Isaiah 6:1-8 6 In the year that a 1 King Uzziah died, I b saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, c with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: d Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; e The whole earth is full of His glory! 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: Woe is me, for I am 1 undone! Because I am a man of f unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from g the altar. 7 And he h touched my mouth with it, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin 2 purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, And who will go for i Us? Then I said, Here am I! Send me. 2 1 a 2 Kin. 15:7; 2 Chr. 26:23; Is. 1:1 b John 12:41; Rev. 4:2, 3; 20:11 c Ezek. 1:11 d Rev. 4:8 e Num. 14:21; Ps. 72:19 1 destroyed, cut off f Ex. 6:12, 30 g Rev. 8:3 h Jer. 1:9; Dan. 10:16 2 atoned for i Gen. 1:26 2 The New King James Version. 1982 (Is 6:1 8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Woe is me! For I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts! Here am I; send me! Seeing God for who He truly is, is a devastating experience! Seeing yourself for who you are in relation to God as fully revealed is a devastating experience! Seeing with eyes fully open to the reality of the majesty grandeur and glory of the Living God enthroned on high who can live? No one can live who has seen the face of God. Go back even further from when Isaiah wrote these words and we have Moses who saw only a glimpse of God, who entered into God's presence in the tabernacle and was begged, when he came out to wear a veil so that the people would not have to look on his face which glowed! He had seen only a glimpse of God! We go back even further and we read of Adam who walked with God in the cool of the evening in the garden He had made for Adam and Eve. In that time and in that place there was not this great fear and this great undoing as man meet God. Yet in almost every other recorded instance of God revealing himself to people the reactions are the same. When God unveiled reveals his glory, it is an awesome, and fearful experience. One that demands a response. First response Woe is me! Second response Here am I send me! In between by the grace of God is the cleansing is the restoring is the healing grace of God, in Isaiah's case it was the coal to cleanse the lips for the confession was I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips! now this (talking about the coal) has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Here am I send me! In the early years of the twentieth century a couple from the Taieri plains George and Mary Allen had a call, and a vision, that they would see the Vast Andes regions ringing with the praises of the Lord. Even though they saw little of that in their lifetime now over 100 years later it is happening. The point being the responded when called they responded when captured by the vision of God! I was born in Dunedin and spent most of my early years in Bolivia the country that the Allen s went to. My parents worked with the mission that the Allen's had founded. 21 years of service in response to a call they both received when studying at what was then known as BTI Bible training institute now known as Laidlaw College. In revelation chapter 1 beginning at verse 9 we read. Revelation 1:9-20
Vision of the Son of Man A Vision of Christ 9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. g 10 I was in the spirit h on the Lord s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. 12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 3 John also sees a vision while worshipping on the Lord's Day on the island of Patmos where he has been exiled during the persecution of Diocletian for refusing to recognise and offer worship to the emperor. Patmos a prison island for political dissidents is a small rocky isolated place which now hosts tourists and visitors. But he receives the revelation of who Christ is and what is taking place in the world not from the perspective of our limited eyesight but from Christ's perspective from the perspective of the God himself. He sees and is afraid, do not be afraid he is told and describes what he sees. A king, A priest, A saviour, walking in the midst in the middle of seven churches, holding the angels of the seven churches. Jesus Christ walks among and is in the midst of His people He is King, He is Lord, He is ruler of all, as he is one with the Father, the creator of all that is, like Isaiah saw he is the High King seated in glory on the throne, we see Jesus walking among the church among His people he is not remote removed and distant He is here in our midst He knows the struggles the joys the ups and downs of our lives not as a disinterested bystander or observer but as one who is in the midst of it all. Echoing in reality the 23 rd psalm of shepherding His people. His word is a sword, he speaks the truth He is the truth the life and when he speaks there is a response. Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last the living one. God is not dead Christ is not dead he is alive then and now and forevermore. And as the revelation continues through to its climax it will be g Or testimony to Jesus h Or in the Spirit 3 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (Re 1:9 20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
that one day we will see Christ with unveiled faces we will be before the throne of the Father in His full glory and will not be destroyed for we will stand not in our own righteousness our own right but in what Christ has given to us. Is it any wonder that when the apostle Paul recounts his encounter with Jesus Christ he says that all that he had the best that he could do and give is but filthy rags compared to what Christ has given to him. He was compelled to preach the gospel to which he had been called. It seems to me that there is always a response called for. Even if we do not have the great visions like Isaiah or John. When God in Christ comes to us is revealed to us we are called to respond. The first disciples were called simply, 'follow me' and they did, Jesus revealed himself gradually, and called simply follow me There is always a response called for. The second time was at Pounawea Christmas convention where Rev John Chapman was going through the book of Ephesians and on the night he did chapter 4 and talked of the gifts given to the church for ministry and the need for godly young people to offer themselves to God for such a high calling I so wanted to be included in that. I was 15 at the time. We had recently returned from Bolivia at the time, Dad had undergone cancer treatment and was in remission for a time. I had in my mind then that I would be serving God not in New Zealand, but in Bolivia, for I did not particularly like this place. It was not where I believed I belonged. Christ calls us to follow him, he reveals himself to us, so that we can see ourselves our lives as they truly are, we see him as He truly is! Walking among His people His church, knowing what they face and what they endure, He is in relationship with us and knows our name, knows our frame, our place. Dad died the following year, a devastating blow on many levels for our family, how Mum coped with two teenagers during those days I can only presume it was the great grace and love of God, for it could not have been easy. Another call to follow to go to mission and ministry. This time at a missions conference called Move Out held in Wellington. Floyd McClung urging the young people gathered there to follow wherever God may lead, to move to go. Again I said send me, please send me anywhere but New Zealand! So he did a couple of years later the M/V Doulos visited New Zealand and I joined OM's ship ministry in Singapore for an adventure and time that would be forever life changing. Jesus walks among the churches leading guiding challenging restoring, he is always there He is building His church and one day all will be renewed. Even in the midst of trail and tribulation Christ is there. Early August 1991 was one of the severest trails of this truth, that I have experienced up to that point and I would possibly say since as well. While I had read many testimonies and biographies of those who have endured persecution on much more sustained and long drawn out than what our ships company experienced to actually walk through personally such a time is a different matter altogether. In early August 1991 in the city of Zamboanga Philippines at an international night concert that was always the final part of the ships visit to any city or port two grenades were thrown into the ships company gathered backstage, one detonating killing two friends both 18years old, one from New Plymouth, one from Sweden, 42 others, were injured, some seriously. 23 of us needing
further surgery were airlifted out of Zamboanga to Manila in the days that followed. Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead and see I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and Hades. The church has experienced persecution and tribulation throughout its life, and this is true even today in many parts of the world. The promise is still the same, the martyrs killed for their confession cry out from under the altar of God How Long O Lord!? How long? Instead of a detailed plan of days and time, He gives us a revelation of Himself the promise of his presence and grace, the assurance that he knows and He is working calling changing and restoring His people, preparing the church the Bride of Christ for that time when we will sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb. I am alive forever and ever. Do not be afraid! I spent four years on-board the Doulos making many very good friends, but time came to leave and return to of all places New Zealand, for in that time away I could now look at this land as a place to live and identify with. A reconciliation that even here God was working that even here God was calling people to follow Him revealing himself to them, not just in other parts of the world. That we could indeed shout one another and without yelling. So two years after returning and despite my best efforts I entered training for ministry in the PCANZ. If nothing else of value came out of that training and time it was during that time that Jean and I met and married, one of the best events and subsequent consequences ever, 17 years on and its better than I could imagine, seven children, and a life together I wouldn't swap with anyone. Ministry in New Plymouth, Mexico and now. Each and every step along the way whether I was aware of it fully never have we been alone. Christ walks in the midst of His church, holding them leading guiding, purifying loving them loving us until one day as Christ has revealed in the scriptures revealed for our benefit we will see him face to face, we will be with Him and the trials and tribulations the joys of this life will be multiplied beyond measure, in the fullness of our Father's house. God in Christ calls each one of us here to follow Him, he is revealing Himself to us, in His word. Calls us to a life of living in response to His love, His mercy, His grace, His call. May He be our vision in this day, this week, this life.
Chapter 6 records a pivotal turning point in Judah s history and marks the beginning of a new era in Isaiah s preaching. The death of Uzziah (6:1) ends a period of relative strength and prosperity in Judah, when Assyria was weak. The wicked king Ahaz will now rule Judah (7:1), war and weakness will characterize this king s reign, and Assyria will become the dominant international power on earth. 4 6:5 Seeing all this, Isaiah immediately was aware of his own unworthiness (6:5) and the need for atonement (6:6 7). In the presence of God s holiness Isaiah was not struck by his humanity or mortality, but by (a) his own impurity; (b) the uncleanness of the nation of Judah; and (c) the sight of the King, the Lord Almighty. Isaiah could not join the seraphs in praising God until his lips were purified. He cried out, woe is me (ʾōy lî) because he was in the presence of a holy God. Since Isaiah mentions his lips, Wildberger suggests that the second clause (NIV I am ruined ) should be translated I must be silent. 215 This makes some sense since he has unclean lips, but is not the best choice. Isaiah is not silent in the following verses; he openly confesses his sin and recognizes that the consequences of his sinfulness will be his own destruction. Although uncleanness (ʾōy lî) is often used of ritual unworthiness to come into the presence of God, the later atonement of Isaiah (6:7) removes his guilt and sin, not just his ritual uncleanness. Thus the lips seem to represent the expressions of a sinful heart that is not pure. Psalm 15 provides a detailed list of prerequisites before a person can enter God s presence to worship. Among those requirements is that one must speak the truth from his heart (Ps 15:2). More surprising is Isaiah s reference to the fact that he was living among unclean people in Judah. One might expect Isaiah to recognize his own sinfulness, but Isaiah s pastoral heart cannot separate his own condition from the state of the people he loves. Like parents facing the threat of death, who are just as concerned about saving their children as they are about saving themselves, Isaiah is not totally self-absorbed; he is ministry-absorbed. The reason for Isaiah s recognition of guilt is simple: he has seen the King, the Lord Almighty (lit. the LORD of hosts ). The necessary first step before any true confession of sin is having an understanding of the glory and holiness of the Almighty God who rules the heavens and the earth. The transforming power of this vision was not because Isaiah for the first time understood that God was holy, or that he now finally understood that God was an almighty king who ruled the world. These were traditional conceptions of God that were known from earlier covenantal, Levitical, and hymnic texts. The shocking, life changing aspect of this vision was that Isaiah himself experienced a vivid and powerful personal meeting with God that allowed him to have a firsthand glimpse of the supernatural realm. Cultural imagery and religious platitudes about God were suddenly overpowered by the reality of the overwhelming experience of his awesome presence. 5 6:6 7 Once Isaiah confessed his sinfulness and his need for deliverance ( I am ruined ), God reached out through the instrumentality of a seraph to bring atonement. This was an act of God s grace; Isaiah did nothing to accomplish his atonement. Isaiah offered no sacrifices, did not promise to be a missionary to gain it, and had no power to save himself from certain ruin. To help Isaiah understand that God was removing his guilt, a seraph took a coal from an altar and touched Isaiah s unclean lips. Gray thinks this live coal came from the altar of burnt sacrifices, while Wildberger prefers a coal taken from the altar of incense because it was inside the temple.216 6 It is more likely to view these as coals from under the throne of God, the same coals that Ezekiel saw in his second 4 Smith, G. V. (2007). Isaiah 1 39 (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.). The New American Commentary (183). Nashville: B & H Publishing Group. 5 15 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? 5 Smith, G. V. (2007). Isaiah 1 39 (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.). The New American Commentary (191 192). Nashville: B & H Publishing Group. 6 216 Brueggemann, Isaiah 1 39, 60, thinks this first person plural pronoun was the royal plural of government, while Oswalt, Isaiah 1 39, 185, prefers a plural of majesty (GKC 124g).
vision (Ezek 10:2). These were not magical coals (neither are people baptized in magical water), rather they figuratively represent the miraculous accomplishment of God s gracious purification and forgiveness. When the seraph symbolically touched Isaiah s lips, it announced that God removed (sār) Isaiah s guilt (an active verb) and that his sin was atoned (tĕkuppār) by God (a passive verb). God did not want Isaiah to misunderstand what was happening, so a clear explanation was provided to interpret the symbolic action. The removal of guilt indicates that the consequent punishment will not be exacted from Isaiah. This guilt can no longer keep Isaiah from God s presence. The atonement means that God s wrath and the sin that motivated it were satisfied and taken away, making renewed fellowship possible. Sin no longer separated God and Isaiah (cf. 59:1 2). Isaiah s experience illustrates how any believer can identify sin (have a clear vision of the holiness of God), how everyone should respond when sin is recognized (admit it), and how God deals with confessed sin (he removes it). People who presume upon God s mercy because of their supposed goodness will fail to receive his forgiveness, but those who perceive the holiness of God will quickly acknowledge their great guilt and experience his atoning love. 7 7 Smith, G. V. (2007). Isaiah 1 39 (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.). The New American Commentary (192 193). Nashville: B & H Publishing Group.