Isaiah 6:1-8

Introduction

The Bible speaks of many people in bith Testaments who had visions from God. Message     a. Position     b. Permanence     c. Presence  3)  Move     a. Isaiah     b. Intervene 4)  Mission     a. Laborers     b. Listen     c. Surrender 5)  Conclusion

The Bible speaks of many people, in both Testaments, who had visions from God.

Ezekiel

Daniel

Isaiah

Paul

John

Stephen

These men saw things that other men never saw. Yet., all of these visions have one common theme: God revealing Himself. The reason they had revelations from God through visions was God’s word was incomplete. Now that God’s word is completed, he has giving us everything we need to know about Him, His plan, mission, and purpose.

Today we do not need visions. God gives us revelations through His word. We can enjoy the same experiences of Old and New Testament saints through these revelations. The problem is we have God’s word, without the revelations. There are two reasons for this:

Preeminence - We do not believe this book is preeminent. On one hand, we say, we are people of the book but on the other hand, we are not being changed by God’s word. We are picking and choosing what we believe, based upon our lifestyle and culture but not God’s word. Instead of God being the final authority, we are allowing our situations and culture be the final authority.

Personal - In the pastor’s office are many books, and each one of these books the author gives us some insight into other peoples stories or their own stories. However, God’s word

Message

Sometimes we get so involved with what Isaiah saw that we lose sight of the message of what He saw.

To discover the message, we must understand the setting. The opening words of chapter 6 gives us the setting.

Isaiah 6:1 KJV 1900

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.

This was a time of transition and turmoil. Not really sure what kind of a king Jotham would become.

The torch passed from one king to another king!

What is the message of this revelation that God allowed Isaiah to see.

Place

God wanted Isaiah to see His Place - Isaiah saw the Throne - Revelations 4 gives us insight into the splendor of the Throne. Isaiah’s focus is not on the splendor of the Throne but the God of the Throne.

What His position was - a Throne

God is not absent

Where His position is - High and lifted up

Who sat on this throne - Adonai

He has the right to be the King of the universe.

Romans 9:20–23 KJV 1900

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Permanence

He saw God sitting on a throne.

Uzziah was the second longest serving king of Judah - 52 years. Regardless of how long Uzziah reigned, one thing is certain, his reign would come to an end, and a new king would replace him. The setting is transition. Yet, when it comes to God, there is permanence. There is no transition. And who He was yesterday is who He is today and who He will be tomorrow. He is not dethronable! Why?

He is the Almighty

Satan has failed

People have failed

He is Life

Presence

He is sitting on the Throne. Notice what Angelic beings do at His presence. Keep in mind, these angelic beings are perfect. They have never sinned and they are holy. Yet, notice what they are doing!

Reverence - Covering their face and feet was a demonstration of reverence

For the queen of England it is to bow

For the President it is to stand as He enters the room.

This speaks of understanding their relationship with God. They knew who was superior and inferior. - Jesus Christ is much better than the angels.

If we are to show reverence, it has to be His way, not our way (illustration: Cain)

Repetition - They are exclaiming Holy, Holy, Holy!

These angels were holy but they knew their holiness came from God.

He is different from anything else. The God of the Bible is vastly different from all other man-made gods!

Response - The response of these angels

2 wings focused on God

2 wings focused on humbleness

2 wings service.

Moving

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:5 KJV 1900

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.

His experience is just the opposite of what we are taught by modern day Christianity.

Malachi 3:2 KJV 1900

But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

Psalm 24:3–4 KJV 1900

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, Nor sworn deceitfully.

Isaiah did not have clean hands or a pure heart.

Woe is me - Lament, a cry, passionate and filled with emotion

Undone - I have been made to cease, I am cut off, doomed to die, destroyed.

Unclean lips - He was a man, not an angel - defiled

Dwell

Why did Isaiah view himself this way?

He saw God as the King

He saw the Lord of Host.

Intervention

I do not want to get into the symbology. Notice two experiences Isaiah had:

Touched

Forgiving.

iniquity - bend, twist, distort - pervert

Sin - missing the mark - purged - canceled.

Mission

How do you know when you have an Isaiah like experience with God?

Isaiah 6:8 KJV 1900

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.

Laboreres

The revelation of God had a purpose. He is enlisting laborers for His cause.

Matthew 9 KJV 1900

And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 9:38 KJV 1900

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew (:38

Matthew 9:38

Listening to the Lord

Surrender