The Power Of Resolve Series

THE POWER OF RESOLVE

Isaiah 6:1-8 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. 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.

INTRODUCTION

The title of this short sermon series is: “Send Me.” The opening text is a vision of the Lord given to Isaiah. This may seem like a strange way of looking at the Advent of Jesus, but I want you to bear with me and give me some grace this morning. Let me explain.

The section concerns the “calling” of Isaiah as a prophet of the LORD God of Israel. In his life he will predominately minister to Judah and Jerusalem.

Isaiah [The Eternal Saves] was the son of Amoz and is referred to that way 13 times. Therefore, Amoz was a man of renown or prominence.

The prophet Isaiah is referred to as the “messianic prophet” because the LORD used him to deliver messages concerning the Messiah, the “Deliverer,” his birth and reign.

The book of Isaiah is quoted or referred to in the New Testament 85 times.

There is a sharp contrast to the conditions of the Southern Kingdom as found in the preceding chapters and the vision of the throne room of the LORD.

This prophetic work declares the end of an age with the death of Uzziah. He was a good king. As you may or may not know, when the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, there was the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom did not have a single, good, king. While the Southern Kingdom had six who were good.

This is the setting of Isaiah six

GLORY AND REVERENCE PAID TO THE LORD

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.

Note: The first five chapters of the Book of Isaiah are an introduction to the writings of Isaiah. Chapter six begins with the calling of the LORD on Isaiah’s life.

King Uzziah presumably died a leper (2Ch 26:21). During his early reign, Judah had prospered but during his final years, corruption had become rampant.

“In the year that King Uzziah died…”

King Uzziah probably died from leprosy at 740-739 B.C. Uzziah was the king over Judah at the same time that Jeroboam II was king in Israel. His reign brought about national prosperity.

“…I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”

Elevated, ceremonial chair, its height symbolized the importance and the authority of the person seated on it. With the widespread use of the word “throne” the term came to symbolize kingship, and became equivalent in meaning to the kingdom itself.

Isaiah’s vision of the throne room is awe inspiring. He sees the "Lord sitting on a throne" - "Adonai" is the "royal title" of God. Adonai is always explained as the plural of majesty. In the Bible, it is only used to refer to God. Historically, the Jews stepped away from using the Tetragrammaton during the Hellenistic period and replaced YHWH with "Adonai" in their speaking about God and in their prayers.

A worship service is happening in the throne room of the LORD.

Isaiah does not refer to the LORD as Jehovah; instead he refers to Him as Adonai. The name of the Lord when using Adonai is in reference to His position as “ruler and/or master.” When dealing with God being the “ruler, having authority, and ownership” the Jews would use “Adonai” instead of Jehovah. Adonai is used when referring to the Lord as the “Lord of Hosts (armies of Israel), as directing the affairs of men and nations, or the Lord as lawgiver.