The Call of God
Isaiah 6
March 8, 1998

Introduction

A. Isaiah during: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah
B. The date is general: "In the year that King Uzziah died" i.e. about 759... 37 yrs before Israel’s dispersion & 150 yrs before Judah’s displacement

1. Jewish scholars see it as the year of the civil death Uzziah: i.e. his leprosy
2. It could have been just prior or following his actual death
3. Whatever the case, it was a death with spiritual and emotional impact on the nation and specifically Isaiah
  • A well-loved king struck down with leprosy and removed from his palace... all due to his pride in attempting to offer incense on the altar of the temple (2 Chron. 26)
  • This was a terrible time for the nation, the priesthood, the prophets

C. Apparently, Isaiah had already been ministering before...

1. He was a family man with two sons
2. He had a godly wife who herself was a prophetess
3. The birth of his sons are recorded in this book

I. The Scene

A. First, the sovereignty of God: "the Lord sitting on the throne"

1. In the midst of confusion: moral failure of the king; the loss of a king who loved God and the economy grew well
2. In contrast to the rotation of successive kings
3. In the face of the loss of a well loved friend of the people and king
4. God is sitting on the throne high and lifted up
5. "Lord" here is the title not the reference to His name: i.e. the Most High Lord

B. Second, the majesty of God

1. The train of His robe filled the temple

a. Eastern poetry: kings displayed their wealth by length of robe... remember the length of the train of Princess Diana’s train
b. That left no grown to stand upon

2. The seraphim

a. "To burn" is the root: i.e. fiery ones
b. Two symbols of fire: love and holiness: i.e. they are consumed with the Love and Holiness of God
|c. Yet they cannot stand, nor show their feet, nor look with unshielded eyes at the glory of The Lord

C. Third, the nature of God

1. Reflected in the praises of the seraphim
2. Holy, Holy, Holy

a. Hebrew: plural of nouns and adjectives makes it superlative
b. Holiness: the central nature of God
c. The Whisper of the Trinity
d. The Shouting declaration of God’s nature
e. The Whole earth is full of His glory
  • in face of the death of Uzziah
  • in face of sin
  • in face of changing circumstances
  • looking around and see the Glory of the Lord

D. The power of God

1. The voice of God shook the threshold
2. The voices of all the seraphim filled the temple
3. The voice of moved it

II. The Sense

A. Awareness of the sovereignty, the majesty, the holiness and the power of God
B. Awareness of the "otherness" of Isaiah

1. Luke 5: 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
2. Rev. 1: 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
3. Daniel 10: 7 "... the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees."
4. The purpose of the law: that sin would become to us exceedingly sinful

Rom. 5: 20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound"

III. The Sending

A. Isaiah’s cleansing

1. His immediate response, "Woe is me, for I am undone!"

a. literally, "destroyed" or cut off i.e. I’m a dead man... I’m doomed
b. That’s the only response of any sensible person in face of the Holiness of God

B. Isaiah’s call

1. How specific was his call?
2. When do you think He wanted Isaiah to respond?
3. The only question was who? Because it was God’s call the what, where, when, why, and how didn’t matter
4. God is calling today and many people are saying, "I wonder who is going to respond? I wonder when something is going to be done about this?" etc.

C. Isaiah’s commitment

1. "Here am I send me!"
2. Grateful response of a cleansed and forgiven person
3. Do you have any idea how much this church could do if each person responded to what God has already called you to do?

  • Have you been cleansed and forgiven?
  • Have you heard the speak to you about doing something?
  • Don’t look around or ask when? Say, "Here am I. Send me."