The Explanation

Isaiah stood in the temple, and the ground under his feet began to shake. Smoke filled the air like fog. Strange creatures with six wings flew above God's throne, calling out, "Holy, holy, holy!" Isaiah was terrified. He cried out, "Woe is me!" He felt small and dirty next to a God so great. But then one of the creatures flew to him with a hot coal, touched his lips, and said, "Your sin is forgiven." Right after that, Isaiah heard God's voice ask, "Whom shall I send?" And Isaiah, still shaking from what he had seen, said, "Here I am. Send me!"

God gave him a job. He had to go to the people of Israel and tell them something hard. God said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand. You see indeed, but don't perceive.'" In other words, these people had ears, but they were not really listening. They had eyes, but they were not really looking. Even when God spoke clearly, they would not turn to him.

What Does This Mean?

Imagine calling out to a friend across the playground, over and over, and he just keeps staring at his shoes. He hears the sound of your voice, but he will not turn his head. That is what God was saying about his people. It was not that they could not hear him. They would not. Their hearts had grown hard, like bread left out too long, tough and impossible to bite into.

This is a strange and heavy message for Isaiah to carry. He did not get to tell people, "Everything will be fine now." He had to tell them the truth, even the hard parts. Sometimes God's messengers must say difficult things, not because God is cruel, but because he wants people to wake up and finally listen.

The Common Thread

Long after Isaiah, Jesus told stories to crowds of people, and some listened with hungry hearts, while others stood there with arms crossed, refusing to understand. Jesus even used Isaiah's own words to explain why some hearts stayed shut tight like a locked door.

But here is what shines brightest in this whole scene. Before Isaiah was sent to speak hard words, God cleaned him first. The burning coal touched his lips, and his guilt was taken away. God did not send a perfect man. He sent a forgiven man. That is the heart of the whole Bible. Jesus is the one who takes away sin, not with a coal from an altar, but by giving his own life. God still finds messy, unclean lips and makes them clean, so they can speak of him.

For You

Do you ever hear something important but do not really listen? Maybe your mom asks you to put away your shoes, and the words go in one ear and float right out the other. Isaiah's story asks you to actually listen, not just hear noise.

You can practice this in small ways. When someone reads you a Bible story, try closing your eyes and picturing it, the smoke, the shaking ground, the wings. Ask God to help your ears really hear and your eyes really see him at work, even in ordinary days like today.

Talk About It

Have you ever heard someone talking but were not really listening? What happened?

Isaiah felt scared and dirty before God, but God made him clean. Why do you think God did that before giving him the hard job?

Praying Together

Dear God, you are holy, high, and wonderful. Sometimes I hear things but do not really listen, and I see things but do not really pay attention. Please open my ears and my eyes to you. Thank you for making messy hearts clean, just like you did for Isaiah. Help me listen to you today. Amen.