Isaiah's Call

 

Isaiah’s Commission

 

 

Isaiah 6:1-4

 

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

 

     Isaiah is commissioned in this chapter.  The time and place of this event is the same year that King Uzziah died.  Uzziah was King for 52.  He ruled as co regent with his father Amaziah.  He was a prosperous and good king, but his pride led to a bad situation.  He burned incense in the temple and the results was leprosy. 

     It was at this time Isaiah saw the Lord in four manifestations or characteristic.  He was high denoting his authority.  Exalted showing his majesty.  Seated on a throne saying he is sovereign, and the train of his robe filled the temple manifesting his glory.  Above him were angels called seraphim each had six wings, two covering their face, two their feet and two they were flying.  This is how we know angel’s fly.  They were calling to each other:” Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty”.  Three Holies for each of the Trinity.  The whole earth is full and manifesting his glory.  The earth shows its divine designer.  The sounds of their voices had a resonating effect on the temple.  It shook and was filled with smoke.

 

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”  6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people:  “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’  10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull

and close their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

 

Isaiah 6:5-10

 

     Isaiah then reacts he has seen the Lord and he realizes that his one fault and failure is that he is a man of unclean lips, and he lives among people with the same problem.  He has seen the Lord and the holiness and truth of the Lord has exposed his sin, fault, and failure.

     The Lord immediately remedies the situation by providing an answer.  Redemption is always the answer.  In this case an angel takes a live coal from off the altar and applies it to his lips and mouth.  Three things happen.  The point of contact has beautifully taken care of the problem.  His guilt has been taken away and his sin has been forgiven.  The Lord is Jehovah Jireh.  He always meets us at our point of need.

     The Lord asks the question, “whom shall l send and who will go for us.  Isaiah immediately offers himself.  Isaiah is sent with an understanding that his audience will hear but not understand.  Seeing but not perceive.  There hearts have become calloused, their ears dull and their eyes closed.  This is because of two reasons.  They have exchanged the creation for the creator, so the Lord gave them over and their sin has blinded them.  This has given the inability to see, hear, and understand.  If they did they could turn and be healed.    

 

11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered:  “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.  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.”

 

     Isaiah then asks how long will he have to preach and how long will the assignment be?  The Lord tells him that until the cities lie ruined and no longer habitable.  The fields will be ruined.  The Lord will send the people into exile.  This is a prophecy of the exile for 70 years. 

    He also reveals there will be a remnant.  About a tenth of the people will remain.  This of course was Jeremiah and those that he was with until they chose to go to Egypt.  Prophetically, the terebinth and oak trees are known for their strength and endurance when cut down they can grow back.  This means like a stump still can grow so Israel will return one day.  That has happened.