Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 6

Verses 1-13

1. Intro:
   1. Whom is God going to send to pierce the spiritual darkness of Judah? Isaiah. But 1^st, he had to make Isaiah aware of his own dimness & God’s atoning Grace.
   2. Watch the natural progression: When you See God –Then you See your Sin – Then you See your Mission!
2. ISAIAH’S CALL, CONFESSION & COMMISSION!
   1. 7 steps of a believer.
   2. [1] FOCUSING! (1)
   3. Focus…on God! – “I saw the Lord”
   4. This is Adoni – Isaiah had a life changing vision of…Jesus!
      1. Jn.12:40,41(NIV) “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.”
   5. Uzziah(Azzariah) – This is more than a date on a calendar.
      1. Uzziah was basically a “good” king.
      2. Once a great hero & king to Isaiah. Until he became powerful… then, he forgot God…then, disobeyed his clear instructions, & so was afflicted w/leprosy.
      3. He was struck w/Leprosy 10 years before he died(2 Chron.26:16-20)
         1. His heart was lifted up. Entered temple/burnt incense. Leprosy broke out on forehead. Azariah+80 threw him out.
      4. Q: What would happen to the country w/him now gone?
      5. Well, we have a King on a heavenly throne that He will always occupy, & always be in control of(5b).
      6. When things on earth are discouraging, start looking at things from heavens point of view.
   6. We normally start evangelism on man’s awfulness. But I believe we must start on God’s Awesomeness!
      1. The Lord becomes a standard in which to be measured by.
         1. We must see his White-Holiness; Then we will see our black-sinfulness! (Show contrast: white paper w/black spot)
      2. We must be contrasted with the Majesty of God!
      3. Examples:
      4. Job(42:5-6) "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."
      5. Peter(Lk.5:8) (“Let down your nets”) “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
      6. John(Rev.1:7) “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.”
   7. High & lifted up – refer to Him not His throne!
   8. [2] PROCLAIMING! (2-4)
   9. Proclaim…His Power & Glory! – “Holy, Holy, Holy…”
   10. Seraphim – Lit. “Burning one’s”.
       1. In humility they cover their faces; in respect they cover their feet.
       2. Q: What do you have uncovered? (i.e. pride)
   11. When you worship focus on God’s holiness, sovereignty, & glory.
   12. The 3-fold repetition of Holy is unprecedented in all of Scripture!
       1. Doubled yes. That was the Hebraic style to show superlative.
          1. But here it is raised to the 3^rd power!
       2. Q: But what else do you know that was in triple?
       3. Here’s a quote to crunch: “Holiness is the Lord’s hidden glory; Glory is the Lord’s omnipresent holiness!” (J. Alec Motyer; pg.71)
          1. Moses said show me your Glory! – So, God could reveal part of His glory that was near to Moses. But couldn’t show him his hidden Glory(i.e. all of it!)
   13. Wow, the whole earth is filled w/His glory!
       1. Q: How come the whole earth can’t see it? (Sin. No one has seen God at any time.)
   14. [3] CONFESSING! (5)
   15. Confess…personal & corporate sin! – “I am undone…people of unclean lips”
       1. He admitted he was a sinner.
       2. Any encounter w/God should lead to an awareness of our uncleanness!
       3. Jeremiah’s mouth was touched by God also! “Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” (Jer.1:9)
   16. [4] CLEANSING! (6,7)
   17. Cleanse…iniquity & sin! – “Your iniquity is taken away & your sin purged.”
   18. His lips were now purified. His sin was taken away. Isaiah was now prepared to preach a pure message.
       1. Where there’s an altar there is a sacrifice, where there is a sacrifice there is forgiveness & cleansing!
   19. Q: Has God touched your mouth? Are your lips clean?
       1. Both, clean from what we shouldn’t say? And used for what we should be saying?
       2. We all need clean lips!
       3. The effective Christian must 1^st be the cleansed Christian.
   20. [5] LISTENING! (8a)
   21. Listen…to the Lord! – “I heard the voice of the Lord”
   22. Here, the Lord gives the prophet an opportunity to respond.
       1. Note: it is a question.
       2. He commissioned different people in different ways!
          1. Not all prophets had to be thrown off a boat!
       3. I believe God wants willing soldiers that enlist, over those taken in a forced draft!
       4. Q: When it comes to service, which category would you fit in?
   23. Us – trinity implied!
   24. An elder saint was ministering to a younger man about following the call of the Lord. The young man finally said, “But, I have never felt any compelling call to give my life in that way”. “But, are you w/in calling distance?” was the elder mans reply.
   25. [6] RESPONDING! (8b)
   26. Respond…to His voice! – “Here I am! Send me.”
   27. Isaiah volunteered.
       1. Isaiah makes it very clear, “I’m ready for anything Sir!”
   28. Q: At what point should you be saying, “Here am I. Send me.”?
       1. Q: What costs do you foresee?
   29. I asked, "Why doesn't somebody do something?" Then I realized I am somebody.
   30. [7] DISCIPLE-ING! (9)
   31. Disciple…others! – “Go & tell”
   32. True worship leads to service.
       1. You hear God’s call & you respond w/obedience.
       2. In the bible holiness & service always go together.
          1. Q: Where are you serving presently?
       3. This go & tell is a lifetime’s service, not a short-term excitement!
       4. “Every heart w/o Jesus is a mission field; every heart w/Jesus should be a missionary!” (Bud Schaeffer)
       5. Joining Christianity is joining a mission’s society!
   33. Results of Disciple-ing! (9b-13)
       1. God did not give Isaiah an easy message to preach. - Not even a receptive people!
          1. Matter of fact he was told beforehand, when he did preach to them their hearts would grow harder & harder.
          2. They would have dull hearts, heavy ears, & closed eyes.
       2. “But when you have seen the Lord & felt His touch, you can obey His will…w/o fear!” (Warren Wiersbe, With the Word; pg.457)
       3. Our call, like Isaiah’s, is a call only to faithfulness & to leave success to God!
       4. The call to go & tell can be costly! - But so can staying when you’ve been told to go!!!
          1. Story – Read April 7 quote, from Bread for each Day.
   34. The Good News of Grace & Forgiveness has always been a double-edged sword!
       1. Mal.4:1,2 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
       2. Every message that brings conversion will also bring condemnation!
   35. (13) As an answer to “Lord, how long?”(though not a precise one) it contains the promise that a remnant will never die.
       1. The stump – Like a sprout from a stump, a remnant – 1 tenth of the people would remain in the land (these were the poor that Nebuchadnezzar would allow to stay behind)
   36. Tonight can you say, here I am send me?
       The story is told of a college professor who visited the Fiji Islands. Being agnostic, he critically remarked to an elderly chief, "You're a great leader, but it's a pity you've been taken in by those foreign missionaries. They only want to get rich through you. No one believes the Bible anymore. People are tired of the threadbare story of Christ dying on a cross for the sins of mankind. They know better now. I'm sorry you've been so foolish as to accept their story."
       The old chief's eyes flashed as he answered, "See that great rock over there? On it we smashed the heads of our victims. Notice the furnace next to it? In that oven we formerly roasted the bodies of our enemies. If it hadn't been for those good missionaries and the love of Jesus that changed us from cannibals into Christians, you'd never leave this place alive! You'd better thank the Lord for the Gospel; otherwise we'd already be feasting on you. If it weren't for the Bible, you'd now be our supper!