Divine Calling Through Purification 

 Many are called but few are chosen. The call of Isaiah is one of the remarkable events in the Old Testament. Isaiah was a great prophet. He was the Prophet of the Most High God. He was chosen not as a saint but among sinners. 

Isaiah 6:1-8 narrates the call of Isaiah, the Great Prophet “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.” Child of God, from today you shall see God. You will hear from Him and He will hear from you in Jesus name! 

Continuing, the passage declares, “Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Indeed, heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. Your family, your office, your business centre and even your nation is full of God’s glory! 

While the whole place was filled with God’s glory, “The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” Child of God, begin to imagine yourself in this glorious place. Imagine yourself seeing what Isaiah saw. How will you feel? 

As for Isaiah, when He experienced God’s glory, he exclaimed, “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!” This is what Peter felt when He first experienced the presence of the LORD. According to Luke 5:8, When Simon Peter saw this; he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” This is amazing! 

Did God made a mistake when He called the sinful Isaiah? Does it mean that Jesus Christ was not aware that Peter was a sinner as he said, With these two major callings in the Old Testament and in the New Testament it was obvious that our LORD God is the Father of both saints and sinners. Jesus Christ Himself did not just come to save only the righteous ones but sinners as well. He even said in Luke 5:31-32 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 

With this you can appreciate God’s declaration in Isaiah 1:18-19 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” 

This promise was fulfilled in the life of Isaiah. God did not let go of him instead, one of the seraphim flew to him having in his hand a burning coal… And he touched his mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” Child of God, your sins are forgiven! 

After purifying him, Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then he said, “Here am I! Send me.”This is exactly what St. Paul meant in his letter to the Romans 8:30 “Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Child of God as you respond to your calling God will surely justify and glorify you in Jesus name!