Isaiah 6:1-6 - From I Got This to Woe is Me in 0.2 Seconds - 312

Casual worship collapses the moment Isaiah gets a front-row seat to the throne room of heaven. With King Uzziah dead and Judah staring into uncertainty, we open Isaiah 6:1-6 (ESV) and follow the prophet into a temple scene where seraphim fly, smoke fills the room, and “Holy, Holy, Holy” rattles the foundations. That contrast is the point: when life feels unstable, God’s throne is not, and a clearer view of His holiness exposes just how much we’ve tried to keep Him manageable.

We also rewind to 2 Chronicles 26 to understand why Uzziah’s story matters here. A successful king crosses a line in worship, enters the temple to burn incense, and learns that pride and presumption do not survive in holy space. From there, we dig into what Scripture reveals about the seraphim, why their reverence is so intense, and why holiness is the one attribute emphasized with a threefold repetition. We talk through the shaking thresholds, the meaning of the smoke, and how God’s glory is both near and overwhelming.

Isaiah’s response is painfully relatable: “Woe is me… unclean lips.” But the turning point is grace. God sends cleansing to the very place Isaiah thinks disqualifies him, using the burning coal from the altar as a picture of purification and atonement. If you’ve been stuck in self-comparison, spiritual routine, or the fear that your past ruins your usefulness, this passage offers a better order: revelation, conviction, cleansing, then calling. Subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible study, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Transcript

Underestimating God In Worship

Daniel Moore 0:07

So just so we get this straight, Judah's been casually strolling into the temple like it's their neighborhood coffee shop, and then Isaiah actually sees God's throne room and immediately thinks he's about to die. Do you think maybe they underestimated who they were dealing with just a little bit? And when the seraphim are flying around yelling, holy, holy, holy, and the door posts are shaking. Don't you think someone should have thought, hmm, maybe our casual half-hearted worship routine isn't exactly matching what's going on in heaven? Well this week we move into Isaiah chapter 6. We move from a nation that's become very comfortable with God to a prophet who suddenly realizes just how uncomfortable the presence of God really is. Isaiah walks into the temple during a time of national uncertainty, King Uzziah has died, the country is shaky, and the future feels unclear. But instead of getting a political update or a reassuring pep talk, Isaiah gets something far more terrifying and awe-inspiring. A front-row seat to the throne room of heaven. And let's just say, it's nothing like the casual religious routine Israel has grown used to. Seraphim are flying, the temple is shaking, smoke is filling the room, and the angels are shouting, holy, holy, holy, so loudly the door frames start rattling. Isaiah's reaction is immediate and relatable. Woe is me! In other words, I've made a terrible mistake walking into this room. Well in this week's episode, we're going to explore what happens when a man who thought he understood God suddenly sees him as he truly is, and why that moment of holy terror becomes the very thing that prepares Isaiah for his calling. Because sometimes the most life-changing moment in your spiritual life starts with the realization I might have underestimated God. Let's get to it. Welcome to Connecting the Gap. This is a podcast about marriage, Bible, and book studies. We interview people that have a story. I'm Daniel Moore, your host. Thank you guys for joining us this week. If you're not familiar with our show, check out our website at connectingthegap.net. Our platforms are there, YouTube and Rumble Link. We're also on the Creation Podcasting app at Edifi. We're also on your Alexa and Google Smart Devices. You can also visit us on social on Facebook, Instagram, and X at CTGapOnline. If you're a fan of our show, please subscribe. Feel free to leave a comment on our platforms, give us a thumbs up or five-star review on Apple Podcasts. And we'd be thankful to you for doing that. Well, while you're at our website, check out our books that we have available. We have several marriage books that are available now on Amazon. And you can also get those in most of the places you can get books: Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Books a Million, wherever you buy your books at, go check those out. And anything that you purchase there, hopefully and prayerfully, will not only just help your marriage, but it also does help us here keep our ministry rolling here at Connecting the Gap in Marriage Life and More. So we thank you guys in advance for checking that out. Well, as I said, this week we're going to be moving on into a new chapter in Isaiah. We're going to go ahead and get into Isaiah chapter 6. And this week we're going to go ahead and uh see if we can make it through verses 1 through 6 here in our study of Isaiah verse by verse. And this, of course, comes from the ESV version of the Bible. Isaiah chapter 6, verse 1. It says, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings, with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called 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 threshold shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, 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. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. So this passage of Scripture is very popular. There's actually songs written quite often as worship songs that use some of these scripture references here in Isaiah chapter 6. And I can remember even back as a young child, a young teenager, when I was going through school, I went to a Christian school. And I know a lot of our Bible studies that we had, I remember vividly going over some of this even back then. And so this is going to be a fun chapter to go through, and I'm looking forward to doing it, and hopefully you guys are as well. So we're going to go ahead and get started here. Isaiah chapter 6 marks a pivotable moment in the prophet Isaiah's life and ministry. It recounts his powerful vision of the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne surrounded by Seraphim in the year that King Uzziah died. This chapter captures both the majesty and holiness of God and the deep sense of unworthiness that Isaiah experiences in his presence. It serves as Isaiah's calling and commissioning as a prophet, highlighting themes of God's holiness, human sinfulness, and divine grace. Through a dramatic and awe-inspiring encounter, Isaiah is cleansed and given a specific mission, though one filled with difficulty and rejection. This chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book, emphasizing the seriousness of Israel's spiritual state and God's unwavering purpose to bring both judgment and hope. King Uzziah was a king of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, and the father of King Jotham. He began his reign at the young age of sixteen and ruled for fifty two years. Uzziah was generally considered a good king who sought the Lord in his early years and brought prosperity, military strength, and stability to the nation. However, later in life his pride led to his downfall when he unlawfully entered the temple to burn incense, a duty that's reserved for the priest. As a result, God struck him with leprosy, and he lived in isolation until his death. Here in Isaiah chapter six, Uzziah is deceased or has just died, as the vision begins with the words in the year that King Uzziah died. His death marks a shift in leadership and a significant moment in Judah's history, symbolizing the end of an era and the beginning of Isaiah's prophetic ministry. Here in verse 1 of chapter six, we start with Isaiah's call and his mission. It says, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple. This verse here begins with a historical timestamp in the year that the King Uzziah died. That's approximately 740 BC. Uzziah had reigned for over fifty years in Judah, and his death marked a time of political uncertainty and transition. His death also symbolized the end of a period of relative stability and success for Judah. Notably, Uzziah was struck with leprosy by God for arrogantly entering the temple to burn incense, thus presenting a stark contrast between the unholy king and the holy one that Isaiah now sees. King Uzziah was not allowed to burn incense in the temple because although he was a king, this specific act was reserved for the priest, who were descendants of Aaron and consecrated for the sacred duty. When Uzziah enters the temple to burn incense, he overstepped the boundaries of his royal authority and violated God's command regarding the separation of priestly and kingly duties. As a result, God struck him with leprosy, which remained with him until his death. This incident demonstrates the seriousness with which God regarded the sanctity of his commandments and roles within worship. The account of this story is recorded in 2 Chronicles 26, verses 16 through 21, where the details of how Uzziah's pride led to his downfall and how his punishment served as a warning against disobedience to God's ordained order. So we want to go ahead and let's jump over to 2 Chronicles and let's look at that story real quick as we get started here in Isaiah chapter 6. In 2 Chronicles 26, 16 through 21, we see that when he was strong, he grew proud to his destruction. This is talking about King Uzziah, for he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty valiant men of the priest of the Lord, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priest, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuaries for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God. Well then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censor in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priest, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of all the priests in the house of the Lord by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked on him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead. And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land. So the narrative here in Second Chronicles twenty six centers on King Uzziah of Judah, also known as Azariah, who ascended the throne at a young age and experienced remarkable success under divine blessing. His reign spanning over five decades was marked by military victories, fortified cities, agricultural prosperity, and a formidable army, all attributed to his initial faithfulness in seeking the Lord. However, this passage highlights a tragic turning point, illustrating the peril of pride following prolonged blessing and power. Uzziah's story serves as a cautionary account within the chronicler's emphasis on covenant faithfulness, temple worship, and the consequences of royal overreach in sacred matters. So to look at the sequence of events that happened here with Uzziah, Uzziah's pride led him to transgress sacred boundaries by entering the temple to burn incense on the altar reserved exclusively for consecrated priest. Azariah the chief priest, accompanied by eighty courageous priests, confronted the king inside the sanctuary, rebuking him directly and commanding him to depart, as such priestly duties were not his prerogative. Enraged, Uzziah clutched a censor, intent on proceeding, but divine judgment manifested instantly. Leprosy erupted on his forehead in plain view of the priest. The priest hastily expelled him, and Uzziah himself fled, permanently barred from the temple. He lived out his days in isolation as a leper, with his son Jotham assuming administrative duties over the kingdom. So there was a reason for God's judgment. God struck Uzziah with leprosy to enforce the holiness of his sanctuary and the divinely ordained distinctions between kingly and priestly roles. Uzziah's act represented a presumptuous usurpation of priestly authority, rooted in prideful self-exaltation after seasons of blessing which constituted unfaithfulness to Yahweh. This immediate and visible affliction underscored God's unwavering commitment to ceremonial purity and hierarchical order in worship, serving as both punishment for the king's sin and a public testimony to the sanctity of the temple. The permanence of Uzziah's condition until death emphasized the severity of defiling the holy place through unauthorized intrusion, reinforcing that no earthly power, however prosperous, supersedes divine prescription. So Isaiah's vision of the Lord here, high and lifted up, seated on a throne, signifies divine sovereignty and majesty. The phrase the train of his robe filled the temple evokes the image of royal dignity and overwhelming glory. Just the hymn of God's robe fills the entire temple, underscoring his grandeur and holiness. This calls to mind in Exodus forty, verses thirty-four and thirty-five, when the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. So as we move on to verse two here in chapter six, it says above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings, with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. So the seraphim here, they are a specific and high ranking class of angelic beings mentions explicitly only in Isaiah six. They are not commonly mentioned in Scripture, they appear only here by name. Their name, derived from the Hebrew word seraph, or the plural seraphim, means burning ones, indicating their radiant, fiery nature. The imagery of fire often symbolizes purity, holiness, and the consuming presence of God, which aligns with their role in Isaiah's vision of divine majesty. The seraphim appear in Isaiah's vision, here in Isaiah chapter two, and they also continue to show up here through verse six, where they attend the throne of God. Unlike other angelic beings mentioned in Scripture, the Seraphim are not described elsewhere by the specific name, but their presence in Isaiah six is so striking that it suggests they have a unique role in God's heavenly court. They are shown hovering above the throne of God, each having six wings, two covering their faces in humility before God's glory, two covering their feet, possibly symbolizing reverence or modesty. Some suggest feet could be a euphemism, as it is elsewhere in the Old Testament. And with two wings they fly, signifying active service and readiness to carry out God's commands swiftly. This triple pair of wings reflects their readiness to worship and serve, as well as their deep reverence for divine holiness. So what is the seraphim's purpose in heaven? Well the seraphim are primarily associated with worship, adoration, and the proclamation of God's holiness. In Isaiah six, verse three, which we'll get to here shortly, they call out to one another, proclaiming, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. This antiphonal praise, which is a call and response type form, not only emphasizes God's supreme holiness, but sets the atmosphere of heaven as one of continual worship. In verse six, as we get to it, we're going to see that a seraph takes a live coal from the altar and touches Isaiah's lips, symbolizing purification and atonement. This action shows that they are not only worshipers, but also serve as intermediaries in God's sanctifying work. Some scholars note that their role reflects both priestly and celestial functions, honoring God in worship and ministering purification. They may be seen as divine agents of purification, carrying out God's will directly with reverent obedience. This further distinguishes them from angels who more commonly serve as messengers. So that brings up another point. How do they compare to other angelic beings? Well, there's three different kinds of angelic beings here that I'm going to give you here as we discuss this here in chapter six. The first one is cherubim. Cherubim are often depicted differently from Seraphim. They are associated with guarding the way to the presence of God, and you can read about that in Genesis chapter three, verse twenty four. Also the Ark of the Covenant, as expressed in Exodus twenty five, eighteen through twenty two, and the throne of God, as expressed in Ezekiel ten. In Ezekiel, the cherubim are described as complex, multi-winged and multi-faced beings, highlighting their mysterious and powerful nature. While cherubim are mighty protectors and guards, the seraphim of Isaiah seem more focused on ceaseless worship and sanctification. Then you have the archangels. The Archangel Michael, which is mentioned in Jude 1 9 and Revelation 12 7, represents a warrior or leader type angel, especially in spiritual battles. Gabriel, while not called an archangel in the Bible, functions as a messenger in Daniel and Luke. In contrast, the Seraphim are not messengers or warriors, again, they are worshipers and purifiers positioned around God's throne. And then you have the living creatures, which is in Revelation four. In Revelation, John sees four living creatures around the throne of God, each with multiple eyes and wings who continuously say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Well, if that sounds familiar, many theologians see these as parallel to the seraphim, although they are not given the same name. The similarities in function, the constant worship, the proximity to God's throne, the declaration of his holiness, it does suggest a shared celestial purpose, possibly different representations of the same class of beings and different prophetic visions. I will say that once we get to chapter 14, I told you I think it was last week we was talking about Sheol. We're going to have that deep dive into chapter 14, and we're going to go over a lot to do with the Seraphim, the cherubim, all the archangels. We're going to get to the book of Enoch a little bit. So that's an episode to look forward to as we get on down the road here. Uh, once we get to chapter 14, it's going to be an add-on section for chapter 14 that'll probably take a couple of weeks. So that's going to give you something to look forward to there. We're not going to go into that really a whole lot deeper here in chapter 6. We'll save that for later as we get into chapter 14. Now, as we finish up with this verse here in chapter 6, verse 2, uh early Christian theologians such as Augustine and later Thomas Achenus placed Seraphim at the highest level of the angelic hierarchy. Achenus and his Summa Theologica, in part one, Question 108, taught that the Seraphim were closest to God among the nine choirs of angels and thus burned with the most intense love for God, which is symbolized by their fiery appearance. Seraphim embody a model of our response to God, overwhelming reverence, worship, and commitment to purity. Their posture, such as when they were covering their face and feet, teaches humility even among the holy. Their chant of holy, holy, holy forms the basis for many Christian worship liturgies, notably the sanctus in both Eastern and Western church traditions. This image of Seraphim emphasizes God's holiness and the reverence He commands from even the most exalted created beings. John Calvin notes, even the angels veil their faces in a token of humility. Therefore, what presumption is it for us poor worms of the dust to rush with our eyes open into the blazing glory of God? Verse three, here in chapter six, it says, And one called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. This is one of the most defining declarations about God in the Bible. The threefold repetition of holy is a literary device in Hebrew used for emphasis, expressing the superlative degree. Holiness is the only attribute of God repeated thrice in Scripture like this. While God is love or God is just or profoundly true, only holy, holy, holy is repeated emphatically like this, showing that holiness is a foundation and distinguishing attribute of God. The title Lord of hosts or Yahweh Sabaoth refers to God's command over the heavenly armies and all created powers. While God's throne is seen in the heavenly temple, his glory fills the entire earth. The actual vision Isaiah sees involves God's transcendence, which means he is above and beyond creation, and also his eminence, which means his glory fills the earth. As RC Sprohl remarked in his classic work The Holiness of God, the Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy, not that he is merely holy or even holy holy, but he is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, but it does say that he is holy, holy, holy. As we move on to verse four here in chapter six, it says, And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. The foundations of the threshold shaking captures the alarming effect of the seraph's voice. Indicating cosmic awe and the response of creation to divine holiness. The scene mirrors instances where in Scripture where God's presence causes physical trembling, such as Exodus 19, verse 18 at Mount Sinai. Smoke often symbolizes the presence of God in the Old Testament. It is reminiscent of the cloud and smoke that filled the tabernacle in Exodus 40 34, and later the temple in 1 Kings 8 10 through 11. In this context, it represents the overwhelming holiness and glory of God, a presence so powerful that it conceals his full manifestation, protecting the prophet from being overwhelmed. In this verse, the smoke that fills the temple is often associated with the Shekinah glory of God, which refers to the visible manifestation of God's divine presence. The term Shekina itself does not appear in the Bible but is derived from a Hebrew root meaning to dwell or to settle, used by later Jewish scholars to describe God's indwelling glory. The smoke in Isaiah's vision represents God's holiness, majesty, and awe-inspiring presence, emphasizing that Isaiah is in the presence of the Almighty. It signifies that God's glory fills the temple completely, underscoring his unapproachable holiness and the overwhelming weight of his presence. This imagery also serves to both inspire reverence and underscore the separation between the holy God and sinful humanity, as Isaiah confesses in the next verses. The Shekinah glory expressed through smoke reveals a God who is both near and untouchably holy, making Isaiah's call and cleansing all the more significant. Adam Clark notes, this smoke was a symbol of the divine presence as it filled the house, showing that God was there in glory, though not in his absolute essence, which no mortal can behold and live. As we move on here to verse 5 in chapter 6, it says, And I said, 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. In this verse, Isaiah responds with despair and deep conviction of sin upon seeing the Lord. The phrase, Woe is me, shows a prophetic expression of doom, often used against others, but here Isaiah directs it at himself. The word lost or undone indicates being ruined or destroyed, suggesting that Isaiah acknowledges his unworthiness to stand before a holy God. His reference to unclean lips reflects a deeper spiritual impurity, according to the Jewish understanding that speech reflects the state of the heart. And we can see that in Matthew 12, verse 34. In the historical context, the holiness of God was utterly overwhelming, and those who saw God expected death. And we can read about that in Exodus 33, verse 20. Isaiah's recognition that he is part of a sinful nation, which was in Isaiah chapter 1, verse 4, reveals his intercessory heart and awareness of Judah's moral and spiritual failure. And as we wrap up this week with our text that we're going to be covering, we're going to read Isaiah 6, verse 6. Then one of Seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that had taken from the tongs from the altar. So here, the burning coal from the altar signifies a divine act of purification. The altar referred to is likely the altar of incense or burnt offering symbolizing sacrificial atonement. That the seraph uses tongs emphasizes the holiness of the coal itself. This verse shows that God initiates cleansing. Isaiah cannot cleanse himself. The use of fire or burning coal aligns with the consistent biblical symbolism of fire as a means of purification. As we can read about Malachi chapter 3, verses 2 through 3. So let's look at a quick intersect here between Isaiah 6 6 and Malachi 3, verses 2 through 3. These both passages underscore fire's dual role in scriptures, both consuming wrath against purity, such as in Exodus 24.17 and Hebrews 12 29, and merciful refinement for the repentant. In Isaiah, the coal's touch instantaneously purifies, prefiguring the altar's atoning fire fulfilled in Christ's substitutionary sacrifice, as mentioned in Hebrews 9 14. Malachi expands this to a corporate end time sifting where God's people endure fiery trial to emerge as vessels of honor, such as you can read in 1 Peter 1.7. Evangelical scholars such as E.J. Young in his Isaiah commentary and Joyce Baldwin, who done a commentary on Malachi, affirm this harmony. The Seraphim's call instantiates the refiner's process, demonstrating that divine holiness demands purity, achieved not by human effort, but by God's sovereign application of atoning fire. Thus fire consistently symbolizes God's holy jealousy that burns away sin, restoring worshipers to blameless communion with Him. As we wrap up verse 6, John Calvin observed that the coal represented the efficacy of Christ's atonement prefigured in the Old Testament sacrifices, which atoned for sin through fire and blood. So as we finish up this week's episode, let's look at how we can apply this to ourselves today and let's do a quick wrap-up here of these first six verses here in Isaiah chapter 6. As far as wrapping up this passage of Scripture, verses 1 through 6 here gives us one of the most powerful glimpses of God's holiness in all of Scripture. The passage begins by grounding the moment in history, such as in the year that King Uzziah died. This detail matters because Uzziah had been a strong and stabilizing king in Judah for decades. His death likely left the nation uncertain and uneasy. Political stability was gone, leadership was shaken, and the people were facing an unknown future. Yet right in the middle of that uncertainty, Isaiah is given a vision that reminds him and us that while earthly thrones may be empty, God's throne never is. Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up, seated on his throne with the train of his robe filling the temple. This imagery communicates overwhelming majesty and authority. The train of a king's robe symbolized honor and glory, and here it fills the entire temple, suggesting that God's glory cannot be contained. Surrounding him are seraphim, powerful angelic beings whose very names mean burning ones. Even these sinless creatures cover their faces and feet in reverence, unable to fully gaze upon the holiness of God. They call out to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. The repetition emphasizes absolute holiness. God is not merely holy, he is perfectly, infinitely holy. The scene is so overwhelming that the very foundations of the temple shake and smoke fills the space. Isaiah's response is immediate and deeply personal. Instead of feeling inspired or proud to be in God's presence, he is undone. He cries 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. When Isaiah sees God clearly, he suddenly sees himself clearly. The prophet who had already been speaking God's word to others, realizes just how sinful and unworthy he truly is. But the passage does not end with condemnation. One of the seraphim takes a burning coal from the altar and touches Isaiah's lips, declaring that his guilt is removed and his sin is atoned for. This moment symbolizes cleansing and forgiveness coming from God himself. Isaiah cannot purify himself, God provides the cleansing. The same lips Isaiah feared were unclean, are the very lips God cleanses so they can be used for his purposes. This passage beautifully removes through a spiritual progression. Revelation of God's holiness moves on to realization of human sinfulness, which moves on to reception of God's cleansing grace. And how can we apply these to our lives today? Well, first of all, we need a fresh vision of God's holiness. Much of our spiritual struggle today comes from having too small a view of God. Isaiah's transformation began when he saw the Lord for who he truly is, holy, sovereign, and glorious. When our focus shifts away from ourselves, our problems, and our preferences, and back onto God's greatness, it recalibrates everything. Worship is not about making God feel important, it is about reminding ourselves who is actually on the throne. Secondly, seeing God clearly helps us see ourselves honestly. Isaiah did not compare himself to other people, he compared himself to God. That comparison immediately revealed his sinfulness. In our culture, we often measure ourselves by others and conclude, hey, I'm doing pretty well. But when we measure ourselves against God's holiness, humility becomes the only appropriate response. Conviction is not meant to crush us, it is meant to lead us to grace. Thirdly, God cleanses the very areas we think disqualify us. Isaiah's concern was his lips, the instrument of his calling as a prophet. Yet that is exactly where God applied cleansing. Many people believe their past failures permanently disqualify them from being used by God, but God specializes in redeeming the broken places in our lives and turning them into instruments for his glory. And the fourth thing we can apply to us today from this verse here in these verses of Scripture, Grace always comes before calling. Right after this passage, God asks, Whom shall I send? And Isaiah famously responds, Here am I, send me. But notice the order. Isaiah is cleansed before he is commissioned. God does not send perfect people, he sends forgiven people. When we experience God's grace deeply, it naturally produces a willingness to serve him wholeheartedly. So in closing today, when we truly see God's holiness, we recognize our sinfulness. But when we receive his grace, we discover that the God who humbles us is also the God who cleanses and sends us. Well, that's going to be all for this week's episode on Connecting the Gap. If you'd like to reach out to us, you can go to our website, connectingthegap.net. We have a form there you can fill out. You can also email us at Daniel at connectingthegap.net. We'd love to hear from you, our listeners, just to see how you're enjoying the verse-by-verse study that we're doing right now. And even on our marriage site, if you're really enjoying our marriage episodes that I do with my wife Michelle, we'd love to hear from you on that as well. So visit our website today and reach out to us. And we'd love to hear from you guys as you listen. Well, that's all for this week. We're going to go ahead and head out here. We'll be back next week with another episode here as we continue our trudge through Isaiah in our verse-by-verse study. That's all for this week. And we believe that God's word never fails us. God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap. This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.