OUR LIVE COAL


Genesis 16:7-15 relates how Hagar, a simple Egyptian servant girl, ran away from her cruel mistress.  Hagar's son (rejected from becoming the promised child) would become the "father" of the Arab world. Yet, God spoke to Hagar by a spring of water in the desert, telling Hagar to name her child Ishmael (God hears), because the Lord has HEARD and PAID ATTENTION to your affliction.  Hagar calls God:  a God of SEEING... Him Who SEES me. 


Leah, Jacob's "less-favored" first wife, had been forced on Jacob after he had worked seven hard years for Rachel, Leah's sister.  And when the Lord SAW that Leah was despised, He made her able to bear children (Genesis 29:31-35).  Leah says:  because the Lord has "SEEN" my humiliation and affliction...  now my husband will love me because  the Lord "HEARD" that I am despised.


Who is this God Who actually SEES and HEARS us, Who PAYS ATTENTION TO our affliction????

Isaiah 6 gives us a picture in the vision God gave to the prophet Isaiah of the throne room...
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, HIGH and LIFTED UP,
  and the skirts of His train filled the temple!

Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: 
with two [each] covered his face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew,
And one cried to another and said:  HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory!!

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried,
and the house was filled with smoke!


The burning, fiery seraphim could worship the Lord, but only with face, eyes, and feet covered. 
They could not even look at God or expose their feet in the presence of the Most Holy God!


Isaiah's frantic response was:  Woe is me!  For I am undone, ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips!  
...for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!


Isaiah, and all of mankind, including me and you, ARE NOT WORTHY or ABLE or CAPABLE of worshiping the King of Kings - because we are full of sin.  And death is our penalty.  And God is a just God.  But God is also a God of intense, unbelievable love for us.

Isaiah relates what happened next...
Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having a live coal in His hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar; and with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips;
your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.


This is a picture of Jesus Christ, our Live Coal.  God the Son stood up from that high and lifted up throne, moved out from under the seraphim crying out His holiness, and stepped down to earth to "burn up" for us.  He Himself became the burnt offering and the sin offering required in Leviticus 16:2-17.  And so.....
OUR INIQUITY and GUILT ARE TAKEN AWAY,
and OUR SIN IS COMPLETELY ATONED FOR and FORGIVEN.


A couple weeks ago, before the ban on crowds, we had an evening of praise at our church.  But I could not have worshiped, no matter how much I wanted to, without that Live Coal...

touching not only my lips and each and every word, but also every thought from birth to death, including every despicable, vain imagination, every unholy movement of my hands or feet,
my heart with all its self-centeredness, all that I have done or said or not done or said against His will,
all my  purposes and goals and desires that were not in line with His, all my disobediences...

and purifying it all.
All my iniquity and all my guilt - taken away,
All my sin - completely atoned for and forgiven.

Because He loved us enough TO BECOME THE LIVE COAL for me and for you.


And that same holy, Almighty Ancient of Days is sitting on that same throne today, in total, complete, absolute control over the entire world, including over the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King forever!  (Psalm 29:10)


And He calls us to worship, not to fear the terror...
The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble [in awe of HIM]. 
He sits [enthroned] above the cherubim, let the earth quake...
Extol the Lord our God and worship at His footstool.  (Psalm 99)


And He gives us an example that somewhat mirrors our today...
Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines,
the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food,
 though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,
YET I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation!
The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army;
He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror] Habakkuk 3:17-19a.


Lord, in this day when fear wants to take hold and wring us out,
enable us instead to come to You in praise and thanksgiving, knowing that You are our personal God,
Who sees us in our struggles, Who hears our cries, Who pays attention to our affliction. 
May this "terror" that you have allowed to go through Your hand bring worldwide revival
and Kingdom goals, as it softens hearts, crumbles strongholds, and draws the lost to You,
the One Who stood up from His throne and stepped down, in love, to be our Live Coal.

                                                                                                                                                Scripture from Amplified Bible