"raising The Standard."

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

(Isaiah 6:1-4) (1) “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” (2) “Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.” (3) “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (4) “And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”

(Isaiah 6:5-8) (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.” (6) “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:” (7) “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.” (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.”

PREFACE SUMMARY

When the Lord shared this message with me, I thought about how we often allow people, things, and situations to distract us, leading us away from the true purpose of our life and ministry.

To grasp the message, consider why King Uzziah is referenced in Isaiah 6 and why the author promptly depicts Isaiah's vision of God's elevation in the temple.

The vision profoundly impacts Isaiah, causing him to confess his unworthiness. This is followed by a divine cleansing miracle and a direct call to serve, which Isaiah responds to with immediate and total surrender.

We are discussing raising the standard, which requires examining Saul’s call to kingship and Samuel's dedication to mentoring him, preparing him to lead God’s people.

Pause for a moment and consider how his failure—being rejected by God and losing his kingship—originated from his disobedience in following God’s command to destroy everything in a city. Instead, he kept some of the best animals and also spared the heathen king Agag, whom God had already cursed for his entire lineage.

Can you imagine the impact of this disobedience on Samuel? He had carefully prepared Saul to be their King. Saul prioritized the admiration and approval of the people over God's favor, which led God to reject him as King over His people.

This introduces the message about raising the standard by illustrating that Isaiah experiences the same heartbreak and disappointment after mentoring Uzziah to become King. Despite Isaiah's efforts, Uzziah's pride and desire for widespread approval overshadow obedience and God's favor on him. He had a godly father and was also tutored by Zechariah.

God not only rejected him from leading His people, but because he was a prideful king, he also tried to become a priest and offer sacrifices. He was instantly struck with leprosy. Therefore, God is strict when He sets up rules, especially when they interfere with his redemptive work, which He wrought through Jesus. Why, just look at how he had prophets lie on their side for days and eat dung to represent a spiritual truth to His people, and why did Moses, after leading 3.5 million people, have to die and not enter the promised land?

In summary, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God required, because the rock represented Christ, who would be struck only once. This was King Uzziah’s sin – he attempted to be both King and Priest, which violated the law of God. Melchizedek, David, and Jesus would be the only persons who could be both kings and priests in God's eyes.

BREEDING GROUND FOR A GENERATIONAL CURSE

A thorough examination of Isaiah 6, alongside the historical context of Uzziah's family, reveals a significant generational shift in leadership and faith in Israel. After Uzziah, also known as Azariah, was struck down with leprosy due to his pride and intrusion into the priestly duties, his young son Jotham was appointed to co-reign alongside him.

The incident deeply impacted Jotham, instilling in him a fear of God that ultimately led him to distance himself from the temple. This distancing can be interpreted as a reflection of his belief that he had little use for God, particularly in light of the harsh consequences his father faced.

Jotham later fathered Ahaz, who became infamous for his wickedness and idolatry, cementing his legacy as one of the most corrupt kings in Israel's history.

Unlike Jotham, who was unsure of his relationship with God, Ahaz fully embraced idol worship, even removing holy vessels from the temple to pave the way for pagan practices. Under his reign, the worship of foreign gods flourished, leading the nation into spiritual and moral decay. Ahaz's actions represented a stark departure from the covenantal faithfulness that had characterized earlier leaders.