Touch and Cleansing

Welch begins this chapter by quoting Isaiah 6:1-7 and it is well worth having that passage open as we go through summarizing this chapter.

Welch reminds us first that the OT is filled with signposts explaining that we get directions, walk a ways, then get another sign and so on...  The first signs put names to shame --> unclean, rejected, exposed, outcast, naked, ugly.  Scripture gives us the words for our feelings so that we can do something with them.  Next come the stories of hope --> people are covered, outcasts accepted, regulations given to make unclean clean, animal skins can be traded in (at least temporarily) for clothes that transform.  What will be the next part of the story???

Cleansing is possible and it is not dependent on how carefully we follow temple rules!

God is the one who cleanses and it give Him great pleasure to do it.  Isaiah's story shows us that cleansing is not just so we can be clean and acceptable in our community, but that the Holy One can come close, so close that He touches us.  (p.88)

In his vision Isaiah is taken to the throne room, unprepared, not dressed for the occasion, and the first thing he does is to look away, yet not quite quick enough.  He knew that to look on God was to die (Ex 33:18-20).  Yet for some reason he does not die, but hears the words: "Holy, holy, holy."  Because repeating something in Hebrew makes it more intense, Isaiah is surrounded and overwhelmed by God's Holiness!  It reverberates around him!  God is God and we are not!  He is infinite and eternal!!!  We are not.

This does not really bring comfort in our shame but it made Isaiah and us more aware of our shame and this is not necessarily a bad thing if it turns us to God, to trust Him or be associated with Him.  In fact the word Holy is the answer to our shame.  God is not a mere human and nothing on earth compares to Him!!

Sometimes things happen to us on earth by people who stand in God's place and so we thing God is like that too.  Therefore we have to look at Scripture in HUMILITY, Welch encourages.  We have to acknowledge we don't know everything and we might truly be confused about God.  We need to truly sit back and LISTEN now also as Isaiah helps us understand God's holiness.

Isaiah came into the presence of the Holy One, dirty, unprepared, expecting to die but God teaches him and us something about Himself.  We need to take a reality check about now --> do we still think/believe we can clean ourselves???

There really is only one thing for us to do and that is to admit that we are unclean.  Say it, repeat it: "I am unclean, and I live with people who are unclean." (p.93)  Welch tells us that simply saying and meaning it will not cause us despair but will identify us with Isaiah because what happened to him next is AMAZING!!
The LORD sent the seraphim on a special mission --> take hot purifying coals and touch Isaiah's mouth.  THE MINUTE THEY DID THAT, ISAIAH WAS CLEAN.  Wow!!!  Isaiah was forgiven, cleansed, welcomed into the presence of God where we also BELONG.

This story is a foretelling of the time when Christ would come, sent from the throne to come close to us, close enough to touch us.  Sounds amazing because we know that God is not human, He is the Holy One, The Triune God and we ABSOLUTELY may not limit Him to human terms.

Welch encourages us to think that we have a delusion.  The delusion is shame and that makes shame very real to us and God's holiness the lie.  Giving up our shame delusion is incredibly hard but we have to give it up!!!  The only way to give it up, is to truly get to know God, since it is only through building a relationship with someone that we will trust and believe them.  May God give us the knowledge and strength to make His Holy Spirit live in us and help us to let go of the lies of satan and accept the cleansing truth of God's character!!!