How Are We To Live Our Lives – Like Isaiah
(Isaiah 6:8)
Introduction:How are we to live our lives? That is the question that we have been considering for several evening services. Thus far we have considered…
1. Paul who said in Philippians 3, “I follow after,” and then he said “(I am) forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
2. We have considered the psalmist who said in Psalms 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
3. We have already considered Hebrews 11, where we are told in verse 8 that “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
4. We have considered Genesis 5 where we are twice told that “Enoch walked with God” (vs. 22, 24).
5. We have considered 2 Chronicles 19:3, where the prophet Jehu said to Jehoshaphat, “There are good things found in thee, in that thou … hast prepared thine heart to seek God.”
6. We have considered Hebrews 11:23-28 where Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”
7. We have considered Daniel 6 where Daniel was communing with God at all times, even when his continued devotion to God threatened his life.
8. James 5:11 says, “Ye have heard of the patience of Job,” and as we considered the book of Job we talked about his patience and how through all of the trials in his life, God brought Job into a closer relationship with Himself.
9. We have considered Gideon in Judges 6 and 7, and the exemplary point of Gideon’s life is that he stood firm even when his friends were few in number, and even when he felt inadequate within himself to do anything for God.
Tonight from this great Old Testament book of Isaiah, we find our text in chapter 6, where Isaiah said, “Send Me!” And the exemplary point in Isaiah’s life here is that he consecrated himself to God’s work.
This is a key chapter in Isaiah’s experience with God and in his service for the Lord. In this chapter…
I. Isaiah Has A Revelationvs. 1-4
A. He Saw Adonai On The Thronevs. 1
The word “Lord” in Isaiah 6:1 is not the word “Jehovah” which would suggest the essence of His divinity, but it is the word “Adonai” which suggests the essence of His dominion. The “throne” in verse 1 and the word “King” in verse 5 reinforces this point as does the image of the flowing train, which according to the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, was a badge of dignity in the East.
See God upon his throne, and that throne high and lifted up, not only above other thrones, as it transcends them, but over other thrones, as it rules and commands them. (From Matthew Henry's Commentary)
According to John 12:41, Isaiah saw Christ here!
(John 12:35-41) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. {36} While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. {37} But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: {38} That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? {39} Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, {40} He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. {41} These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
B. He Saw The Attendants In The Templevs. 2
The “Seraphims” - means “burners.” Just as it was said of Zacharias in Luke 1:9 that “According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord;” it seems to have been the role of the Seraphim to burn in God’s presence.
(Psalm 104:4) Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
The fire of God's glory ignited the burners and caused them to have ...
1. A Covered Facewith twain he covered his face (Heads Bowed)
2. Covered Feetwith twain he covered his feet (Knees Bowed)
3. Flightand with twain he did fly(Hearts Burning)
The Emmaus Road Disciples upon realizing that it was Christ that had walked and talked with them - (Luke 24:32) And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
C. He Saw The Adoration Threefoldvs. 3
1. Holy Father
2. Holy Son
3. Holy Spirit
D. He Saw The Tremendous Aftereffect Of God’s Presencevs. 4
1. Shaking
2. Smoking
II. Isaiah Has A Realizationvs. 5
A. He Has A Realization Of Sorrowwoe
The six woes of Chapter 5: 8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22
woe - (#188) 'owy (o'-ee); (in the sense of crying out after); lamentation; also interjectionally Oh!: KJV-- alas, woe.
(Judges 6:22) And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
(Judges 13:22) And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
Gideon and Manoah realized that while it may have been something wonderful to see God, it was also something woeful to stand in the awesome presence of God.
B. He Has A Realization Of Silenceundone
undone - (#1820) damah (daw-mam'); a primitive root; to be dumb or silent; hence, to fail or perish; trans. to destroy:
KJV-- cease, be cut down (off), destroy, be brought to silence, be undone, X utterly.
He is rendered speechless in God's presence. He could offer no word of protest, no word of pride; the only acceptable word would have been a word of praise and Isaiah felt too unclean to offer so noble a word.
C. He Has A Realization Of Sinunclean
unclean - (#2931) tame' (taw-may'); foul in a ceremonial or moral or religious sense: KJV-- defiled, + infamous, polluted (-tion), unclean.
D. He Has A Realization Of His Surroundingsin the midst
in the midst - (#8432) tavek (taw'-vek); from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre:
KJV-- among (-st), X between, half, X (therewhere-), in (-to), middle, mid [-night], midst (among), X out (of), X through, X with (-in).
Isaiah found himself right in the middle of all the wickedness that was going on. It seems that in God's presence there is a clear perception unclouded by pretense, unaffected by our preferences and personalities!
III. Isaiah Has A Restorationvs. 6-7
(Isaiah 6:6-7) 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: {7} 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.
A. There Is An Agent Of Cleansingfire
(Malachi 3:1-3)Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. (2) But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (3) And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
B. There Is An Altar Of Consecrationaltar
[From off the altar] The altar of burnt offering. This stood in the court of the priests, in front of the temple
(From Barnes’ Notes)
C. There Is An Absence Of Corruptiontaken away purged
taken away – Hebrew 5493 cuwr (soor); or suwr (Hosea 9:12) (soor); a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative):
purged – to cancel
D. There Is An Awareness Of CorrectionLo
This is the prolonging of a primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise) if: -behold, if, lo, though.
IV. Isaiah Has A Responsibilityvs. 8-13
(Isaiah 6:8) 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.
A. There Is An Opportunity For Servicewho will go ...?
B. There Is An Offering Of SelfHere am I, send me!
C. There Is An Order To SpeakGo and tell….
(Isaiah 6:9) And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
D. There Is An Obstinate Societyvs. 9-10
The next few verses has an immediate application to Isaiah’s day, but Christ embraces the truth and applies it to the gospel age
(Matthew 13:10-17) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? {11} He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. {12} For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. {13} Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. {14} And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: {15} For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. {16} But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. {17} For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Conclusion:Charles Spurgeon was saved on January 6, 1850, at the age of 15, and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of consecration: O great and unsearchable God, who knowest my heart, and triest all my ways; with a humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit, I yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own reasonable sacrifice, I return to Thee Thine own. I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Thine; whilst I am on earth, I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever! Amen.
(Charles Spurgeon, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 235)