Sermon Tone Analysis

! SMOKE FILLED THE TEMPLE

 

Isaiah 6

 

*6* In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

There is more than a mere thematic link between this passage and the one we were considering this morning.

If we had continued to read in Chapter 12 of John we would have come to that part where our Lord speaks to the people about His coming death.

John tells us that Jesus withdrew from amongst the people for a while, and he then continues to explain that their reaction of unbelief is a fulfilment of Isaiah:

 

37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”a

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 “He has blinded their eyes

and deadened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

nor understand with their hearts,

nor turn—and I would heal them.”a

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

JOHN 12 37-41

 

Verse 41 takes us directly to our passage in Isaiah.

Isaiah sees Jesus’ glory and speaks about Him.

This morning we were reminded that to be in the presence of the Lord is costly – once again, and this time from the Old Testament we have a similar message from Isaiah.

As we examine the passage we can see what it cost Isaiah to see the Lord high and lifted up.

Here – in a simple division of the material we have:

 

À    The Vision

 

À    The Change

 

À    The Challenge

 

I believe that this short chapter provides us with an insight into the meaning of worship and the meaning of encounter with God.

You will find it helpful to compare with your own experience of God.

See whether the work of God in you has the same ingredients as it had for Isaiah – and indeed for virtually all individuals whose encounter with God is recorded for us in Scripture.

Let’s start by sharing some thoughts about the VISION:

 

! Vision – at a time of weakness

 

*6* In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted,

 

As we noticed this morning, there is a link between being in His presence and living a different life – a life of service, devotion and witness.

Isaiah sees his vision at a time of earthly transition.

He contrasts the passing of an earthly king (Uzziah) with the Eternal King of glory.

We too need to be reminded that, when earthly powers change or pass away – the King of Glory does not change.

When Isaiah might very well have been reflecting on the sad misfortunes that had befallen God’s people – reflecting on the story of Uzziah, his example, and his failure and his leprosy.

Uzziah has died and the transition has not been easy.

God has a desire to meet us at the PIVOTAL POINTS in our life.

They may seem to us to be pivotal for altogether different reasons – a change of family circumstances, or work or health.

God intends to speak to us, and to reveal Himself to us at such times.

Then the experience will become PIVOTAL because HE HAS MET US.

 

 

!

Vision – of splendour and holiness

 

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

It was – as it inevitably is – a disturbing vision.

*A vision of MAJESTY*

 

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.



 

What kind of picture do you have of God?

 

Like John in the last book of the Bible, Isaiah sees the Lord in majesty.

We have different pictures of MAJESTY these days – and it is rarely of a monarch on a throne – it may be a small man standing at a podium bearing the seal of the USA

Or a bearded Arab on a grainy video from a terrorist video.

It might be a judge in all his crimson robes – or an ayatollah wearing his turban.

These are the marks of HUMAN AUTHORITY – and over them all is GOD THE KING!

*A vision of HOLINESS*

 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Holiness is a very unfashionable word.

It sets apart altogether.

It is such as to create AWE and a sense of UNWORTHINESS

 

Isaiah’s vision has a sound track – the angels sing repeatedly of the HOLY HOLY HOLY LORD.

*A vision of POWER*

* *

This is the LORD OF HOSTS – the El Shaddai  - He is seen and described as the God of the conquering army

 

¨                 */Who did Isaiah see?/*

That question is answered for us by John in the same chapter of his gospel we were reading earlier.

12 39~~41

 

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 “He has blinded their eyes

and deadened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

nor understand with their hearts,

nor turn—and I would heal them.”a

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

That is most significant – John is telling us that the King that Isaiah saw is JESUS!

Jesus in His pre-incarnate majesty.

Peter would have agreed – for you remember when Peter realised who Jesus was his reaction was similar to that of Isaiah;

 

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Luke 5 8-10

 

Isaiah’s reaction was:

 

5 “Woe to me!” I cried.

“I am ruined!

For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

This is an appropriate reaction to an experience of God.

And it signals the second phase in his experience:

 

!

The Change

 

5 “Woe to me!” I cried.

“I am ruined!

For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

The association with the cleansing work of the Lord through the angel and the function of the altar would not be lost on Isaiah.

It is a simple but dramatic description of the forgiveness of sin and the dealing with guilt.