Call, Cleansing, Commission

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Opening Prayer

Unto You, Lord, not to anything or anyone else, be all the honor, praise and glory. You alone are worthy.

Read Isaiah 6:1-13

^[1] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ^[2] Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ^[3] And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ^[4] At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ^[5] “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.” ^[6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ^[7] With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” ^[8] 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!” ^[9] He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ ^[10] 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.” ^[11] Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, ^[12] until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. ^[13] And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”

Meditate

When have you been confronted with the reality of God’s surpassingly great holiness? How did you respond?

Think Further

Ascending the throne at sixteen and reigning for fifty-two years, Uzziah was the most prosperous Judean king since Solomon, but he presided over spiritual decline, with the Assyrian threat looming. Jerusalemites lived with false hope, seeing their prosperity as God’s blessing. Self-deceived, their religious superficiality cloaked an unhealthy body politic, full of greed, oppression and neglect of the poor. Uzziah’s death brings a turning point to the nation’s life and a sudden dramatic encounter for the prophet. Our lives are in the hand of God, and the seasons of our ministries fit the context of our church and nation in ways we can only begin to imagine.

For Isaiah, God’s appearance is described in the language of royalty and wonder. His train, attendants (cherubim, fiery winged creatures) and throne signal his majesty, power and unapproachable glory. We need a vision of God that emphasizes his holiness and not just his likeableness. Too often, our intimacy with the God we are taught to call “dad” (abba) replaces a right respect, awe and even fear. Isaiah instantly recognizes his own sinfulness, and that of his people.

Cleansing and commission come together, but not for Isaiah; the sense of shame and guilt prevents him from being willing to serve. Like Moses, Jeremiah and other prophets, he responds to God’s call with mingled resistance and hesitation on the grounds of his own unsuitability. This is transformed into a willingness to go in God’s service, despite and even because of his weaknesses. Christians today need to receive and respond to God’s call as Isaiah did. We need to go to all nations, with an all-consuming message on our lips of God’s compassion for his creation, his judgment on our sin, and the Good News that challenges and changes all humanity.

Apply

How does your call and commission fit your context and circumstances? What empowering do you need for the task?

Closing prayer

Sovereign Lord, forgive me for my shabby compromises and cheap devotion. Lead me to love You as I should and serve You as I ought.

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