How long?

May 4, 2022 (Wednesday)

 

I think one of the most spectacular encounters between God and humanity occurs in Isaiah 6. Let’s watch as events unfold. “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.” [Isaiah 6:1 ESV]

 

Isaiah is on duty in the Temple. He appears to be in "The Holy Place," which is the inner sanctuary of the Temple. There is a substantial curtain separating where Isaiah is and the "Holy of Holies." Yet, Isaiah sees the Lord. This vision includes God’s throne and robe filling the Temple. To add to the awe of the moment, "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." [Isaiah 6:2 ESV]

 

These angles, "And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." [Isaiah 6:6 NIV] The one defining thing about God is His holiness. Generally, we think of holiness in the moral sense. In God’s case, it also encompasses His complete "otherness." Nonetheless, the moral sense of holiness is the standard God expects of his people.

 

Completing the physical image of this encounter, Isaiah testifies, “Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.” [Isaiah 6:4 NLT] The story then turns to Isaiah’s reaction. “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!” [Isaiah 6:5 ESV]

 

Notice that Isaiah recognizes two types of guilt (stemming from sin). He acknowledges unclean lips, and he acknowledges his people’s unclean lips. It’s a sobering thought that Isaiah felt and accepted the corporate guilt of his nation. Here’s the deal: Even if we can imagine ourselves as morally clean and guiltless, can we say the same of our nation?

 

A seraphim takes a coal from the incense altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." [Isaiah 6:7 ESV] The cure for sin directly affects the sin. This is why Jesus took our punishment on the cross. Notice that guilt is removed but the sin is "atoned" (covered) for.

 

God then asks for a volunteer to be a messenger. Who could say no after such an experience? Maybe Isaiah looked around and realized there was nobody else around to take up the task. He is then told his mission, "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes…" [Isaiah 6:10a ESV] I do not know any messenger of God who wants this task. After all, don’t we want to win the hearts of the lost? Do we not see our mission as winning people over to the right relationship with God?

 

I can imagine Isaiah’s shock as, "I said, "How long, Lord?" [Isaiah 6:11a CEB] I can imagine Isaiah hoping this was a temporary thing. But this answer runs counter to all our "church growth" theology. "And God said, "Until cities lie ruined with no one living in them, until there are houses without people and the land is left devastated." [Isaiah 6:11b,c CEB] Yet, there are times when God has set His heart on judgement. Part of that is to set up people up to be the victims of their own stubbornness and stupidity.

 

“For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” [1 Thessalonians 2:11 NIV]