Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2: Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3: And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4: And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6: Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9: And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11: Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12: And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 13: But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Introduction

James Montgomery Boice writes, "To worship God we must know who God is, but we cannot know who God is unless God first chooses to reveal Himself to us."

Worship begins with God, no one can worship God unless He reveals Himself to us. And praise God, God has willed to reveal Himself to us. As we have seen in our past messages God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind by way of creation, Scripture and especially through His Son Jesus Christ. God sent His only begotten and beloved Son to show us the Father. He also sent His Spirit, to reveal God and the things of God that we could not discover on our own.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

Who knows God better than God Himself? No one knows the thoughts of a man but the man himself, so no one knows the thoughts of God, but God Himself. And praise God He has chosen to graciously make Himself known to man.

Two Sundays ago we considered Moses, a man who had a life-changing encounter with God. We saw how God graciously made Himself known to Moses and how he responded to God's declaration of Himself. This morning consider with me Isaiah, another man in the Old Testament who had a life-changing encounter with God.

Who was Isaiah?

Isaiah was one of the first of the later Prophets, and lived during the time of the prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah. Isaiah received his call from God in the Temple of Jerusalem in the eighth century BC, a tempestuous time for Israel.  Isaiah is one of the prophets who ministered during the reign of King Uzziah who was one of the good kings of Judah. Under King Uzziah's leadership, the nation prospered politically, financially and militarily. 

King Uzziah began his reign when he was only 16 years old, and he reigned for 52 years. Overall, he was a good king. In 2 Kings 15:3 we read, that he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; 

But in the latter years of his life a tragedy happened. 

2 Chronicles 26:16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 

After Uzziah grew strong and powerful, he became proud. One day, Uzziah disobeyed the LORD by going into the temple and burning incense as an offering to Him. God was not pleased and He struck Uzziah with leprosy, and he was an isolated leper until his death. King Uzziah's pride led to his downfall and destruction. 

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train [skirt of his robe] filled the temple. 

The death of King Uzziah brought uncertainty, leaving the people afraid for their future. Hope seemed to be gone. It was the time when military might was weakening, the economy was failing, and enemies were laughing. 

Isaiah was broken and he had great reason to be broken and discouraged at the death of the king.  Uzziah was not only his king, he was also his friend. Heartbroken, Isaiah somehow found his way to the Temple, perhaps to worship and to seek comfort. Brothers and sisters, when tragedy strikes and sorrow fills our heart, the best place to be found is in the House of the Lord. We ought to always be found in the House of the Lord, but especially when we are facing difficult circumstances in life. God is our Sanctuary. God is our refuge. Hope in God! Seek Him in the midst of tragedy. 

Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Whether Isaiah went to the temple to worship and to seek comfort or not, we will never know, but this we know, Isaiah was found in the right place when tragedy struck. And being found in the House of the Lord Isaiah experienced something that forever changed his life — he had a life-changing vision of God.

I — Isaiah's Vision

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train [skirt of his robe] filled the temple. 

Sometimes it takes a crisis before we are able see the Lord. Sometimes it takes a tragedy before we realize the reality of God. I believe Isaiah already knew the Lord before this experience but here we read he saw the Lord. Isaiah saw the Lord. How this could be, since we read in Exodus 33:20 that there shall no man see God, and live? Also there are many verses in the Bible which teach that God is invisible and cannot be seen.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

On some few occasions, God has granted special and particular manifestations of Himself. We saw that last time when God manifested Himself to Moses at the burning bush and at Mount Sinai. 

"It is obvious that the phrase "to see God" is used in two different senses. Man cannot see God in His essence. Man can only see God as He has revealed Himself. Any time a person sees God, it is an indication that God has adapted Himself to the limited capacity of the creature. We do not know God as He really is. We only know God as He has revealed Himself. Our knowledge of God is never exhaustive and perfect, but it is nevertheless true. It is not exhaustive because no one can see God and live. It is true because God has accommodated Himself to the weakness of man so that there was a sense in which Isaiah was able to "see" God." (The Commission of Isaiah - Emmaus Journal V4:1, Summer, 95)

What did Isaiah see? Which Lord did Isaiah see?

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2: Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3: And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

When Isaiah went up to the house of the Lord, had a revelation, God is alive! King Uzziah may be dead but the King of kings is still alive and sitting on a throne. God is still alive and He is still in charge. No one sits on the throne except God. Not any fallen sinful, weak man, not the devil but God sits on the throne.

Even in the midst of tragedy, crisis, trying times, chaos in the world and at home, we can be assured that the Lord is still on the throne. He is still in charge of all things and all creation.

Isaiah saw God for who He is. God is high and lifted up. He is glorious and majestic.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 

What Isaiah saw in his vision was the One sitting on the throne was wearing a robe with a large flowing train, so large it filled the temple. The train signifies the skirt of a garment, or a robe. A robe with long flowing train implies the glory and the majesty of the One wearing it and His glory filled the temple.

Then we read in Isaiah 6:2-3, Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

These angelic beings were proclaiming His glorious nature and character to one another, in the presence of the LORD. Their preoccupation was to cry, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts. They sing Holy, Holy, Holy not because it's in their church's program, not because they were told to, no, these angelic beings sing Holy, Holy, Holy because they knew and they see the holiness of God. And they sing it with passion and delight.

Of all the attributes and words used to describe God, "Holy" is the only attribute of God that we find in scripture that is in triplicate. Not only is He is holy, He is Holier and He is Holiest.

And when we worship God and see Him for who He truly is, we first and foremost should see that He is holy.

Isaiah was drawn into God's presence where he was given a revelation of the majesty, power, holiness and glory of the One whose purposes were being fulfilled in the earth.

II — Isaiah's Reaction

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

In chapter five Isaiah was pronouncing woe to the people around him. But having seen God in the full glory of His holiness, Isaiah pronounces woe upon himself.

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone ...

When Isaiah saw the full glory of God's holiness, he immediately became aware of his own uncleanness. After Isaiah had a vision of God he had an honest sense of his own sinfulness and unworthiness. Think about it, Isaiah was a prophet with some responsibility in the temple. Yet when he saw the LORD, he realized what kind of man he was. The more clearly he saw the LORD, the more clearly he saw how bad his state was. Isaiah felt like he was coming apart. He is in trouble. He is a dead man.

Isaiah's deep sense of depravity is consistent with the experience of other godly men in the presence of the LORD.

Job, a man described by God Himself as perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Ezekiel 

Ezekiel 44:4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.

Daniel 

Daniel 10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16: And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17: For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Peter 

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

John 

Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Remember these men were neither heathen nor wicked men. But a vision of God led them to an honest sense of their own sinfulness and unworthiness. That's what happens when we are truly worshiping God, when we are in God's presence we are under the "lights" of His holiness and righteousness. Under those lights our sins and sinfulness is made clear. As we draw to the light our imperfections are revealed. We see our need, much like Isaiah saw his need of cleansing. When Isaiah's righteous life lay against the background of God's perfection, it looked different.

As soon as Isaiah had a vision of God, he knew that he was in trouble. No one has to tell him that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one has to tell him to acknowledge his sin and his sinfulness. No, as soon as he saw God, he knew and he confessed that he was in trouble. That's what the word undone means - I am ruined. I am falling apart.

III — Isaiah's Consecration

Once Isaiah was humbled in the presence of the Lord, the Scriptures describe an amazing transaction that took place:

Isaiah 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Isaiah's confession of his personal sin brought the response of God's cleansing. Isaiah experienced the mercy of God and God's willingness to forgive those who would humble themselves and confess and forsake their sins.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Mercy came and touched Isaiah, and he became aware of God delights to forgive and cleanse.

Similarly, in our day those who have been humbled because they have been in the presence of the Lord begin to recognize His incredible mercy. They understand that it is in God's heart to forgive every man, woman, and child. He slow to wrath. He is slow to anger. He delights to forgive and show mercy. It is His desire to gather a people to Himself once again.

After being touched by mercy, Isaiah began to hear the thoughts of God's own heart as God was conversing with Himself - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

In other words, who will go and be an ambassador of mercy to this undeserving people?

Isaiah's confession of his personal sin brought the response of God's cleansing to equip him for service to the Lord. 

Closing Thoughts

Today in our churches, we desperately try to create an atmosphere which is conducive to worship. Millions of dollars are spent to create a worshipful atmosphere in our worship services. Stained glass windows, dim colored lights, fog machine to fill the room with fog or smoke, expensive musical instruments and lightings, professional worship bands and worship teams, decors conducive to worship, etc. There's nothing wrong with some of these. But no matter how much we invest, no matter how we try, without a vision and appreciation of God's holiness, worship will not take place.

What we need today is clear vision of who God is. What we need is to see God for who He is! We need to see that God is glorious God and a holy God! 

Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

A glimpse of God's glory and holiness, will make every one of us true worshippers.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 

Once Isaiah had met with the LORD, been convicted of his sin, and cleansed from its guilt, then he heard God. Worship draws us near to God. You cannot be near the Lord and not hear Him. You cannot see the Lord without hearing His voice. Are you hearing His voice? Are you hearing His call to service through His word?

A Call to the Unsaved 

Psalm 113:4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 5: Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, 6: Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

This great and glorious and holy God who above all, who is incomparable, who is without sin, humbled Himself by coming to us, taking a human form, dwelt among us, made sin for us who knew no sin, to redeem sinners like you and me. How about it? Come to Jesus. Come as you are, confessing and believing and trusting. Why not now? Why not come to Jesus now? Come! Come! Come! Come to Jesus now! Come believing and trusting that who Christ is and what He has done on the cross of Calvary is sufficient to forgive and to cleanse and to save and to make you holy and make you a true worshiper!

AMEN!