Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. It ought not, therefore, to be expected that the Lord should regard anything in choosing a servant for duty but that servant’s qualifications for the duty. The peculiar obligation which lies on us to follow the prophet’s example—. He was not to win men, but to seal their doom by putting before them truth which they would be sure to reject. In the year that King Uzziah died it seemed as if the last hope of the people of God had expired with him. Second, the seraphim said "lo" ("behold" in the NASB), pointing to God"s provision for cleansing. That man is inhuman who without profound grief can behold the perversity of sinners, and the calamities with which in consequence they are visited. And if this be the case, it is Jesus, and not Isaiah who gives the answer, here am I, send me, see Psalms 40:7. then said I, here am I, send me: for he who before thought himself undone, and unworthy to be employed in the service of God, now having a discovery and application of pardoning grace, freely offers himself to God: this shows the true nature and effect of an application of pardon; it gives a man freedom and boldness in the presence of God, and stimulates to a ready and cheerful obedience to his will, and engages him with the utmost alacrity in his service; so far is the doctrine of free and full pardon by the blood of Christ from being a licentious doctrine. But the point to which I would move particularly draw your attention, is, III. The very first condition of whole-hearted service is the conviction that the cause which we serve will ultimately prevail. There we behold Christ as “the brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his person [Note: Hebrews 1:3. If he had never uttered these words you would never have heard of him. Psalms 110:1, which Isaiah may have known, suggested at least a duality. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 11:7). but to the Son and Spirit, Yet even the sense of sin might paralyse being alone. For God, to whom all things are known, has no need to make any inquiry; but, lest men should think that he acts with precipitation, he thus accommodates himself to the ordinary modes of speaking among men. God especially qualifies His messengers. ), God’s call: the anti-slavery and other crusades, Those who do the best work in the world’s redemption, and yet may never preach a sermon, have had a “call” to accomplish it. saying, Whom shall I send? "Lay hands upon no man rashly," but with deliberation. They need above all the conviction of sin. 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. 2. God said, “Go.” You have just that very simple succession of events. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? ]— — —, But we may consider the call as given to every one of us, not to undertake the office of the ministry, but to serve God in a way of general obedience: “Who is willing to fulfil my will, and to consecrate himself to me?” — — — This honour God is ready to confer on all who are willing to accept it: and, if we be really desirous to engage in His service, he will make us lights in the world, and monitors to all around us — — —, Such offers as these are common in the Holy Scriptures — — — and we may suppose it as now made to us, in the name, and by the command, of God himself — — —]. He confessed his unworthiness to stand before God. Yeshayahu - Isaiah - Chapter 6 ... Rashi 's Commentary: Show Hide. Philippians 1:20-21.] [1 Corinthians 4:1 2 Corinthians 5:21], Who shall go for us?] The same interest belongs to the work of thus tracing the rise and progress of truth in the Bible, as belongs to that of him who traces rivers to their fountain head, and proves that, far up amid mountains all but inaccessible, rises the tiny stream, on whose broad waters, as it nears the sea, navies float in proud array. (C. B. Symes, B. Gabriel might come with his six wings and his salutation to announce to Mary that the fulness of time had come and that the Word was to be made flesh, but it was John, the son of Zacharias, who was not that light, who was sent to preach repentance to the vipers of his day, and to urge them to flee from the wrath to come. 6 with Acts 9). ), A man once rose in one of Mr. Moody’s meetings, and gave his experience. 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. There had been in his training everything to satisfy sense and to kindle ambition. “I don’t know that I have,” answered the man. We wish to know why, originally, such forms were applied to the “true” God; and it is no answer to tell us they are also applied to idols. 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. The work is always more important than the man, for the man has a brief life, and the work is immortal. “Isaiah is very bold,” says the apostle. Also I heard the voice of the Lord— We have here the third part of this vision, comprehending, first, a trial of the disposition of the prophet, now sanctified, with his reply to the Lord, in the present verse; secondly, the command delivered to him concerning the execution of the divine judgment upon the Jews, of blindness and hardness of heart, Isaiah 6:9-10 thirdly, a more full and explicit declaration of a most grievous temporal judgment, which should be joined with this spiritual one; Isaiah 6:11-13. This has always been God’s way in choosing and in ordaining and in sending both prophets, and psalmists, and priests, and preachers for His Church on earth. This is the light in which we may wisely look on Christian service. The constraint of love is the omnipotent motive force. 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. The call is heard individually. (1-2) What Isaiah saw. Blessed is the man who has both visions. , are the divine queries. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” is the proclamation from the Commander’s tent, and a storming party of volunteers is told off, to mount the breach and take the van of danger. So ready a reply shows how great is that cheerfulness which springs from faith; for he who but lately lay like a dead man dreads no difficulty. That there are clearer intimations of the doctrines of the Trinity, than that contained in this and similar texts, is indubitable; but we must not set aside the early and somewhat obscure intimations of a doctrine, simply because it comes afterward to be exhibited with more fulness. 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 first query implies that whoever goes should first receive his commission from Jehovah; he should be sent, and not go before he is sent. For us — The plural may here, as elsewhere, be the plural of royalty, by which kings speak of themselves as we and us. Now, the ordinary rule of grammar might have been followed invariably, as well as in these few instances, or the departures from it might have been but few in number. Spurgeon. The doctrine of the Trinity seems to furnish an easy and beautiful solution; but this solution has been rejected, not by Unitarians only, but by Trinitarians not a few. Now, this remarkable instance of obedience ought to produce such an effect on our minds that we shall readily and cheerfully undertake any task which he may be pleased to enjoin, and shall never refuse any task, however difficult we may imagine it to be. (J. Parker, D. D.), We must become seers before we can become servants. 7:3; 38:1; 39:3). 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 (compare 1 Chronicles 29:5). Let us gaze upon THE VISION OF GLORY which Isaiah saw. Who â To deliver the following message. Here is disclosed the secret of the wonderful energy with which for more than half a century Isaiah prosecuted his ministry. Our first call is to such consecration. Isaiah 6:8 NIV • Isaiah 6:8 NLT • Isaiah 6:8 ESV • Isaiah 6:8 NASB • Isaiah 6:8 KJV • Isaiah 6:8 Interlinear • Isaiah 6:8 Commentaries • Isaiah 6:8 Parallel Texts • Isaiah 6:8 Bible Apps • Isaiah 6:8 Parallel • … Christian thought has, however, scarcely erred in believing that the words were as a dim foreshadowing of the truth, afterwards to be revealed, of a plurality within the Unity. such a message: and who will go for us? 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. Such great movements as the anti-slavery crusade are full of instances. The question reveals to the prophet that there is a work to be done for Jehovah, that He needs an instrument for that work. II. us, is very remarkable; and both being meant of one and the same Lord, do sufficiently intimate a plurality of persons in the Godhead. Who will proclaim the insincerity of the priests, their robbery of the flock, and the fiction of their ceremonial? I hope that you are God’s portion upon an absolute freehold. III. 1. Knill. This is called by grammarians pluralis excellentice, or the plural form indicating majesty or honor. It was to commission him to exhibit truth that would be extremely unpleasant to the nation, and that would have the certain effect of hardening their hearts. Because it is absurd, they think it to be Divine; if earthly wisdom does not justify it, then certainly heavenly wisdom must be called in to endorse it. Here am I — prompt zeal, now that he has been specially qualified for it (Isaiah 6:7; compare 1 Samuel 3:10, 1 Samuel 3:11; Acts 9:6). 1. This may be a plural of majesty, or the Lord may have meant Himself, the seraphim, and the heavenly host. I. 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. He is the Paul of the Old Testament. How may we ascertain that we are required to become messengers of the living God? Thus at creation, Genesis 1:26. (C. H. God wants messengers unto sinful men. And I said, 'Here am I. 3. But to prepare him for it, God vouchsafed to him a vision of the glory and felicity of the heavenly world. And many among them shal… ", To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? You are to understand that you and every other member of the church are bound to spread abroad the Saviour’s name.” (C. H. You will find in the vision, that the prophet was favoured with a bright manifestation of the glory of Christ: for St. John, referring to it, says, “These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him [Note: John 12:41. There came to his soul’s vision no forthshadowing of God’s glory in any manmade temple, but the story is thus told by himself: “I was at Leamington when Mr. Cobden called upon me. He felt himself involved in the guilt. The people of Israel and Judah had been punished by every species of chastisement; invasion, captivity, pestilence, famine, and sword, nothing that a people loves or a man cherishes had been left untouched; from the sole of the nation’s foot to the crown of her head, the lash of retribution had been laid on so heavily that nothing was to be seen but “wounds and bruises and putrifying sores.” Yet they continued to revolt more and more. A vision of God.—Uzziah the king, after a brilliant reign of fifty years, had just died. Several questions arise as we read these words. For us. “The use of the plural number by kings and princes, is quite a modern invention.” The Bible does not furnish any example of it. It was made concerning an unknown mission. The callous and indifferent people, steeped in sin, would only be hardened by the message. These crudities are by most, however, long ago abandoned as untenable; and the solution most generally approved by such as reject that of the Trinity, is that furnished by an appeal to the “style of majesty.” Oriental princes, it is alleged, from the most ancient times, used the plural number in publishing their decrees; and such is the style of royalty to this day. 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. Or, it may include with Jehovah himself his attendant court of seraphim. In some cases, it is evident that it cannot have such a reference, and that no “argument” can be drawn from the use of that plural form in favor of such a doctrine. said I. H.Spurgeon. [1 Peter 5:2]. So young Isaiah realised in days much darker and more ominous than these. 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