are all going to feel like Isaiah--unworthy to stand before the Lord. But he tells each of us, it is okay. I can *make* you clean. It might be really uncomfortable and painful temporarily, but it will work... you don't have to stand guilty before me. You can feel cleansed and comfortable, and overwhelmingly loved, in my presence.
It's also important I think because we sometimes need something dramatic in our lives to commit to as we repent. It's kind of a Flannery O'Connor type of idea... that faith and repentance and commitment to God are just words until we are faced with our worst fears... then we know what we really believe, because it is tested. And when we come through that "fiery trial" (1 Peter 4:12), We see more clearly who we are, and our distance from who we want to be.
Today, let's endure the pain of trials and repentance, knowing that the Lord is helping us to feel comfortable in his presence, so that we someday can be. Let's remember our faith when we are faced with hard things, and trust God above all else, and we'll come through all of this, not only alive, but truly, deeply *clean.*
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