Isaiah 6

The Initial Vision of Isaiah

Message One

It is generally agreed that a number of interesting things happened in and around the death of Uzziah in 739 or 740 B.C.

Isa 6:1 It was in this year that Israel as a people was given up to hardness of heart, and as a kingdom and country to devastation and annihilation by the imperial power of the world. How significant a fact, as Jerome observes in connection with this passage, that the year of Uzziah's death should be the year in which Romulus was born; and that it was only a short time after the death of Uzziah (viz., 754 BC according to Varro's chronology) that Rome itself was founded! The national glory of Israel died out with king Uzziah, and has never revived to this day. (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Isa 6:1 Uzziah reigned fifty-two years (809 BC - 758 BC). This lengthened period was just the same to the kingdom of Judah as the shorter age of Solomon to that of all Israel, viz., a time of vigorous and prosperous peace, in which the nation was completely overwhelmed with manifestations of divine love. But the riches of divine goodness had no more influence upon it, than the troubles through which it had passed before. And now the eventful change took place in the relation between Israel and Jehovah, of which Isaiah was chosen to be the instrument before and above all other prophets. The year in which all this occurred was the year of Uzziah's death. It was in this year that Israel as a people was given up to hardness of heart, and as a kingdom and country to devastation and annihilation by the imperial power of the world. (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

This begins Isaiah's ministry. He has introduced us to his message, which is the most important thing in his mind, and now he tells us how he came to have such a message.

God had visited him. This simple truth and reality contains volumes of information about what we should and should not expect from God's ministers.

So far as we know, Isaiah was not praying for such an encounter, nor was he expecting to be selected to be a prophet and a spokesman for God. God's intervention in his life seems to have been unexpected, a total surprise. By this we see that the time and the manner of Isaiah's call was a matter of God's sovereign good pleasure.

He selected a man who by his own admission was a 'man of unclean lips.' By this we deduce that he was not known as a kind and gentle person, but rather one with a sharp and wicked tongue. How can such a person speak for God, he will want to know?

We see also that the issue of God's calling makes the prophet answerable only to the One Who called him. This will be absolutely necessary in the ministry of Isaiah because he will be told at the outset that his ministry is going to be unsuccessful. People will not listen, will not heed his warnings and his instructions.

This raises the question of what it means to be successful in the ministry. Many in our day believe that the outward results are the only measure of a minister's worth. Yet God's word does not ever hold this as the standard. It is faithfulness to the task for which the man was called that makes or breaks him as a success by biblical standards.

Remember that the apostle Paul warned Timothy that 'the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching.' Then he admonished Timothy to be faithful nonetheless.

2 Tim 4:3-5

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (KJV)

We see the nature of the call of God. Those who are called to the ministry are responding to the voice of God not the circumstances around them. 'Who will go for us,' God asks, and Isaiah answers, 'send me.' He is motivated by his sense of duty to God primarily and not a sense of duty to man, though that certainly is a part of the equation.

I. Everything begins with God's intervention into the lives of men.

Thus it is of grace. There is nothing that can cause such a thing to happen. When something like this can only be of God, then it likely is of God. This is the way that events are measured in scripture. For example, it is the reason that Elijah required the barrels of water to be poured over his sacrifice on Mt. Carmel when he encountered the prophets of Baal

It seems to me that everything I read in scripture lately has this prominent truth. Nehemiah, (2:8) began his ministry with 'the good hand of God' upon him. Ezra places the beginning of the return of the Jews from captivity with the Lord 'stirring up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia (1:1). Nehemiah continually credits the labors of the people to the hand of God upon them.

Moses affirmed that truth in Psalm 90.

Ps 90:11-12

11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (KJV)

As did David.

Ps 67:1-2

1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. (KJV)

God, not man, is the Source of all things good. He is the Master and Lord of the Universe and governs all that occurs in it. Therefore James could say:

James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

And, then, he followed that affirmation with:

James 1:18

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (KJV)

God Himself is the Source of all that is good and profitable. Every beneficial thing in our world is directly from Him. Even here when Israel is falling into destruction, the warning ministry of the prophet is begun with God revealing Himself to a divinely selected man.

II. When God awakens a person with a vision of Himself, the second thing seen is one's own unworthiness.

We are told by John that this vision was a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory.

John 12:37-41

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. KJV

The first thing he sees, of course, is God. But in an instant the awakened heart realizes that it is unfit for the Presence of God. This is one of the key differences between the truly converted and the religious lost. Those who have religion without saving faith really never understand the depths of their own wickedness so as to be humbled and broken before God concerning them.

Any encounter with God is at the same time wonderful and terrible. It is wonderful that God is so gracious as to condescend to have a direct contact with a human being. The disparity of natures between the two prohibits any interaction except those that are initiated by God Himself.

Job 9:3-12

3 "If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

4 "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, who has defied Him without harm?

5 "It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, when He overturns them in His anger;

6 Who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;

7 Who commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal upon the stars;

8 Who alone stretches out the heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea;

9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

10 Who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number.

11 "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

12 "Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What art Thou doing?' (NAS)

Job notes that even if God were to pass by us we would not see or notice Him. He must open the window into heaven so as to be seen by men. The most amazing thing about God is His willingness to be involved directly and communicate with men, allowing them to see something of Himself and giving them the spiritual awareness to be able to appreciate what they are seeing.

Some writers believe that Isaiah was at the temple praying when this vision occurred but we must remember that even if that we true there were others there that day who did not see what the prophet saw. His revelation of Himself in grace is always personal, individual, and done in an atmosphere of mercy and kindness.

Contrast this, for example, with the giving of the Law on Sinai where He terrified the Jews, not with His glory but with the clouds which hid His glory from them. Consider His final revelation of Himself when every eye will see Him and the nations of the earth will mourn. All general revelations of God are in judgment whereas His merciful revelations are personal.

III. Again, it is God Who cleanses from sin and guilt, a necessary preparation to Biblical service.

'The coal from the altar,' is a challenging image unless we think about what is being represented to us. The altar is the place of sacrifice and there was only ever one sacrifice that had real value with God, the cross of Jesus Christ. The coal from the altar is only a symbol that Isaiah's sins were purged by His Finished Work.

But notice that the initiation of the event was from heaven. No man can be cleansed of sins unless the One Who sits on the throne condescends to them, sends His cleansing power to him. And yet, God is willing to reach out to a sinful man and cleanse him from his sins. How gracious, merciful, and kind is the One Who sits on the throne of heaven!

We notice also that this is a necessary event in the story. One cannot go 'for' God unless he is on God's side in the great spiritual battle of the world. He cannot be on the side of evil and on the side of God. He must be 'translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God's dear Son.' His first and only loyalty must be to the Will and Purpose of God.

Therefore God must change his nature, cleanse him of his iniquity and give him a new heart. All this is a part of the action described here.

IV. Only then does the prophet hear the call, 'whom shall I send?'

Only after he has confessed his sin and been cleansed by the sacrifice of Christ can one be introduced to the call of God to minister His word to others. And only when his nature is changed does he even have an interest in the things of God such as to volunteer to the task. To hear the call of God and to respond to the call requires that God do a work in one's heart.

It is the new nature which causes the prophet to even hear God's call. It gives him an interest in the things of God, the glory of God and the will of God. He is sympathetic to God's appeal. Notice also that it changes the way that God deals with the man as well. Rather than simply ordering him to serve, God asks a question. Once the Lord has brought one into His kingdom, He deals with Him as a son rather than as a servant.

Gal 4:1-7

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (KJV)

Before God does His work we are all 'children of wrath, even as others,' Eph. 2:3. But when He gives us life, we become heirs, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and God deals with us from that place. 'Who will go,' He asks, knowing that He has already given to Isaiah the spiritual wisdom and willingness to volunteer to serve Him.

Christian service begins with God, with an encounter with God, and answers from devotion to Him and love for what He has done. Only this kind of person is qualified to speak for God. He has certain critical understandings that must be known from the heart so as to be spoken in true and honest conviction.

1. God is 'high and lifted up'

2. He is Holy beyond all description and understanding,

3. Man is a sinner, including the spokesman for God, and must communicate that truth.

4. His work is primarily a work of love for God, a sense of duty provoked by God's graciousness to him.

5. He is willing to speak to men concerning the revealed will of God and not compromise the message for any one or any thing.

V. Being sent by God does not automatically produce a pleasant and successful experience.

Isa 6:9-10

9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (KJV)

The revealed will of God through His spokesman can have one of only two effects. On the one hand it may bring them to conversion, sometimes by the thousands, witness John Baptist. One the other hand, when God does not grant repentance and saving faith, it can bring men to a dullness concerning spiritual things as if they are fat, deaf and blind. Fatness refers to lethargy, an unwillingness to move. Thus the work of the prophet was to be the instrument of God, used by Him to bring Judah to judgment. He called them to repentance but, without faith, they were to lazy to move in that direction. He reproved them for their sins but, apart from the moving of the Holy Spirit, they could not hear him, at least not so as to take seriously his words. He showed them the way back to God, but they refused to see, preferring their blindness to spiritual sight.

I don't think any minister of the gospel, given the choice between John's ministry and Isaiah's would have chosen the one we see here. We want to see positive results. We want to see people energized by the truth, listening to it seriously, and seeing in practical ways the truths of it. But, sadly, this is not everyone's calling. Some are instruments of redemption and others of judgment. Both types of ministry might have something of both in them, as did the preaching of Jesus. But some are destined to be heroes and some villains, preaching the same word faithfully.

Isa 6:9-10   There is a self-hardening in evil, which renders a man thoroughly incorrigible... (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Isa 6:9-10 Nevertheless He directed the prophet to preach repentance, because the judgment of hardness suspended over the people as a whole did not preclude the possibility of the salvation of individuals. (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Not only was the declaration of God that they would not hear a discouragement to Isaiah, the next bad news was the length of time and the ultimate end of his ministry.

Isa 6:11-12

11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. KJV

It is my sincere hope that this will not ultimately be the effect of my preaching.

Yet there was hope even in this discouraging message.

Isa 6:13

13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land." (NIV)

There was a remnant, a small core, in Israel that was going to be saved through the great captivity that was coming. Daniel was a part of it, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nehemiah and Ezra led a small but dedicated group back out of captivity to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Idolatry was never again a problem in Israel.

God is gracious in allowing Isaiah and all His ministers to have some little hope. It is doubtful if any man could remain faithful over a long ministry if he had no positive effect at all. The fact that some hear is an encouragement even when the news is generally bad.

Our encouragement from this can be taken on several levels.

• God is gracious to reveal Himself to men even though they are sinners.
• He condescends to call out men to speak for Him in the world.
• Even when the world generally does not hear, He keeps and preserves a remnant for Himself.

Our great challenge is to make sure that we are a part of that remnant, those who hear the voice of the prophets, who turn from wickedness and conformity to the world, who put away all idolatry from our lives, who worship the God of Heaven in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ.