August 06, 2024 | Be God's Light
Isaiah Is Commissioned by God
Scripture: Isaiah 6(NIV)
1 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.
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.”
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.”
Devotional
With sixty-six chapters, Isaiah is the longest of the prophetic books. We will cover four of those chapters this week, and another three from later in the book in a few weeks.
Isaiah ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah. Today’s reading sets his call in the context of the death of King Uzziah, who had led the people well, establishing a strong military, agriculture, infrastructure, and economy. However, he allowed the people to continue their ungodly practices of idol worship, and he himself tried to usurp the priests’ duties in the temple.
Because of their unfaithfulness, Isaiah warned them that judgment was coming through invading nations. Review these portions of Isaiah’s encounter with God. What does each teach you?
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”
(v. 1)
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.
(v. 2)
And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. (v. 3-4)
“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (v. 7)
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!” (v. 8)
He said, “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’” (v. 9)
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, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.” (v. 11-12)
Poem
Woe Is Me!
Woe is me
If I stand alone
Before the Holy
Unclean
Foul lipped
Descendant of Adam
Woe is me
If I stand alone
Before the Enemy
Unarmored
Silent voiced
Uncircumcised heart
Woe is me
If I stand alone
Before the council
Unprepared
Forgotten prayer
Denyer of my Savior
Woe is me
If I stand alone
Before the Throne
Unclothed
Forsaken Grace
Without Christ’s blood
