Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday I talked about How to Love God

This week I want to talk about why that is important

To do that I want to invite you to take God’s Word and turn to Isaiah chapter 6

As we begin the Christmas season, we are going to hear what people truly believe about God about Christ and about the Holy Spirit

So today I want us to see how God is presented in the Bible

The Bible is our authority not man or tradition

Read Isaiah 6.

The book of Isaiah is one of the most significant books in the Old Testament

Its title is taken from its author whose name means “The LORD is salvation”

It’s similar to Joshua, Elisha, and Jesus

Isaiah is quoted directly in the New Testament over 65 times, far more than any other Old Testament prophet (MacArthur)

It is also mentioned by name over 20 times (MacArthur)

The book of Isaiah was written by Isaiah the son of Amoz (1:1)

His ministry extended some 60 years from 739 to about 681 B.C. (Richards)

In other Old Testament books we see God’s power and righteousness like in Exodus

We see His justice in the Book of Judges

But in Isaiah the veil of history is pulled aside and we see God directly in all His glory

Just like the veil is removed in Job 1-2, it is removed in Isaiah chapter 6

Isaiah spoke out to Judah during the critical years of the Assyrian expansion, when the Northern Kingdom, Israel, was destroyed (Richards)

After 52 years of prosperity, the king is dead

Judgment is imminent

Isaiah comes into the temple

And in a vision He sees God on His throne

Notice the time of the vision in verse 1

Isaiah says, “in the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the LORD”

LESSON

I.

The Vision (vv.1-4)

The time (v.1)

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death”

This was in 740 B.C. (NET Bible)

Isaiah’s ministry began in the last year of Uzziah’s life (FSB)

Just a footnote: Uzziah was also known as Azariah

2 Kings 15:7, “And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son became king in his place.”

2 Chronicles 26:22-23, “22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written.

23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.”

And Jotham his son became king in his place.”

He ascended to the throne when he was 16 years old and reigned for 52 years

In the past fifty-two years the United States has witnessed the administrations of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.

But many people in Jerusalem lived their entire lives under the reign of King Uzziah (Sproul)

The occasion

is the death of Uzziah

The question not answered in verse 1 is the cause of his death

What caused it?

It was...

Uzziah’s sin

2 Chronicles 26:16 attributes it to pride

As we have seen on other occasions, pride brings down kings and kingdoms (Remember Nebuchadnezzar who was made like an animal until he recognized “that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” Dan.4:25)

2 Chronicles 26:16-22 records what happened when it says...

Uzziah’s death is attributed to the consequences of his sin

His epithet was not about his amazing accomplishments like developing Judah into a strong commercial and military state

Or making a port for commerce on the Red sea

Or the construction of walls, towers, and fortifications

Or that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord

2 Chronicles 26:5, “He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.”

2 Chronicles 26:8-10, “8 The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them.

10 He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain.

He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.”

2 Chronicles 26:13-15, “13 Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones.

15 In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones.

Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.”

That was his downfall and in spite of all his accomplishments, he is only remembered as “a leper”

We now see...

Isaiah’s vision (vv.1-4)

He begins by saying...

He “saw the Lord” (v.1)

1 Timothy 6:16 says “no man has seen or can see” the Lord

God told Moses in Exodus 33:20, “you cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

But he was allowed to see “the form of the LORD” (Num.12:8)

That’s why the apostle John said in John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

Philip asked Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8)

Jesus responds by saying in John 14:9, “...Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?

He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

What Isaiah saw was a theophany

This was a visible manifestation of God

According to John 12:41 the One He saw sitting on the throne was Jesus

John 12:35-41, “35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you.

Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.

38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

(Isa.53:1;

Rom.10:16) 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”

(Isa.6:10)

41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.”

Jesus said in John 12:45, “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.”

The Hebrew word for “Lord” is adonai which means “sovereign master”

It’s also used in verses 8, 11

According to Isaiah 1:1 this is a vision

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

It’s similar to a vision by Micaiah in 1 Kings 22:19, “Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord.

I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.”

It’s also similar to John’s vision in Revelation 4:1-11.

Scripture reveals that God’s coming is often accompanied with earthquakes, smoke, fire, and lightning

Prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 19:18, “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”