ISAIAH 6
OPENS WITH ISAIAH'S CONVICTION, CLEANSING, & CALL.
Verses 1-2 tell us what the PROPHET ISAIAH SAW.)
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew."
King Uzziah of Judah had a LONG & DISTINGUISHED REIGN, described in 2 Chronicles 26 and in 2 Kings 15:1-7 (AND REMEMBER THIS Uzziah is called Azariah in 2 Kings 15).
DID YOU KNOW...Uzziah BEGAN HIS REIGN when he was only 16 years old, and he reigned 52 years.
OVERALL, HE WAS A GOOD KING.
2 Kings 15:3 TELLS US, "He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done."
AND 2 Chronicles 28:5 says, "He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper."
AND DID YOU KNOW...Uzziah also LED Israel in MILITARY victories over the Philistines and other neighboring nations, and he was a strong king.
ALSO....Uzziah was a energetic builder, planner, and general TOO!
2 Chronicles 26:8 TELLS US, "His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly."
But THE BIBLE TELLS US Uzziah's life ended TRAGICALLY.
WHERE?
2 Chronicles 26:16 TELLS US, "But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. In response, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, and he was an isolated leper until his death."
So, FOR ISAIAH TO SAY....IN THE YEAR KING UZZIAH DIED...IS to say A LOT.
WHY?
It is to say, "In the year a great and wise king died." But it is also to say, "In the year a great and wise king who had a tragic end died."
Isaiah HAD GREAT REASON to be discouraged and disillusioned at the death of King Uzziah, because a great king had passed away, and because his life ended tragically. ISAIAH BASICALLY IS SAYING WHAT WE HAVE ALL SAID IN OUR HEART AND MIND DURING TRAGEDY....WHERE ARE YOU LORD IN ALL THIS???
BUT OUR JESUS ANSWERED ISAIAH'S THOUGHT WITH HIS VISION...ALMOST BEFORE THE THOUGHT LEFT HIS HEART AND HIS MIND...
I SAW the LORD sitting on a throne...Where was the LORD in all this? The LORD was sitting on a throne! God was still enthroned in heaven, and was STILL IN TOTAL COMPLETE CHARGE of all creation, AMEN?
NEVER DOUBT, THEN OR NOW THAT THERE ISSSSS A THRONE IN HEAVEN, and the LORD God sits upon it as the sovereign ruler of the universe! This is central fact of heaven; that there is an occupied throne in heaven.
ALMIGHTY GOD DOES NOT SIT ON A CHAIR...OR HOVER AROUND UP THERE SOMEWHERE.
ANYONE CAN SIT ON A CHAIR...BUT THE SOVEREIGN KING OF ALL KINGS, LORD OF ALL LORDS SITS ON THE THRONE.
JUDGES MAY SIT ON THRONES, KINGS MAY SIT ON THRONES, BUT ONLYYYYYYYYY those with proper authority and sovereignty sit on thrones, AMEN?
Isaiah was not alone in seeing God's throne.
Almost EVERYONE IN THE BIBLE who had a vision of heaven, was taken to heaven, or wrote about heaven SPOKE OF GOD'S THRONE.
The prophet MICHANIAH saw God's throne IN 1 Kings 22:19.
Job saw God's throne IN Job 26:9.
David saw God's throne IN Psalm 9:4 & 7, 11:4.
The Sons of Korah saw God's throne IN Psalm 45:6, & 47:8.
Ethan the Ezrahite saw God's throne IN Psalm 89:14.
Jeremiah saw God's throne IN Lamentations 5:19
Ezekiel saw God's throne IN Ezekiel 1:26, 10:1
Daniel saw God's throne IN Daniel 7:9
The Apostle John saw God's throne IN Revelation 4:1-11.
In fact, the book of Revelation may as well be called "the book of God's throne," because God's throne is specifically mentioned more than 35 times in that book!
AND WE KNOW, THEN AND NOW....THAT THE BOTTOM LINE OF ATHEISM, NEW AGE, & MATERIALISM IS THAT THERE IS NOOOOOOOOOO THRONE.
NO SEAT OF AUTHORTIY.
NO POWER OVER ALL THE UNIVERSE....NOTHING THAT MAN WILL EVER HAVE TO ANSWER TOO.
THE BOTTOM LINE OF HUMANISM IS THAT THERE IS A THRONE...BUT MAN SITS UPON IT.
But the Bible makes it clear that there is a throne in heaven, and no fallen man sits on the throne, but the Lord GOD is enthroned in heaven.
Isaiah may have been depressed or discouraged because a great leader of Judah was no longer on the throne. God in heaven now shows Isaiah, "Don't worry about it, Isaiah. Uzziah may not be on his throne, but I am on My throne."
High and lifted up...The throne was exalted and majestic. The throne set its Occupant in a superior position.
The train of His robe filled the temple...
DID YOU KNOW, IN THAT DAY, Kings of that time would wear robes with long trains, because they were difficult to maneuver and work in. Wearing a long train meant, "I am important enough that I don't have to work. I am a person of honor and dignity. Others must serve me and wait upon me." Essentially, the same is said when a bride wears a dress with a long train today.
God is so honored, so important, so dignified, that the train of His robe filled the temple. That's a long train, AMEN?!
Above it stood SERAPHIM...Surrounding the throne of God are angels known here as seraphim.
In many other passages, these angels are known as cherubim (Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 10:3) or as the living creatures of Revelation 4:6-11. This is the ONLY CHAPTER in the Bible where these creatures are named seraphim.
SOME BIBLE CRITICS & MENTAL ELITIST DEBATE ENDLESSLY IN THEIR STANCE THAT DENY that cherubim and seraphim refer to the SAME BEINGS.
But the name seraphim means, "burning ones."
AND IN Ezekiel 1:13 & Ezekiel 10:15 describes cherubim this SAME WAY... "Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning."
SO NOW I, TOO LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY...SERAPHIM AND CHERUBIM ARE TWO NAMES FOR THE SAME BURNING ONE CREATURES IN HEAVEN!
HOW COOL IS THAT?
ISAIAH SEES AND COUNTS SIX WINGS HERE AND AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE CONFIRMATION OF THAT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IN REVELATION 4:8, JOHN ALSO MENTIONS THEIR SIX WINGS.
WHY THE SIX WINGS?
They NEED the six wings, so each can cover HIS FACE face (to show they are too lowly to look upon the LORD), so each can cover HIS FEET (to hide this "humble" area of the body, so nothing even possibly deficient is seen in the LORD's presence), and so each CAN FLY.
AND HERE IS ANOTHER TRUTH...OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT CONFIRMATION...THE SERAPHIM & CHERUBIM ARE NOT SEXLESS...THEY ARE ALLLLLLL MALE, JUST AS THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN ARE ALL MALE.
HOW COOL IS THAT?
AND REMEMBER TOO....The LORD said to Moses, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live" IN Exodus 33:20.
Apparently the same is true even for angels, so the seraphim cover their faces.
AND YOU NOTICE...The seraphim used four of their wings to express their humility, and used two of their wings to express their willingness and ability to serve God. This is the proper balance.
CHARLES SPURGEON SAYS OF THIS SCRIPTURE..."Thus they have four wings for adoration and two for active energy; four to conceal themselves, and two with which to occupy themselves in service; and we may learn from them that we shall serve God best when we are most deeply reverend and humbled in his presence. Veneration must be in larger proportion than vigor, adoration must exceed activity. As Mary at Jesus' feet was preferred to Martha and her much serving, so must sacred reverence take the first place, and energetic service follow in due course."
Verses 3-4 tells us WHAT ISAIAH HEARD...
"And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke."
One cried to another and said...The seraphim are NOT even directly addressing the LORD God here. They are proclaiming His glorious nature and character to one another, in the presence of the LORD.
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts...
MANY HAVE ASKED...Why do they repeat "holy" three times? Wasn't it enough to simply say that the LORD was "holy" once?
THINK ABOUT IT....IT WAS NOT ENOUGH....BECAUSE OUR GOD IS A TRIUNE GOD....THREE PERSONS IN ONE....THEY WERE IN ESSENCE AND REALITY SAYING...
HOLY IS ALMIGHTY GOD.
HOLY IS JESUS CHRIST.
HOLY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
ALSO DID YOU KNOW...IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE, INTENSITY IS COMMUNICATED BY REPETITION.
To say the LORD is holy says something. To say the LORD is holy, holy, says far more. To say, holy, holy, holy is the LORD is to declare His holiness in the HIGHEST POSSIBLE DEGREE.
SO WHAT does it mean that God is holy, and holy in the highest possible sense? Holiness, at its root, has the IDEA OF APARTNESS.
It describes someone, or something, which is SET APART from other people or things.
An object can be holy if it is SET APART for sacred service.
A person is holy if they are SET APART for God's will and purpose.
SOO WAITAAAAAMINNIT...What is the LORD set apart from?
He is SET APART from creation, in that the Lord GOD is not a creature, and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the Lord GOD would remain, AMEN?
He is SET APART from humanity, in that His "nature" or "essence" is Divine, not human. God is not a super-man or the ultimate man. God is not merely smarter than any man, stronger than any man, older than any man, or better than any man. You can't measure God on man's chart at all.
He is DIVINE, PERFECT, PURE, & SINLESS and we are WICKED, FLAWED, SINFUL, MORTAL humans, AMEN?
Yet, because we are made IN THE IMAGE of God TOLD TO US IN Genesis 1:26-27), humanity is compatible with Divinity.
They ARE different, but they DO NOT automatically oppose each other.
This is HOW Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, could add humanity to His deity when He became a man. Unfallen humanity is not deity, but it is compatible with it, AMEN?
MANKIND NEEDED A BRIDGE, A WAY TO GOD....JESUS CHRIST BECAME THAT BRIDGE, THAT WAY, AMEN?
God's holiness is a part of everything He is and does.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY THAT?
God's power is a holy power.
God's love is a holy love.
God's wisdom is a holy wisdom.
Holiness is not an aspect of God's personality; it is one characteristic of His ENTIRE Being.
The whole earth is full of His glory...The seraphim surrounding the throne of God could see this probably more clearly than Isaiah could. We are often blind to the obvious glory of God all around us. We overlook the sunrise painted by HOLY HANDS FOR US.
WE OVERLOOK RAINBOWS...WE OVERLOOK CHILDREN'S LAUGHTER...THE BIRTH OF A BABY...OR NEW LIFE IN NATURE. THE BEAUTY OF THE FLOWERS AND FIELDS. THE MAJESTY OF MOUNTAINS...THE BREATH-TAKING VIEW OF WATER FALLS...THE RAIN ON OUR FACE...THE GENTLE BREEZE THAT COOLS...THE SUN THAT WARMS US..AND RARELY STOP TO THINK MUCH LESS THANK JESUS FOR THEM...AND REALIZE ALL OF THEM...AS WELL THE NIGHT DARK SKIES LITTERED WITH DIAMOND BRIGHT STARS AND THE MOON TO LIT OUR WAY...IS JESUS SAYING...I AM HERE...I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED...WHAT YOU LIKE...WHAT TOUCHES YOU...AND I HAVE PROVIDED...I KNOW YOU...I AM HERE...I AM THE GREAT I AM...YOU ARE NOT ALONE....I LOVE YOU.
The posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out... The seraphim are majestic beings, and their voice carries weight. When they speak, the door posts of God's throne room shake! The idea may be that Isaiah was watching from the door way, and when the seraphim cried out, he could feel the door posts shake.
Yet these high, majestic beings -perhaps the highest beings in all of God's creation - have ONE PURPOSE...ONE AND ONLY ONE occupation. Their existence is given over to the praise and worship and honor of the LORD God who is enthroned in heaven.
NOW DO WE BEGIN TO SEE HOW POWERFUL PRAISE IS? WHAT IT DOES IN THE HEAVENLY THRONE ROOM....CAN BE BROUGHT AND DONE IN THE EARTH AND OUR LIVES AS WELL.
What could we possibly do that is a higher calling than that?
They sang so powerfully, the door posts were shaken! Shouldn't we sing with the same passion, the same heart, the same intensity? Do those angels have more to thank and praise God for than we do?
The house was filled with smoke...This smoke reminds us of the pillar of cloud that represented the presence of God IN Exodus 13:21-22.
The smoke on Mount Sinai IN Exodus 19:18.
The cloud of God's Shekinah glory that filled the temple IN 1 Kings 8:10-12.
THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT A cloud of glory often marks the PRESENCE of the LORD.
Verse 5 tells us WHAT ISAIAH FELT!
"So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Woe is me, for I am undone...What made Isaiah feel like he was coming apart?
Two things.
First, the sight and sound of the seraphim.
Second, the vision of the Lord GOD.
When Isaiah saw the LORD, he knew what kind of man he was. As poorly as he compared to the seraphim, that was nothing in relation to how he compared to the LORD. This vision/actual experience of the throne of God did NOT immediately make Isaiah feel good. The more clearly he saw the LORD, the more clearly he saw how bad his state was.
JUST AS THE BIBLE TELLS US...THAT WHILE DEMONS TREMBLED IN FEAR, HID, AND FLED FROM THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST...THOSE HE LOOKED AT FACE TO FACE, WEPT IN WONDER, AWE, AND SHAME...FOR THEY SAW THEMSELVES FOR WHO AND WHAT THEY REALLY WERE COMPARED TO THE PRECIOUS PURE PRICELESS FACE OF LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN?
HERE TOO...Isaiah's deep sense of depravity is consistent with the experience of other godly men in the presence of the LORD.
REMEMBER Job IN Job 42:5-6.
Daniel IN Daniel 10:15-17.
Peter IN Luke 5:8.
John IN Revelation 1:7 EACH HAD SIMILAR experiences.
Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips...Isaiah SAW his sinfulness, and the sinfulness of his people, mainly in terms of sinful SPEECH.
By nature, our lips are full of flattery and false intent:
Psalm 12:2 SAYS,"With flattering lips and a double heart they speak."
By nature, our lips lie and are proud:
Psalm 31:18 SAYS, "Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous."
By nature, our lips deceive:
Psalm 34:13 SAYS, "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit."
By nature, our lips are violent:
Psalm 59:7 SAYS, "Swords are in their lips."
By nature, our lips bring death to others:
Psalm 140:3 SAYS, "The poison of asps is under their lips."
Isaiah did NOT think for a moment that this was his ONLY sin, but he saw that this was an example of the great and incurable disease of sin in him and his people.
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts...Isaiah was a righteous, godly man by all outward appearance. Yet when he saw the enthroned King, the LORD of hosts, he saw how sinful he was in comparison.
Isaiah's life may have been as brilliant as a diamond. But when you lay a diamond against a perfectly black background, and have the right light upon it, you can see every flaw and imperfection - flaws that were invisible before. Even so, when Isaiah's righteous life lay against the background of God's perfection, it looked different.
Verse 6 tells us THE CLEANSING OF THE PROPHET, when a seraphim brings a coal from the altar.
"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar."
One of the seraphim flew to me...These angelic beings, surrounding the throne of God, ministered TO Isaiah. One flew to Isaiah with a live coal - which means the coal was still hot and burning. It was so hot that even an angel had to use the tongs from the altar.
The altar...This must be heaven's version of the altar of incense that was set before the holy of holies in the tabernacle of God TOLD TO US IN Exodus 30:1-10. We know that the earthly tabernacle God instructed Moses to build was made after the pattern of a heavenly reality IN Exodus 25:9, AMEN?
The throne is for God; that is where He rules and reigns. The altar is for us; that is where we find cleansing and purging from sin. We should never confuse the two!
Verse 7 tells us A coal from the altar cleanses Isaiah's lips.
"And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged."
And he touched my mouth with it...This must have been painful; a burning hot coal applied to the lips, one of the more sensitive areas of the body. Yet, nothing is written that Isaiah reacted in pain. Either there was no pain, because of a special blessing by God, or the pain did not matter because of the majesty of the surroundings and the goodness of the cleansing, AMEN?
CHARLES SPURGEON SAYS OF THIS SCRIPTURE, "Isaiah knew he did not serve the LORD like these seraphim, the burning ones. So God said, "I will light a fire in you, also!" That is why a burning coal was used to purify Isaiah. "Jehovah, who is a consuming fire, can only fitly be served by those who are on fire, whether they be angels or men."
Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged...Isaiah's sin had to be burned away; the fire of judgment was applied to his place of sin.
This WAS a spiritual transaction.
WHY?
If one has a sinful mouth, it will do NOTHING to place a burning hot coal on their lips. That will NOT take away or purge their sin.
Yet, the same principle works on our behalf in regard to Jesus' work on Calvary. Our sin was placed UPON JESUS, and He WAS BURNED with the fire of God's JUDGMENT/WRATH. Yet because He was holy and righteous Himself, the fire of God's judgment did NOT harm Him; it ONLY BURNED AWAY THE SIN COVERING HIM...our sin.
Once Isaiah had met with the LORD, been convicted of his sin, and cleansed from its guilt, then he WAS READY, EQUIPPED to serve God.
Verse 8 tells us GOD CALLS, THE COMMISSION OF THE PROPHET & ISAIAH RESPONDS.
"Also 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."
Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?...God looked for someone to send. He wanted someone to go.
SOME HAVE SAID...WHY DID GOD HAVE TO ASK? HE ALREADY KNEW WHO TO SEND AND WHO WOULD GO, RIGHT?
FREEWILL CHOICE STEPS IN HERE.
God WANTS TO REACH THE ENTIRE WORLD, AND HE NEEDS TO REACH IT THROUGH WILLING PEOPLE. WHAT GOD WAS AND IS ASKING AND WAITING FOR THEN AND NOW...WHO IS WILLING...WHO IS READY....WHO WILL GO OF THEIR OWN FREEWILL CHOICE AND LOVE OF ME?
How strange it is that this God of majesty, sovereignty, and power asks for volunteers! He could easily create robots to do His work, or command angels to carry out His will. But God wants willing, surrendered servants. Have you been waiting for God to force you to serve Him? IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
JESUS WANTS VOLUNTEERS, AMEN?
Whom shall I send means that the missionary, the Christian worker, the witness of Jesus Christ, IS CALLED AND IS SENT.
This is a DIVINE commission. Who will go for Us means that the missionary, the Christian worker, the witness of Jesus Christ, has decided to go. Here we see a cooperation of the divine sent and the human will go.
AND DID YOU NOTICE...ONCE AGAIN...HERE IS ANOTHER REFERENCE TO OUR TRIUNE GOD....THE TRINITY.
WHO IS ASKING I or Us? It seems to be the same Person speaking in both the singular and the plural.
It is THE SAME Person!
Here am I! Send me...Isaiah emphatically answered God's call. He did NOT hesitate. Isaiah WANTED to be the answer to God's question.
SO WHAT CREATED this kind of heart in Isaiah?
FIRST, he had a heart that had been IN the presence of God.
SECOND, he had a heart that KNEW its own sinfulness.
THIRD, he had a heart that knew THE NEED among the people, the need for God's word.
FOURTH, he had a heart that had been TOUCHED by God's cleansing fire.
FIFTH, he had a heart that HEARD God's heart to reach the nations.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER....ISAIAH didn't say, "Here I am, I will go." Isaiah would NOT go at all unless he KNEW he was sent BY the LORD. Many are quick to say, "Here I am, I will go" but NEVER WAIT for the LORD to send them.
Verses 9-10 tells is ISAIAH'S MISSION DESCRIBED BY GOD.
"And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."
And He said, "Go": When we say, "Here am I! Send me" to the LORD, we should expect that He will say "Go." He may say, "Go and serve Me here" or "Go and serve me there" or "Go and be prepared for future service," but God always has a "Go" for us!
AND FOR THE FEMINISTS OUT THERE, AND PAGANS OUT THERE WHO SAY GOD IS A SHE...HEAR YOU GO...ONCE AGAIN...."HEEEEEEEEE SAID, GO!"
WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE MEAN....?
GOD told Isaiah to go and preach to a people who WOULD NOT SEE, WOULD NOT HEAR, WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND AND WOULD NOT RESPOND, so that their guilt would be certain.
Trapp wrote, GOD TOLD ISAIAH...HE WOULD "Preach them to hell."
AND THIS VERSE RIGHT HERE BRINGS TO MIND THE LOST AND REJECTING AND UNSAVED...STANDING BEFORE JESUS AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT AND AS JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW 7:21-23..."LORD LORD..." AND JESUS RESPONSE...IN VERSE 23..."And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
IN OTHER WORDS, JUST AS WOULD BE IN THE DAYS OF ISAIAH WHEN HE PREACHED THE WORD, THE WARNINGS, THE OFFERING OF REPENTANCE, TURNING BACK TO GOD...THEY IGNORED HIM, MOCKED HIM, RIDICULED HIM...BUT EVERY EAR THAT HEARD AND REJECTED AND DISMISSED THE PROPHET ISAIAH...CHOSE THE WAITING PRISON OF HELL AND AND AN ETERNITY IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
AND THINK ABOUT THIS..ISAIAH WAS CALLED, HE RESPONDED AND THEN GOD BASICALLY TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD PREACH TO AN INTENTIONAL/WILLING DEAF DUMB, BLIND PEOPLE...
WE KNOW NOAH COULD HAVE SYMPATHIZED WITH ISAIAH. THERE WERE ESTIMATED 7 BILLION ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH AT THE TIME OF THE FLOOD & NOAH PREACHED GOD'S WORD FOR WHAT....120 YEARS...AND NOT ONE PERSON...NOT ONE, SAVE THE 8 PEOPLE IN NOAH'S FAMILY WERE SAVED AND SPARED THE FLOOD THAT DESTROYED ALL MANKIND.
THOSE WHO ARE CALLED...ARE EXCITED....THEIR BIBLE STUDIES SHOW IT, THEIR SERMONS SHOW IT, THEIR WITNESSING SHOWS IT....THEIR WALK SHOWS IT...AND YET NO ONE HEARS...NO ONE COMES FORWARD....NO ONE IS TOUCHED...NO ONE REPENTS...NO ONE ACCEPTS THE SALVATION GIFT JESUS PAID FOR... HOW HEAR BREAKING IS THAT FOR A CHRISTIAN WHO LOVES JESUS?
BUT RIGHT HERE....GOD TOLD ISAIAH IN ADVANCE...IT WILL BE SAD FOR YOU...IT WILL BE FRUSTRATING FOR YOU...THE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR IT....BUT YOU ISAIAH ARE MY WITNESS...YOUR LIFE, YOUR PREACHING WILL TESTIFY AGAINST THEM AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.
YOU ARE DOING WHAT I CALLED YOU TO DO. I HAVE OFFERED ALL THAT I CAN...IT IS UP TO THEM. AND THEY WILLLLLLLLLL REJECT ME....BUT THEY CAN NEVER SAY...AS JESUS SAID....LORD LORD..." BECAUSE IN THAT MOMENT, JESUS CHRIST WILL REPLAY ISAIAH'S WITNESSING, PREACHING THAT THEY SAW, THEY HEARD, THEY UNDERSTOOD BUT REJECTED...
NONE WILL HAVE AN EXCUSE BEFORE ME!
And understand with their heart, and return and be healed...This shows what the word of God CAN ACCOMPLISH when it is received with open eyes, ears, and heart. It brings understanding to our heart, it makes us return, and it brings healing to our lives. If you are under the word of God and these things aren't happening to you, ask God to work with your eyes, ears, and heart, AMEN?
Verses 11-13 tells us Isaiah is told how long he must prophecy this way.
"Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered: "Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate, the LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, and will return and be for consuming, as a terebinth tree or as an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump."
Lord, how long?...This is a logical question from anyone who is given such a difficult commission. "I have to preach to those who won't hear, and their rejection of my message will ultimately seal their doom? How long will I have to serve in that kind of ministry?"
GOD'S answer...Preach until destruction comes (Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant). Preach in hope of the restoration of a remnant (yet a tenth will be in it, and will return). Even though Isaiah's ministry was difficult, it was not without hope.
And be for consuming...The remnant will indeed return, but even the remnant will eventually be judged. Israel was not done being disobedient when they returned from the Babylonian captivity, and God was not done bringing His judgment on a disobedient Israel.
We would expect this dramatic call of Isaiah to open the book. But the Bible clearly states that the message is more important that the messenger. Isaiah's message was more important than Isaiah the messenger.
AND ONCE AGAIN...IN ISAIAH 6, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF MAKES AN APPEARANCE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, BECAUSE WE KNOW WHEN ISAIAH SAWWWWWW THE LORD, he SAW God in the Second Person of the Trinity, he saw Jesus before He added humanity to His deity.
AND AS ALWAYS THE NEW TESTAMENT AFFIRMS AND CONFIRMS THE OLD TESTAMENT, AMEN?
We know this because the Apostle John quotes Isaiah 6:10, and under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, adds: "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him" IN John 12:41.