Isaiah on Tuesday - Isaiah's Commission

Did you ever wish God would come right out and give you your job assignment? The prophets always seemed to have a clear idea of what they were doing, where they were going and the words they needed to say. In today's look at Isaiah, we get to witness first-hand that revelation in stunning detail.

Isaiah 6 is one of my favorite chapters in all of the Bible. It encapsulates so much of the character of God and His relationship to us. Isaiah was likely praying in the temple when God came to him in a vision - a vision which was so visceral it took him through the spectrum of human emotions and was a defining point in his life.

Isaiah's Vision
At first, Isaiah witnesses the authority and majesty of God - He is seated on a throne and the vestments of kingship are so vast that the entire temple is filled with it. Six-winged seraphs fly above Him in a posture of worship singing the eternal song: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." The song illuminates the power and glory of God, the doorposts shake and the temple fills with smoke.

In the presence of a holy God, Isaiah's fallenness is exposed - he cannot help by cry out, "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." I can't imagine standing in the presence of God - all my human failings exposed, every thought, every relationship bright under the light of His glory. Yet, it is what follows that always astounds me. The nature of God is revealed and we understand His father-heart just a little bit more. God does not deny Isaiah's sinfulness, but forgives it and purifies the man preparing him for his commission.

Isaiah's Responses
In the first eight verses of this chapter we are exposed to the glory and power of God, followed by His great mercy and finally His grace. What must have seemed like an eternity for Isaiah, seems only minutes to us, yet in those minutes we witness what I think God has for all of us. As we enter into His presence, He exposes our sin. We can try to hide or deny it, but that leaves us undone. Isaiah confessed to all present not only his own sins, but the sins of his nation. God knew them before he uttered a word, yet I believe the confession allowed for atonement. The atonement prepared Isaiah to receive the the precious gift of a clear purpose - words and actions which would guide his life.

Let me elaborate a little further on the exchange, because I think it is so important. Experiencing the overwhelming glory, power and holiness of God, Isaiah confesses his iniquities. The confession leads to atonement, after which God asks a question, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah answers, "Here am I. Send Me!" and God makes Isaiah His messenger. At several points Isaiah had the opportunity to hide, deny the truth or refuse to answer God's question. At each point, he chose wisely, and as we read further, this allowed Isaiah to ask a clarifying question of God (verse 11.)

Lessons Learned
I have yet to experience such a revelation from God. I both covet and fear such an encounter, I wonder if I may just get stuck at "Woe is me." I often wish for such a clear idea of what my next steps should be. I long to hear the question, "Whom shall I send?" and my hope would be that I would reply as zealously as Isaiah, "Send me!" Meantime, the lessen remains for me: come to God in worship, confess my sins, accept His mercy and submit to His sovereignty.

Listening to God seems much more of a deliberate, active pursuit these days and I try to make times and places specifically for that. I don't know if I will ever see seraphs flying over the throne of God (at least here on earth!) but I believe that in seeking Him, my mission and purpose here becomes clearer and better defined. In the end I think I share that desire of all - to hear my Father say, "Well done."