“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.” (Isa 6:5 NIV)
Can you imagine having a vision of the LORD, seated exalted on his throne, surrounded by six-winged seraphim, shaking the temple, with their singing "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."?
I think we'd all be crying "Woe is me!" We will all be crying "Woe is me!"
One of the seraphim takes a live coal from the altar and touches Isaiah's lips and says, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Isa 6:6)
Now that Isaiah has been made clean, he hears the voice of the LORD saying "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, “Here am I. Send me!" (vs 8)
And.... God sends him. He sends him to the people.
"He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
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.”" (Isa 6:9-10)
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
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.”" (Isa 6:9-10)
This prophecy is to be fulfilled when the cities lie in ruins, the people have been dispersed from the land, and the land is utterly forsaken, when; hopefully, the ears, eyes, and hearts of the people will be opened and they will turn and once again worship and serve the LORD.
Isaiah's response to the LORD reminds me of the song, "Here, I am, LORD." It is a favorite among many people. Whenever, we sing it, I wonder if they actually know what they are committing to when they sing with such gusto: "Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord? I have heard You calling in the night. I
will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart."
When God asks you to go, when He calls you to do something, to be a messenger for His Word, an appropriate response would be to say yes. That yes, if we have any sense, would drop us on our faces to the ground in humility and trepidation of the awesomeness of God and the . What is more God is sending us out to share His Word. He is not saying that we get to sit at home in front of our television sets and just think about it. He is saying go - go to a people who have ears, but cannot hear; eyes, but cannot see; hearts, but cannot understand. Go to them with my Word, that they might hear and turn and be healed. Now, if you have any delusion that bringing the Word of the LORD to others is going to be easy, think again!
According to the Book of Hebrews 4:12. "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
In my mind, I often picture the Word of God as a two-edged sword. One edge is used to put to death. That side is the law. The other side of the sword, when heated, has been used on battle fields to cicatrize wounds, bringing healing and wholeness, even new life to those who have been wounded. This side of the sword represents, of course, the gospel. This two-edged sword, that is the Word of God, will not be welcomed by everyone. And, if you plan on actually answering the call to follow Jesus, and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom to all people, please know, that this is Almighty God sending you out. I'd be taking this call a little more seriously than just thinking about it and putting it off for another day. Might not hurt to consider falling on our faces in humility, as Isaiah did. God is not just giving you a catchy song to sing His praises and definitely not our praises! This is Almighty God who is sending you to bear His Word to the nations, to our neighbors, that they who have been wounded, might be healed. If someone were dying along side the road, would you leave them there to die or would you help them? Would you try to save their life? No mistaking it, you cannot save one soul. But, the Word, who is Jesus the Christ can and does and has. As Christians, you are merely the vessels which brings Christ, who is the Word of God, to the world. But, the vessel does have a purpose which encompasses more than just sitting there. It holds something. It carries something.
Take the commission that the Word of God gave to us seriously, please.... It may not be easy. It might even be downright frightening at times, but go. ".... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)
God's Peace - Pr. J
