The Call of the Prophet

Intro:

AG: Times of transition between leaders can be tumultuous!

We are blessed to hold elections every 4 years and every 4 or 8, we have a peaceful transition of power

Other nations have death’s of a totalitarian/monarch or hostile takeovers to see change.

TS: In Isaiah 6, we see the aftermath of the death of a monarch.

Isaiah 6:1 ESV

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.

Uzziah, King of Judah died after 52 years of holding the throne.

The embattled nation had to take this hard

In the midst of the chaos and change, God gives Isaiah a vision of the true king of all nations and commissions Isaiah to his ministry.

Most likely, This is the call of Isaiah and predates ch 1-5.

RS: No matter what is happening in the world around us, God is still on His throne!

1. Isaiah and the heaven of God

Isaiah’s vision (Is 6:1-4)

Isaiah 6:1–4 ESV

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. 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. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

What he sees:

He was in the earthly temple and God opened the veil between the physical and the spiritual realm allowing Isaiah to see heaven’s throne room

The Lord seated upon His exalted throne in glory

High and lifted up and Train filling temple

Spoke of authority

No other is higher

No other has a longer train

The train spilled out and filled the temple.

God is supremely sovereign over the universe!

Smoke

2. What he hears

The mighty seraphim (angels) praising God for His holiness

These angelic beings are similar to others found in Rev 4:6 and Ez 10:1ff

They are in Gods presence praising Him

Wings:

cover eyes- wouldn’t look directly on God

covered feet- acknowledging lowliness

flying- ready to serve the Almighty God of Hosts

The Angels praising God so loudly the place was shaking!

Ever been at a football game when the stands go wild

I mean full voiced yelling and folks jumping up and down

A mighty roar of triumph!

That is nothing compared to THIS!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Shows He holiness is far above all others

Probably also a glimpse of trinity: F/S/HS

The whole Earth is full of His glory

All of creation is a display of God’s immeasurable glory!

Isaiah’s Vexation (Is 6:5)

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

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!”

When we truly grasp the holiness of God, our own sinfulness and lowliness comes into sharp contrast

That prompted Isaiah to confess his and his people’s sin

Isaiah’s Visitation (Is 6:6-7)

Isaiah 6:6–7 ESV

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

God solves the problem!

An angel came and cleansed him

Sin had been atoned for!

AP:

God is still holy, holy holy!

He is still high and lifted up!

If we truly glimpse that, then like Isaiah, we have no option but to fall on our faces and admit we are unclean and surrounded by uncleaness

We are sinners

It is our nature

It shows in our behavior

God still cleanses us!

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That was vividly displayed by Isaiah

It is a present reality in our lives

God applies Christ’s atonement to cleanse our sins if we repent and confess

2. Isaiah and the God of heaven

Isaiah 6:8–13 ESV

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.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.

Isaiah hears God’s voice (6:8a)

God asks: “Who will go for us?”

God was seeking one to represent Him to the nation of Judah

He was fulfilling HIS promises to send prophets

Isaiah heeds God’s voice (6:8b-13)

The now cleansed Isaiah steps up and volunteers to serve as God’s messenger.

Notice the scope of His message

Isaiah 6:9 ESV

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Isaiah had a message of DOOM

He was to point out the hard heartedness o the people

They had heard God’s word, yet not understood

They had seen God’s works, yet refused to submit to Him

He was to continue this ministry until Judah was wiped out and in captivity!

Isaiah knew from day 1 that nobody would repent when he preached

He would warn them, and they would march headlong to destruction.

AP: Like Isaiah, we have been sent to proclaim God’s message

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 10:13–14 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

People need the Lord

They must call on His name to be saved

Paul in Romans follows that back and includes us:

They won’t call without first believing

They won’t believe unless they hear

They won’t hear unless we PREACH (Proclaim)

This is the purpose of the church!

This is why each of us are in this body

to proclaim the truth of the gospel and call sinners to salvation

Conclusion:

When we see God, we should:

Confess our sins

Concentrate ourselves to service