Preached in Markham Baptist Church, March 23, 2003.

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

AN ANXIOUS PROPHET MEETS THE MASTER

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8) (NRSV)

It is a time of uncertainty and anxiety. The year is 741 BC. The King of Judah has just died. News of his death spread from street to street, from town to town, and village to village. He has reigned over Judah for 52 years. Taking the throne at the age of 16 he set out immediately to seek God. The result was prosperity for the whole nation.

Under his leadership the nation of Judah prospered militarily. He managed to build his army and from a position of strength he pushed back his enemies. He secured peace for his nation and was able to open vital trade routes to Arabia and Egypt and other countries. So the nation also prospered economically. New wells were dug allowing agriculture to be re-established and flourish. New land was claimed and animal husbandry prospered. It was a time of wealth, security and prosperity for the land.

To be sure he didn't end his rule well - he became full of pride and self, and the glory that he should have given to God he took for himself. As a result he suffered terribly as he usurped God's rightful place as head of the nation.

But now he is dead. It is a time of chaos, a time of uncertainty, a time of anxiety. And in the midst of this we read in the Old Testament book of Isaiah of a man who, I believe, was shaken. His world was changing drastically and quickly. Questions were abounding - what would happen to the nation economically? What would happen to the nation morally? What would happen to the nation politically and militarily? What would happen to the nation spiritually? Who would step up and lead the nation as the previous leader had done? The throne was empty who would fill the void?

In the midst of all this we read of man who was shaken, but we read of a man who also has a vision and hears the voice of the Almighty God. In the midst of the uncertainty and the mourning and the questioning this man has a vision of God and hears the voice of God.

It is a vision and a voice that is so clear, so distinct, so divine and in many ways so affirming, that this man is able to leave his place of uncertainty and anxiousness and go forward according to the call of God.

It is a challenge for every follower of the Lord in the midst of uncertainty and anxiousness. Are we able as we look out at the world, as we see the war, as we see the chaos, as we see the strife that is tearing our world apart - are we able, as we look out, to look up? Are we able to look up and see the one before whom we bend the knee and call Almighty God? Are we able to look up and have a vision and hear the voice of the one who sits enthroned in majesty and strength and power reigning over this world?

Think of the vision that Isaiah receives and may it be for us. It is a vision of the greatness of God. "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord seated on a throne" (6:1)

The Lord is seated on a throne, meaning that He is in control of all that is happening. Behind the empty throne Isaiah saw throne that was never empty. He saw the Lord in absolute authority, in power, in control over all the universe.

Let it take root in your mind and heart that we worship the almighty God who sits on the throne of power and authority. He is, continues the text, high and exalted. No one is higher than God Almighty. There may be some who are higher than you at work, a board of directors, a boss. There are some who are higher than us in this world, a mayor, a premier, a Prime Minister. There are rulers and authorities in this world. All have differing levels of power and position. But there is no position of authority in all the universe that is higher than the Lord Almighty. He is high and exalted, high and lofty. He is the highest.

Has anything happened to shake your faith in the authority of the almighty God? Have the events of the last number of days caused you to doubt in who is running the show? Do you believe that President Bush is in control? Do you believe that Saddam Hussein is manipulating the events of this world? Name a leader in this world - Jean Chretien, Jacques Chiracque, Tony Blair? Who are they? Are they in control of history?

"Do you not know? Have you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff." (Isaiah 40:21-24)

It is a vision of the greatness of God. But notice that God's greatness does not isolate Him from being present in this world. Yes, He is high and lifted up; yes, He is exalted, but look at the text, "the train of His robe filled the temple." Our great God is present and alive and working in this world. There are many who try to restrict God who say that God's hands are tied by the present circumstances but don't you believe it.

The story is told in 1 Kings 20 of the Arameans who thought they could defeat Israel if only they could fight the Israelites on the plains. Because, they believed that the God of Israel was a God of the hills, a God confined and restricted to the hills. So they put together a huge army and engaged Israel in battle on the plains - the Israelite army looked like two small flocks of goats, according to 1 Kings 20 - and do you know what God said? These are His words: "Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord." (1 Kings 20:28)

We worship a God who is present with us - He is present on the mountaintops of life and in the valleys of life and there is nothing that can restrict Him or deny His purposes.

It is a vision of the greatness of God. Why is it important that we have such a vision? Besides rescuing us from despair we also need to realize that such a vision is important because we live in a world that largely denies the reality of God and in His place they have placed their faith in brute force. In denying God His rightful place of authority and power we have now in our world an idolatrous trust in the huge build up of smart bombs and stealth bombers. Our shield is a vast network of satellites and radar able to intercept any kind of enemy missile that comes our way. Our faith is placed in the negotiating skill of human diplomats. Our peace is established through pre-emptive war. Our security rises from threats of massive retaliation. Our hope is based on foreign alliances. It has been called "the supreme idolatry of our time."¹

All of this is very different from trusting in the power and authority of the living God. It takes the place of confidence in the one who is present and is working out his plan in this world, the Lord of history. If we learn anything from the Old Testament it is that the people of God bring ruin on themselves and their nation when they begin to trust in the strength of their armies and fail to trust in the Living God. God grant us a vision of the greatness of God.

Isaiah's vision is also a vision of the glory of God. The angelic beings are calling to one another "holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty: the whole earth is full of His glory."

The spirits that are surrounding the throne look down on earth and they see God's glory in it. They are singing of a final restoration. They are singing of the triumph of truth. They are singing in faith and in hope of a final victory that is to be. The whole earth is full of His glory. That is the brightness of His purity, the whole earth is filled with the splendor of His holiness. The whole earth is filled with the awesomeness of righteousness - that is His glory.

We do not worship a defeated god but one who reigns, who was victorious through the cross and who will be seen as King by the whole world.

Right now you and I have a taste of His glory living in us. We have His Spirit living in us and the splendour of His holiness and the brightness of His purity are experienced by all who call Him Saviour and Lord.

Sometimes we get to hand-wringing and thinking, "O God is really stumped by this one, there is no way He will win victory over this evil in my life or in this world." O that we had a vision of God's victory in our minds and hearts knowing that He has won the battle through the cross and His glory is filling and will fill the whole earth.

We need a vision of the greatness of God, and the glory of God, and then the grace of God. Notice how Isaiah responds in verse 5: "Woe to me, 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."

My friends, if there is no peace in our spirits, if there is distress in our hearts it is not to come to us because of the events and circumstances in this world. Let us be distraught, let us be distressed instead because we have seen the King and recognize the splendour of His holiness and the brightness of His purity and in so doing we recognize our own impurity, and the impurity that fills this world.

But notice the vision Isaiah now has - in verse 6 - it begins with the word "then". That word acts as a dividing line between all that has gone on before. "Woe is me"… "then". One of the heavenly beings comes and presses against his lips a coal taken from the fire of the altar. And says, "See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin is blotted out."

He has a vision of the wonderful grace of God. And for those of us who live on this side of the cross can we not say that we have experienced that same wonderful grace - for through the altar of the Cross of Christ our sin is blotted out. Having confessed our sin we are cleansed.

O that we would have this vision of the grace of God.

I cannot forecast the outcome of this war. But I do believe that it will have serious repercussions for those who profess Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. It is a truth that many Arabs interpret this war as Christian aggression against Islam. It's a false perception, but it is very real to many Arabs and it undermines any perception of Christianity as a message of love and peace.

And we will need to be a people who practice grace like never before. For there will be false perceptions of us, there will be false accusations and in the face of these we will need to practice the grace that has cleansed us from all sin.

A vision of the grace of God, of the greatness of God, and the glory of God.

What happens next? Perhaps a pause. When we read these accounts there is no pausing, but perhaps the events do not happen as quickly as the narrative leads us to believe. Perhaps there is silence. And in that silence Isaiah realizes that he is ruined no longer, that his lips, his life is no longer impure but pure and it is in that moment that he now hears the voice of God. He has seen the vision of God, now he hears the voice of God which says, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"

God is looking for volunteers. He is asking who is ready to be sent? Who will go and represent me in this world? He has won the battle against evil and He isn't stumped by this war and the happenings in this world - His plan will prevail. And Isaiah responds, "Here am I, send me." I am at your disposal, he says.

My friends, don't get the order wrong. The vision must come before the voice. As much as we long to be used by God, if we have not had a vision of his greatness and His glory and His grace first we cannot be used by Him.

But having had a vision of His greatness and His glory and His grace we need to respond here I am send me.

What will we say and what will we do for God? Let us relate to the world the vision that we have seen. Let us be a people who relate to a world that places its trust in tanks and missiles and war strategies the truth that the almighty God is on His throne. Let us relate how He is in control, that He is present in this world and He is to be trusted above all.

Let us be a people who relate to a world that has forgotten the victory of our God on the cross that His glory will fill the earth. Even as our Lord reigns now through the power of the cross He will reign forever and ever over this world. His plan will prevail.

Let us relate to the world the grace of God. We live in a world of revenge and hatred and retaliation and we need to be a people who having seen the grace of God and having the grace of God applied to our lives we need to be a people who truly practice grace toward one another.

Let us pray: O God grant us such a vision of Your greatness, Your glory and Your grace that we are blind to every other influence in this world. May we having received a vision of You hear Your voice calling us to go to be Your people, sure of Your authority, knowing Your glory and having tasted Your grace. Having heard Your voice may we respond, "Here am I send me."

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - March 2003