In Times Like these, We Need A View to the Glory of God in Christ

In times like these, we need a view to the Glory God in Christ

Introduction

King Uzziah

Son of Amaziah and Jecoliah (1 Kings 15:1-2)

Son of Amaziah and Jecoliah (1 Kg 15:3)

Also known as Azariah (1 Kings 15:1)

Began reigning at 16 years old as king of Judah (1 Kings 15:2)

Reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem! (1 Kings 15:2)

Succeeded against the Philistines, Arabians, Meunites, and the Ammonites paid him tribute (2 Chronicles 26:6-8)

He built towers and cisterns for the prosperity of Judah (2 Chron 26:9-10)

He had 2,600 extremely skilled warriors who commanded his great army who wielded great weaponry for war. (1 Chr 26:11-14)

King Uzziah had it going on (2 Chr 26:15)

But…King Uzziah grew proud.

He didn’t take away all of the high places (2 Kings 15:4)

He intruded upon the priestly office trying to burn incense in the temple of the LORD (2 Chr 26:16)

It led to his destruction–God struck him with leprosy and he could no longer come into the temple (2 Chr 26:19-21)

He was buried in a field instead of the tombs of the great kings (2 Chr 2:23)

Crisis in the land

Isaiah 6:1 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

The king, having been a leper for years, died! (Is 6:1)

Sin seemed to prevail in the land (Isa 1:2-4)

Idolatry is rampant

the Day of the Lord is coming! (isa 2:12)

Judgment has already begun for Jerusalem because they do not even try to hide there sin (Isa 3)

Their rulers and elders have devoured, spoiled, crushed, and ground the face of the poor (Isa 3:14-16)

Isaiah is given a vision of the glory of God

Isaiah 6:1 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

The throne of God

The Lord sits there

He is high and lifted up

The train of his royal robe filled the temple

Isaiah 6:2 ESV

2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Seraphim

These heavenly beings are only mentioned once in Scripture

They had six wings

They appear to have human like bodies with head and feet

They have the power of speech (vs. 3, 7)

Isaiah 6:3 ESV

3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

They function here to lead in worship of the Lord

The nature of the worship shook the foundations of the thresholds of the heavenly temple

The house was filled with smoke

Isaiah’s reaction to this view of the Lord

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of 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!”

Isaiah sensed his:

1. unworthiness

2. uncleaness

3. his associations with uncleaness

Isaiah also realized that the Lord is:

Lord

King

the LORD of hosts!

Seraphim

Isaiah 6:6–7 ESV

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

They function as instruments of the Lord in purifying Isaiah

Isaiah 6:8 ESV

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord!

God asks a question

Isaiah responds affirmatively

God commissions Isaiah (v. 9-10)

So, Who did Isaiah see?

the Lord - Adonai

the King

Yahweh of Hosts (the armies)

the Apostle John shows us one more thing...

John 12:36–41 ESV

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

No matter what is happening, remember that Lord Jesus sits upon the throne and that He is still in control!