INTRODUCTION: What were you doing in 1963? Hard to remember? What if I had asked, "What you you doing the year Pres. Kennedy was assasinated? Isaiah uses this same aid to memory. Who was King Uzziah? He reigned over Judah from 792 to 740 BC, and became king at the age of 16. He was a God-fearing man, and revival came to the nation during his reign. Judah regained much of the power and prosperity it had under Solomon. Toward the end of his life he was struck by God with leprousy for trying to enter the holy place of the temple. In 1931 archaeologists discovered a stone tablet on the Mt. of Olives that reads "Higher were brought the bones of Uzziah king of Judah--do not open!"
I. In 740 BC, Isaiah saw the
Lord (Is. 6:1).
A. He had a vision--a waking
dream given by God Himself.
In other times God spoke
to men and women this way, but now He speaks in His
Word!
Abraham had visions,
heard voices, and was actually visited by God and 2
angels. Jacob dreamed about the ladder. Elijah heard
the still small voice. Etc. GOD CAN STILL DO that
if He wants, but usually He just wants us to study
His Word and live by it.
Psalm 119:113-115:
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter
than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get
understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Thy word is a lamp unto
my feet, and a light unto my path.
Christians are born again, and sanctified, through the Word of God (I Peter 1:22-25).
B. He saw the pre-incarnated
Jesus.
A. Jesus is the Lord
Jehovah (John 8:53-59).
It was Jesus that
met with Abraham.
It was Jesus that
talked with Moses in the burning bush.
It was Jesus that
strengthened David when he fought Goliath.
It was Jesus walking
in the fire with Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego.
It is Jesus who
is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
It was Jesus seen
in a vision by Isaiah.
John 1:17-18 says: 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
II. Isaiah saw the Lord "seated
on a throne." (Is. 6:1).
A. Kings and rulers of the
earth live and die, but God sits on His throne forever.
B. It is God who rules over
the earth, not Satan, not wicked men.
Psalm 2:1-6 Nothing
can happen except by the permission of God. (As Job)
III. Isaiah saw that the Lord
was "high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled
the temple."
See Isaiah 57:15 God
is HIGH, we are LOW. He is in Heaven, we are on earth.
Thrones are always set
up high. No one could look down on the king. We do
well to cultivate a profound humility before God!
He is far above us!
A. We should not question
the wisdom of God.
B. We should not doubt
the faithfulness of God.
The length of the kings train was a symbol of his power, glory and majesty. God's train was so long there wasn't room for it. A symbolic way of stating His greatness. He is above all kings.
IV. Surrounded by angels trumpeting
his holiness.
A. Seraphim: plural of
Seraph. Definition:A special class of angels, always
in the presence of God, constantly announcing the holiness
of God. Seraph: means "burning ones."
Described also in Revelation
4:6-8.
B. We too are surrounded
by angels.
1. Our ministers (Hebrews
1:14)
2. Possibly one assigned
to every Christian from childhood (Matt. 18:10).
3. We may meet angels
unexpectedly (Hebrews 13:1-2).
C. Some cautions concerning
angels:
1. Our focus is Christ,
not angels. We are not to seek them out.
2. Satan and his demons
can appear as angels of light. Seek Christ!
V. These verses remind us that
the Holiness of God is His leading attribute.
A. The angels do not cry:
loving, loving, loving;
kind, kind, kind;
eternal, eternal, eternal
but HOLY, HOLY HOLY
B. Isaiah was undone by
the holiness of God (Isaiah 6:5).
C. Isaiah was enabled to
stand in God's presence by an atonement for his sin
(Is. 6:6-7).
This burning coal from
the altar is a symbol of Jesus' atonement for us on
the cross.
CONCLUSION: We may not have
visions, but we can know of God through His word.
We know that God is holy, and
that we cannot stand in his presence in our natural
state.
We have a loving Savior, who
atoned for our sins.
Prayer
*Hymn # 201 "Grace Greater Than
Our Sin"