4. Pure and Clean: A Red-Hot Coal on the Lips of Isaiah

4. Pure and Clean: A Red-Hot Coal on the Lips of Isaiah.

“’Holy, Holy, Holy is Yahweh-sabaoth, the Lord of the Angel Armies!’ the seraphim cried one to another. ‘The whole earth is filled with His glory!’ At the sound of that cry, the frame of the Temple door shook and the sanctuary was filled with smoke. Then I said, ‘Woe is me! I am doomed! Ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips! And my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the Temple altar of sacrifice. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look! Now that this has touched your mouth, your guilt is removed and your sin has been cleansed and purged away!” (Isaiah 6:3-7).

Isaiah was a highly literate, well-educated scribe in the royal palace of Jerusalem around 750 BC. His life would take an unexpected turn that would change his life, one of the most dramatic calls in Scripture. In a vision, he witnessed Yahweh God, high and lifted up on His throne, attended by flaming angels shouting out their praises, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of the Angel Armies! The whole earth is full of His glory!”  One translation put it this way… “You are more holy than the holiest holiness!” These angelic voices were so loud that the temple in his vision shook to its foundations and the sanctuary was completely filled with smoke, the traditional sign of God’s presence. This unforgettable scene brought Isaiah to his knees as he was overwhelmed with the Lord’s holiness. In his book, one of Isaiah’s favorite names for God was “Holy One of Israel,” in honor of this vision of God’s holiness. Isaiah was shaken to his core as he witnessed God’s power and purity and glory. He could only recognize his own sinfulness and impurity in the presence of God and His angels.

Glory: the weighty splendor of God’s personal presence. God dwells in glory, He is comprised of glory, and so when God makes an appearance on earth, glory is revealed. The sheer weight of God’s presence, His spiritual girth, outweighs the world; His splendor and His majestic presence is more substantive and heavier than the universe.

Unclean Lips. After listening to the pure praise of the angel-seraphim around the throne, Isaiah could only compare his own speech with that of the worshipping angels. He understood well that he was unworthy to be a mouthpiece of God, a prophetic presence  who would clearly speak the words of the Lord. So with his “unclean lips” confession, Isaiah was saying that his words are tainted and corrupt. He admitted that his lips were covered in filth compared to the angels’ choir. He repented that his speech was unclean, impure, ready to be used to harm others, downright sinful, and thus he was not even qualified to appear before God’s presence in the Temple. Isaiah confessed before God on His throne that he didn’t even come close to meeting the purification standards of the Hebrew faith.

Immediate Grace. Isaiah thought he was doomed because of the biblical tradition that one couldn’t see God and survive the experience. Even Moses only saw God’s backside (Ex. 34). But the Lord had a different plan for Isaiah. God’s grace rushed to Isaiah after his confession, to forgive him and purify him and prepare him for prophetic ministry. So, one of those angelic messengers was sent by the Lord to take a pair of tongs, select a red-hot burning coal from the altar of burnt sacrifice, swoop to Isaiah, and touch his mouth with that glowing ember. Fire is a biblical symbol of purification, and this was even more so since the coal was taken directly from the priestly altar. This was the Lord’s impromptu purification process for Isaiah, and the angel declared to Isaiah that his guilt was removed and his sins were forgiven. One rightly wonders if this was a painful experience, being burned on the lips like that. We won’t know until we ask Isaiah in Paradise. At any rate, God’s holiness and grace overwhelmed Isaiah, and those two qualities of God dominated his preaching for the rest of his life.

“Then I heard the voice of Lord Yahweh saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ And I replied, ‘Here I am. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Here I am. Send me. After being forgiven and purified, Isaiah heard Yahweh issue a divine challenge by announcing that He wanted a messenger to approach the chosen people, and He wondered who would go for Him to bring His message. Isaiah immediately responded with his historical line, “Here am I. Send me.” And this was just the beginning for Isaiah. And what did the Lord mean by “us?” Was He referring to the Holy Trinity? Isaiah’s immediate readiness to minister for God as His prophet to people who won’t even listen to him was quite the statement of faith, because at this point Isaiah didn’t know what the Lord was calling him to do. God only gave instructions to Isaiah after he accepted the call.

God’s Want Ad. It’s as if the Lord published this want ad as He nodded toward Isaiah: WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful, articulate believer in Yahweh who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from confronting the people over their sinfulness to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute to a living object lesson the next; from having one foot in the immediate surroundings one minute to one foot in the future messianic realm the next. Must be adaptable, thick-skinned, and extraordinarily brave. Person who answers “Here I am. Send me!” will be especially considered. 

Hineni (Hebrew word, literal meaning, “Behold, I am!” but is generally translated in Bible as “Here I am.”) In Scripture it is a response of someone to someone else asking for attention. It could be a response to God, to an angel, a response of a child to a parent, or a servant to a master. Sometimes it is even a loving response of a parent to a child. The Biblical ‘Here I am’ means you have my full attention; I am at your service; I am completely available to you; whatever you want, I am all in; I am in total readiness to hear and obey you; I have no hesitation in responding to you. Most of the time in Scripture the person saying Here I am doesn’t yet know what the caller wants from him. So hineni can essentially be a statement of faith. Generally, hineni is often stated in a pivotal moment of that person’s life. ‘Here I am’ can occasionally be a casual response to a caller, but it more often is an important moment in the life of the person responding.

The Greatest Prophet. There is no doubt his unforgettable calling from the LORD fueled his life and ministry from beginning to end. His role as prophet lasted anywhere from 40 years to 60 years, depending on the scholar. His ministry spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah. Isaiah remained in and around Jerusalem during that whole time. Much like so many of the other prophets, the people refused to take his words to heart. They wouldn’t listen to Isaiah’s messages from God. He would announce God’s judgment only to be ignored. But Isaiah was adaptable. He would both confront the people and comfort the people. Sometimes he was harsh and condemning, and sometimes he was soothing and hopeful. His encouraging words were based on God’s promise of a future Messiah who would redeem and heal them, and save them from permanent judgment. So Isaiah spoke of God’s justice one minute and God’s mercy the next. He spoke more about the coming Messiah than any other prophet in the Hebrew Bible. His poetry painted a picture of both woe and hope, and is probably the finest in all of Scripture. So Isaiah has been called the Bible’s greatest prophet, since he is quoted over 50 times in the New Testament.

One Hopes the Circle was Completed. For all his trouble, Isaiah died a martyr’s death at the hands of the very wicked king Manasseh. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the last thing Isaiah thought about was the very first thing he saw years ago… The LORD sitting high on His throne, the heavenly angels singing about His glory filling the whole earth, and how he was overwhelmed with the holiness of God. Perhaps Isaiah’s last words were, “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord! You are more holy than the holiest holiness!”

Anointed Speech. “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.”  (Colossians 4:6, NRSV).

When the Holy Spirit Fire Purifies our Lips. Biblical scholars have differed over how to interpret St. Paul’s suggestion that we season our conversations with salt. The first part of that verse to the Colossians Christians isn’t all that debatable. Let our speech be wise and full of grace. When we talk with others, let our speech be courteous, respectful, and patient. May our conversations be a pleasant experience for all concerned. Try not to be obnoxious, or pushy, or argumentative. Bring out the best of everyone involved, remaining pleasant and gracious and compassionate. Let love and truth be the guiding principles of every conversation, even those that are difficult or involve differences of opinion.

But seasoned with salt? What does that mean? As it turns out, salt has been a symbol for many things that would add light to this thought of Paul’s:

1. Purity. Let your speech be seasoned with purity. In the Hebrew Bible, salt often  represented purity. When Yahweh instructed Moses with His special blend of fragrant spices for the holy incense, Moses was told to mix salt into the incense. “It is to be salted and pure and sacred.” (Ex. 30:35). A conversation seasoned with salt will enjoy an infusion of pure language that points to God’s character and goodness. Purity of speech reflects purity of heart, and impure language reflects a sullied heart.  “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk ever come out of your mouth; but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace to those who hear it.” (Ephesians 4:29, AMPLIFIED).  “A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.” (Proverbs 10:32).

2. Wisdom. Let your speech be seasoned with wisdom. Biblical scholarship refers to all the rabbinic literature which equates salt with wisdom. Salt, like wisdom, is something that can be tangibly applied in countless ways to everyday life. An application of salt, like wisdom, is usually helpful and practical and useful. Wise words in a conversation would helpfully guide the interaction, adding insight, understanding, and useful direction.  St. James describes a wise conversation seasoned with salt like this: “But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form; and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! (James 3:17, TPT).
3. Wit. Let your conversation be seasoned with wit. The translators of the New Jerusalem Bible point out that it was a common Greek cliche at that time to use the phrase “season with salt” when speaking of adding wit to a conversation. In a civilized discussion, season it with salt, make the interaction interesting, be witty, make it memorable with clever word play and turns of phrase. Spice up your conversation with nimble thinking, especially about the Faith. Unbelievers will appreciate and remember clever discourse when it comes to discussing your beliefs. In your conversation with outsiders, pretend you are offering a tasty meal with many flavors that would attract the unbeliever. “Winsome words spoken at just the right time are as appealing as apples gilded in gold and surrounded in silver.” (Proverbs 25:11).
4.  Preservative. Let your speech be seasoned with a preservative. In the ancient world, salt was useful as a preservative to keep fresh meat from rotting. Salt was ground into the meat to prevent spoiling. Conversations need to be seasoned with salt so as to apply fresh, life-giving words to the interaction. Sinful words have a way of rotting the mind and the spirit. Godly words and attitude in a discussion can preserve the life of Christ to someone dying because of the world’s tendency to rot and spoil. Words seasoned with a salt can preserve goodness and health, and help the other person to flourish. Salty words with others prevent sin from having a rotting influence. “The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.” (Proverbs 10:21).
5. Healing. Let your conversation consist of words of healing. Salt has been used as a healing agent since ancient times, especially when mixed with water and applied to cuts and scrapes and open sores in the mouth. Sometimes conversations are in need of words of healing. A healing word of Christ can be included in any discussion with another, when a troubled or wounded person is your focus. Healing words promote wholeness that may lead to flourishing. Words seasoned with salt may sting, but when the truth is spoken with love, healing will come.  “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24). “When you speak healing words, you offer others fruit from the tree of life.” (Proverbs 15:4).
6. Peace. Let your conversation be filled with words of peace.  In the Hebrew Bible, salt was a crucial aspect of the sacrificial system as established through Moses. In this process of establishing God’s covenant with His people, many offerings were to be heavily salted. Salt became the symbol for the promise of faithfulness in their divine agreement of peace, so much so that it was called the “salt of the covenant.” Since salt was often connected to the idea of permanence, the salt of the covenant came to emphasize the permanent nature of the peace between God and the people. Salt was also used in a typical peace-making ceremony between warring families or tribes. So salt came to be a seal of the promise of peace where there could be conflict. James referred to this meaning of salt in Mark 9:20, where he quoted Jesus as saying: “Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace with one another.“

When the Spirit Touches our Lips. When we are advised by St. Paul to season our conversations with salt, he gave us a lot to think about. Does one have to choose one version of salt? Is there an either-or choice to be made? How about all of the above? There are six different ways we could understand salt in this verse. We don’t have to choose one. We can learn from all six meanings. Especially when conversing with unbelievers, but really in all our conversations, it’s clear we have to carefully consider conducting a godly interaction, seasoned with salt. Our conversations need to be seasoned with wisdom and wit, used as a preservative, using pure words that promote healing and peace. Let us learn how to season our speech with salt in all its glory.