Isaiah 6:1-13
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” -Isaiah 6:8
In today’s text, we read of Isaiah who gets a vision of God’s glory (Vs.1-4), followed by a vision of himself (Vs.5-7) and a vision of his ministry (Vs.8). The setting of Isaiah 6 dates to 742 B.C. with the death of King Uzziah, who had been a good king in his early years of rule but became proud as he himself carried the role of priest, whereby God struck him down. The hopes of many probably seemed dashed with the death of the king while his wicked son was soon to take over! It was at this time that God broke through and revealed Himself to Isaiah through a vision.
This vision led him to a response to a deeper confession that brought cleansing, which in turn enabled him to hear the Voice of God. The Spirit quickened Isaiah in taking the challenge for a great commitment on his great calling. We see five stages in this process that can apply to us:
Stage 1: The revelation of God (v 1-2)
Isaiah saw the Lord face to face in an encounter that changed him forever.
Stage 2: The realization of God’s holiness (v 3-4)
Through this encounter, the Lord becomes more than an abstract idea. Isaiah learns of God’s awesome personality.
Stage 3: The recognition of his own sinfulness (v 5)
Isaiah sees the vast distance between God and himself. He sees the infinite contrast and is broken of self.
Stage 4: The renewal of his perspective (v 6-7)
An angel touches the prophet, cleansed him and gave him a new outlook. He is ready to serve.
Stage 5: The response of his life style (v 8)
When God calls, Isaiah eagerly steps forward. A call is marked by a fruitful life.
(Courtesy: The Maxwell Leadership Bible - NKJV)
The king was dead; but Isaiah saw the King of Glory! The awesome and glorious sight revealed his condition. It is most important to see the realization and associated reaction: revelation leads to awareness of sin, awareness leads to confession, confession brings cleansing, cleansing enables to see His Glory and hearing, and the hearing leads to the commission.
The voice of God what Isaiah heard still echoes in our ears today: “Then I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I, send me.” The great challenge of a missionary was readily taken up by Isaiah. This points us to one thing: those who have encountered God will never remain the same; nor will those who have heard His heart’s cry remain in their comfort zone!
The Spirit of the Lord reminds us once again about the Great Commission Jesus gave: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” (Matthew 28:18-20). Are we ready to respond like Isaiah did: “Hear am I! Send me.”? May the Lord help us grow into His likeness and prepare us as a vessel of honor to proclaim the good news!
The Challenge: "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4)