Isaiah 6:1-8
Preparing for the Approaching Judgment
IN the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
So I said:
"Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because 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."
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
"Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged."
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
"Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?"
Then I said,
"Here am I! Send me."
Illustration - I CANNOT CALL YOU FRIEND! Unknown...
My friend, I stand in judgment now.
And I feel that you are to blame somehow.
On earth I walked with you day by day.
But never did you point the way.
You knew the LORD, In His truth and His glory.
But never did you share the story!
My knowledge then was very dim.
You could have lead me safely to Him.
You taught me many things, This is true.
I called you friend, And I trusted you.
But I have learned, And now it is too late
You could have kept me from this fate,
We walked by day, And talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the light.
You let me live and love, AND DIE,
You knew I would never live on high.
Yes, I called you friend in life,
I trusted you through JOY and strife.
And yet on coming to this end,
--- I CANNOT CALL YOU MY FRIEND!
It has often been said that if God does not judge America then He must apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Let me assure you that America will be judged for her sins and God will not be apologizing to anyone.
Today, we are examining a passage of scripture that speaks to us as much as if we were standing in the presence of God right now. Isaiah received a vision from God that was at a critical juncture in their history. Isaiah was given this revelation not because he deserved it but because God saw fit to reveal Himself to Isaiah. King Jeroboam II died three years prior to the death of King Uzziah.
King Uzziah, aka Azariah, along with King Jeroboam II of Israel, (2 Chronicles 26:1-23; 2 Kings 14:21-22) brought prosperity and prestige to their nations, rivaled in greatness only by David and Solomon. Judah became a great nation once again through King Uzziah’s 52 years of visionary leadership. They became a military power and a political machine. They were financially prosperous and became agricultural leaders in the Middle East. But they had one problem -- they were spiritually bankrupt!
Although King Uzziah was known as a great king, his pride led to his downfall. He was struck with leprosy because he attempted to offer incense in the temple. This was only allowed by the priests and King Uzziah simply presumed upon God’s grace.
It has been noted that the Roman Empire began shortly after the death of Uzziah. While Israel began a decline in power, the Roman Empire would continue to grow until the words of Isaiah, as given by God, would come to fruition.
Although the people had prospered materially and were enjoying the benefits of God’s blessings, they were in pitiful shape spiritually. In the first four chapters of Isaiah, God reveals the judgment that was going to fall upon them. He does give them hope should they choose to repent and turn to Him. In chapter five, God discloses His planting of a vineyard that represents Judah who had failed to bear any fruit. It was in the year that King Uzziah died that Isaiah received the words that commissioned him to prophesy to a people who would not turn. Let’s examine what four things Isaiah experienced in the presence of the Lord.
First, we notice that Isaiah encounters
The Vision of God’s Sovereignty
Isaiah begins with what he saw in his vision. The first thing he describes is the One on the throne. Notice His POSITION on the throne. It is one of authority, royalty and accomplishment. We know that all authority has been given to Jesus. He is the Royal Seed that has been promised since Genesis 3:15. The One sitting one the throne is also the One who is worthy to sit at the Father’s right hand because He has accomplished His work on the cross.
We discern too that He was high and lifted up. This refers to His PLACE before man. He is highly exalted for who He is and what He has accomplished for the Father’s glory. After all, “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.” Romans 14:11.
The third thing we notice is the train of His robe which filled the temple. This states His PROMINENCE in heaven. It is a picture of the hem of His garments which reveal the glory of God. A hem is a small thing in a pair of pants or a dress. But the hem of His garments expresses the importance and glory of His majesty.
The fourth item we perceive is His PREEMINENCE. We also observe these unusual angels called Seraphim. The word “seraphim” is plural meaning “the burning ones.” They have six wings and attend to the Presence of God by covering their face with two wings because they can not look upon His radiant glory. They cover their feet in humility with two wings and fly with two wings to serve and praise Him continuously. Some have stated that they are the highest forms of angelic beings. This passage in Isaiah is the only place in scripture where the Seraphim are mentioned.
Illustration – A Brides Train
My daughter was married almost five years ago. The dress she chose had a long train trailing behind the dress. To many young women, the longer the train, the more splendor and majesty they exhibit.
God’s glory and worth is more valuable than a brides dress and train. Just the hem of His garment are vast and awe-inspiring. He is The Majestic God!
After Isaiah experiences the Vision of God’s Sovereignty, he then discovers
The View of Man’s Sinfulness
The people in Isaiah’s time had become indifferent and apathetic toward spiritual things and their relationship with God. They had become violent, oppressors, idolatrous, ungodly, ungrateful and unholy.
Isaiah saw himself for who he was when he saw God’s glory and majesty. He realized three things when he discovered what he was.
First, he saw that his PREDICAMENT was hopeless! He was in a mess, a quandary and a pickle! His cry, “Woe is me”, is a realization of his human condition. The unholy was exposed to the Holy One of Israel. This term is used many times in the Book of Isaiah.
Second, he knew the PLACE where he belonged was hell! He was “undone”. This word means ruined, doomed to die or destroyed. When we see who we are in God’s light we KNOW we are in trouble. Those who never see themselves as sinners remain in the dark.
Because Isaiah had been exposed to the glory of God and knew that he had a problem, his PLEA to God was “help”! He had unclean lips in a land of people with unclean lips. The holy words of the seraphim revealed the unclean condition of his heart. What comes from our heart is revealed through the words of our lips. He lived in a nation of vile and unclean people like himself.
Illustration – Flies in restaurant/filth in rest room
On our recent trip to Glorieta, New Mexico, we had an interesting experience in Wichita Falls. We stopped to eat breakfast at a fast food restaurant and entered a place where flies had taken over. It was disgusting!
We had another stop where we gassed up and attended to some important needs. When I entered the men’s restroom, I nearly puked! The smell, no, stench was horrible. Words cannot describe what I smelled.
In both cases, these are examples how our sin is viewed by God. It is both disgusting and horrible! We also see sin the same way when we see it through His eyes. That is exactly what Isaiah was describing. His sin was disgusting and horrible!
Then Isaiah heard
The Voice of God’s Seraphim
As noted earlier, the Seraphim attended to God’s Presence. They worship Him continuously. Here one is beckoned to take a live coal and touch Isaiah’s lips that he may be PURGED. This purging comes from the Altar of Incense. This was for dedication and consecration, not salvation. Our prayers and godly service is a sweet aroma in His Presence. Ultimately, Isaiah’s cleansing comes from God. The picture here is of God PROVIDING for our commitment in serving through the blood of Christ.
Our paralysis in life is generally our sin nature. It keeps us from having a close relationship with God. When we cry for His forgiveness, He will provide it for us. He sent someone greater than the Seraphim to provide for our salvation. His name is Jesus. Have you heard Him?
Illustration – Man With Down Syndrome Delivers Short but Powerful Sermon
Matthew Self, 27, does not immediately appear to be a traveling evangelist. Self nearly died shortly after his birth and required surgery to repair a heart defect when he was seven, his mother said. He graduated from Hewitt-Trussville High School in 2000, and worked at Bennigan’s Restaurant for six years, folding napkins with silverware. Self has Down Syndrome.
Yet the power of the Holy Spirit flows mightily through Self. Self has spoken at multiple churches and youth groups. He also has someone arranging his speaking engagements.
Those attending the May 21, 2008 evening worship service at Corinth Baptist Church in St. Clair County, Alabama witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit.
"Well, I thank God I’m here," he said, to start. He continued, speaking slowly, thoughtfully. "God has healed my heart. God has always been there for me. I just feel blessed. When I was 11 years old, I got saved."
The short sermon had elderly women in the front pews wiping tears from their eyes and inspired the congregation to a standing ovation after Self stepped down from the pulpit. The pastor invited him back to sing a song. "Jesus loves me, this I know," Self sang. "Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Finally, the questioned is asked who will go to for Him? Isaiah replied that he would be
The Volunteer for God’s Service
Isaiah HEARD the question. He responded out of a grateful spirit for what God had done for him. Isaiah developed a HEART for missions. Sometimes our calling can be close to home, across the country or around the world. When the question is raised, redeemed believers should reply affirmatively. What God did reveal to Isaiah was the HEAVINESS of the message that he would deliver. Most people would not respond to him in a positive way. Why would God allow His people to perish?
John 12:37-41 answers this question. In verse 37, the people “would” not believe in Jesus. In verse 39, the same people “could” not believe in Him. Then Isaiah is quoted saying because they would not and could not believe in Him now “should” not believe in Him. They fulfilled the words of Isaiah because they rejected God and His Word.
If you are a born again, redeemed by the blood of Christ believer, you have a calling to volunteer for His service. He didn’t die on the cross to make your life more comfortable in the here and now! He died so you could enjoy life with Him and serve Him out of gratitude.
Illustration – Garibaldi
Garibaldi had an incredibly committed volunteer army. He would appeal for recruits in these terms: “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions; I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart and not with his lips only, follow me!” Jesus invites you to discipleship. But He lets you know up front that it is a commitment that will cost you something. It’s not going to be easy. To paraphrase Garibaldi, “Let him who loves the Lord with his heart and not with his lips only, be Jesus’ disciple!”
Scripture says “Today is the day of salvation.” Have you taken God’s Son as your savior? Have you repented and forsaken your sins? God wants you to know Him intimately. Do it now!
But we also often view our sin before God as an inconvenience for Him. Let me encourage you to see your sin as He sees it. Look through the lens of holiness and know that God wants you to respond to Him.
And finally, we find that He wants you to volunteer for His service. Too many believers are satisfied they have experienced His grace and refuse to get involved in Kingdom building. That is not what He has called you for! He wants you to get involved in sharing Christ. He wants you to do the hard stuff. He calls and equips those who say yes to Him!
