Part 1 – Listen to the message online
- Isaiah: of Swords and Salvation series
- SCRIPTURE – READ Isaiah 6:1-21
- Right Prophet at the Right Time
- Perfect Prophet for all time
- Pattern of Transformation
- Concluding Questions
Isaiah: of Swords and Salvation series
Today we start a 4 part series on Isaiah. Next week we will have special guests. The 7-12 grade Music Ministry Team from Cornerstone Christian Academy will be here leading us in song, and doing a few various presentations – including a skit – on the Lord’s Prayer. I hope you will join us for that. I will be presenting our second message in this series and it will be about how essential prayer is. How Prayer helps us “Stand Firm in our Faith.”
Now to start today’s post, we actually start 6 chapters into Isaiah. He has an amazing experience with God almighty, it changes his whole life and of course he lives to tell the tale. He became the Right Prophet at the right time. There are stunning similarities to Jesus, who not only was and is the King and Priest, but was the Perfect Prophet for all time. As we get further into this series, we will learn about the Righteous King, who rules with his sword of justice. We will see how God plans to direct his children back to him, but at the conclusion of today’s message it is my hope we will have some active understanding of what has been done for our salvation and what our response should be.
SCRIPTURE – READ Isaiah 6:1-21
This passage is so key to understanding all of the rest of the book of Isaiah. It gives context to the judgment and woes. It also hints at the saving plan God has for His people, something Isaiah goes to talk about later on in the book. I truly believe Isaia was The Right Prophet at the Right Time.
Right Prophet at the Right Time
Humble
- Isaiah lumped himself in with the sinful people of his land. Also understood the frightening Holiness he was allowed to perceive.
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.”
Isaiah 6:5 NIV
It might sound like he was a terrible choice to bring God’s message, but actually he was the right prophet at the right time because of his Humility.
Humily and Hope
One of the best examples of this is the recovering, long-term sober person. Part of their program may be to help others avoid falling back in the same traps that led to substance abuse. The person who is still struggling with substance abuse looks to this more senior person for help, advice, guidance. But most of all, the guide gives HOPE. Hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There can be peace and wholeness. There can be deliverance. There is victory over temptation.
Isaiah, declaring the uncleanness of his own lips, then referencing the people who have just as unclean of lips. He is bracing himself for judgment – destruction, because of the filthy lips he and the people have. They are all equally guilty.
But God doesn’t leave him there. Isaiah was the Right prophet for his time because he experienced being…
Cleansed
- The Coal from the Bowl of Sacrifice cleansed him, his sins were atoned for in this act. What we see here is that…
God dealt with the guilt and sin in Isaiah.
He was Humble, Cleansed, and …
Willing
- When the call came to bring the Word of the Lord to the people, even words of judgment and affliction, Isaiah responded “Here am I. Send me!”
Jesus shared similar experiences to what we see played out in Isaiah 6. Jesus was and is the Perfect prophet for ALL Time. And a starting qualification was that He was Humble.
Perfect Prophet for all time
Humble
Paul, writing to the Phillipians about how they should treat one another, he presented the example of Jesus. Phil 2:6-8 reads:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
(Phillipians 2:6-8 NIV)
Jesus was humble and he was…
Clean
Even though he entered into human existence, scripture teaches and Christianity has always held true to the fact that Jesus lived a sinless life. He was spotless. He did, however, submit to the cleansing ritual of baptism.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John 3:13-17 NIV
Unlike Isaiah, where the act represented the atonement made personally for his sin, Jesus’ baptism was an opportunity for Jesus to show his obedience to His Father. To submit to this practice.
Isaiah’s vision of God and the angel touching his lips with the coal to purify him was solely for Isaiah. No other witnesses.
But the baptism of Jesus was witnessed by others. The very presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came and rested on him. A voice came from Heaven announcing Jesus’ sonship and God’s pleasure and delight in His son. In the Gospel according to John, the author tells us that John the Baptist for sure was a first-hand witness to this spirit and the heavenly voice.
Jesus was Humble, Clean, and …
Willing
Paul’s word to the Phillipians from earlier speaks not only of Jesus’ humility, but also his willingness. He was on board with God’s plan to save the world, even if he had to suffer and die to do it.
Pattern of Transformation
Now we’ve compared These two, Isaiah – the bringer of God’s word to God’s People. Jesus – The Word of God for all people. As I reflect on not just the information – What happened back in Isaiah’s time – I want to look at the pattern of transformation. I want to look at this chapter and highlight the glorious Hope it brings to us.
Isaiah recognized his sinful state (admit you have a problem)
- If you never recognize your sinful state, you will have no need of salvation. When we admit we have a problem, (SIN) we can be open to a solution to deal with it. Until that time, our hearts are hard and unchanging.
The way of salvation was provided for and applied
- Isaiah didn’t quickly think up a 5-step program on how to get rid of sin. He recognized his sinfulness and was prepared to be destroyed for it.
- God made a way for Isaiah to be cleansed, purified, prepared for what would come next.
He moved into action
What was the purpose of his atonement? To avoid destruction? His lips were “purified” to prepare him to say YES when God activated him.
[Bring my message. Give these people the words they need, not necessarily the words they want.]
Concluding Questions
For us today, are we recognizing temptation in ourselves? Are we trusting in God to empower us to say no? Are we asking his forgiveness and the forgiveness of others when the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin? Are we trusting in that Ultimate sacrifice to Atone for our sins? Jesus’ death on the cross. His spilt blood.
Viroqua Naz 