WHEN ISAIAH SAW THE LORD

Isaiah 6:1-9

Morning Meditation 1/31/2014

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto 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 moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not."

I want to point out seven things that are seen in this great vision of Isaiah.

CONTEMPLATION

Isaiah said in verse one: "I saw." King Uzziah's death probably had a sobering effect on Isaiah. It was a cause for soul searching. I can imagine that the prophet earnestly longed for the presence of God. It is not wrong to do this. It would be better if in searching for the LORD that our search not be in a time of grief and sorrow. But the inspired writer definitely connects Isaiah's encounter with the Lord with Uzziah's death.

One of the things that God used to bring me back to Him was the death of a good friend of my wife and I. She was in her early twenties. I was asked to be a pallbearer, and as we carried Betty to her grave, I realized for the first time young people die. I got right with the Lord and have been serving Him ever since. The next thing I call your attention to is:

CONVICTION

Isaiah said, "I am unclean." Isaiah did not notice himself much in the first five chapters. But there was a rude awakening. I do not know what Uzziah's relationship to Isaiah was but I do know that his death worked a life changing experience in Isaiah's life.

If we are ever to be right with God it will be the result of Holy Spirit conviction. Only God can convince us of sin. Man is madly in love with himself and is ready to defend his self righteousness. And woe be to the man who challenges him on those grounds.

CONFESSION

Isaiah said, "Woe is me! for I am undone." The word "undone" means, "to be dumb or silent; hence, to fail or perish; destroy, be brought to silence, be undone. Isaiah is taking God's side against himself.. When he had the word of God in his hands he managed to come out also. When he saw the LORD high and lifted up, he saw himself the miserable wretched sinner he really was. When one sees the Lord as Isaiah did, he ceases to justify his wrong deeds. He simply takes the place of the sinner and confesses it to God. Next we see,

CLEANSING

"Thy sin is purged." Isaiah 6:6, "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:" The moment Isaiah is willing to get transparent with God, He is ready to forgive and restore. When the unsaved man refuses to repent, i.e., he has to justify himself and he does it with lies. When the unsaved man realizes that God is Omniscient (all knowing) he realizes that the Judge of the quick and the dead knows all about him. He realizes possibly for the first time that he will not be able to deny his sins when he stands before the final judgment. There is only one thing left to do. He must take God's offer of salvation: Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Next,

CALL

The LORD says, "Whom shall I send?" The Lord asks the question. Isaiah volunteers and answers the call. God calls men to do His work. It is not a vocation. One does not take up the ministry like he would to become a doctor or lawyer. First, Isaiah has to get right with God himself. He is now ready to serve. This is always the way it happens. First man gets right with God. God forgives and then He calls. Next we see the word,

CONSECRATION

Isaiah said, "Here am I; send me." Consecration is accomplished when we die to self, take up our cross and follow Him. A consecrated person is one who is set apart to accomplish a given task. Isaiah offered himself to the LORD to be an instrument in God's hands to preach a message that would make him very unpopular with those to whom he was sent but honoring to God in that he was a messenger of grace to those who would open their hearts to the LORD.

COMMISSION

God calls, man is cleansed, man responds, and then God commissions. God says, "And He said Go." God still calls and commissions but only those who are willing.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White