Isaiah in a Nutshell: Here I am Lord, I want to go Now! (Isaiah 1-7)
Imagine, if you will, your life story typed out and written for all to read. How would the story go? Would it have people reeling over your failures? Maybe the focus would rest in one of your accomplishments. For Isaiah, his whole life can be summed up when he says “Here I am Lord!”
“Here I am! Send me.”
Isaiah 6:8
What Purpose Is Your Life? To what purpose are you living?
all is lost
It’s never too late to start….
Download your first two weeks free by signing up below (or buy Book One of the Family Bible Plan)!
Divided nation…
Isaiah lived in a time of a divided nation… each chose their God/god and followed it. Then the nation that claimed God rejected Him.
“Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it.
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.”
Isaiah 1:2b,4b,5b-6a.13-15
How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
Isaiah 1:21-23
There is no mincing of words here. It is very clear and direct.
Isaiah had a very clear picture moving forward with where the nation of Judah stood in relation to God. He knew this when he said “Here I am Lord!”
Falsifying religion…
God had very few left on earth who were righteous in His eyes. Few who even tried to be righteous. The nation that He founded split; while the Northern half went full worldly, and the other was mostly filled with half-hearted believers using religious practices in unholy ways.
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
Isaiah 1:11
There sacrifices and religious practices were rote in nature, nothing more than going through the motions. God rejected their ‘sacrifices’ because they were to represent something more. They were falsifying their religion by checking off boxes instead of transforming their lives to be righteous.
Is this not similar to the church today (in part, of course)? Does it not sound oddly familiar to the warnings God gives us to two churches in Revelation?
[To Sardis:] ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
[To Laodicea:] ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 3:8-13,15-22
There are three types of people in this world and only one is going to Heaven: the world, the false Christian, and the true Christian. Which one are you?
If Isaiah was in the world today, would he be sent to preach to you or your church?
Angels in Heaven!
Isaiah was commissioned to call Judah to account. Likely in a vision, Isaiah had an outer-world experience with God.
In all Biblical examples, people are immediately stricken with fear when they see angels. Isaiah was also terrified when he was in the presence of angels… except it was not angels that terrified him.
He had seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
He was immediately overwhelmed with truth and who he was in relation to God.
Wow, Lord!
These verses ought to be pondered. It can be easy to forget how holy God really is because we are busy here living our lives.
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory!”And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:1b-7
Here I am Lord!
WOW! Imagine the scene and really ponder that! Even the angels voices shook the thresholds. Remember way back in Exodus, when God was setting up the nation of Israel? His presence effected similar but greater disturbances.
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
Exodus 19:16-19a, emphasis added
Here I am Lord…
After the display of God’s holiness, what happens next?
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!”
Isaiah 6:5
His immediate response was of recognition for his own unholiness. An angel pronounces his complete forgiveness by touching his lips with burning coal.
God then asks the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” It comes as no surprise then, that after all of this he immediately says “Here I am Lord! Me, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, paraphrased)
A motto that should hold fast to every area in our lives… why not grab a daily reminder to boast of Our King!
Here I am Lord!
What is your response?
You may never have a vision of God to bring about an immediate and complete sense of God’s holiness like Isaiah, but have you considered how you view yourself in relation to God?
Would your response be the same: “Here I am Lord?” If not, why not?
Eternity is but one heartbeat away. Will you answer the same way Isaiah did when commissioned? Here I am Lord, send me! Share on X
Eternity is but one heartbeat away.
Unknown
Our lives are but a breath, eternity a mere heartbeat away. Isaiah knew this was no easy task, but he eagerly leapt at the opportunity to live for God after he saw HIS holiness.
Would your response be the same: “Here I am Lord?” If not, why not?
Last Week
Anchored Truth Tuesdays
~It is appreciated but not required that you follow my social media accounts
~A new Anchored Abode podcast (iTunes) has been started, and I would love for subscribers and positive reviews (SoundCloud)
~I do ask that you use the Anchored Truth Tuesdays logo above on your site somewhere or on the post itself; if you click on the picture above a new window will open with html instructions
~ Family friendly posts only (I reserve the right to delete any that are deemed inappropriate); with a direct link to a specific blog post
~It is appreciated if you spread the blogging love to those around you in the Anchored community by visiting their sites, following them, or liking/sharing posts
~We have a Pinterest group board, Anchored Truth Tuesdays, where all who link up are welcome to also upload their content–you’ll just need to like Anchored Abode first, and then request to join
~By submitting a link, you are agreeing to be added to our email list as well as allowing the use of pictures/content as featured posts on our social media accounts
So grateful for your good work and faithfulness here every week.!
In a nutshell – I love it.