Isaiah 6
-The call and commission of
Isaiah is given and received in this extravagant passage of the LORD’s glory.
The prophet sees the LORD high and lifted up in the year that King Uzziah (also
known as Azariah, 2 Kings 14:21-15:7, 2 Chronicles 26) died (around 740 B.C.).
With elegant language God is described as filling the whole earth and His
Temple with His seraphim angels around Him (Isaiah 6:1-4). Isaiah quickly
realizes he is a man of unclean lips, a mere sinful mortal, and weakens in His
presence as one who is ruined by the presence of His holiness. In mercy one of
the seraphim angels flew to Isaiah with a burning coal in his hand from the
altar with tongs and touched the prophet’s mouth with it saying, “Behold, this
has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven
(Isaiah 6:5-7).” This painful submission process was a necessary part of God’s
call on Isaiah’s life. It was not the fiery coal that purified Isaiah, but
God’s grace from Himself that made this repentant and called man clean. The
coal was simply a symbol of the Lord’s sanitizing and refining power. The
Trinity together ask the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”
There seems to be no hesitation at this point as Isaiah responds, “Here am I,
send me!” The LORD then tells him to “Go, and tell this people…” The prophetic
message is hard and harsh, but it is complete truth. God tells His messenger to
inform the people that they will keep on listening, but not perceive; keep on
looking, but not understand. Their hearts will be rendered insensitive, their
ears dull, their eyes dim. Otherwise, they would return with their good senses
and be healed (Isaiah 6:8-10). Isaiah asks the question as to how long this
will be that God’s people will remain in their stupor and spiritual ignorance.
God replies that it won’t be until the cities are devastated and without
habitation (exile) leaving the land utterly desolate. Yet He does leave a tenth
of the portion in the land, called “the holy seed” as its living stump (Isaiah
6:11-13). In other words there will be a rebirth of the nation and God’s chosen
people. They will never be utterly destroyed. There is always a glimmer of hope
and restoration, which will be realized in Messiah, who is the Holy One of
Israel. *Application* Have we realized that we too are people with unclean lips
and lives? Have we received Christ’s righteousness through His payment for
redemption? Do we sometimes argue with the call God has placed on our lives?
Or, are we being like Isaiah, who was willing once cleaned up and forgiven, to
enthusiastically answer the purpose and plan of God for His cause no matter how
difficult the message was that had to be delivered? The insight here is in seeing
God’s glory. If we abide in His presence and see His radiance, we will have no
qualms about fulfilling His mission for us here on this fallen earth. Let us
all as His faithful believers bow before Him, realize His awesomeness, and say,
“Here are we, send us!”
Verse to Memorize: Isaiah 6:8
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