… I Saw the Lord !
Reading: Isaiah 6:1–8
We can learn a great deal from the beginning of this chapter, because it shows us what happens when a person sees the glory of God: he sees himself as he truly is. He no longer justifies himself ; he humbles himself and no longer speaks lightly. He is seized by the holiness of God.
When Man Sees the Holiness of God
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up …”
Isaiah 6:1
This detail is important. King Uzziah has died. A human reign comes to an end; an earthly throne becomes empty. But Isaiah sees another throne: the throne of God, which is never empty.
This is an encouraging message: people pass away, kingdoms change, human securities collapse — but God reigns forever!
He is the holy, glorious, and sovereign King.
Isaiah’s First Reaction: “Woe is me, for I am undone …”
Isaiah 6:5
This is very powerful. In the previous chapter, Isaiah had pronounced several “woes” over the people. But here, before God, he says: “Woe is me!”
A true vision of God does not make us proud. It breaks us. It shows us our true condition.
Isaiah recognizes that he is a man of unclean lips and that he lives among a people of unclean lips. Why the lips in particular? Because our mouth reveals the condition of our heart.
Our words often show what is inside us: murmuring, hardness, lies, criticism, carelessness, pride, unbelief …
Before Isaiah can speak to the people, he must first recognize that his own mouth needs cleansing.
This is a very relevant lesson for today: anyone who wants to speak for God must first allow God to cleanse his mouth.
God Cleanses Before He Sends
God sends a seraph, who touches Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal taken from the altar.
“Your guilt is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:7
Before God commissions Isaiah, He does not leave him in his unworthiness. He cleanses him.
Here we see a deep picture: cleansing comes from the altar. For us, in the light of the New Testament, this points to the cross. There, Christ bore our sins. Through His blood, we have been cleansed.
Isaiah does not cleanse himself. He receives a cleansing that comes from God.
This reminds us that the holiness of God is not meant only to make us tremble; it is also meant to lead us to His grace. God reveals sin, but He Himself provides the atonement.
After the Cleansing Comes the Call
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah answers boldly: “Here I am; send me!”
Isaiah first sees God.
Then he recognizes his sin.
After that, he is cleansed and sent.
This order is very important. We do not begin with activism. We do not begin by “doing something for God.”
We begin by standing humbly before Him.
True service flows from a cleansed heart — not merely from a willing temperament.
A Difficult Mission
It is clear that God does not send Isaiah with an easy message. He tells him that the people will hear, but not understand; they will see, but not truly perceive.
This is a difficult passage, because it speaks of the hardening of the people. Isaiah will have to preach to people who, for the most part, do not want to listen.
This is also very relevant today. Being faithful to God does not always mean receiving approval. Speaking the truth does not guarantee that hearts will be converted.
Sometimes the clarity of the Word reveals all the more the resistance of human hearts.
This teaches us that faithfulness is not measured only by visible results, but by our obedience to God’s call.
What This Text Says to Us Today
Isaiah 6 could be summarized like this:
Before speaking for God, one must be gripped by His holiness.
Before being sent, one must be cleansed.
Before denouncing the sin of the people, one must recognize one’s own sin.
Before serving, one must worship.
Franz
Ajouter un commentaire
Commentaires