The Three-Fold Response
Isaiah 6:1-8,
We can almost use Isaiah 6 as a template for our experiences as Christians. When you think about it every one of us has what you could call, (sooner or later, and you have several of them,) life changing experiences; events that change our lives and change the direction of our lives. Certainly you see that with Isaiah. This is probably later on in his ministry. This is not a conversion experience, but he has this vision of God in the temple and there is three distinct responses. We need to keep in mind whenever we come to church, hear the word of God and preach in the spiritual temple of God, we can also have a similar reaction or a three-fold response.
A God-ward Response
When we come to church, when we come to the spiritual temple; when we sit under Biblical preaching, we should see God high and lifted up and we see how great our God is. We should have a better knowledge of God. Hopefully every Sunday we leave with a better understanding of who God is. We see more of his glory, his majesty, his beauty, some of his other graces. The Lord’s Day gives us that opportunity to know him better. But there is another response by Isaiah the prophet.
A Humble Response
He leaves the temple with a clear understanding of himself. Look at verse 5, “Woe is me, I am lost, I am a man of unclean lips.” The prophets of the Old Testament, more times than not they had a very strong message against sinners, against Israel, against Judah, against the north and south in terms of their rebellion, their rejection of God. So they were constantly addressing the stubbornness of God’s people. And one could easily imagine that they could have suffered what you might call a kind of self-righteousness or even a kind of proud pharisaical attitude could seep in and they begin to view themselves better than the people they are preaching to. Sometimes that happens to preachers forgetting how sinful we are.
Isaiah doesn’t make that mistake. He stood in front of God’s holy mirror, he sees himself as a sinner. R.C. Sproul calls it “the trauma of holiness.” I do think that is one of the primary reasons why God brings trials into our lives. To help us get to know God better and to get to know ourselves better. Job, at the back end of his trial said, “I heard of you before by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes,” Job 42. He saw God clearer and he also saw himself in a clearer way. And Isaiah by way of his temple experience, his vision of God comes to a better understanding of God and a better and deeper understanding of himself. I think it is safe to say that as long as we have distorted views of God, we will have distorted views of ourselves. That’s why we need to come to church, to correct our vision; our vision of God, our vision of ourselves.
A Submissive Response
Something else happens here. Look at his response. Upward he sees God; he looks inward he sees himself. Thirdly there is an outward response. After he experiences God’s forgiving grace by way of that burning coal taken from the altar by one of those strange looking creatures called a seraphim, what does he do? He wants to serve God, verse 8, “Here am I, send me.” A willing, eager, gracious sweet submission. We are living in what you could call the consumeristic age. And the consumer, what does he say? “Serve me, give me what I want, what I think I need.” But people who regularly see God and see themselves, should understand their need of forgiveness, just like Isaiah. And their response should be, “Here am I, send me.” They want to be servants of the king. We should always be willing to serve our glorious king. Those who are forgiven much, love much.
When you think of the Lord’s Day let’s pray for a three-fold response: help me see more of God; help me see more of myself; and help me also be willing, more eager to serve others.
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
We can almost use Isaiah 6 as a template for our experiences as Christians. When you think about it every one of us has what you could call, (sooner or later, and you have several of them,) life changing experiences; events that change our lives and change the direction of our lives. Certainly you see that with Isaiah. This is probably later on in his ministry. This is not a conversion experience, but he has this vision of God in the temple and there is three distinct responses. We need to keep in mind whenever we come to church, hear the word of God and preach in the spiritual temple of God, we can also have a similar reaction or a three-fold response.
A God-ward Response
When we come to church, when we come to the spiritual temple; when we sit under Biblical preaching, we should see God high and lifted up and we see how great our God is. We should have a better knowledge of God. Hopefully every Sunday we leave with a better understanding of who God is. We see more of his glory, his majesty, his beauty, some of his other graces. The Lord’s Day gives us that opportunity to know him better. But there is another response by Isaiah the prophet.
A Humble Response
He leaves the temple with a clear understanding of himself. Look at verse 5, “Woe is me, I am lost, I am a man of unclean lips.” The prophets of the Old Testament, more times than not they had a very strong message against sinners, against Israel, against Judah, against the north and south in terms of their rebellion, their rejection of God. So they were constantly addressing the stubbornness of God’s people. And one could easily imagine that they could have suffered what you might call a kind of self-righteousness or even a kind of proud pharisaical attitude could seep in and they begin to view themselves better than the people they are preaching to. Sometimes that happens to preachers forgetting how sinful we are.
Isaiah doesn’t make that mistake. He stood in front of God’s holy mirror, he sees himself as a sinner. R.C. Sproul calls it “the trauma of holiness.” I do think that is one of the primary reasons why God brings trials into our lives. To help us get to know God better and to get to know ourselves better. Job, at the back end of his trial said, “I heard of you before by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes,” Job 42. He saw God clearer and he also saw himself in a clearer way. And Isaiah by way of his temple experience, his vision of God comes to a better understanding of God and a better and deeper understanding of himself. I think it is safe to say that as long as we have distorted views of God, we will have distorted views of ourselves. That’s why we need to come to church, to correct our vision; our vision of God, our vision of ourselves.
A Submissive Response
Something else happens here. Look at his response. Upward he sees God; he looks inward he sees himself. Thirdly there is an outward response. After he experiences God’s forgiving grace by way of that burning coal taken from the altar by one of those strange looking creatures called a seraphim, what does he do? He wants to serve God, verse 8, “Here am I, send me.” A willing, eager, gracious sweet submission. We are living in what you could call the consumeristic age. And the consumer, what does he say? “Serve me, give me what I want, what I think I need.” But people who regularly see God and see themselves, should understand their need of forgiveness, just like Isaiah. And their response should be, “Here am I, send me.” They want to be servants of the king. We should always be willing to serve our glorious king. Those who are forgiven much, love much.
When you think of the Lord’s Day let’s pray for a three-fold response: help me see more of God; help me see more of myself; and help me also be willing, more eager to serve others.
Posted in Pastor Devotional