Isaiah Isaiah, This Is Your Calling ~ Part 2 Chapter 6:5-13

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Brian Hodge
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1 Isaiah Isaiah, This Is Your Calling ~ Part 2 Chapter 6:5-13 S erving the Lord may be a blessing, but it is also a challenge. While the retirement plan may be out of this world, the work or its circumstances may be difficult and even painful. All the apostles except John were martyred. Prophets often had to bring messages of judgment to unrepentant peoples. Saints suffered in order to minister, i.e. Paul s imprisonment, Corrie Ten Boom s time in Ravensbruck concentration camp, Joni Erickson Tada s life as a quadriplegic. All who serve the Lord can grow and mature through the process. But the calling of a servant of God is not one which promises ease and comfort in this life. Nor should we be surprised, since we have the testimony of both the Old and New Testament saints of what it cost them to obey the Lord. Obviously, there isn t much profit in being a prophet! And we have the greatest example in the servanthood of Christ. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! (Philippians 5:8). But with the call to servanthood, is the promise of reward. This reward will come for all servants. It is foreshadowed by the glorification of Christ. Or as Paul continues on: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). This morning we will see that the call for Isaiah was a great burden, the burden of his own sin, and the burden of his concern for the suffering of his people. I Introduction II The Time Verses 1-4 III The Transformation Verse 5 IV The Touch Verses 6-8 V The Thrill Verses 9-13 VI Conclusion Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what ap-

2 peared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne (Ezekiel 1:26-28; Revelation 4:1-3). Introduction: As we saw last time, this chapter focuses on the call of Isaiah. There are a number of theories why it is located here but no matter, we can understand its content. In this vision, Isaiah is allowed to see the throne of God. Whether he was seeing God s presence in the earthly Temple or the heavenly one doesn t matter. What is important is Isaiah s response, as a godly man, to being exposed to God s glory. And it is that response we will examine this morning. For those who weren t with us last time, prior lessons are available at following the Bible study link. Now, let s rejoin Isaiah and his vision. Verse 5: God had been saying woe to Judah because of her sins. And what was their response? Come and get us, if You can. The message of coming judgment was what God instructed Isaiah to deliver. But now Isaiah s focus shifts from Judah to himself. Isaiah has been privileged, like Ezekiel, John, and probably Paul to experience being in the presence of the glory of God. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know God knows (2 Corinthians 12:2). And when Ezekiel and John saw the glory of God, they were ecstatic, joyous, and felt privileged, right? Wrong! Here s Ezekiel s response: This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown (Ezekiel 1:28). Then there s John: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead (Revelation 1:17). As I noted last week, there has been a real problem in the church between knowing Jesus as friend and perceiving Him as a buddy. But when God s saints actually come into His ) 80 (

3 presence, they are overwhelmed by His glory. And that s the same reaction as experienced by Isaiah here in verse five. God s righteousness convicts Isaiah of his own unrighteousness. But, unlike Judah, he is repentant for his sins and confesses them to God. He sees his own sinfulness and the sins of the people. He identifies himself with them, but it his own sin which overwhelms him. Verses 6-7: Isaiah has demonstrated humility, that is, seeing himself for who he is and God for who He is. We all stand before God condemned, but God in His love and mercy has provided a one-time sacrifice for all. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Romans 6:9-10; Hebrews 10:10). And God was also the source of cleansing for Isaiah. The Seraph, the burning one, burns the lips of Isaiah. Keep in mind, this is occurring in the context of a vision. And so Isaiah s sins are burned away so that he would be a cleansed instrument for the LORD. The use of fire would have been very clear imagery to both Isaiah and his audience. It is frequently used in the Old Testament to represent ceremonial cleansing. Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner s fire. (Numbers 31:22-23; Malachi 3:2). It is worth noting that the seraphs carried out acts of worship as part of their duties. Isaiah couldn t join them until he had been cleansed of his sins. The imagery is that of the Temple and of the priesthood. Therefore this could have only been a ceremonial cleansing at best. It is also safe to assume that Isaiah was touched on the mouth because he was to speak God s words. This was also the case for Jeremiah. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth (Jeremiah 1:9). Verse 8: Now we come to Isaiah s calling. He hears the voice of God asking for a messenger. Who is to be sent? Obviously, God already knew what He was going to do, but His question is for the benefit of Isaiah, giving him the opportunity to volunteer. God s use of a question is often an instrument of bringing men face to face with choices or actions. Consider when God in the garden of Eden asked Adam and Eve where they were. (see Gen. 3:9). Or when He inquired of Cain where his brother Abel was. (see Gen. 4:9). Now He asks Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? These are all rhetorical questions and are ) 81 (

4 asked for the benefit of the person God wants to respond. The intent for Adam, Eve, and Cain were to extract confessions. The intent here is leads to the very conclusion we see here. There is one question which arises when considering this verse. Who are the ones referred to as us? Some see this as the hosts gathered around the throne which would include the Seraphs. Others see this as a conversation within the Godhead, the Tri-unity. Grogan states: The plural us is often linked theologically with v.3 (see comment in loc.) and interpreted in terms of the Trinity. It is an unusual phenomenon, found elsewhere in the OT only in Genesis (1:26; 11:7). Many modern scholars have taken it to be a reference to a council of heavenly beings. There are, of course, many biblical passages that picture God surrounded by the heavenly hosts. Not one of these, however (unless, of course, the present passage is an exception), suggests that he, the omniscient and all-wise God, called on them for advice or even identified them with him in some way in his utterance. 1 Isaiah volunteers. Of course this is the response God expected. Considering the difficulties that Isaiah would be facing, it was only appropriate God would allow Him to see His glory and fully understand who it was he was serving. Isaiah s acceptance of the task is similar to another great saint of the Old Testament. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, Speak, for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:10). Verses 9-10: Being a prophet of God isn t all it s cracked up to be. Isaiah receives a calling from God. He is told to give a warning of coming judgment on Judah. And what is to be the effect of being God s messenger. It will harden the hearts of the people so they will be even less inclined to listen or change their behaviors. His message is to be an instrument of bringing the people to judgment, not to repentance. Why on earth would he want to carry out this task? Buksbazen explains the situation this way. Note the words this people and not the usual my people, indicating the Lord s intense displeasure with Israel. No other prophet has ever been called to a more heartbreaking and frustrating mission than Isaiah, a completely negative errand. In effect the prophet was to tell his people: to hear but not to understand to see without being able to perceive to make their hearts insensitive, and unresponding to God s will. The prophet is commanded to smear (or to paste), their eyes shut, lest they repent and be healed. He is to preach his people callous, deaf and blind. Such a commission sounds extremely harsh and cruel. And yet it corresponds to a terrible reality of the human spirit. A deliberate and continued refusal to perceive what God is doing or to hear His voice must eventually result in blindness and deafness; a deliberate refusal to respond to the promptings of His Spirit must make one s heart hard and callous, until the point is reached where there is no return and no cure. 2 This is similar to the call we receive as believers to give out the message of the Gospel. It will be taken in two ways. It may be received and lead to eternal life. Or it will be rejected and then become the basis of condemnation. 1 Grogan, Geoffrey W., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Isaiah, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, Buksbazen, Victor, The Prophet Isaiah, In Two Volumes, The Spearhead Press, Collingswood, NJ, 1971, p ) 82 (

5 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). We should never fall under the illusion that when we give out the Gospel it always means salvation. It can mean that, but it can also become a basis of judgment. This is why we need to take the call to give out the message of salvation with the seriousness it deserves. Eventually, the words of these verses are found in each of the gospels, and are also used by Paul. The context is that of the rejection of Christ by the nation. This is the ultimate result of the hardening of the listeners. (see Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:10; John 12:39-41; Acts 28:26-27; Romans 11:8), Each quotation is given as a comment on the rejection of God s word in Christ. The synoptic references are of particular interest; for they all occur in connection with the parable of the sower, which, like this present passage, anticipates widespread failure to make proper response to the words but which also, as here (v.13), shows cause for hope. The holy seed of the vision finds its NT counterpart in the good soil of the parable. 3 It seems harsh that God intends the Hebrews hearts to be hardened. But this means they are going to be encouraged to move in the direction they are already headed. God intends to judge this rebellious people. And while the long-term goal is a restored nation, it must be cleansed first. If God simply slapped the wrists of the rebellious, there couldn t be restoration, Wiersbie explains the principle this way: the more that people resist God s truth, the less able they are to receive God s truth. But the servant is to proclaim the Word no matter how people respond, for the test of ministry is not outward success but faithfulness to the Lord. 4 This is the same principle we find in church discipline. Where an individual continues in rebellion, unrepentant, we don t need pseudo repentance. For the sake of the body the individual in rebellion must be removed. Verses 11-13: This is a sad situation in which Isaiah finds himself. He is required to preach for the express purpose of hardening the hearts of the Hebrews so they will fall under the hand of God s judgment. Consequently, he wants to know just how long he will be required to carry out this task. This may also explain why Isaiah chose to include his calling here, for it explains the severity of what has preceded it. Now we can understand why God s messages were so harsh, for His intent is to bring judgment. And what a judgment. The region is to be devastated and the people taken into captivity. Where the Hebrews once prospered, nothing will be left but a empty land. 3 Grogan. 4 Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament The Prophets, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1971, p. 18. ) 83 (

6 But even here we find a message of hope, and for Isaiah, reassurance. There would be a tenth who would remain in the land. God always allows a remnant of His children. And there was and is a faithful remnant of Israel. This is also why there is always a Church. No matter how far it appears the Church has fallen from the Lord, there is always a faithful remnant. By the way, this is why claims such as those of the Mormons, that truth has been lost for hundreds of years and then rediscovered by a select individual or group, is so much nonsense. The Church will always stand until Christ comes for her. I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18). And so Isaiah receives future history, a warning of the rejection of his messages, and the final judgment that was to fall on Israel. The tenth were those left in the land by Nebuchadnezzar, (2 Kings 24:14). The balance would be laid waste, (Jeremiah 41:10-18, 43:4-7). He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left (2 Kings 24:14). Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah the king s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites. Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the survivors from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had brought from Gibeon. And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land (Jeremiah 41:10-18). So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD s command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. They also led away all the men, women and children and the king s daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahi- ) 84 (

7 kam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes. (Jeremiah 43:4-7). There will be a remnant described as a holy seed. This is a small number of believers who will remain. And from that holy seed will spring the Holy One, the coming Messiah. Conclusion: There are two points to be taken from this passage. First, as we have already seen, to serve the Lord is a call to a hard work. But in the end, this life, is a rewarding one. For, the final outcome of obedience is hearing God say: His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master s happiness! (Matthew 25:21). Second, it is through suffering and the hand of God that His rebellious children can be brought to humility and repentance. Even in the midst of God s judgment comes the promise of a remnant, and finally, restoration. The message of the Old Testament is one of salvation and God s love of a fallen humanity. It is that message which brings us comfort in the midst of our struggles and for the lost it is a message of hope. O spread the tidings round, The long, long night is past; wherever man is found, the morning breaks at last; Wherever human hearts and human woes abound. And hushed the dreadful wail Let every Christian tongue and fury of the blast, proclaim the joyful sound: As o er the golden hills the day advances fast! Lo, the great King of kings, O boundless love divine! with healing in His wings, How shall this tongue of mine To every captive soul a full To wond ring mortals tell the deliv'rance brings; matchless grace divine And thro the vacant cells That I, a child of hell, the song of triumph rings: should in His image shine? The Holy Ghost from heav n, The Father s promise giv n, O spread the tidings round, wherever man is found: 5 5 Bottome, Frank, The Celebration Hymnal, The Comforter Has Come, Word/Integrity, Waco, TX, # 386. ) 85 (

8 Isaiah Isaiah, This Is Your Calling ~ Part 2 Chapter 6:5-13 I Introduction II The Time Verses 1-4 III The Transformation Verse 5 IV The Touch Verses 6-8 V The Thrill Verses 9-13 VI Conclusion Introduction: (Philippians 5:8, 2:9-11; Ezekiel 1:26-28; Revelation 4:1-4) III The Transformation: (2 Corinthians 12:2; Ezekiel 1:28; Revelation 1:17) IV The Touch: Verses 6-7: (Hebrews 10:10; Numbers 31:22-23; Malachi 3:2; Jeremiah 1:9)

9 Verse 8: (1 Samuel 3:10 [see Genesis 3:9, 4:9, 1:26, 11:7]) V The Thrill: Verses 9-10: (Isaiah 55:11; [see Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:10; John 12:39-41; Acts 28:26-27; Romans 11:8]) Verse 11-13: (Matthew 16:18; 2 Kings 24:14; Jeremiah 41:10-18, 43:4-7) VI Conclusion: Personal Application: This week focus on praising God through your walk and your testimony. Prayer for the Week: Lord, let Your love shine through us to the sinners around us, so they have the opportunity for salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.

Isaiah Isaiah, This Is Your Calling ~ Part 1 Chapter 6:1-4

Isaiah Isaiah, This Is Your Calling ~ Part 1 Chapter 6:1-4 D id Isaiah get his calling after the first five chapters of this book? Or, is there some other reason for the placement of this chapter here?