God's Call Series

Isaiah #2

God’s Call

Isaiah 6:1-8

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 6:1-8

INTRODUCTION:

A family asked a priest to help ‘straighten out’ a rambunctious young boy and his sister. After he agreed to speak to them separately, the older child, a girl of 8, went in to the office. She found the priest sitting solemnly behind a big desk. Silence - then the priest asked "Where is God?" More silence; the question was repeated. This happened three times, at which point the child burst out of the priest’s office and ran for home, straight upstairs to her room. ‘Boy, are we in trouble,’ she reported to her anxious younger brother. ‘Why? What happened?’ ‘God’s missing and they’re blaming us!’ Lillian Periqoe

The account in Isaiah 6 is a crisis event in Isaiah’s life which brings him into his prophetic office. His lifelong ministry begins at the time of the death of King Uzziah. It seems that Uzziah’s death had a big impact on Isaiah. Uzziah had ruled successfully for 52 years and was not only a good king (in God’s eyes), but was probably the last great king of the southern kingdom. Under his reign Israel prospered materially, and managed to subdue other kingdoms like the Philistines, Arabians, and Ammonites.

But now Uzziah is dead and things don’t look very good for the future of Israel’s southern kingdom. Isaiah enters the temple in order to make contact with God concerning this crisis time, and to his surprise he comes face to face with the real king of Israel sitting upon his throne high and lifted up, with his train filling the temple. He has the rare privilege of seeing God’s glory in person. Good King Uzziah may be dead, but Jehovah, the ruler of heaven and earth is alive and well. Behind the earthly throne is the heavenly throne.

1. COMPREHEND WHO GOD IS ISAIAH 6: 1-3

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

Isaiah went into the temple and found the Lord still on the throne. Some of us need to be reminded that God is still on the throne in our day. When we consider alarming things like terrorism and the threat of wars, crime, violence, moral depravity, gangs, drugs, and other disturbing things we need a fresh vision of God on the throne high and lifted up. He still hears and answers prayers. He is still working out his plan and his purpose in the midst of what looks like a world spinning out of control. But God is in control. He is high and lifted up, and he will not compromise with sin and man’s rebellion.

Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:2-3

From other accounts in the Bible we know that Seraphim are around the throne of God. This lets us know that somehow Isaiah has been given a window into the throne room of Heaven itself. Not much is known about Seraphim but the Hebrew word Seraph means “to burn” and is used in connection with sin offerings and judgment. The seraphim are evidently the ones who search out sin to remove it from God’s presence while Cherubim protect the holiness of God. Both Cherubim and Seraphim are found in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation and are called the “living creatures.”

The very sight of God high and lifted up surrounded by Seriphim crying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory” had a profound impact on Isaiah. Seeing the holiness and majesty of the living God knocked Isaiah off his feet. He could not stand on his feet in the presence of the three times holy God.

IN the presence of the holy God Isaiah had a profound sense of his own sinfulness. He became instantly aware that God will not compromise with evil and he was filled with terror.

2. CONFESS WHO YOU ARE ISAIAH 6: 4-5

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke."Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Isaiah 6:4-5

Have you ever cleaned your living room and thought that it was clean only to have the sun shine in through the window and reveal all the dust that was left behind? Ruth Graham tells of the time that the TV news wanted to interview her and her husband Billy at their home. They got the house all spic and span clean. That is until the TV lights were turned on in their living room. All that Ruth could see was the dust and cobwebs that had been missed.