We pray: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps 51:15). Amen.
This is Memorial Day weekend. It affords us an opportunity to remember those men and women who have given their lives while serving in the armed forces of the United States military. We thank them for their ultimate sacrifice and honor them for the many freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of this country.
In a sense, today is another memorial day. Not to take away from the significance of tomorrow. It allows us the chance to recall our triune God—one God (Dt 6:4), yet three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19). We marvel at that mystery. But that is how God reveals himself to us in his Word.
Isaiah had a spectacular view of this God as he called him to be a prophet (Jn 12:41). Stand in the presence of the King in humility and for ministry. We read from …
Isaiah 6:1-6
Dear People of God who see and serve the King,
We really don’t get it—royalty. You don’t get extra credit if you got up early to watch the latest royal wedding (perhaps you heard about that last weekend) and can name their official titles (possibly you know about that by now).
But Isaiah got monarchs. He worked as the Lord’s mouthpiece under four of them in Judah (Is 1:1). He even chronicled the events of Uzziah’s reign (2 Chron 26:23). He knew about kings.
But there is an interesting contrast between those kings and the King when a major event happened in Isaiah’s life. He records it specifically: “In the year that King Uzziah died” (Is 6:1). As with the others, that king had power for a time. The King has it for all time. At the death of another of them, he observes the almighty One. And the vision is unforgettable—for him and for us.
Stand in the Presence of the King
1. In humility (1-7)
2. For ministry (8)
1. In humility (1-7)
How would you describe a saint? It is helpful to assert: “a saint is one who is cleansed from sin.” It is not what we have done, but what God has done for us. Isaiah found that out. Stand in the presence of the King in humility.
It was quite a sight for the seer’s eyes. “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Is 6:1). He is the Lord—the One who has amazing majesty and absolute might. His position is ongoing as he towers over all and his garment takes up everything.
And he was not alone. His attendants are impressive like soldiers at attention. “Above him were seraphs” (Is 6:2). This is the first and only time that they are mentioned in Scripture. But that doesn’t take away from their brilliance. Isaiah notes their features: “each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying” (Is 6:2). They showed their respect—even though they are sinless creatures. They didn’t feel comfortable exposing their faces or their feet. They were in the presence of the King. They were obedient and reverent.
That is clear in their proper posture and in their pure praise. Back and forth, this one to that one like if one side of the church says one thing and the other side the same thing, “they were calling to one another” (Is 6:3). Isaiah documents the content of their chant.
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (Is 6:3). The Lord—who is changeless in his love (Ex 3:14,15; 34:6,7)—Almighty—over every force in heaven and on earth—is holy times three. It is a way of expressing a superlative. It might be like the answer to how a great supper was: “It was awesome, awesome, awesome.” (That is because the word “awesomest” doesn’t exist.)
The seraphs’ lyrics are significant.
1) Our Triune God is holy. He is set apart from all creation. There is no one in the same category as him—not in wisdom or ability. There is not a top ten and he just happens to be one. He is the only perfect one.
2) Our Triune God is holy. He is separate from sin and what is sinful. He cannot be near it or around it. He must get rid of it like an antibiotic attacks bacteria.
“The whole earth is full of his glory” (Is 6:3). All of what God has made speaks of his splendor.
Isaiah didn’t just see it and hear it. He felt it. “At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke” (Is 6:4). It might be the sensation of when you are in a car and someone pulls up next to you with their music blaring and your vehicle starts vibrating. He might have even smelled the smoke. The Lord involved almost all the senses.
This is not welcome because it was troubling. It was worrisome because it was terrifying. Isaiah’s reaction is real and rational. “Woe to me! … I am ruined!” (Is 6:5). There was despair and doom. He wanted to be hidden rather than to behold. That is about as far away from “Good for me!” as you can get. And he gives the two reasons for his shortcoming:
“For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Is 6:5). Here was the Holy One and he was an unholy one. There was a gap between the wider than the Grand Canyon. Nor could he bring anything to close that divide. Such a one does not belong in such elite company.
“My eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Is 6:5). No one sinful can see God and live (Ex 33:20).
He stood before the King in humility. He was unworthy. What could he anticipate? He more than likely expected to die.
But Isaiah would not die, but live. God did not destroy Isaiah, he delivered him. And in a very symbolic way. “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar” (Is 6:6). The altar was a place of sacrifice. Think of all the animals who lost their lives and shed their blood as a reminder of the altar of Jesus’ cross (Is 53). That is where he won forgiveness for us, cleansing us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7).
The heavenly being continued his activity. “With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips [that is the very thing that Isaiah complained was “unclean,” or impure]; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for’” (Is 6:7). What Isaiah could not do, the King did. The hot stone did not burn him, but purified him (1 Jn 1:7).
There is no other response than humility before the Holy One, the Lord Almighty. It would be either arrogance or ignorance to contend with arms crossed, “My wrong is not that bad. My guilt is not that big.” The Lord is not a little pure, but a lot. We are not a little impure, but a lot. And those two things can’t coexist. How dare we stand in the presence of the King?
But a holy God found a way to make the unholy holy—the sinful sinless. And that is what we were. Jesus laid it out to his late night guest. He reminded Nicodemus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh” (Jn 3:6). Sinful mommies and daddies have sinful sons and daughters. The color of hair is one thing. The kind of heart is another.
But how simple and how sweet the solution—amazing grace. Again as we eavesdrop, Jesus presents the plan. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). In such a way and to such a degree the Father loved and provided his Son. Why? “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn 3:17). His goal was not to ship us to hell, but usher us to heaven. Because Jesus was put on the cross like the snake in the desert (Jn 3:14), we live—right now and forever. The Holy Spirit makes us saints through the water of Baptism or the words of the Bible. “The Spirit gives birth to spirit” (Jn 3:6). He assists us in our awareness that everything crooked, bent, or perverse is removed and our sin is covered.
There is no longer fear of God, but faith in God. The apostle Paul calls to mind the blessings of the Triune God.
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Ro 8:16). We are not outside of God’s family, but inside.
“We cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Ro 8:15). “We can pray to him as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father” (The Explanation to the Address of the Lord’s Prayer).
“We are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Ro 8:17). What is his is ours. We share. We have a life that does not end. Ever. The glory of heaven.
So stand in the presence of the King in humility, admitting your sin, but appreciating your Savior. We are saints—cleansed from sin.
2. For ministry (8)
How would you define a saint? It is beneficial to add: “a saint is one who is consecrated for service.” Who we are—a holy one— leads to what we do—a holy work. Isaiah figured that out. Stand in the presence of the King for ministry.
For the first time the King speaks. It comes in the form of two questions:
• “Whom shall I send?” (Is 6:8). Who will go out in an official capacity as a formal representative? How about the seraphs?
• “And who will go for us?” (Is 6:8). There was a willingness to send someone.
But there was a readiness to be sent. Quite a change. Courage and boldness replace terror and reluctance. Isaiah pipes up: “Here am I” (Is 6:8). It is almost as if he raises his hand. And he doesn’t even really know what he is volunteering for (Is 6:9,10). “Send me!” (Is 6:8). He stands before the King for ministry. He will be God’s spokesman to God’s people.
Isaiah demonstrated an enthusiasm that we can duplicate. That doesn’t require that all of us will be full-time professionals—pastor or preacher, a teacher or professor. Of course, we continue to pray for those who are at the present or will be in the future—that there will always be those who state: “Here am I. Send me!” (Is 6:8). They stand before the King to give themselves for service.
But that doesn’t imply that we can sit back, “There they are. Send them!” We step up and step forward. It takes different forms—from mowing the grass to mentoring the young, from a word of encouragement to a word of prayer. Stand before the King for service. In your different roles—parent to child, manager to worker. And in your various responsibilities—from a Little Light classroom to a councilman boardroom. “Here am I. Send me!” (Is 6:8). “Use me in your kingdom.” Stand before the King for service. We are saints—consecrated for service.
This Memorial Day weekend might mean a barbeque or even a birthday. We are certainly grateful for the veterans who have given all so that we can grill a hot dog or greet a new decade. But we also commemorate Trinity Sunday—how the Father shaped us, the Son saved us, and the Spirit sanctified us. We are holy ones—saints, cleansed from sin and consecrated for service. We go from “Woe to me!” (Is 6:5) to “Here am I” (Is 6:8). Stand before the King in humility and for service. That is a good place to be. Amen.
We say: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD” (Ps 150:6). Amen.
May 27, 2018
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