Pick Me!

Isaiah 5 to 9

Isaiah is commissioned by God to call the people to account.

Account for the way they have set aside God’s demand for consecration. 

Set apart to be clean and separate and the love the LORD their jealous God, and have nothing else on that throne in their lives.

Ch 6:1 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted and the train of his robe filled the temple.  ….and the seraphs were singing….”Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory.” 

I wonder how the people could miss God’s Holiness and His Glory, if it filled the whole earth.  I wonder what amazing things filled their vision and their horizon, that made God’s Glory pale in comparison. If I say the word “desensitized”, then I get understanding.  Because that happens at so many turns in our own lives.

Isaiah doesn’t miss it.   Seeing God struck fear into the heart of Isaiah in this vision. And he was terrified, expecting to die immediately.

Ch 6:5 “ ‘Woe to me!!’ I cried, ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”’

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me

With a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

7 with it he touched my mouth and said,

‘See, this has touched your lips:

Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. ‘”

8 And I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?

And I said ‘Here I am, send me!’” 

I can’t imagine anyone applying for this job.

And yet Isaiah raises his hands and utters a very loud “Pick me!”

Isaiah is commissioned and sent and goes.  

And we get to join Isaiah on this journey and the piece of God’s Story.

Getting a front row seat to some of his fiercest confrontations and most difficult messages.

And prophesies.

And this will be a sign to you. 

And as the story unwinds. 

It happens just as predicted. 

And they missed it. 

Ch 8: 6 “Because this people has rejected

The gently flowing waters of Shiloah,

And rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

7 therefore the LORD is about to bring against them

The mighty floodwaters of the River –

the king of Assyria with all his pomp.”

Ch 8: 16”The LORD spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people.

17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, I will put my trust in Him. “

Ch 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along with Jordan -  2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

6 For to us a child is born,

To us a son is given,

And the government will be on his shoulders.

And He will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his governments and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

Establishing it and upholding it

With justice and righteousness

From that time on and forever.

The seal of the LORD almighty will accomplish this. “

So there you have it.  The Messiah is coming.  In all his glory and splendor and power and wisdom and strength and glory and honour.

I learned something about all those names today.  The NIV Notes tell that each these four throne names of the Messiah contain two elements.  Unlike Immanuel these titles were not like normal Old Testament personal names.  “Counselor” points to the Messiah as a king who determines up and carries out a program of action.  As Wonderful counselor, the coming son of David will carry out a royal program that will cause all the world to marvel.  “Mighty God’ – His divine power as a warrior is stressed.  “Everlasting Father” – He will be an enduring, compassionate provider and protector. “Prince of Peace” – His rule will bring wholeness and well-being to individuals and to society.

“Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. “ Isaiah 9: 12, 17, and 21.  A triple reminder.

 

Wonderful words and wrathful words. 

Side by side. 

Isaiah, hand picked to bring it.  

Until the whole story comes to pass.

And we get to hold all these words and pages in our own two hands and read with our own two eyes.  

And I hope that our hearts stay soft to it. 

That “we will see with our eyes,

And hear with our ears,

And understand with our hearts

And turn and by healed.” (Ch 6:10)