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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 
ISAIAH

God’s Call – Week 2
Isaiah 6:1-8 New King James Version
The account in Isaiah 6 is a crisis event in Isaiah’s life which brings him into his prophetic office. 
1. COMPREHEND WHO GOD IS ISAIAH 6: 1-3
1 In the year that King Uzziah died,
It seems that Uzziah’s death had a big impact on Isaiah. Uzziah had ruled successfully for 52 years and was not only a good king (in God’s eyes) but was probably the last great king of the southern kingdom. Under his reign Israel prospered materially, and managed to subdue other kingdoms like the Philistines, Arabians, and Ammonites.
But now Uzziah is dead and things don’t look very good for the future of Israel’s southern kingdom. Isaiah enters the temple in order to make contact with God concerning this crisis time, and to his surprise he comes face to face with the REAL KING of Israel sitting upon HIS throne high and lifted up, with HIS train filling the temple. He has the rare privilege of seeing God’s glory in person. Good King Uzziah may be dead, but Jehovah, the ruler of heaven and earth is alive and well. Behind the earthly throne is the heavenly throne.

 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple
Isaiah went into the temple and found the Lord still on the throne. Some of us need to be reminded that God is still on the throne in our day. When we consider alarming things like terrorism and the threat of wars, crime, violence, moral depravity, gangs, drugs, and other disturbing things we need a fresh vision of God on the throne high and lifted up. God still hears and answers prayers. He is still working out his plan and his purpose in the midst of what looks like a world spinning out of control. God is in control. He is high and lifted up, and he will not compromise with sin and man’s rebellion.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
From other accounts in the Bible we know that Seraphim are around the throne of God. This lets us know that somehow Isaiah has been given a window into the throne room of Heaven itself. 
The Hebrew word Seraph means “to burn” and is used in connection with sin offerings and judgment. 
The Hebrew word seraphim is not really a name but rather what might be considered a class, not unlike the word Elohim, the genus God. But whether it actually denotes a specific kind of creature can't be determined with the sparse data we have on the word seraphim.
Etymology of the word Seraphim
The word seraph comes from the verb שרף (sarap), meaning to burn:
The verb שרף (sarap) means to burn — to literally burn with fire, rather than metaphorically with passion or something like that — with an emphasis on a burning up or a destruction by means of fire.
Nouns שרפה (serepa) and משרפה (masrepa) mean a burning. 
Noun שרף (sarap) denotes a sort of serpent or viper, suggesting that to the ancients a snake's movements and the sudden destruction it may inflict, even its propensity to suddenly burst forth in large numbers, seemed akin flames.
In modern times, we like to designate creatures either according to what they look like, or else by some nomenclature that only covers their specific species. A horse is a horse and we don't care what the word "horse" might actually mean. A horsetail is a plant that looks like the tail of a horse, and a sea horse is a fish with a horse-like head. 
In Hebrew, however, creatures are known mostly according to their behavior, and since creatures usually display multiple defining behaviors, many creatures are known by more than one name — one of the words for lion comes from the verb to gather (see the name Ari) — and it also means that one designation often covers more than one creature. For instance, the word סוס (sus), meaning to flash or dart, denotes both a horse and a swallow.
In the Bible, the word שרף (sarap) is used in two different scenes. Most famous, it denotes the flying, supernatural six-winged creatures that surround God's throne in this vision of Isaiah. 
Much later, John the Revelator also sees a vision of God's throne and sees what seem the same creatures.
Revelation 4:8 New King James Version
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Both Isaiah and John hear these creatures cry "Holy, holy, holy".
These creatures became known as the Seraphim, and although artists have tried to depict them, we really don't have a clue what they may look like. To start with, we don't know how large they are. They may be very small; small enough even to appear on someone's head.
 Acts 2:3 New King James Version
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
Where there is smoke, there is fire. Could it be that when the Holy Spirit of God comes upon us and fills us, there should be evidence of His Presence? The smoke of the being baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire should send out a smoke signal that something is happening within us. This burning passion that God gives us for Jesus…this purifying fire that we later see in this vision. 
Since their name is derived from a verb meaning to burn, they may look like flames. But if their name was designed to indicate that they did, they would have been known by a word that means flame or fire. They don't; they are known as Burners or Destroyers.

2. CONFESS WHO YOU ARE ISAIAH 6: 4-5
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said:
“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 my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”
The very sight of God high and lifted up surrounded by Seriphim crying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
had a profound impact on Isaiah. Seeing the holiness and majesty of the living God knocked Isaiah off his feet. He could not stand on his feet in the presence of the three times holy God.
IN the presence of the holy God Isaiah had a profound sense of his own sinfulness. He became instantly aware that God will not compromise with evil and he was filled with terror.

Have you ever cleaned your living room and thought that it was clean only to have the sunshine in through the window and reveal all the dust that was left behind? 
Light will always expose the dirt. The closer we get to Jesus the more we will have to deal with “hidden sin” in our lives. Little things that we had never noticed before will become a big deal when exposed by the light. 
Isaiah was God’s man before this experience, but His vision of God was the pivot point in his life, for this is what propelled him into prophetic ministry. Seeing himself in the presence of God he is undone. God’s holiness reveals to him his own unholy condition. In seeing God, he was also able to see himself as he really was and he was devastated by his own lack of holiness. 
The problem with many of us today is that we don’t walk according to the WORD OF GOD so we seldom get a vision of our own unholiness in the face of God’s holiness. Instead, we try and impart our feelings, our experiences upon a Holy God. And even worse, we interpret His ways and His thoughts through our impure motives, our imperfect actions, our ignorant beliefs that are based solely upon soulish or even religious ideals and thinking. 
Many do not see things as they really are they are able to convince themselves that they really fine upstanding people, “better than most.” Or even worse, they demand that you “affirm” their actions, identity, their “truth”.  They can justify anything they do by making what they think is a strong case for their own worthiness. 
These folks (and I mean worldly and “church” folk) haven’t gotten a glimpse of God yet. If they had, they would be like Isaiah, on their face crying, “Woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips.”
This is why John Wrote in the New Testament, 
1 John 1:7 NLT
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
 When we walk in the light of God’s Word, we will see what Isaiah saw. That we ALL are of unclean lips (and other body parts as well). Believe me, the one who feels he has some merit within himself has never seen the holiness of God. 
When Job had an experience like that of Isaiah, his reaction was to say, 
Job 42:5-6 New Living Translation
5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
Job was a fairly righteous man. He defended himself against his friends when they called him a sinner. But in the presence of God his story changed.
On the Isle of Patmos John saw God 
Revelation 1:17 New Living Translation
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.
When Daniel saw God he wrote, 
Daniel 10:8 New Living Translation
8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
We can see the effect God’s presence had on Isaiah but notice what happened next while Isaiah kneeled in terror because of his own unholiness.
3. RECEIVE GOD’S CLEANSING ISAIAH 6: 6-7
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
When Isaiah spoke of his unclean lips, he got no argument from anyone in that holy place. Isaiah’s self-evaluation was taken at face value. 
The Seraph, the burners, flew to the burnt altar where sin had been dealt with and came before Isaiah with a live coal in his hand. This coal is symbolic of Christ’s death on the cross. It represents the cleansing blood of Christ that keeps on cleansing us from all sin.
Isaiah is indeed a man of unclean lips. He wasn’t just being humble or meek, he saw truth of reality when he saw the holy God. The condition for cleansing is confession which Isaiah did readily. Remember the words of 
1 John 1:9 New Living Translation
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
The glowing coal is symbolic of none other than Jesus himself. He alone is able to cleanse sin through what he did on the cross.
The coal is touched to Isaiah’s lips and rather than being burned he is cleansed. But notice what happens next. This cleansing action prepared Isaiah for the call to ministry that follows.
My question for you today is, “Are you smoking with what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life? Have you let the Holy Ghost fire take control of your life? Burn away what He wants to burn away, and yes give you “burning passionate love” for Jesus!! 

4. RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL ISAIAH 6: 8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
It is interesting that up to this time Isaiah had never heard the call of God. I wonder how many Christians have never felt like they were called to do anything because they have never been cleansed. They have never seen this great need to be a clean vessel so that God can use them in mighty ways.
Isaiah heard God’s call, “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”
and His response was, “Here am I! Send me.”
He heard God’s call for the first time and responded to it, as a cleansed individual will do.
I remember when I finally accepted the call to preach from God. I have told it many times. But like Isaiah, God told AFTER He cleansed me from my “selfishness”. 
CONCLUSION:
When Isaiah saw God high and lifted up his life was never the same again. He was one of, if not the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and to him was given the noble task of prophesying about the coming of Messiah. He told us more about the life of Jesus than any other prophet, and he wrote about it 700 years before it happened. I’m glad Isaiah saw God and responded to the call he was given. The Bible tells us about many things we are called out of and called into. Consider some of these examples:
1.    Called from labor to rest: 
Matthew 11:28 New Living Translation
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
2.    Called from death to life:
1 John 3:14 New Living Translation
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.
3.    Called from bondage to liberty (Gal 5:13)
Galatians 5:13 New Living Translation
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.


4.    Called out of darkness into light 
1 Peter 2:9 New Living Translation
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
5.    Called from bondage to peace 1 Cor. 7:15
1 Corinthians 7:15 New Living Translation
15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)
6.    Called to the fellowship of His Son 
1 Corinthians 1:9 New Living Translation
9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
7.    We are called to a high calling 
Philippians 3:14 New Living Translation
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
8.    We are called to a holy calling 
2 Timothy 1:9 New Living Translation
9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
9.    We are called to a heavenly calling 
Hebrews 3:1 New Living Translation
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest.
What would you do if God gave you a call? What kind of response would you give? Could He be calling you today? 
 What will you say?