Isaiah 6:1–13
I. Isaiah's Revelation - He was a Man Who Saw God
(1) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne,
1. The Glory of His Person (6:1) I saw also the Lord
2. The Glory of His Power (6:1) sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,
3. The Glory of His Purpose (6:3) the whole earth is full of his glory.
A. He Saw The Holiness Of God's Person
1. He Saw God Enthroned 1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord
Uzziah was the king who pridefully tried to usurp the place of the priests
A proper perception of God begins with the death of pride.
2. He Saw God Exalted sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,
C.S. Lewis : How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets [the] real thing, it is irresistible.
3. He Saw God Encompassed 6:1c, "...his train filled the temple..." reference to the Shekinah
I Cors 10:31 we read, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
B. He Saw The Holiness Of God Practiced
1. The Seraphs Reverenced God's Holiness By Their Attitude
6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet,
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. (Moses)
2. The Seraphs Honoured God's Holiness By Their Activity with twain he did fly.
busy fulfilling the function for which they were created - praising God
C. He Saw The Holiness Of God Proclaimed
1. Notice What He Heard 6:3, "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."
2. Notice What Happened 6:4, "And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."
when God was properly praised and worshiped, the house was shaken.
Ps.22: 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
II. Isaiah's Realisation - Isaiah was a Man Who Sensed God (6:5)
1. There was the Searching of the Spirit (6:5) Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Lev.11: 44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy:
1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
2. There was the Sanctifying of the Spirit (6:7) Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Cleansing came via a coal from the altar. This implies a sacrifice had been made.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
3. There was the Strengthening of the Spirit (6:6) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me,
Eph. 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
This salvation is threefold-
1. PARDON. `Thy sin is covered" (margin). Covered by the atoning blood of God's Lamb.
2. PURITY. "Thine iniquity is taken away."
Not only is sin covered, but the cause of sinning is dealt with.
3. POWER. "Lo, this bath touched thy lips. " Pentecost was needed to emphasise Calvary.
III. Isaiah's Resolution - Isaiah was a Man Who Served God (6:8–9)
A. Isaiah's Surrender :8, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."
A right concept of the holiness of God resulted in confession of sin.
Confession of sin resulted in commitment to service. (Concept, Confession, Commitment)
Salvation leads to service -EPH 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
1) THERE WAS PERSONAL SURRENDER (6:5) Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
2) THERE WAS A PURIFYING SURRENDER (6) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me,
3) A POWERFUL SURRENDER (8) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
B. Isaiah's Sermon : 9, "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not."
Isaiah's message was to be one of rebuke, a wakeup call to a sinful and backslidden people.
A. He Was Committed to The Will Of God 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
B. He Was Committed To The Word Of God Immediately God says to Isaiah, "Go, and tell this people."
C. He Was Committed To The Work Of God 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
this BLINDNESS was intentional on Israel's part, not incidental.
C. Isaiah's Sorrow 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
JUDGEMENT is SURE, SOON, & SOVEREIGN
11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
The people would not be able to say that they had not been warned.
Patrick Morley writes "the church's integrity problem is in the misconception
"that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin.
It is a change in belief without a change in behavior."
"It is revival without reformation, without repentance."
