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Smoke full di temple. Di doorposts dey shake. And above everything, voices dey call each other, loud so tey di stones dey tremble. Holy. Holy. Holy.
Isaiah start dis part of im story with date. Di year wey King Uzziah die. Uzziah don rule Judah for very long time, and for most of dose years di kingdom strong. Now e don go. Far for north-east, di empire of Assyria dey grow more powerful every year. People heart no settle. Wetin go happen to Judah now? And for dat year of change, Isaiah see something wey e no go ever forget.
E see Di Lord, wey sit for throne, high and lifted up. Di edge of im robe full di whole temple. Above am, seraphim stand, heavenly beings, each one get six wings. With two wings dem cover dia face. With two dem cover dia feet. And with two dem dey fly. Dem dey call each other, again and again. Holy, holy, holy, na Di Lord of hosts. Di whole earth full with im glory. When dem raise voice, di doorposts and di thresholds shake, and smoke full di house.
You fit think say Isaiah go dey happy. Fear catch am. Woe to me! e cry. I don finish. I be man wey im lips no clean, and I dey live among people wey dia lips no clean. And my eyes don see di King, Di Lord of hosts. As e stand for di front of God wey holy completely, Isaiah suddenly see imself clear. Im words. Im heart. Im people. Nothing reach.
Then one of di seraphim fly come meet am. For im hand na one live coal, wey dey glow red, wey e take with tongs from di altar. E touch Isaiah mouth with am. See, dis one don touch your lips. Your guilt don comot, and your sin don get forgiveness. Isaiah no do anything to earn am. Di cleaning come from God own altar, as gift.
And then Isaiah hear di voice of Di Lord imself. Who I go send, and who go go for us? Small time before, Isaiah think say e don finish. Now nothing dey hold am back. Na me be dis, e talk. Send me.
Di message wey God give am no easy. Isaiah go talk to people wey go hear but dem no go understand, wey go look but dem no go see, because dia heart don strong. Lord, how long? Isaiah ask. Until di cities scatter, God answer, and di land empty. But still, di chapter end with picture of hope. When dem cut one big oak tree, di stump go remain for ground. And from dat stump, God talk, one holy seed go come. Hundreds of years later, Jesus imself go quote dese words about to hear without understanding, for di Gospel of Matthew.
Why e mention King Uzziah? Second Chronicles talk say Uzziah rule for fifty-two years, long reign wey succeed. But e still talk say when e don old, pride enter am, e waka enter di temple to burn incense, work wey belong only to di priests, and skin disease strike am wey stay with am until e die. Plenty people wey read am don notice di difference. For di year wey one earthly king long reign end, Isaiah enter di temple and see di true King for im throne.
Dem tell Isaiah vision for Isaiah chapter six. E see how holy God be. E see im own need. God forgive am. And then e ready to go where God send am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If God ask today, who I go send, wetin go make am hard for you to talk, na me be dis?
Something to think about
If God ask today, who I go send, wetin go make am hard for you to talk, na me be dis?
Read the passage
This retelling follows Isaiah 6. Open your Bible and read it for yourself.
Sources for the history
- 2 Chronicles 26:3, 16–21 — Uzziah reign of fifty-two years, how e enter di temple to burn incense, and di skin disease wey e carry until e die.
- Matthew 13:14–15 — Jesus quote Isaiah 6:9–10 about to hear without understanding.
- John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39 (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1986) — Commentary on Isaiah vision, di seraphim and di year wey Uzziah die.
- The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992), article “Seraphim” — Background on di seraphim and wetin di word mean.
Narrated with Yamart Voices, original AI voices. Written and reviewed by people.