Day 40: Isaiah 6- Go In Peace To Love and Serve The Lord

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah's Commission from the Lord8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
    without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
    and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it,
    it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
    whose stump remains
    when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.
 
Meditation
One of my good friends ends every meeting with prayer and benediction saying, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Today’s passage helps us see how we can faithfully respond to this commission for mission, loving and serving the Lord with peace. It begins with a fresh vision of God.
 
Isaiah’s feet were on the ground but the eyes of his heart saw a vision of the Lord on His throne in the temple, surrounded by heavenly beings singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”
 
Seeing God’s Holiness helps us see our unholiness, leading to confession. Isaiah realizes His uncleanness when his “eyes had seen the King.” (5) The apostle Peter follows the same trajectory, going face down in a boat of fish when Jesus more fully revealed Himself (Luke 5:8).  You will, too, when you have a fresh vision of the Lord.
 
God is faithful and just to cleanse confessed sin (1 John 1:9). Isaiah’s guilt was removed and atoned for with coal from an altar, and his lips were set apart. The atonement of sin and removal of guilt comes through the cross of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:2).  God’s grace sets our whole lives apart for His service.
 
God’s grace moved Isaiah from “Woe is me” to “Please send me!” And only God’s grace can move you to this place too. The mission will be difficult (10-13) but God is faithful.  By His grace you can go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Ask the Lord to reveal Himself more clearly to you. What do you learn freshly about Him?
 
-What do you specifically need to confess and be cleansed from? God is faithful and just and will forgive you, cleansing you through the work of Christ.
 
-What mission has God commissioned you for? Isaiah’s was TOUGH. You will need deep conviction. God is faithful so you can “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.”
  
Key Verse
 
3 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”