God Restoring the World
Week 5 Devotions
Monday- READ- Isaiah 6 Impressions
What strikes you about the scene Isaiah describes? Why do you think the events of this chapter occur in chapter 6 and not chapter 1? One commentator cleverly noted that the pillars of the altar were moved by the presence of God (vs.4), while the hearts of men remained unaffected- indeed! What do you think is the meaning of verses 9–12, & why is vs. 13 an encouragement?
Tuesday- READ- Isaiah 6:3 & Revelation 4. Trihagion
What do you think is the meaning of the pronouncement of three “Holy’s”, (as opposed to one)? Note the reaction of of the angels vs. 3, and that of Isaiah seeing the Holy One in 3–5. How have we lost our reverence for God? What is your perception of God’s holiness? Do you demonstrate reverence in your worship of God, or has your worship become to “familiar”?
Wednesday- READ- Isaiah 6:5–6 Atoned For
Focussing on Isaiah’s response to seeing the LORD in more depth today, ask yourself, when faced with God’s majesty and holiness, where does that leave me? Spend some time in quiet today reflecting on your own life. Be honest about selfish attitudes, defensive reactions with coworkers, tendency toward narcissism, and so on, as well as any overt sinful actions. Confess these things before a Holy God, understanding that His “mercies are new every morning”, through the Cross of Christ.
Thursday- READ- Isiah 6:8, Psalm 51:10–13 Cleansed & Sent
After being atoned for and cleansed Isaiah is asked, (rhetorically we assume), if he will go “on mission” (to use the language of today). This is similar to the sequence of David’s repentance in Psalm 51. How might God use yesterday’s confessional exercise to prepare you to share the message of the Gospel with someone this week, or perhaps even today?
Friday- READ- Isaiah 6:8–10 Not Popular
The mandate to proclaim the LORD’s message no matter how is it received is a reminder to us that we are not in the popularity business, but in the warning and rescuing business. We ought be reminded of our own call to follow Christ- and be willing to say the hard thing to brothers and sisters who have strayed from Him, (the context of Isaiah’s call).
Saturday- READ- Isaiah 6:13- Hope
As is consistent with Isaiah, even in this chapter on his divine and amazing call, there is at the end, a subtle, encouraging reminder that there is always a remnant- a hope and a future. Have you been discouraged about the amount of Christians brothers and sisters in your workplace, or neighborhood? Remember that God “preserves a remnant”, and force on being faithful yourself, even if you’re all alone.
Sunday- READ- Psalm 51:17 God’s Raw Material
Throughout the Bible, the raw material of God’s work in mankind has always been tender, sometimes broken, hearts. How does comprehending the holiness of God, being honest about our sin, and affirming the message we’ve ben given help prepare us for worship today?
Chapter 6 Notes
Key verses 7&8-
With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
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!”
There is much discussion among biblical scholars as to the chronology of chapter 6 relative to the first five chapters. When it comes right down to it it doesn’t matter, but it is a curious thing to speculate whether Isaiah first recorded the message he felt so impassioned with in the first five chapters, and then took a breath, as it were, to record the experience of His call, and his vision of the Presence of the Almighty, or if, rather, he was a prophet for a season, (presumably during the end of the reign of Uzziah), and then was called.
I prefer the latter, I think that Isaiah probably embarked on a personal mission to reform his people, moved by what he was seeing, and was disturbed by, and then after some limited experience, (and rejection), the LORD called him and made him aware of how hard this task he’s embarked on would indeed be.
Anyhow- again somewhat irrelevant, but interesting.
One commentator cleverly noted that the pillars of the altar were moved by the presence of God (vs.4), while the hearts of men remained unaffected- indeed. Much has not changed in the millennia that have passed since Isaiah’s call, when it comes to the moving of men’s hearts toward the preaching of God’s message. Certainly there have been seasons of response, awakenings and the like, but overall man is as obstinate and rebellious as Isaiah’s people were in his time.
It is important to note that the thrust of verses 7&8, and then 9–12 is that the sent messenger of the LORD is to faithfully proclaim the message, not to sway the response of the people, but he is to proclaim no matter, or in spite of, the response of the people. This puts the onus for the big picture on the LORD, and forces the messenger to put his trust in God, to know that his efforts are not about responses he can see or measure.
How contrasting is this view and this teaching to our time and our ways of thinking with church growth charts and seminars and so on- not that those things are wrong in and of themselves, but that we are ultimately dependent on the LORD to move among His people and compel heart change and growth, both spiritually and numerically. Note that this message and this messenger is to God’s own people, those who ought to know better. This is worth comprehending as well!
Finally, as is consistent with Isaiah, even in the chapter on his divine, and have we yet said amazing call, that there is at the end, that subtle encouraging reminder that there is always a remnant, a hope.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
Let us stay faithful to the exhorting message of the LORD to His people, and the call to those not yet His people, to follow Him no matter the response, or the cost!
Theme- “Isaiah’s Call”- The mandate to proclaim the LORD’s message no matter its reception is a reminder to us that we are not in the popularity business, but in the warning and rescuing business. We ought be reminded of our own call to follow Christ, as well as be able to articulate where we are called to take the message of the Gospel.
