Isaiah’s life changed drastically after “seeing the Lord, high and lifted up.”  I daresay he was never again quite the same.  Yet, there were many years that passed between chapter 6 and chapter 7 of Isaiah, for it was 8 years after Uzziah’s death that Jotham reigned before his son Ahaz became King.  8 years would have been long enough for Isaiah’s zeal to have waxed cold; but it did not.  For some, that amazing moment of seeing God’s Glory, albeit with one’s spiritual eyes remains fresh with a blazing, passionate fire.  Yet, all too often we do not flame or fuel that fire, allowing them to become mere embers.  But for Isaiah, we find that he is listening close to God’s command.  Therefore, he is sent with God’s Decree of Hope to King Ahaz.

The northern tribes of Israel referred here as Ephraim had joined forces with the King of Assyria.  This posed a real threat to the Judah (made up of the tribe of Judah and half of the tribe of Benjamin).  Note how family conflicts can be so devastating for many generations.  Anyway, the alliance with Assyria which placed Assyrian troops at their borders, caused great fear among the people of Judah and their King Ahaz.  This is when Isaiah is sent to speak to King Ahaz, God’s Decree of Hope.  Along with him on this journey, Isaiah is instructed to take with him his son Shear-Jashub whose name meant “a remnant shall return”.  God does have a sense of humor and proclaims His plans even in the naming of Isaiah’s sons.

God’s Decree of Hope

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Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up with the trane of his robe filling the temple.  The sight caused him to fall before Him and proclaim, “Woe is me, for I am undone.”  Recognizing he was unworthy to be in the presence of perfect righteousness,  feeling the penetrating wrath of God against the sin which separated him from God, Isaiah suddenly had a broken and very contrite heart.  Then, God had the angels place a burning coal upon the lips of Isaiah and declared him righteous.  Not by some merit of his own, but to the Glory of His Grace–God’s Glorious Grace.

God’s Glory includes the fierceness of His wrath against sin.  The same wrath that destroyed the inhabitants of the earth with a flood in the day of Noah, will bring judgement upon all those who deny Him and refuse His free gift of Salvation.  That gift only require one to acknowledge that God is Holy and I am not.  There is a gulf between me and a Holy God, I cannot cross of my own doing.  Then, laying aside all pride, I come to the foot of the cross and ask for His forgiveness, knowing that only He can save me-wretch that I am.  At that moment, He washes away my sin and gives me the Holy Spirit to guide me every step of the journey.

The Holy Spirit’s task is to transform me, whatever it takes into the likeness of Christ.  My heart will look like His one day, even if it takes burning coals to transform me.

One day, He will return.  “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man”.

To The Glory of His Grace

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Throughout the last lesson we looked upon the woes spoken against the children of Judah.  Although the people did not respond to his warnings, Isaiah warned them of the judgement that would come.  For it was coming; yet, there was one thing missing.  Oh, yes Isaiah was called to be a prophet of God.  He was specially chosen and loved God, wanting to serve him.  Perhaps though one thing did he miss.  To fully be God’s messenger to these people, he needed a realistic view of God and himself in relationship to God.  Furthermore, He needed to see the fullness, intensity and fierceness of God’s Glory as well as the magnitude of His grace.   So, he needed to see God in the fullness of His Glory.  Only then could he understand the depth of his own sin and the magnitude of God’s grace.

It was an extraordinary time, in the year that King Uzziah died.  King Uzziah had been a godly, faithful king throughout most of his reign.  His time as King brought great prosperity and strength to the nation of Judah.  Nearing the end of his reign, he did make a fatal error in judgement because of pride, as too often happens.  Perhaps as a warning or benefit, Isaiah, who would bare the news of judgement and the coming Messiah needed an extra portion of humility.  Just as did Peter and Paul who were taxed with carrying the gospel into the nations.

Moses had asked God to see His Glory.  God allowed Him to glimpse upon it (protected by a cliff).  God knew that Moses would need to understand the fierceness of God’s Glory as well as the magnitude of His grace to lead the people through the wilderness.

In the Year that King Uzziah Died

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Isaiah was commissioned by God to proclaim 6 Woes against the Nation of Judah for their blatant rebellious sin against God.  Each woe a judgment for these sinful acts against God.  Woe means a devastating sorrow.  So, when God proclaims, “woe to”, He is pronouncing devastation to come to those committing such treacherous acts.  Because God is perfectly righteous, Holy, and Just; He cannot overlook sin and evil without punishing it.

Modern ideologies want to teach either that Christ was just a man with great ideas who lived once upon a time or that He only spoke with grace and mercy.  So, quickly they want to dismiss His perfect Righteousness requiring obedience to His Holy commands. Many say that He would never condemn anyone.  Yet, if that were the case, if justice did not demand a price be paid for sin, why would He have died on the cross to pay the price for all who would believe in Him?  Still for all those who deny Him or blatantly sin without regard for their sins, is there not still a judgement for that sin?

Did not Christ Himself proclaim, “Woe to the world because of offenses! (Matthew 18:7). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  (Matthew 23:7) Woe ^[a]to you when ^[b]all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets (Luke 6:26).

Everyone wants to see Jesus as the Humble Sacrificial Lamb full of Mercy and Grace.  However, is He not the Lion Of Judah, the one whom John described in Revelations with these words, “ ¹⁴ His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire” (Rev. 1:14). Flaming Fire that will bring judgement to all who refuse His gift of salvation.

Who is to blame?

Continue reading “6 Woe that will Destroy our Nation”

A story of Justice, Righteousness, Judgement and Grace all wrapped into one.  That is the book of Isaiah.  Can hope be found in Judgement? How? With judgement devastation comes. Devastation to those who ignore God’s call.  A devastation of their own making.  Because humanity is that, people destroying themselves in an attempt to find their own happiness apart from God.  Every attempt of human advancement within their humanitarian utopia has led to destruction.  Everyone thinking themselves the most important, the leader, resulting in chaos with no direction.  If everyone and everything is right, then nothing is right or true anymore.  There is no righteousness or Holiness if we consider all to be right and holy.

How then in the devastation, can hope be found?

Psalm 119: 64

The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes.

There amid the judgement, we find that the earth is full of God’s Mercy.  If only we learn of Him and His statutes.  For in His righteousness there is joy, hope, love, and peace.  Let this be the cry from our lips as we begin a study of Isaiah.  Let our hearts desire be that of knowing Him and to surrender to His will that we might have hope always.

Isaiah the greatest prophet of Hope Found in Judgement

Continue reading “Can Hope be Found in Judgement? How?”