Ver. We come, then, to think of THE DIVINE CALL. It was necessary for him to see it in order that he might be brought into the condition of heart out of which should come the full consecration expressed in--“Here am I send me.” Observe what he saw. The vision which Isaiah beheld in the temple. The problem is, to account for the use of the plural number in these passages, consistently with the unity of God. for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Yet even the sense of sin might paralyse being alone. It takes a great sinner to preach as well as to hear like that. Allowance being made for difference of phraseology, there is a striking resemblance between the call of Isaiah and of Paul (comp. IV. When the Prophet says, Here am I, the meaning is, that he is ready to obey the commands of God; for this mode of expression is frequently employed in Scripture to denote obedience. He inquires, in other words, Who among the living will lend a hand to this work? The change of the number, I and us, is very remarkable; and both being meant of one and the same Lord, do sufficiently intimate a plurality of persons in the Godhead. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Isaiah 42:1-8; then Isaiah 50:5-9. but to the Son and Spirit, who it is certain were concerned in this mission; for the following words were said when Isaiah saw the glory of Christ, and spake of him, John 12:41 and they are expressly attributed to the Holy Ghost in Acts 28:25 the Septuagint and Arabic versions, instead of "for us", read "unto this people"; and the Targum is, "whom shall I send to prophesy? And He whom they so innocently praise charges His seraphs with folly. and who will go for us? Septuagint and Arabic versions, instead of "for us", read "unto The nature of the work may be inferred from the condition of the people. A. Moses, we know, was called to go to Pharaoh, and to bring the Lord’s people out of Egypt. There is an altar of Divine sacrifice kindled from heaven—it stands not within, but in front of the Divine dwelling—and each coal of it is for the purging of the conscience. More abundant communications of the Spirit—, [Whatever measures of grace were imparted to some highly-favoured individuals under the Law, as to David, Isaiah, Daniel, and others, the effusions of the Holy Spirit were very small and partial in comparison of those which are given to the Christian Church: so that none of us need to draw Sack from the greatest work; since the weakest of true Believers may say, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthened me [Note: Philip. ].”, As to excuses for withholding or delaying a general surrender of ourselves to God, they are lighter than vanity itself. Nor must we forget our tender Redeemer. (R. J. Campbell, M. 2. Proud member
It is an inquiry which Jehovah is ever making; namely, for preachers and missionaries to a dying world. King James Version Update. In view of the nature and effect of this message, God is represented as inquiring who would be willing to undertake it? 3. Isa . But what were all these objections? Now, I conceive that you will find that whenever a thing is wise in God’s sight it is really wise, and that a thing which is absurd is not more likely to be adopted by God than by man; for though the Lord does use plans which are called foolish, they are only foolish to fools, but not actually foolish. Isaiah 63:3; Isaiah 63:5.) In addition to all this, a sense of God’s pardoning love, through the Redeemer’s sacrifice, was applied to his soul: for the live coal, being taken from the altar of burnt-offering, marked clearly the connexion between the atonement offered for him, and the pardon vouchsafed unto him. and spake of him, ( John 12:41 ) and they 687, and vol. God never calls men to a holier and harder task than proclaiming His truth to a sinful world. ; just as, from their very nature as “sons of God” ( b'neÌ HaÌ - elohim ), they made one family with God their Creator (vid., Ephesians 3:15), all linked so closely together that they themselves could be called Elohim, like God their Creator, just as in 1 Corinthians 12:12 the church of believers is called Christos, like Christ its head. ];” and his desire that it should be transferred to some one else [Note: Exodus 4:13. A vision of God.—Uzziah the king, after a brilliant reign of fifty years, had just died. Spurgeon. God asks, Whom shall I send? This is the voice from the Temple concerning the "scattering", corresponding with Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:6, which is the voice from the wilderness concerning the "gathering". God then asked for a volunteer to serve Him, evidently among any present in the throne room (cf. He was a member of the sinful nation. Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Commentary, Isaiah 6:1-8, John C. Holbert, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009. Here am I. Whom shall I send? Thus we see the unity and harmony of revelation in 11 ages; the doctrine is the same; the degree of manifestation only is different. D.), Cobden and Bright believed--to quote the language of the former - that “a moral and even religious spirit might be infused into the question of the repeal of the Corn Laws.” The story of Mr. Bright’s dedication to this most beneficent idea is admirably reproduced in Vince’s life of the great Tribune. In the vision, the Lord asks, ““Whom shall I send? fit to go on such an errand: this is spoken after the manner of In this attitude “we” should stand, prompt to deliver “any” message that God shall entrust to our hands, and to engage in “any” service that he calls on us to perform. 2. According to chapter 1:1 the Prophet Isaiah (Meaning, Jehovah is Salvation) was the son of the Amoz, who according to an old Jewish tradition was the brother of King Amaziah. 2 , 4 , 6 ), “holding fast to the covenant” (vv. Nor is it a mean throne either, nor one of little dignity; it is “high and lifted up.” It is not merely above all other thrones by way of greater power, but over them all by way of supreme dominion over them. chap. Ewald repudiates it. Us. A more genuine consecration in the average Christian, a clearer vision of God and of human sinfulness in the light of His holiness, would result in many a call which is now never heard, because we are not fitted to say, ‘Here am I send me.’ He wants to send us. The text reminds usâ, I. Whom shall I send, and who will go, are the divine queries. Go away now and pray about it.” They went away and prayed about it, and at the end of the hour General Booth said, “Are any of you willing to undertake this work?” And fourteen stalwart men stepped forward and said, We are ready to sad tomorrow morning. Many preachers of this passage have pointed out that the order of events is very significant. 1 Chronicles 29:5, "who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?"). The constraint of love is the omnipotent motive force. Who will expose and denounce wickedness in high places? Salem Media Group. (C. H. In that chapter, Yahweh promises, "I will There is no difficulty et all in determining that we are every one of us called to devote ourselves to God. , are the divine queries. He is as an angel called to an angelâs work. Then said I, Here am I; send me. That which God has in view, that which God is perpetually taking counsel upon, is the welfare, the happiness, and, if either have been disturbed, then the restoration, the rectification, the redemption, the salvation, of the lives which He created, of the souls which He has made. N.B. H.Spurgeon. 1. You tell me what to do, and I am ready to obey.’” (Christian Endeavour. A. (S. Cox, D. D.), Though at times he had to rebuke princes and to pronounce the doom of nations, yet it was his whole life that he dedicated to God, with all its petty details of daily conduct. Even now things are not as they seem. Let us gaze upon THE VISION OF GLORY which Isaiah saw. Isaiah’s Dialogue With God, 6:8-13. II. THE CONTEXT In chapters 1-5, Isaiah uses harsh words to speak of Judah's wickedness. Imperfect realisation of forgiveness is one of the most frequent causes of weakness in Christian service. Here am I send me.] By self-prostration of spirit, a conviction of utter sinfulness (Isa ). He had also another proof, namely, that the Lord had cleansed him; and this was sufficient to lead him to undertake any task, however difficult. How does He in an especial manner fit men for His highest service? THE PERSON OFFERING HIMSELF. For the LORDspoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. He was nurtured in the soft and sumptuous luxuriance of palaces. 1. For if the joy, with which he offered himself here as the messenger of God, was the direct consequence of the forgiveness of sins, of which he had received the seal; the consciousness of his own personal sinfulness, and his membership in a sinful nation, would certainly have prevented him thereto from coming forward to denounce judgment upon that nation. And then, on the other hand, no seraph of them all, with all his wings, had seen down so deep, and had come up so close to the holiness of God as Isaiah had seen and had come close. In the Bible, when God appears, when God speaks, when God call’s, He sends people. Practically all of the liberal and radically critical writers make it the beginning of all of Isaiah's prophetic writings, identifying it with his original call to the prophetic office. 7:3; 38:1; 39:3). The plural is no doubt used here with reference to the seraphim, who formed, together with the Lord, one deliberative council ( soÌd kedoshim , Psalms 89:8), as in 1 Kings 22:19-22; Daniel 4:14, etc. Jesus used verses 9-10 about Israel in his day, and the verses appear several times in the NT (e.g., Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:11; Lk 4:20; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:27). The “Top 10” list is based on aggregate reviews.. Isaiah 6 – Isaiah’s Conviction, Cleansing and Call A. The conviction of the prophet. — — —. The best Isaiah commentaries are listed below. John Trapp Complete Commentary. So young Isaiah realised in days much darker and more ominous than these. Isaiah, whose anxiety to serve the Lord was no longer suppressed by the consciousness of his own sinfulness, no sooner heard the voice of the Lord, than he exclaimed, in holy self-consciousness, “Behold me here; send me.” It is by no means a probable thing, that he had already acted as a messenger of God, or held the office of prophet. Chs. The "joy of the Lord" will be our strength when most we feel the pressure of "the burden of the Lord. Such offers as the prophet made are precededâ. What a picture of spiritual decline and moral abomination is given in the first chapter! Send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people: Cite all these passages from Exodus; because they are, in fact, the very excuses which a false humility invariably suggests.]. 4. The callous and indifferent people, steeped in sin, would only be hardened by the message. Several questions arise as we read these words. But God’s thoughts in these things are not as our thoughts. such a message: and who will go for us? The Prophet represents the Lord as speaking, as if he could not find a man qualified for such a message. (R. J. Campbell, M. Whom ... who - implying that few would be willing to bear the self-denial which the delivering of such an unwelcome message to the Jews would require on the part of the messenger, (cf. The General of an army wisely relaxes the routine discipline of duty when in the fortunes of the campaign the troops have to face the desperate service of some forlorn hope. God sends His messenger to fetch from that altar—which is, being interpreted, the Cross of Jesus—a live coal to touch the unclean lips, and take away the iniquity which would else preclude the service. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. He at once said, ‘Is it for me to choose my work? And here I must say, that no rules can be given which shall apply to all cases; nor perhaps any rules that shall be perfectly satisfactory to every mind. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? ", 2. Did he not know how hard it would be to reach men’s hearts around him with the solemn message? More certain assurances of the forgiveness of our sins—, [Doubtless the vision, and that one promise given him in it, were sufficient to satisfy his mind. 8.Voice of the Lord — The seraphs’ voices are hushed at the “voice” of Jehovah. "Lay hands upon no man rashly," but with deliberation. Then said I, Here am I, &c. — God’s last and great favour to him both encouraged and obliged him to be thus forward in his service. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Second, the seraphim said "lo" ("behold" in the NASB), pointing to God"s provision for cleansing. In that memorable year, naturally speaking, he himself was to see God. All rights reserved. 3. Seraphs, not sinners, should surely be the preachers of such holiness as that of the God of Israel, and the heralds of such a Saviour--that is what we would have expected. 3. ), Men must see before they can say. Isaiah was married and had two sons by the names of Shear-jashub (Hebr. But, “Woe is me! But to prepare him for it, God vouchsafed to him a vision of the glory and felicity of the heavenly world. Offers hastily made and half-meant He passes by (Jos ; Joh 2:23-25); but genuine, whole-hearted offers of service, He in variably accepts. An assurance, at the same time, was given him of qualification for his work, and of acceptance in it: and by this he was brought to such a state, that, at the very first proposal from God to send a messenger to his people, he offered himself for the service, willing and desirous to undertake any thing whereby his God might be honoured, and his Saviour glorified. The “call” may have been felt only as an overwhelming and disinterested desire to accomplish some noble end, but it has been as truly there as if seraphim had announced it. “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib. ],” and expect that “strength shall be given you according to your day [Note: Deuteronomy 33:25. 4:13. He speaks of Judeans as rebellious children (1:2) and "people loaded with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! Commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, and..., & c. I upon his eternal throne Isaiah uses harsh words to speak,. 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Whole nation, offers to undertake it 8.voice of the seraphim cried, ‘ is it for to... Of an irreverent and worldly temper, he makes a full surrender of.! To bear the dear Redeemer compels us to follow the prophet 's message God! New Testament makes that plurality clear ( cf passages, consistently with the message. ( but in no other Semitic languages ) adds intensification ( cf the! Most skillful grammarians would only be hardened by the names of Shear-jashub ( Hebr sense and bring. As he was nurtured in the plural pronouns “ we and us, 's. The offerer has become a new man from the condition of fitness for service instead discharging... Commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply the author ’ s, he himself was to the! There are exceptions to this work heartily accord with his commission had before been addressed by one the...