Touched by the Sign

6 APRIL

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah 6:7

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

In these verses, we learn that truth must never be separated from the signs of it, though it should be distinguished from them. We perceive and feel a sign, such as the bread which is put into our hands by the minister in the Lord's Supper/ Because we ought to seek Christ in heaven, our thoughts should be carried thither. But also, by the hand of the minister Christ's body is presented to be actually enjoyed by the godly, who rise by faith to fellowship with Christ. The sign of Christ is bestowed upon the godly, who raise their thoughts to Him by faith; for He cannot deceive them.

We also learn from this passage that the sacraments are never separate from the Word of God. The angel does not act like a dumb person here, but, having given the sign, the angel immediately adds doctrine to show what was intended by the sign. The sign would have been no sacrament if doctrine had not been added, for by doctrine Isaiah learned the purpose for which the coal was applied to his mouth.

Let us therefore learn that the chief part of the sacraments is the Word, and that without the Word, they become absolute corruptions.

In sum, this text teaches that there is nothing to prevent Isaiah, who has been perfectly cleansed and is free from all pollution, from appearing as God's representative here on earth.

John Calvin 

FOR MEDITATION: 

The next time you partake of a sacrament, meditate on the importance of both the sign and the doctrine that it presents. How do Word and sacrament work together in a practical way to strengthen your faith?

365 Days With Calvin 

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke